Would Brian have stayed in music biz if Love went back to pumping gas?

[AndrewHickey]

Yeah, Al was good for the road and added to the harmonies, but another Bruce or someone could've taken his spot. The BBs recorded many hits without him. That's not to say Al didn't have a lot of talent, but unlike the others, he was replaceable.

*Many* hits? Hardly. Surfin' Safari/409 and Surfin' USA/Shut Down were the only singles recorded between Alan's departure from and return to the band. He's not listed as a musician on Surfer Girl/Little Deuce Coupe either, but I think he's on the vocals to at least Surfer Girl. Three singles, at most, where he didn't contribute.

[AndrewHickey]

(Oh, and Ten Little Indians, but that wasn't a hit)

[filledeplage]

Also, Dave makes a good point in the Brian Wilson Songwriter film. He notes the folksy sound of "Surfin'" when the band had Al, and then mentions how he and Carl were able to work together on "Surfin' Safari" to produce a more rock and roll sound. He said Brian's ears (or ear, in this case) sorta perked up when he heard Dave and Carl playing.

That "folkie" theme shouldn't be marginalized. Those folk singers such as Kingston Trio, with the vocal blends, and, Peter, Paul and Mary, and many others had academic credibility with college/university networks as well as PBS spots, so Al's affinity for this style and corpus brought a lot to the BB table.

Sloop John B had a Caribbean roots flavor, which sort of had a "backwards compatible" ambiance to lend to Kokomo and some of their lesser known stuff and gave a nod to the Atlantic as opposed to being only Pacific Ocean/West Coast driven.  Even though Kokomo is a fake idyllic island, we can infer it is someone in between the North and South Atlantic Oceans.

[smile-holland]

Would Brian have been able to write hits after the surf era, though? The Jan and Dean songs were all similar to Mike Love's beloved formula. Brian never wrote a hit for anyone in the post-surf era, either the Beach Boys or not the Beach Boys. I think he might have stayed in music without the boys, but would have wound up a cult type figure. Which he sort of is now, come to think of it.

Hits after the surf era? Oh, just a couple-Wouldn't It Be Nice, God Only Knows, Good Vibrations, Sloop John B, Heroes and Villians, and Darlin. There was also Barbara Ann, I Can Hear Music which were not of course, written by BW.

ICHM was produced by Carl though, not Brian.

[oldsurferdude]

Would Brian have been able to write hits after the surf era, though? The Jan and Dean songs were all similar to Mike Love's beloved formula. Brian never wrote a hit for anyone in the post-surf era, either the Beach Boys or not the Beach Boys. I think he might have stayed in music without the boys, but would have wound up a cult type figure. Which he sort of is now, come to think of it.

Hits after the surf era? Oh, just a couple-Wouldn't It Be Nice, God Only Knows, Good Vibrations, Sloop John B, Heroes and Villians, and Darlin. There was also Barbara Ann, I Can Hear Music which were not of course, written by BW.

ICHM was produced by Carl though, not Brian.

I thought that was common knowledge-It's right there in the 20/20 liner notes.

[SMiLE Brian]

I think people are greatly underestimating the genius of BW these days. The BBs practically invented vocal surf-music using Brian's "education" from the four freshmen.

[Nicko1234]

I think people are greatly underestimating the genius of BW these days. The BBs practically invented vocal surf-music using Brian's "education" from the four freshmen.

I don't think anyone is in any doubt of that at all. But without Dennis he wouldn't have done.

[Gertie J.]

yeah denny is THE real surfer.

[hypehat]

What I want to know is, if Mike stayed in the music business would Brian go back to pumping gas?

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

Sometimes I feel that if Buddy Holly had lived there would be no Brian/Beach Boys or maybe even the Stones/Beatles because he would have beat them all to everything.

[hypehat]

What if Waylon Jennings hadn't given his seat on the plane to Buddy and John Lennon grew up listening to Waylon Jennings records?

[Myk Luhv]

What if instead of The Four Freshmen Brian's primary influence was Hank Williams?
What if 1969 had The Beach Boys Sing Randy Newman instead of 20/20?
What if Jonathan Richman joined The Beach Boys after dissolving the original Modern Lovers?

[hypehat]

What if 1969 had The Beach Boys Sing Randy Newman instead of 20/20?

What if, instead of recording an album of Randy Newman songs, Harry Nilsson recorded an album of Beach Boy songs and Brian wrote You've Got A Friend In Me?

[Theydon Bois]

What if Jonathan Richman joined The Beach Boys after dissolving the original Modern Lovers?

Mike would insist on performing "I'm Straight" at every gig.

[leggo of my ego]

What if instead of The Four Freshmen Brian's primary influence was Hank Williams?

thats easy....

Hey Good Vibrations

Mike's Cheating Heart

Im So Lonesome til I Die

Cold, Cold Water

[hypehat]

Be True To Your Woman

I Got Around (When The Gettin' Was Good)

Everyone's In Love With You (But You Aren't In Love With Me)

Cell Number #409

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

Be True To Your Woman

I Got Around (When The Gettin' Was Good)

Everyone's In Love With You (But You Aren't In Love With Me)

Cell Number #409

Servin' Safari
She Cheats On Me Too Well
I'm Bugged At My Old Lady's Man

[EgoHanger1966]

What if 1969 had The Beach Boys Sing Randy Newman instead of 20/20?

What if, instead of recording an album of Randy Newman songs, Harry Nilsson recorded an album of Beach Boy songs and Brian wrote You've Got A Friend In Me?

Nilsson Sings Wilson. This needs to be a thing.

[Iron Horse-Apples]

What if instead of The Four Freshmen Brian's primary influence was Hank Williams?
What if 1969 had The Beach Boys Sing Randy Newman instead of 20/20?
What if Jonathan Richman joined The Beach Boys after dissolving the original Modern Lovers?

What if the Nazis had successfully invaded Britain, then turned their sights on the US and bombed Hawthorne in to the ground?
What if Murry and Audree had an unsuccessful second date and taken their relationship no further?
What if Brian had been born with no fingers and no ears?
What if Brian had broken Al's neck instead of his arm?
What if Dennis had not re-emerged from the storm drain?

[Jukka]

I've always thought Dennis was a sissy 'cos he didn't walk/crawl all the way through the storm drain... It did lead to the beach, didn't it?

[hypehat]

What if Carl was thin and Dennis was fat?
What if Van Dyke grew up in Hawthorne California and Brian was introduced to Mike Love on David Crosby's lawn in 1965?
What if David Crosby didn't have a lawn?
What if Bruce Springsteen never got his driving licence?
What if Brian kicked Phil Spector out of his recording session and shot his date in the face 40 years later?
What if Brian was deaf in his other ear?
What if Foskett sang bass?
What if SMiLE was released in 1967 and Mike Love went crazy?
What if Brian went bald and Mike Love predicted indie hairstyles?
What if The Maharishi spent 6 weeks in Mike Love's house and espoused his virtues at every TM meeting since?
What if Brian played guitar and Carl played piano?
What if Al Jardine was 6' 9 and Dennis was intimidated by goats?
What if The Beach Boys joined The Flame?
What if Carl saw Led Zeppelin in a London club and made them join the Beach Boys and The Flame were the most beloved hard rock group of all time and John Paul Jones played 3rd guitar in the Rolling Stones?
What if Brian Wilson became a professional baseball player in the y2k's and the other Brian Wilson formed a band with his brothers in the 1960's?
What if Murry Wilson wasn't a jackass and Audree had a glass eye?

[Ovi]

What if Brian was deaf in his other ear?
What if The Beach Boys joined The Flame?
What if Brian Wilson became a professional baseball player in the y2k's and the other Brian Wilson formed a band with his brothers in the 1960's?

    Those 3 made my day. Good job, man.

[Letsgoawayforawhile]

What if Murry had a bad brown eye?

[Iron Horse-Apples]

What if Murry had a bad brown eye?

What!!!   

And made Brian stare in it........

[Letsgoawayforawhile]

What if Murry had a bad brown eye?

What!!!   

And made Brian stare in it........