Songs credited to Brian Wilson that he didn't really write

[Gabo]

What songs are credited, or co-credited to Brian, but, in reality, are the work of others?

Some examples:
Diamond Head (reportedly written by the session musicians, Brian receiving credit for his role in the production)
We're Together Again (the credit was recently revised to just Ron Wilson, originally being co-credited to Brian)
Think About The Days (Joe Thomas allegedly wrote this)

 
What more is there?

[Moon Dawg]

  Hopefully "Cassius Love vs Sonny Wilson." Let's give Mike 100% on that one.  

  Brian's involvement with "Deirdre" was minimal.

  The credit for "Santa Ana Winds" reads Brian Wilson-Al Jardine. Isn't it more or less Al's song?

[Sheriff John Stone]

I recall hearing an early version of "Sweet Mountain" that David Sandler wrote and recorded. The finished Spring version isn't much different.

Also, I'm very skeptical about Brian's contribution to "That's Why God Made The Radio".

[bgas]

Any involvement by Brian, that causes others that are also credited  to want to add Brian to the credits, Is good enough for me. I mean, who's to say he really didn't have a hand in any of the songs mentioned, so far or in the future?

[Shady]

Think About The Days (Joe Thomas allegedly wrote this)

 

Where did you hear that?

[Alan Smith]

Think About The Days (Joe Thomas allegedly wrote this)

 

Joe Thomas told ESQ Editor that Brian told Joe to play a minor chord progression, Joe started fiddling around and did the descending bass line for several hours - Brian made some key change suggestions, then one day, all of sudden Brian came up with the opening line.

As per ESQ Issue 97, page 16

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

That would be a co-write

[Alan Smith]

That would be a co-write

Oh, Agreed!  Probably should have mentioned that in my post 

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

[Jim V.]

I got a few that might be question marks.

First, there is "Belles of Paris". I'm pretty sure he does not have a credit for "Bells of Christmas", yet he's credited for "Paris". Which I guess would mean he wrote lyrics for it? But I gotta say, those lyrics are pretty un-Brian, and very, very Mike at his most pandering. But who knows?

I guess one could also say "Soul Searchin'" is another one that's up in the air. I know Andy Paley thinks that it's mostly his or whatever. Anybody any more detailed info on this one? I got nothing else on it off the top of my head.

I guess I could add would be "California Calling" to the list too. I thought I'd heard that it was really an Al composition, but I might be totally wrong. Anybody know on this one? I know most will disagree with me, but whoever did it, I thought it was one of the closest songs since the '60s to really catch the group's "surf sound".

"Let It Shine" is also one that some point out? Is it true that Jeff Lynne brought the song in, but that Brian added the "let it shine, oh let it shine" part? I suppose even if that's how it happened, that still deserves a writers credit, since that's the chorus.

What songs are credited, or co-credited to Brian, but, in reality, are the work of others?

Some examples:
Diamond Head (reportedly written by the session musicians, Brian receiving credit for his role in the production)
We're Together Again (the credit was recently revised to just Ron Wilson, originally being co-credited to Brian)
Think About The Days (Joe Thomas allegedly wrote this)

 
What more is there?

"Diamond Head" is a tough one. I guess it depends where the chord progression came from and if the whole thing just grew out of a jam and who was involved.

"We're Together Again" is even more of a pain. I'm pretty sure in my copy of Classics selected by Brian Wilson the composer is listed as "Wilson". Which Wilson you ask? Shoot if I know. And then I'm pretty sure on the latest release featuring "We're Together Again", Made In California, it's credited to "Brian Wilson - Ron Wilson", so I guess it was a co-write overall.

[Andrew G. Doe]

When I checked with the publishers last Millennium, the sole composer listed for "We're Together Again" was Wilson. Ron Wilson.

[Jim V.]

When I checked with the publishers last Millennium, the sole composer listed for "We're Together Again" was Wilson. Ron Wilson.

That's fine and dandy. But still Capitol/Brother/whoever have it in the MIC as both Brian and Ron.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Take it up with them - just laying some info from a documented source for your benefit. 

Re: the thread title... well, "Surfin' USA", of course.

[Smilin Ed H]

I wonder if there's a Ron Wilson demo. I'd like to hear how Brian added to it. I suspect the arrangement may be all with this song and I imagine that's down to BW.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Demo, schememo, I'd settle for knowing exactly who this Ron Wilson is. Currently we know who he isn't... and that's about all.

[Nicko1234]

Al has said that he can't remember Brian having anything to do with California Calling and that Brian had very little to do with At My Window.

He said that as Brian had contributed so much to the band, sometimes he would give him credits simply down to that.

From what Scott Bennett has said, Brian probably had very little to do with Wrong Notes in Heaven.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Al has said that he can't remember Brian having anything to do with California Calling and that Brian had very little to do with At My Window.

He said that as Brian had contributed so much to the band, sometimes he would give him credits simply down to that.

From what Scott Bennett has said, Brian probably had very little to do with Wrong Notes in Heaven.

I'm guessing the "Shortenin' Bread" riff. 

[c-man]

Al has said that he can't remember Brian having anything to do with California Calling and that Brian had very little to do with At My Window.

He said that as Brian had contributed so much to the band, sometimes he would give him credits simply down to that.

From what Scott Bennett has said, Brian probably had very little to do with Wrong Notes in Heaven.

Back in the day, Al said that when he came up with "California Calling", he "borrowed" a melody of Brian's from a couple of years prior, and therefore gave him a co-credit. Scott Bennett has said Brian once told him "There's no wrong notes in Heaven, Scott", which would be reason for giving him a co-credit on that...but I think he also said he left sheet music or a lyric sheet on Brian's piano as a way of urging him to finish the song or at least provide additional input...which he eventually did. Maybe someone can find the exact quote on that...

[Nicko1234]

Back in the day, Al said that when he came up with "California Calling", he "borrowed" a melody of Brian's from a couple of years prior, and therefore gave him a co-credit. Scott Bennett has said Brian once told him "There's no wrong notes in Heaven, Scott", which would be reason for giving him a co-credit on that...but I think he also said he left sheet music or a lyric sheet on Brian's piano as a way of urging him to finish the song or at least provide additional input...which he eventually did. Maybe someone can find the exact quote on that...

It really wouldn't. 

[Smilin Ed H]

Thank God Brian doesn't have a credit on California Calling!

[Matt H]

Thank God Brian doesn't have a credit on California Calling!

Except that he does.

[pixletwin]

Back in the day, Al said that when he came up with "California Calling", he "borrowed" a melody of Brian's from a couple of years prior, and therefore gave him a co-credit. Scott Bennett has said Brian once told him "There's no wrong notes in Heaven, Scott", which would be reason for giving him a co-credit on that...but I think he also said he left sheet music or a lyric sheet on Brian's piano as a way of urging him to finish the song or at least provide additional input...which he eventually did. Maybe someone can find the exact quote on that...

It really wouldn't. 

I agree. If that were the case there would be a few "Lennon/McCartney/Starkey" credits in the Beatles catalog.

[Wirestone]

Well, except for the fact that Lennon and McCartney credited all their tunes to both of them, regardless of how much the other contributed.

Ringo has a better case for cowriting credit on "Eight Days a Week" "A Hard Day's Night" and "Tomorrow Never Knows" than Lennon does for "Yesterday" or McCartney does for "Strawberry Fields Forever." "The Ballad of John and Yoko."

The point is, it's up to the songwriters to decide how credit should be apportioned. Contribution of a title or concept can merit it for some people, and not for others. With Brian Wilson, there are definitely some honorary credits in the catalog -- "Deidre" perhaps most infamously. But there are others where the accounts are conflicting. "Soul Searchin," for example, was claimed entirely by Andy. But Brian has recounted being so excited by the song that he flew to London to work on it with AP. If I had to guess, I'd say Brian perhaps added some lyrics (the first verse of the song is nearly as inspired as "My friend Bob / He has a job."

As for Think About the Days, the account was straightforward. Brian asked Joe to play a chord progression, Joe played something off the top of his head, and Brian sang a melody line over that.

Edit: Changed to provide some other examples after Howie's excellent post below.

[Rotat]

Al has said that he can't remember Brian having anything to do with California Calling and that Brian had very little to do with At My Window.

I always wondered about At My Window.. I'd be very surprised if Brian had very little to do with it. The song is very lush and produced very well, and the lyrics are very nice too. It'd be unusual for a non-Wilson to write such a nice song like this during this period, but then again Al did come up with some really good stuff around this time.

 Seems like Sunflower might be an album where Brian had much less to do with than it really seems like. He did sing a lot, write a lot of material during the period (which most of it was unreleased at the time), but who knows what he actually came up with on the album besides "This Whole World", "Add Some Music", and I suppose "Our Sweet Love". Even "Cool Cool Water".. Do we even know any info that Brian produced or coproduced that 3rd portion of that song? I think I read that Stephen Desper did quite a bit on it like playing the moog part for example.

[Howie Edelson]

Wirestone -- Ringo actually had nothing to do with title of "Eight Days A Week" -- it was supplied by a driver hired to transport McCartney out to Weybridge one afternoon.

McCartney definitely earned his co-write on "Tomorrow Never Knows" having supplied and arranged the tape loops that serve as the second "lead instrument" of the song -- an "instrumental" version of that song would prove to be nearly all McCartney "music."

Regarding "Strawberry Fields..." that intro was written by McCartney and, that entire end section (acoustic guitar and mellotron) is his musically. Lennon literally only composed the song's top melody (e.g. the demo version -- which shows what McCartney and Martin (via McCartney) brought to the relatively simple tune.)