Michael Vosse, may he rest in peace.

[guitarfool2002]

As to who's still around from the Vosse Posse, someone mentioned Mark Volman - he was in the LAX photo but I don't recall ever reading about him hanging with Brian at the house or in the studio with Michael, Van Dyke, Jules, and David (the Smile party tapes) during the Smile sessions.  What was his link with Brian that he was called to LAX for the "graduation" or "moving on" photo?

Volman definitely hung out at the house, he remembered Brian playing him acetates and rough mixes which they'd listen to through headphones at Brian's place. He's referenced it in at least two places. They lived very close to each other, but Volman at that time was also riding high with the Turtles' success, who were getting a lot of success and fame from Happy Together and the hits just before that. He most likely wasn't home in LA as much during the Smile era because it coincided with the Turtles' run of hits too, which called for appearances and travel and all of that PR.

But he was definitely in Brian's "inner circle" in the fall of 66 and beyond.

[guitarfool2002]

Maybe he doesn't remember Micheal well or remember him fondly. He was alienated from most of those people eventually. Paul Williams stayed in Brian's life more because he was a journalist and wrote a book about him. I don't think "Smile" is a part of his life Brian remembers that fondly because he wasn't well at that time or at least by the end of it. It's not Michael's fault, but from every book I've read, it's not that unusual for Brian to be very close to a person then have little or nothing to do with them ever again. He may also have memory problems or claim to not remember if he doesn't want to remember.

This wouldn't make sense considering Michael Vosse is featured prominently in photos that were included in the Smile Sessions box set, he's heard and featured on audio tapes and sessions from the Smile Sessions box, and he is also featured discussing Smile on camera in the Beautiful Dreamer documentary among others. And among those stories was Michael and Brian driving in a car when they first heard "Strawberry Fields Forever" on the radio, and how they both burst into laughter with Brian saying something like they did what he was trying to do with Smile.

If the claim is that Brian isn't aware of Michael Vosse especially in light of the Smile Sessions archival project where he's featured, I'd say hogwash.

If the claim is that Brian is ignoring the whole thing for other reasons, I hope that's not the case because it would be sad as hell if not pathetic.

[bgas]

Maybe he doesn't remember Micheal well or remember him fondly. He was alienated from most of those people eventually. Paul Williams stayed in Brian's life more because he was a journalist and wrote a book about him. I don't think "Smile" is a part of his life Brian remembers that fondly because he wasn't well at that time or at least by the end of it. It's not Michael's fault, but from every book I've read, it's not that unusual for Brian to be very close to a person then have little or nothing to do with them ever again. He may also have memory problems or claim to not remember if he doesn't want to remember.

This wouldn't make sense considering Michael Vosse is featured prominently in photos that were included in the Smile Sessions box set, he's heard and featured on audio tapes and sessions from the Smile Sessions box, and he is also featured discussing Smile on camera in the Beautiful Dreamer documentary among others. And among those stories was Michael and Brian driving in a car when they first heard "Strawberry Fields Forever" on the radio, and how they both burst into laughter with Brian saying something like they did what he was trying to do with Smile.

If the claim is that Brian isn't aware of Michael Vosse especially in light of the Smile Sessions archival project where he's featured, I'd say hogwash.

If the claim is that Brian is ignoring the whole thing for other reasons, I hope that's not the case because it would be sad as hell if not pathetic.

 I don't get why it's so important for Brian to send out a statement expressing what he feels about one of his friends passing away. Perhaps it simply saddens him to a degree where he doesn't want to talk about it? If someone, ANYONE, doesn't want to share their feelings with the world, WTF is wrong with that, and why is it anyone's business but theirs? 

[guitarfool2002]

I'm just asking in light of similar expressions of sympathy that were posted just in the past year, including Paul Williams and just in the past weeks Phil Everly, and similar postings for other notable people who have passed who had nothing to do with the Beach Boys. Not judging necessarily, just thinking out loud that it's curious not to see something similar for Michael.

Seriously, isn't it the least bit curious that nothing has been said, even an RIP type of post? I don't expect anything from anyone, but what I will respond to is the idea that Brian wasn't aware of Michael or any similar sentiments.

Don't blame the messenger, I'm just asking.

[bgas]

I'm just asking in light of similar expressions of sympathy that were posted just in the past year, including Paul Williams and just in the past weeks Phil Everly, and similar postings for other notable people who have passed who had nothing to do with the Beach Boys. Not judging necessarily, just thinking out loud that it's curious not to see something similar for Michael.

Seriously, isn't it the least bit curious that nothing has been said, even an RIP type of post? I don't expect anything from anyone, but what I will respond to is the idea that Brian wasn't aware of Michael or any similar sentiments.

Don't blame the messenger, I'm just asking.

Not blaming you

[KittyKat]

Phil Everly was a famous person. Paul Williams was known by many people due to Crawdaddy. Both men got obits in several newspapers and "Rolling Stone." Maybe Brian figures that people would only want to hear an RIP for assuredly famous people? Did Michael Vosse even get a public obit outside of this and perhaps other Beach Boys message boards? Even though Michael may have attended some Brian concerts here and there and met him backstage, there may not have been much of a relationship. Plus, Michael was not a creative person. He may have been around Brian and done some of the comedy material that wasn't intended for the actual Smile LP, but he didn't write "Smile" and he wasn't a fellow musician or fellow creative type. Michael Vosse wasn't a public figure, really. I also doubt Brian personally put together the Smile Sessions booklet in which Michael was featured.

Perhaps if Brian heard about Michael and he did have some acquaintance relationship with him still, he expressed his feelings in private by communicating with Michael's family. That's more important than a Facebook or Twitter posting, which may actually be generated by Brian's management, webmaster (is it still Michael D.?), or wife.

[guitarfool2002]

Phil Everly was a famous person. Paul Williams was known by many people due to Crawdaddy. Both men got obits in several newspapers and "Rolling Stone." Maybe Brian figures that people would only want to hear an RIP for assuredly famous people? Did Michael Vosse even get a public obit outside of this and perhaps other Beach Boys message boards? Even though Michael may have attended some Brian concerts here and there and met him backstage, there may not have been much of a relationship. Plus, Michael was not a creative person. He may have been around Brian and done some of the comedy material that wasn't intended for the actual Smile LP, but he didn't write "Smile" and he wasn't a fellow musician or fellow creative type. Michael Vosse wasn't a public figure, really. I also doubt Brian personally put together the Smile Sessions booklet in which Michael was featured.

Perhaps if Brian heard about Michael and he did have some acquaintance relationship with him still, he expressed his feelings in private by communicating with Michael's family. That's more important than a Facebook or Twitter posting, which may actually be generated by Brian's management, webmaster (is it still Michael D.?), or wife.

To post some of that in this thread, after reading the man's story and history and what he accomplished, and to say definitively "Michael was not a creative person" says enough. It's not my place to say but consider reading some of the basic history of the whole scene before making statements which are so far from the truth as to be almost ridiculous. I'm trying to be fair yet again but it's hard not to question the motivations for making these blanket statements.

Tell me that a man who spent nearly thirty years in television production, and who won two Emmy awards doing it, and who was hired by Brian Wilson in part in 1966 to head up the proposed Brother Records film division is NOT a creative person. That's just off the charts of sensibility to say someone wasn't creative whom you've never met and obviously don't know anything about, not only did he just pass away and he is being remembered, and praised here, but it has no basis in fact in light of what he accomplished.

Consider too that most everyone who in any way at any time has considered themselves a fan of Smile knows the name Vosse immediately, alongside the names Parks, Hutton, Anderle, Volman, Britz, Siegel, et al, and consider in these circles which have existed for decades his name is more than well-known and part of the story. And also in those circles, as others have posted here, he is well-remembered as both a friend to Brian and someone who for decades basically kept Brian's interests at heart and is someone we'd consider close to both the man and the project, even if the actual hands-on relationship lasted a brief time.

Opinions are fine, but again at least try to get enough of the background to make an informed opinion before stating it. That's all. 

[KittyKat]

Guitarfool, thanks for making me out to be a troll. What is your problem that you call people names who don't agree with you? People who don't hang on everything ever written about Smile? As it is, did Michael Vosse create Smile? No, he did not. I'm not sure of the reverence assigned to people who were basically hangers-on. Brian and Van Dyke Parks and even the vilified Beach Boys themselves, along with the Wrecking Crew, created the music. Not Michael Vosse. Not David Anderle. Not Danny Hutton or any or the other people who were hanging out at Brian's house or dong various tasks for him. Fanboys starting with Jules Siegel promoted a myth about those people being "muses," but fact of the matter is, I don't hear a damn thing they contributed to Smile. Whatever Michael did with his life after Smile may have been creative, but it wasn't anything to do with Smile or the creativity that Brian produced.

I'm still not sure why exactly you're castigating Brian Wilson for not RIP'ing him. It's not even Brian's gig to do that, as you damn well know other people post on his behalf, and Brian is disabled as it is (why do people keep acting like Brian is just like everybody else when you know he's not). As I said, the only indication the guy died is this message board; show me one obit written about him in a major publication online or off. No one even knows what he died of! Yet a few of you act like you were Michael Vosse's close personal friend. Give it a rest.  Brian didn't RIP Tandyn Almer, either, but no one made a fuss about that.

[hypehat]

RIP Michael.

[KittyKat]

I apologize if the above post seemed a bit harsh, but I did a Google search and I can find nothing about Michael Vosse's passing other than this thread on this board. Do people have confirmation of his passing, and if so, why not post it in other places? For example, I also checked Brian Wilson's message board, and no one, so far as I can see, has started a thread there about Michael. Perhaps Brian isn't even aware of it, due to the news not being widely circulated. If Brian or his managers/wife don't see fit to mention it even if they are alerted to it, perhaps it would be fitting if a thread were started on Brian's message board for fans there who may not be aware of it and remember seeing Michael in the books and documentaries about Smile.

[Cam Mott]

As to who's still around from the Vosse Posse, someone mentioned Mark Volman - he was in the LAX photo but I don't recall ever reading about him hanging with Brian at the house or in the studio with Michael, Van Dyke, Jules, and David (the Smile party tapes) during the Smile sessions.  What was his link with Brian that he was called to LAX for the "graduation" or "moving on" photo?

Volman definitely hung out at the house, he remembered Brian playing him acetates and rough mixes which they'd listen to through headphones at Brian's place. He's referenced it in at least two places. They lived very close to each other, but Volman at that time was also riding high with the Turtles' success, who were getting a lot of success and fame from Happy Together and the hits just before that. He most likely wasn't home in LA as much during the Smile era because it coincided with the Turtles' run of hits too, which called for appearances and travel and all of that PR.

But he was definitely in Brian's "inner circle" in the fall of 66 and beyond.

I tried to interview Volman a long time ago about his experiences, he said he was saving it for his book. Does he have a book yet?

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Maybe he doesn't remember Micheal well or remember him fondly. He was alienated from most of those people eventually. Paul Williams stayed in Brian's life more because he was a journalist and wrote a book about him. I don't think "Smile" is a part of his life Brian remembers that fondly because he wasn't well at that time or at least by the end of it. It's not Michael's fault, but from every book I've read, it's not that unusual for Brian to be very close to a person then have little or nothing to do with them ever again. He may also have memory problems or claim to not remember if he doesn't want to remember.

This wouldn't make sense considering Michael Vosse is featured prominently in photos that were included in the Smile Sessions box set, he's heard and featured on audio tapes and sessions from the Smile Sessions box, and he is also featured discussing Smile on camera in the Beautiful Dreamer documentary among others. And among those stories was Michael and Brian driving in a car when they first heard "Strawberry Fields Forever" on the radio, and how they both burst into laughter with Brian saying something like they did what he was trying to do with Smile.

If the claim is that Brian isn't aware of Michael Vosse especially in light of the Smile Sessions archival project where he's featured, I'd say hogwash.

If the claim is that Brian is ignoring the whole thing for other reasons, I hope that's not the case because it would be sad as hell if not pathetic.

 I don't get why it's so important for Brian to send out a statement expressing what he feels about one of his friends passing away. Perhaps it simply saddens him to a degree where he doesn't want to talk about it? If someone, ANYONE, doesn't want to share their feelings with the world, WTF is wrong with that, and why is it anyone's business but theirs? 

Agreed

[bgas]

As to who's still around from the Vosse Posse, someone mentioned Mark Volman - he was in the LAX photo but I don't recall ever reading about him hanging with Brian at the house or in the studio with Michael, Van Dyke, Jules, and David (the Smile party tapes) during the Smile sessions.  What was his link with Brian that he was called to LAX for the "graduation" or "moving on" photo?

Volman definitely hung out at the house, he remembered Brian playing him acetates and rough mixes which they'd listen to through headphones at Brian's place. He's referenced it in at least two places. They lived very close to each other, but Volman at that time was also riding high with the Turtles' success, who were getting a lot of success and fame from Happy Together and the hits just before that. He most likely wasn't home in LA as much during the Smile era because it coincided with the Turtles' run of hits too, which called for appearances and travel and all of that PR.

But he was definitely in Brian's "inner circle" in the fall of 66 and beyond.

I tried to interview Volman a long time ago about his experiences, he said he was saving it for his book. Does he have a book yet?

I think its stored in the Scranton landfill

[guitarfool2002]

Guitarfool, thanks for making me out to be a troll. What is your problem that you call people names who don't agree with you? People who don't hang on everything ever written about Smile? As it is, did Michael Vosse create Smile? No, he did not. I'm not sure of the reverence assigned to people who were basically hangers-on. Brian and Van Dyke Parks and even the vilified Beach Boys themselves, along with the Wrecking Crew, created the music. Not Michael Vosse. Not David Anderle. Not Danny Hutton or any or the other people who were hanging out at Brian's house or dong various tasks for him. Fanboys starting with Jules Siegel promoted a myth about those people being "muses," but fact of the matter is, I don't hear a damn thing they contributed to Smile. Whatever Michael did with his life after Smile may have been creative, but it wasn't anything to do with Smile or the creativity that Brian produced.

I'm still not sure why exactly you're castigating Brian Wilson for not RIP'ing him. It's not even Brian's gig to do that, as you damn well know other people post on his behalf, and Brian is disabled as it is (why do people keep acting like Brian is just like everybody else when you know he's not). As I said, the only indication the guy died is this message board; show me one obit written about him in a major publication online or off. No one even knows what he died of! Yet a few of you act like you were Michael Vosse's close personal friend. Give it a rest.  Brian didn't RIP Tandyn Almer, either, but no one made a fuss about that.

Where did I call ANYONE  a name? Show me.

What I'm saying is this: Take the time to read and discover what actually happened. The stuff you posted above is along the lines of what some on the Smile Shop used to post to get a rise out of people, opinions based on nothing but faulty logic and false conclusions, not at all related to the truth.

The biggest misconception is that those around Brian, in the airport photo among others, during the Smile era were hangers-on, coattail riders, interlopers, no-talent opportunists, and other blatantly false and slanderous crap like that.

If you want to believe the Mike-and-Stamos version as shown in that libelous TV movie, which reduced Van Dyke Parks to a drugged out interloper and the music to banal lyrics about Geronimo leaping set to weird music, all set within a 60's drug orgy, I guess that's anyone's choice but it's simply not true.

Hangers on? Take a minute and look what those "hangers on" did with their lives and careers. Take another minute and see what these non-creative types accomplished in the field of CREATIVE ARTS.

Success, gold records, fame, respect, Emmys, Grammys, world-wide popularity...again, let the actual facts speak for themselves.

Believe me, I know the game being played here. And who is playing it despite the screen names and whatnot.

Just play it respectfully.

Accept, for one, that some of the messages posted here were in fact from people who knew Michael Vosse, who had contact with him, and others who didn't know him personally but have a lot of respect and want to honor what he has done and how he lived his life. That's simple respect.

If anyone wishes to diminish him or those others who were part of the story, that's pretty tasteless and low-class.

If that sounds harsh, it is. I can tolerate a lot, I can see message boards and fan sites for what they are, but some things like this go too far. You have in this thread a full list of someone's accomplishments in the creative arts field, and suggest they're not a creative type? That doesn't make sense, nor should it go by unnoticed.

Again, if I called anyone a name here, point it out because I can't see it. I call out someone not paying attention to what's directly in front of them, spelled out in plain English.

Take it anyway you want, just base it on fact.

[Cam Mott]

I think its stored in the Scranton landfill

That Scranton landfill is like Treasure Island.

[guitarfool2002]

I think its stored in the Scranton landfill

That Scranton landfill is like Treasure Island.

There was an episode of "The Office" where Michael and Dwight go to the Scranton landfill to dig through trash and find a stack of business leads that got accidentally thrown away, then end up throwing trash at each other during a fight. It was all Hollywood green-screen backgrounding, not *the* actual Scranton landfill, but as I watched it I thought about the legend of all those Smile items supposedly buried there. 

[CenturyDeprived]

As to who's still around from the Vosse Posse, someone mentioned Mark Volman - he was in the LAX photo but I don't recall ever reading about him hanging with Brian at the house or in the studio with Michael, Van Dyke, Jules, and David (the Smile party tapes) during the Smile sessions.  What was his link with Brian that he was called to LAX for the "graduation" or "moving on" photo?

Volman definitely hung out at the house, he remembered Brian playing him acetates and rough mixes which they'd listen to through headphones at Brian's place. He's referenced it in at least two places. They lived very close to each other, but Volman at that time was also riding high with the Turtles' success, who were getting a lot of success and fame from Happy Together and the hits just before that. He most likely wasn't home in LA as much during the Smile era because it coincided with the Turtles' run of hits too, which called for appearances and travel and all of that PR.

But he was definitely in Brian's "inner circle" in the fall of 66 and beyond.

I tried to interview Volman a long time ago about his experiences, he said he was saving it for his book. Does he have a book yet?

I think its stored in the Scranton landfill

Somebody needs to do a documentary about searching landfills for SMiLE LP covers that were tossed. I guess we're probably a few decades late for that, but maybe not...

After all, there's a movie in the works about the search for the Atari E.T. videogames that were allegedly buried at a New Mexico landfill. Maybe the landfill movie craze is just starting.

http://kotaku.com/someones-going-to-dig-up-ataris-infamous-new-mexico-l-510830049

[Cam Mott]

What was landfill then is probably a residential subdivision or business park now.

[KittyKat]

Guitarfool, thanks for making me out to be a troll. What is your problem that you call people names who don't agree with you? People who don't hang on everything ever written about Smile? As it is, did Michael Vosse create Smile? No, he did not. I'm not sure of the reverence assigned to people who were basically hangers-on. Brian and Van Dyke Parks and even the vilified Beach Boys themselves, along with the Wrecking Crew, created the music. Not Michael Vosse. Not David Anderle. Not Danny Hutton or any or the other people who were hanging out at Brian's house or dong various tasks for him. Fanboys starting with Jules Siegel promoted a myth about those people being "muses," but fact of the matter is, I don't hear a damn thing they contributed to Smile. Whatever Michael did with his life after Smile may have been creative, but it wasn't anything to do with Smile or the creativity that Brian produced.

I'm still not sure why exactly you're castigating Brian Wilson for not RIP'ing him. It's not even Brian's gig to do that, as you damn well know other people post on his behalf, and Brian is disabled as it is (why do people keep acting like Brian is just like everybody else when you know he's not). As I said, the only indication the guy died is this message board; show me one obit written about him in a major publication online or off. No one even knows what he died of! Yet a few of you act like you were Michael Vosse's close personal friend. Give it a rest.  Brian didn't RIP Tandyn Almer, either, but no one made a fuss about that.

Where did I call ANYONE  a name? Show me.

What I'm saying is this: Take the time to read and discover what actually happened. The stuff you posted above is along the lines of what some on the Smile Shop used to post to get a rise out of people, opinions based on nothing but faulty logic and false conclusions, not at all related to the truth.

The biggest misconception is that those around Brian, in the airport photo among others, during the Smile era were hangers-on, coattail riders, interlopers, no-talent opportunists, and other blatantly false and slanderous crap like that.

If you want to believe the Mike-and-Stamos version as shown in that libelous TV movie, which reduced Van Dyke Parks to a drugged out interloper and the music to banal lyrics about Geronimo leaping set to weird music, all set within a 60's drug orgy, I guess that's anyone's choice but it's simply not true.

Hangers on? Take a minute and look what those "hangers on" did with their lives and careers. Take another minute and see what these non-creative types accomplished in the field of CREATIVE ARTS.

Success, gold records, fame, respect, Emmys, Grammys, world-wide popularity...again, let the actual facts speak for themselves.

Believe me, I know the game being played here. And who is playing it despite the screen names and whatnot.

Just play it respectfully.

Accept, for one, that some of the messages posted here were in fact from people who knew Michael Vosse, who had contact with him, and others who didn't know him personally but have a lot of respect and want to honor what he has done and how he lived his life. That's simple respect.

If anyone wishes to diminish him or those others who were part of the story, that's pretty tasteless and low-class.

If that sounds harsh, it is. I can tolerate a lot, I can see message boards and fan sites for what they are, but some things like this go too far. You have in this thread a full list of someone's accomplishments in the creative arts field, and suggest they're not a creative type? That doesn't make sense, nor should it go by unnoticed.

Again, if I called anyone a name here, point it out because I can't see it. I call out someone not paying attention to what's directly in front of them, spelled out in plain English.

Take it anyway you want, just base it on fact.

Well, that is kind of a name, isn't it? Oh, noes, not a total Brian Wilson/Smile fan, as defined by Dominic Priore. Must be a secret Mike Love fan who goes to all the Beach Boys shows and sings along to every verse of Kokomo.

I don't think the "Smile" creation was as portrayed in "American Family." But I don't think people like Michael Vosse and David Anderle were either the creative forces sometimes portrayed in Smile books. They were there as witnesses to a piece of Brian's history, they weren't making the history in terms of producing the final product. They were lucky to be there, and they were grateful to be there. They were doing what a lot of young people in show business do, which is making contacts and learning before they went on to do the real work of their lives (a form of networking and internship). I'm not sure they were even being paid by Brian, except for David Anderle for the Brother Records start-up. I find it weird that those guys were sometimes accused of "abandoning" Brian, because they all had to go on to find paying jobs that would fulfill their own potential, and they did.

BTW, did Van Dyke Parks make any note of Michael's recent passing? I didn't see it on Twitter. Maybe someone should ask Van Dyke his thoughts on Michael. Of course, I could find almost nothing at all on Twitter about Michael, either, except for one tweet from Sid Griffin, who said he was a close personal friend of Michael's in recent years.  I'm not sure how people can be expected to mention him and give him an RIP when they don't even know what happened.

[Mikie]

The L.A. landfill that the Smile covers were buried in was covered by the Century Freeway. Same one that was built over the old Wilson house in Hawthorne. Brian had input to the location of the freeway, supposedly to wash away old memories.

I googled Michael Vosse and there's no obit anywhere that I can find.  Can somebody verify that he's indeed deceased?  It would be embarassing to find out that he's still alive.  I HOPE he's still alive.

[bgas]

The L.A. landfill that the Smile covers were buried in was covered by the Century Freeway. Same one that was built over the old Wilson house in Hawthorne. Brian had input to the location of the freeway, supposedly to wash away old memories.

I googled Michael Vosse and there's no obit anywhere that I can find.  Can somebody verify that he's indeed deceased?  It would be embarassing to find out that he's still alive.  I HOPE he's still alive.

WOW!!  You're saying that Brian personally picked the location so as to forever hide  all the Smile covers and booklets in the LA area?

[Mikie]

Uh huh.

So Bgas, do you really think Michael Vosse passed away or not?

[KittyKat]

I found another reference to Michael from a blog written by a woman who was a personal friend of Michael and went into some detail. Sid Griffin, who used to be in the Long Ryders, also mentioned it on his Twitter, but again, he said he was a personal friend. Only people who were recently close to Michael seem to be aware of it.

[Mikie]

Just verified that Michael Vosse is indeed no longer with us. He went into Kaiser Hospital In Oakland around the middle of January for an operation. He was resting comfortably afterwards and received visitors, then took a quick downturn for the worse and passed away. I just confirmed this via e-mail with a news anchor woman (Carolyn Tyler) from KGO News. He seemed to have a LOT of friends in the Bay Area. RIP.

[bgas]

Just verified that Michael Vosse is indeed no longer with us. He went into Kaiser Hospital In Oakland around the middle of January for an operation. He was resting comfortably afterwards and received visitors, then took a quick downturn for the worse and passed away. I just confirmed this via e-mail with a news anchor woman (Carolyn Tyler) from KGO News. He seemed to have a LOT of friends in the Bay Area. RIP.

Thanxx for clearing that up, Mikie. I'm certain Cam feels better knowing your source has backed him up. 
Can you have Carolyn confirm that Pete Seeger has passed also, so I'll know it's really true?