Brian Wilson 1974 Interview (audio) [NEW]

[Mikie]

Unless I'm mistaken, that one from 1981 was conducted in the Bay Area by C-man and Les Chan.

Search down the one from 1968 - the one where he's being chauffered around in his car. I think he was higher than a kite in that one too. And Mike Douglas, where he talks so fast I swear he'd done a couple of lines before going on.

[Steve Mayo]

funny how sending someone a recording I had for over 30 years generates these kind of replies...
it's just a recording...nothing deep.  brian in '74...nothing more.....
but it is nice to see people who haven't heard it liking it.

[Amy B.]

funny how sending someone a recording I had for over 30 years generates these kind of replies...
it's just a recording...nothing deep.  brian in '74...nothing more.....
but it is nice to see people who haven't heard it liking it.

It's a primary source. It's interesting to read bios or accounts from friends, but to listen to a lengthy interview from the time is fascinating. 

[Shady]

funny how sending someone a recording I had for over 30 years generates these kind of replies...
it's just a recording...nothing deep.  brian in '74...nothing more.....
but it is nice to see people who haven't heard it liking it.

It's just so fascinating, thanks for sharing!

[bringahorseinhere?]

yes indeedly great! ..... what a great piece from a rare captured Brian of 1974....

would love to see more like this from 69/70 - 75.........

would be interesting to analyse with more interviews or footage etc etc

RickB

[Andrew G. Doe]

I hear someone who is having trouble focusing their thoughts, who is likely stoned and who is probably putting most of it on. As Steve said, nothing deep here: I doubt Brian believed most of what he was saying. Compare and contrast with the Jim Pewter interview from September 1st of the same year.

[Rotat]

Could be wrong, but like I said, maybe it's because Endless Summer came out and was successful which is why the Pewter interview is so different. Brian sounds more excited on that one. Brian sounds frankly kinda depressed in this one in comparison.

[bringahorseinhere?]

i'm really surprised about the notion he has 'no idea' really about leiber and stoller and the reason why they wrote for Elvis....

Strange that Brian was not 'hooked in' to what those guys were doing in his generation of the music...

Seriously?......

He is so knowledgeable with music of his period..


RickB

[Myk Luhv]

Guys, if I was high and coked out, I'd be pretty annoyed with some guy coming into my house to ask me inane questions about "Be True To Your School" too. Who the f*** wants to deal with that when they just took a fat bong rip and a hog rail? Well, obviously not Mr. Wilson, and I can't blame him at all. Talk about a buzz-kill.

[Mikie]

Another Brian phone interview from very late '74 by a DJ in Sydney:

Phone ringing......
Marilyn: Hello?
Runner: This is Syndey Australia, Calling for Mr Brian Wilson please
Marilyn: Who's calling please
Runner: Mr White(?) in Sydney Australia
Marilyn: Hold on please
More ringing....Phone heard being picked up
Runner: Ok Brian Wilson on the line Go ahead
DJ: Good thank you Hello
Brian: Yes Sir
DJ: Hello Brian
Brian: Yes Sir
DJ: Me again, listen I do apologize once more for ringing you again out of the blue like this again. But we wanna make a good program out of this so we thought it was the only thing we should do really you know?
Brian: why don't you go ahead and wail my name up there (DJ laughs) Just say that this is Brian Wilson talking and I'll just do an interview with ya (DJ really laughs at this) Ok then?
DJ: Fine look we'er taping it now so...
Brian: Oh good
DJ: Firstly Brian a lot of people down here are really into the Beach Boys. And well we haven't hear too much of what Brian Wilson has been up too, apart from the fact that you been in the studio. So could you tell us what's been happening with you in the last couple of months or so?.
Brian: Ok well Sir err in the last couple of months I've been doing very little music at all haven't been writing or (Slight laugh) performing any music. I've been taking it easy, Taking vacation around the country, Have not been writing or performing any music at all in the last couple of months. I do plan to in the future to work on a couple of songs for the group and that is if I can come up with any ideas I've really really not tried lately, and have not really got into music at all at this time.
DJ: What was the last recording that you was involved with the Beach Boys Brian?.
Brian: Well (sight sigh) the last recording was that we worked with was a couple of songs about three or four months ago that we did as an experiement I can't remember, I can't remember.
DJ: Do you find that you know you said that your running dry of ideas Is it very frustrating for you during these periods at all?.
Brian: A little bit it gets a little frustrating, I do have a couple of things err... so err... that I feel...that ...err...we..The only other song I can think of is ... err ... That we'er working on at the time is...errr.. Would be...ohh .. Come on, come on ...ohh .... errr ....Oh excuse my language.
DJ: Thats all right
Brian: God I wish I was more prepared about the music we'er working on ... errr ...
DJ: That's fine really because honestly the people of Australia just wanna actually hear Brian Wilson and just found out  what's been going on. And One thing I would like to ask you the Endless Summer double album, of course has been out in America and gone to the top of the charts and if you wouldn't mind I'd like to just maybe from your point of view jog your memory and just about a few of the tracks, Cause the people down here would like to hear well the man who created some of the songs and some of his thoughts on the songs. So If we could go go over a couple of tracks with you maybe that will be alright with you?.
Brian: Ok (Sounds happy)
DJ: If we could go way back and take you way back to Surfin' Safari, What do you feel when you hear a song like that say it's been reactived in the States, how do you feel when you turn on the radio and bang there it is, what kind of feeling do you get?.
Brian: Oh it's sort of one of being lost in space kind of in a place, that's you know hard to determine in time I get sort of a feeling of lost in space in a very very giant vacuum of space and music. It's almost like a mass contest of music in my mind, But only very little of this I can project outwards. Like I'd said the songs we'er working on now are sort of.. believe me or not of the time..err of the right qualification of what I did use to do because I've gotta away from it for so long (I can't get the last few seconds of what Brian said sorry!!)
DJ: Do you think it would be hard to say today for you to try and sit down and write a song about for instant about a hot rod or maybe a song about the beach? Would you find it hard to recall the old style you use to write with?.
Brian: Well err It would be sort of difficult for me to sort of.. to stick.. to get my face.. stick my face all the way into working on a another song for this time because I have so many discretions and other various forms of responsibility that I'm holding down at the time that's it's rather difficult to get into top 40 music for me now, Althought I could.

[rab2591]

Thanks Mikie!

[Shady]

How weird that must have been for Brian, having trouble getting into the top 40 after doing it so easily for a few years

[Mikie]

You're welcome, rab. 

[Rotat]

Guys, if I was high and coked out, I'd be pretty annoyed with some guy coming into my house to ask me inane questions about "Be True To Your School" too. Who the f*** wants to deal with that when they just took a fat bong rip and a hog rail? Well, obviously not Mr. Wilson, and I can't blame him at all. Talk about a buzz-kill.

Haha this is probably closest to the truth. It does sound like he got bored during various parts of this particular interview. I love how cordial he still is through it all anyway though.

[37!ws]

Unless I'm mistaken, that one from 1981 was conducted in the Bay Area by C-man and Les Chan.

Is that the one done between shows at the Circle Star Theater, in which at first Brian disguises his voice and says, "Brian's not here!" ?? And the interview (obviously with a hidden recorder) ends with Brian asking for cocaine?

[Mikie]

Yes.  

[James Hughes-Clarke]

Another Brian phone interview from very late '74 by a DJ in Sydney:

Phone ringing......
Marilyn: Hello?
Runner: This is Syndey Australia, Calling for Mr Brian Wilson please
Marilyn: Who's calling please
Runner: Mr White(?) in Sydney Australia
Marilyn: Hold on please
More ringing....Phone heard being picked up
Runner: Ok Brian Wilson on the line Go ahead
DJ: Good thank you Hello
Brian: Yes Sir
DJ: Hello Brian
Brian: Yes Sir
DJ: Me again, listen I do apologize once more for ringing you again out of the blue like this again. But we wanna make a good program out of this so we thought it was the only thing we should do really you know?
Brian: why don't you go ahead and wail my name up there (DJ laughs) Just say that this is Brian Wilson talking and I'll just do an interview with ya (DJ really laughs at this) Ok then?
DJ: Fine look we'er taping it now so...
Brian: Oh good
DJ: Firstly Brian a lot of people down here are really into the Beach Boys. And well we haven't hear too much of what Brian Wilson has been up too, apart from the fact that you been in the studio. So could you tell us what's been happening with you in the last couple of months or so?.
Brian: Ok well Sir err in the last couple of months I've been doing very little music at all haven't been writing or (Slight laugh) performing any music. I've been taking it easy, Taking vacation around the country, Have not been writing or performing any music at all in the last couple of months. I do plan to in the future to work on a couple of songs for the group and that is if I can come up with any ideas I've really really not tried lately, and have not really got into music at all at this time.
DJ: What was the last recording that you was involved with the Beach Boys Brian?.
Brian: Well (sight sigh) the last recording was that we worked with was a couple of songs about three or four months ago that we did as an experiement I can't remember, I can't remember.
DJ: Do you find that you know you said that your running dry of ideas Is it very frustrating for you during these periods at all?.
Brian: A little bit it gets a little frustrating, I do have a couple of things err... so err... that I feel...that ...err...we..The only other song I can think of is ... err ... That we'er working on at the time is...errr.. Would be...ohh .. Come on, come on ...ohh .... errr ....Oh excuse my language.
DJ: Thats all right
Brian: God I wish I was more prepared about the music we'er working on ... errr ...
DJ: That's fine really because honestly the people of Australia just wanna actually hear Brian Wilson and just found out  what's been going on. And One thing I would like to ask you the Endless Summer double album, of course has been out in America and gone to the top of the charts and if you wouldn't mind I'd like to just maybe from your point of view jog your memory and just about a few of the tracks, Cause the people down here would like to hear well the man who created some of the songs and some of his thoughts on the songs. So If we could go go over a couple of tracks with you maybe that will be alright with you?.
Brian: Ok (Sounds happy)
DJ: If we could go way back and take you way back to Surfin' Safari, What do you feel when you hear a song like that say it's been reactived in the States, how do you feel when you turn on the radio and bang there it is, what kind of feeling do you get?.
Brian: Oh it's sort of one of being lost in space kind of in a place, that's you know hard to determine in time I get sort of a feeling of lost in space in a very very giant vacuum of space and music. It's almost like a mass contest of music in my mind, But only very little of this I can project outwards. Like I'd said the songs we'er working on now are sort of.. believe me or not of the time..err of the right qualification of what I did use to do because I've gotta away from it for so long (I can't get the last few seconds of what Brian said sorry!!)
DJ: Do you think it would be hard to say today for you to try and sit down and write a song about for instant about a hot rod or maybe a song about the beach? Would you find it hard to recall the old style you use to write with?.
Brian: Well err It would be sort of difficult for me to sort of.. to stick.. to get my face.. stick my face all the way into working on a another song for this time because I have so many discretions and other various forms of responsibility that I'm holding down at the time that's it's rather difficult to get into top 40 music for me now, Althought I could.

Here's the full interview

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntO75t_B05I

[Jim V.]

I know that he seemed pretty into "Child of Winter" and "It's OK". It's kinda interesting to me that they were already set in that direction by late '74, with recording already started on both "Good Timin'" and "It's OK". It's a shame that they couldn't have taken the best of what each of the five guys had to offer by early '75 and released an album. Something democratic, a la Holland, with Brian's songs as the hit singles. Obviously since both "It's OK" and "Good Timin'" charted in the top 40, I'm sure they could've done even better if they were released closer to Endless Summer. And putting them together with some good to great material by the other guys may have kept the guys commercial prospects higher for longer.