Brian Q&A on Twitter

[Dudd]

Don't know if this is entirely necessary but here's the whole Q&A regardless:

Do you have a songwriting process you sometimes find yourself in, and what might it be?
I usually do it at the studio and do it on keyboards.

Were you ever a fan of The Band?
yes!

what inspired you to write the song Love and Mercy? It is a song very close to my heart, thank you Brian, love and mercy.
I wanted to write a song about love. And then I had a little bottle of champagne and I wrote the song in about a half hour.

oh and are any of the songs on the new album going to be in the movie??
"One Kind of Love" will be and I wrote it for the movie. It will be the end title for @lovemercyfilm.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to follow their dream but is suffocated with fear?
do a little exercise.

What kind of music do your kids like? Do you like the music they like?
my kids like rap and pop music but of course my music too!

Did you enjoy The Wrecking Crew film?
yea, I loved it. I thought they were all great!

have you ever written any of your songs on guitar?If so, what song?
no, not even a bass. Just piano.

what was the most difficult song to write in your entire catalog?
"God Only Knows" because it was a very complex chord pattern.

As a band leader, what is the best musical decision you have made?
you got start with a great rhythm section.

What´s been your inspiration for your most intimate chord progressions, Gershwin & Latin mix?
just Gershwin.

What's your favorite bass line in your catalog? Favorite bass line in any music?
again, it's "God Only Knows."

love and mercy film at sxsw was amazing! Will you do a commentary audio track for the Dvd?
I might! You never know!

if you could go back in time and rewrite the music to one of your songs (solo career/with the beach boys) what would it be?
I would re-write "Let Him Run Wild" from @TheBeachBoys.

what was the inspiration behind Wonderful (which happens to be my favorite song of yours)?
there wasn't any inspiration, we more planned to write a song about a girl who lives in her wonderful place.

My wife and I look forward to seeing @lovemercyfilm! Is there a key scene you really enjoy?
yea, I like the scene where Melinda and I got married.

how were your dogs Banana and Louie like?
Banana used to chase a tennis ball!

Did you write the music for Runaway Dancer before working with Sebu? It's so fun, so catchy, my wife and I dig it
yes.

Even once you feel that you can no longer tour do you always see yourself making music for your fans?
yea, I plan to do another album this year some time!

Do you prefer finding instrument combinations to make a new sound, or finding one on a synth? (Thanks for all the sounds!)
I do synth first and then I do the instruments.

Was the Last Song written with Carl and Dennis in mind?
no, it was just about the end of a relationship.

Any stories of Ding Dang? You should perform Love You live, it's one of you're best albums! (You're new songs are great!)
Yea, I worked with @RogerMcGuinn of The Byrds on that. Love that song especially with Carl on lead.

Will there be any special guests performing with you at your May 16th concert at the State Theater in New Brunswick, NJ?
you never know!

Brian thx I'm a rec producer because of your music. ? How did you get the muted piano harpsichord sound
we put scotch tape on the keys and gave it a deadened sound.

What's your favorite track from Love You?
"Love You"

Vinyl records have made a comeback lately. Do you like listening to LP's more than digital music or CD's?
yes, I prefer LPs.

What's the song with the @TheBeachBoys that you're most proud of?
"Surfin' USA" is one of them.

Who coughed during the recording of Wendy? Why did you keep it on the record? I love it though!
Dennis did. I just thought it was funny so I kept it on the record.

On #NoPierPressure, which of the lead vocalists got their song done in the fewest takes?
@nateruessmusic but @KaceyMusgraves was a close second. They were all fabulous. @LanaDelRey you coming back to finish?

how did you learn to arrange music
from listening to The Four Freshmen records. I'd listen to records and then play them on the piano.

What's the one subject matter you'll never get tired of writing music about?
love.

who's the best band you have seen live?
@officialKeef and @MickJagger were terrific. And Blondie who sings "Sail Away" on my new album toured with them.

how was your day today?
it went by very quick! I'm busy getting ready for @the_bestfest!

what's your favorite song to perform live and why?!
#HeroesandVillians, #SurfinUSA and #GoodVibrations are some favorites. #SailAway from the new album #NoPierPressure.

What was the song that took you the longest to write/proved most challenging?
#GoodVibrations took six weeks to write but #GodOnlyKnows has the most complex chord progressions.

What is your favourite gadget at the studio?
piano and echo.

who is your favourite bass player?
James Jamerson from the #FunkBrothers.

what is your favorite film?
now it's @lovemercyfilm!

Did you ever consider harmonizing with a flute? Do you like the sound?
yea, I've thought about that a couple times but I never did.

Brian, now-a-days when you record are you still using tape, going all digital or somewhere in between?
all digital now so check that out on my new album #NoPierPressure.

How did you get the courage to let Pohlad focus on dark periods of your life in #loveandmercy? Great to see you at #SXSW!
it took a lot of courage. We decided if we were gonna do it, it had to be honest or we didn't want to do it.

Who is making you do this?
my product manager @peterbfletcher at #Capitol.

Which recording session, with the Beach Boys, was your favourite?
The California Girls session. I liked the harmonies and loved the song.

Did you ever get asked by another artist to produce their album? Anyone you can name?
Danny Hutton from @threedognight which started as Redwood.

How do you write your songs? How do you know when you're writing a great song?
I think of the chord pattern, then the melody happens, then the lyrics.

Are you still picking up "Good Vibrations"?
yes!

Who had the better drum sound - the Wrecking Crew or Motown?
#TheWreckingCrew

why are you so perfect
I'm a perfectionist!

How do you deal with being nervous before a concert performance?
I sit and close my eyes for 20 minutes on the side of the stage in a recliner. Will be tonight @the_bestfest. #lazyboy

Do you ever listen to your own records at home or in the car?
no, actually I don't.

What was it like working with She & Him on your new album?
it was a trip! @mwardtweeting plays great guitar and @ZooeyDeschanel is a pretty girl w/ a great voice!

favourite phil spector work?
"Be My Baby" #philspector

What will be the 3 records you'd choose to preserve on a space capsule?
@RandyNewman "Sail Away," "Switched on Bach," and #philspector Christmas album.

Any idea when the full-length trailer for @lovemercyfilm will be released?
@lovemercyfilm in the next couple of weeks? Right, @johncusack?

favorite ice cream? :3
strawberry.

was 'surfer girl' inspired by anyone in particular?
it was actually inspired by Herb Alpert. The melody of "Tell It to the Birds" was the inspiration. #vibratos #A&M

Did you work with the wrecking crew on #NoPierPressure?
no. I worked with a bunch of different musicians including some of my band.

what was really first song you ever wrote? How did you do it?
#SurferGirl and I wrote it on my Grandmother's piano. It was a @SteinwayAndSons.

do you have a favorite music video of @TheBeachBoys wich one was the most fun to film?
We did a film short for #GoodVibrations and we did it at a fire station.

what are your memories of meeting Elvis?
I met him at #RCA Victor studios. I said "Hi! I'm Brian Wilson." & he said "Hi Duke!" I tried to karate chop him. #Elvis #weird

what's your favorite Beach Boys song written by someone in the band other than yourself?
"Trader" by Carl.

Did you really bang my mom?
I don't know, send me a picture and I'll tell you.

what are you looking forward to the most at bestfest?
I'm looking forward to sitting back & watching these great artists perform my songs @the_bestfest!

[Dudd]

Who is making you do this?
-@jakefogelnest my product manager @peterbfletcher at #Capitol.

This really made me giggle. 

[phirnis]

Sail Away, Switched-On Bach, and the Phil Spector Christmas album - great selection!

[Sound of Free]

yes that answer made my day... someone should make a screen shot so I can share it on facebook..,, 

[joshferrell]

yes that answer made my day... someone should make a screen shot so I can share it on facebook..,, 

Nice thanks 

[Sound of Free]

You're welcome! 

[Jason Penick]

Who coughed during the recording of Wendy? Why did you keep it on the record? I love it though!
Dennis did. I just thought it was funny so I kept it on the record.

Interesting-- he had the exact same response when asked about why they kept the "good" in "With Me Tonight" when he was asked back in 1967. Way to keep it consistent, Brian!

[Tablevega]

Who coughed during the recording of Wendy? Why did you keep it on the record? I love it though!
Dennis did. I just thought it was funny so I kept it on the record.

Interesting-- he had the exact same response when asked about why they kept the "good" in "With Me Tonight" when he was asked back in 1967. Way to keep it consistent, Brian!

Brian would seem to be an instinctive follower of the Buddhist belief of Wabi-sabi, which sees beauty in imperfection.
 
Wabi-sabi (侘寂?) represents a comprehensive Japanese world view or aesthetic centered on the acceptance of transience and imperfection. The aesthetic is sometimes described as one of beauty that is "imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete".[2] It is a concept derived from the Buddhist teaching of the three marks of existence (三法印 sanbōin?), specifically impermanence (無常 mujō?), the other two being suffering (苦 ku?) and emptiness or absence of self-nature (空 kū?).

[joshferrell]

Who coughed during the recording of Wendy? Why did you keep it on the record? I love it though!
Dennis did. I just thought it was funny so I kept it on the record.

Interesting-- he had the exact same response when asked about why they kept the "good" in "With Me Tonight" when he was asked back in 1967. Way to keep it consistent, Brian!

Brian would seem to be an instinctive follower of the Buddhist belief of Wabi-sabi, which sees beauty in imperfection.
 
Wabi-sabi (侘寂?) represents a comprehensive Japanese world view or aesthetic centered on the acceptance of transience and imperfection. The aesthetic is sometimes described as one of beauty that is "imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete".[2] It is a concept derived from the Buddhist teaching of the three marks of existence (三法印 sanbōin?), specifically impermanence (無常 mujō?), the other two being suffering (苦 ku?) and emptiness or absence of self-nature (空 kū?).

or in other words "Happy little accidents" like Bob Ross would say :-)

[Andrew G. Doe]

"Was the Last Song written with Carl and Dennis in mind?
no, it was just about the end of a relationship."

[sits back, folds arms, essays insufferably smug grin... assuming Brian's not laying a put-on on us, of course]

[GhostyTMRS]

Correct, AGD. The end of a relatioship for sure, but sung with mortality in mind. The relationship is ending because the singer is older and doesn't have much time left.

[Andrew G. Doe]

"who is your favourite bass player?
James Jamerson from the #FunkBrothers."

I just redecorated the nearest wall with a fine spray of tea. 

[Cam Mott]

Whoever is "making" Brian do these Q&As, please keep it up. Better and better.

[Mikie]

Q. What's your favorite track from "Love You"?
A. "Love You".
(?)

Q. What was really first song you ever wrote? How did you do it?
A. I wrote it on my Grandmother's piano. It was a SteinwayAndSons.
(Always read that when he was 19 and driving around in his car, he heard it in his head and drove home right away and finished writing it on his piano).

Q. Was 'Surfer Girl' inspired by anyone in particular?
A. it was actually inspired by Herb Alpert. The melody of "Tell It to the Birds" was the inspiration.
("When You Wish Upon A Star" ring a bell?)

[joshferrell]

[Rocker]

Q. What was really first song you ever wrote? How did you do it?
A. I wrote it on my Grandmother's piano. It was a SteinwayAndSons.
(Always read that when he was 19 and driving around in his car, he heard it in his head and drove home right away and finished writing it on his piano).

Only if "Surfer girl" was the first one. Maybe he remembered another one.

[JK]

Don't know if this is entirely necessary but here's the whole Q&A regardless:

Thanks, Dudd. You're the best!

[Autotune]

Q. What's your favorite track from "Love You"?
A. "Love You".
(?)

Q. What was really first song you ever wrote? How did you do it?
A. I wrote it on my Grandmother's piano. It was a SteinwayAndSons.
(Always read that when he was 19 and driving around in his car, he heard it in his head and drove home right away and finished writing it on his piano).

Q. Was 'Surfer Girl' inspired by anyone in particular?
A. it was actually inspired by Herb Alpert. The melody of "Tell It to the Birds" was the inspiration.
("When You Wish Upon A Star" ring a bell?)

I always understood that SG was the first lne he wrote without the help of a piano. He used the instrument later to arrange the harmonies. But then, he says he only composed at the piano. But then in the Breakaway newsletter he says he wrote Girl Don't Tell Me using a guitar. Where does the When You Wish quote come from? I know D Leaf mentioned this in the 2 fers.

In any case, Surfin', being the first song about the sport, must pre-date Surfer Girl, or at least the lyric of it. So no way SG was the first one. Besides, the H Alpert song was released in 1962.

[startBBtoday]

How is Brian writing an autobiography when his answers seem to change daily?

[Mikie]

How is Brian writing an autobiography when his answers seem to change daily?

Now that is an excellent question!

Q. What was your favorite part about running the Radiant Radish Health Food Store? What was your biggest seller?
A. The cash register - I learned how to do it.
(Sure it wasn't Vitamin B-12, Brian?) Didn't know you sold cash registers in a health food store).

Q. I've heard you're a Dodgers fan. What's your favorite Vin Scully moment?
A. Yankees. Because of Mickey Mantle. I played center field in high school.

Q. Who was you favorite baseball team as a kid?
A. Yankees

Q. Hi Brian, which Beach Boys album would you say was your favorite and why?
A. Well, my favorite is Summer Days and Summer Nights because it had cool rock and roll songs like Salt Lake City, you know?
(Thought it was Friends. No, Love You. No, wait, Pet Sounds! No........)

Q. Hi Brian. Just wanted to know, years from now, what would you like your legacy to be?
A. That I was a good singer.
(?) Really Brian? Even after 1975?


You don't think he's going through the motions and can't wait to get it over with?  Different answers every day/week/month/year.

[Mikie]

Q. What's your favorite track from "Love You"?
A. "Love You".
(?)

Q. What was really first song you ever wrote? How did you do it?
A. I wrote it on my Grandmother's piano. It was a SteinwayAndSons.
(Always read that when he was 19 and driving around in his car, he heard it in his head and drove home right away and finished writing it on his piano).

Q. Was 'Surfer Girl' inspired by anyone in particular?
A. it was actually inspired by Herb Alpert. The melody of "Tell It to the Birds" was the inspiration.
("When You Wish Upon A Star" ring a bell?)

I always understood that SG was the first lne he wrote without the help of a piano. He used the instrument later to arrange the harmonies. But then, he says he only composed at the piano. But then in the Breakaway newsletter he says he wrote Girl Don't Tell Me using a guitar. Where does the When You Wish quote come from? I know D Leaf mentioned this in the 2 fers.

In any case, Surfin', being the first song about the sport, must pre-date Surfer Girl, or at least the lyric of it. So no way SG was the first one. Besides, the H Alpert song was released in 1962.

Brian wrote “Surfin’” for Fred Morgan  in 1959. With Hite Morgan, he first put it to tape along with “Luau” on 9/15/61 and recorded them again the following month. Then  he recorded  “Surfin’ Safari” and “Surfer Girl” (early versions) and “Judy” on 2/8/62.

So I think it’s safe to say “Surfin’” was written first, although I guess it took 2 years to formally record it! If Brian wrote “Surfer Girl” before “Surfin’” (or around the same time),  it took him 3 years to record! Just speculating, but maybe  they recorded them in the order they were written?  He told one interviewer that he’d  “never written a song in his life” before writing "Surfer Girl" in 1961. So who knows.

From a recent Brian Q&A:
Q: Was Surfin' already written before you and the guys visited Hite and Dorinda Morgan at Stereo Masters?
A. No, it was written shortly after them.
(See timeline above).

Q: Surfer Girl is a great song, what do you like about that one?
A. I was in my car listening to the radio and drove home and that song inspired me. But  no, it wasn't "When You Wish Upon A Star".
(See below).

Wikipedia: "Written solely by Brian Wilson, the song is his very first composition. Although the song is sometimes referred to as a tribute to his then girlfriend Judy Bowles, this is untrue as the song wasn't written with anyone particular in mind. Brian explained the genesis of the song: "Back in 1961, I'd never written a song in my life. I was nineteen years old. And I put myself to the test in my car one day. I was actually driving to a hot dog stand, and I actually created a melody in my head without being able to hear it on a piano. I sang it to myself; I didn't even sing it out loud in the car. When I got home that day, I finished the song, wrote the bridge, put the harmonies together and called it 'Surfer Girl'." Brian later stated that the song was inspired by the Dion and the Belmonts version of "When You Wish upon a Star, which has the same AABA form".

[Autotune]

Q. What's your favorite track from "Love You"?
A. "Love You".
(?)

Q. What was really first song you ever wrote? How did you do it?
A. I wrote it on my Grandmother's piano. It was a SteinwayAndSons.
(Always read that when he was 19 and driving around in his car, he heard it in his head and drove home right away and finished writing it on his piano).

Q. Was 'Surfer Girl' inspired by anyone in particular?
A. it was actually inspired by Herb Alpert. The melody of "Tell It to the Birds" was the inspiration.
("When You Wish Upon A Star" ring a bell?)

I always understood that SG was the first lne he wrote without the help of a piano. He used the instrument later to arrange the harmonies. But then, he says he only composed at the piano. But then in the Breakaway newsletter he says he wrote Girl Don't Tell Me using a guitar. Where does the When You Wish quote come from? I know D Leaf mentioned this in the 2 fers.

In any case, Surfin', being the first song about the sport, must pre-date Surfer Girl, or at least the lyric of it. So no way SG was the first one. Besides, the H Alpert song was released in 1962.

Brian wrote “Surfin’” for Fred Morgan  in 1959. With Hite Morgan, he first put it to tape along with “Luau” on 9/15/61 and recorded them again the following month. Then  he recorded  “Surfin’ Safari” and “Surfer Girl” (early versions) and “Judy” on 2/8/62.

So I think it’s safe to say “Surfin’” was written first, although I guess it took 2 years to formally record it! If Brian wrote “Surfer Girl” before “Surfin’” (or around the same time),  it took him 3 years to record! Just speculating, but maybe  they recorded them in the order they were written?  He told one interviewer that he’d  “never written a song in his life” before writing "Surfer Girl" in 1961. So who knows.

From a recent Brian Q&A:
Q: Was Surfin' already written before you and the guys visited Hite and Dorinda Morgan at Stereo Masters?
A. No, it was written shortly after them.
(See timeline above).

Q: Surfer Girl is a great song, what do you like about that one?
A. I was in my car listening to the radio and drove home and that song inspired me. But  no, it wasn't "When You Wish Upon A Star".
(See below).

Wikipedia: "Written solely by Brian Wilson, the song is his very first composition. Although the song is sometimes referred to as a tribute to his then girlfriend Judy Bowles, this is untrue as the song wasn't written with anyone particular in mind. Brian explained the genesis of the song: "Back in 1961, I'd never written a song in my life. I was nineteen years old. And I put myself to the test in my car one day. I was actually driving to a hot dog stand, and I actually created a melody in my head without being able to hear it on a piano. I sang it to myself; I didn't even sing it out loud in the car. When I got home that day, I finished the song, wrote the bridge, put the harmonies together and called it 'Surfer Girl'." Brian later stated that the song was inspired by the Dion and the Belmonts version of "When You Wish upon a Star, which has the same AABA form".

All this I always found interesting. I suppose that Surfin' wasn't titled "Surfin'", nor it had a Lyric about the sport, by the time he submitted it to Fred Morgan. Surfer Girl probably dates from before Hite Morgan sessions, in which case it seems unlikely that the subject matter of the original lyric was a Surfer Girl.

[Mikie]

It's one of those mysteries that has never been firmly established. Brian is the one who would know (he still remembers a lot) but in this case he says Surfer Girl was his first song. Wasn't he asked during the 1989 "Campfire Sessions" program who Surfer Girl was about? Remember what his answer was?

[Wirestone]

I've always found the Fred Morgan story highly suspect, bordering on bogus.

Surfin' is so obviously a product of Mike and Brian (mainly Mike, frankly) at the infamous jam session that it makes no sense to think the song was hanging around for years beforehand.

It's far more likely Brian submitted some amateurish Four Freshman pastiche, right? Either that or proto-Surfer Girl, which is a song that was clearly a simple melody first.

[Mikie]

I believe Fred:

"It was just one assignment," Morgan says. "It was a 120-measure piano sonata, and he only wrote 32 measures of chords. So I gave him an F, but he passed the class because he was a talented individual. I think he got a C or C-minus in the class."

A slightly different version has Fred saying (In the It's OK Special) that "Surfin'" got an "F", but the song made a million dollars".