Great Brian article/interview in new Rolling Stone magazine.

[Wirestone]

Wonder what will become of the mountain of material he must have accumulated?

He sold it to Rolling Stone, and we have this article.

Anything else is probably owned by BW and goes to the next co-writer.

[Gohi]

Jason Fine has written the best material about Brian Wilson of the last 10 years. It's a shame he's not on-board for his biography anymore.

[If Mars had life on it...]

Here's a great article Jason Fine wrote about Brian for Rolling Stone in June 1999. 

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/brians-summer-plans-19990708

[sea of tunes]

Here's a great article Jason Fine wrote about Brian for Rolling Stone in June 1999. 

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/brians-summer-plans-19990708

I didn't realize Jason Fine has been documenting BW for so long.  Thanks for posting that RS piece.

[Gerry]

Pretty entertaining. Makes you think that Brian would just rather be home with his family,enjoying his twilight years

[puni puni]

Here's a great article Jason Fine wrote about Brian for Rolling Stone in June 1999. 

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/brians-summer-plans-19990708

In addition to bringing in Joe Thomas and coordinating Brian's tour, Melinda is working with a screenwriter on a biopic about Brian's life that she hopes will star Jeff Bridges. (An A&E biography on Wilson premieres on June 20th, his fifty-seventh birthday.) After the current tour — which travels through the East Coast in June, then goes to Japan and the West Coast — Melinda plans to release a live Wilson album and then return to St. Charles in the fall so Brian can record a second album with Thomas.

Though Wilson seems more eager to finish the material he's done with Andy Paley than to return to St. Charles, Melinda says he's obligated to do another record with Thomas. She calls the Paley — Wilson material "great therapy" but says his vocals are not up to par and believes the production isn't good enough to be released commercially. As is often the case with Brian's career, Brian doesn't seem to be the one calling the shots. "I'd like to stay here in L.A., but we built the studio, so I guess I have to go," he says simply.

Several of the Wilson-Paley songs, recorded with Wilson's own money, have found their way onto a bootleg CD, but there are no plans to release the music commercially. (Melinda says she'd like to see the two go back into the studio in St. Charles to rerecord more-polished versions of the songs.)

My planets are spinning around...

[STE]

RS writer Jason Fine talks about the time he spent with Brian:

https://youtu.be/0KMi5isqNBw

[Gohi]

Here's a great article Jason Fine wrote about Brian for Rolling Stone in June 1999. 

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/brians-summer-plans-19990708

In addition to bringing in Joe Thomas and coordinating Brian's tour, Melinda is working with a screenwriter on a biopic about Brian's life that she hopes will star Jeff Bridges. (An A&E biography on Wilson premieres on June 20th, his fifty-seventh birthday.) After the current tour — which travels through the East Coast in June, then goes to Japan and the West Coast — Melinda plans to release a live Wilson album and then return to St. Charles in the fall so Brian can record a second album with Thomas.

Though Wilson seems more eager to finish the material he's done with Andy Paley than to return to St. Charles, Melinda says he's obligated to do another record with Thomas. She calls the Paley — Wilson material "great therapy" but says his vocals are not up to par and believes the production isn't good enough to be released commercially. As is often the case with Brian's career, Brian doesn't seem to be the one calling the shots. "I'd like to stay here in L.A., but we built the studio, so I guess I have to go," he says simply.

Several of the Wilson-Paley songs, recorded with Wilson's own money, have found their way onto a bootleg CD, but there are no plans to release the music commercially. (Melinda says she'd like to see the two go back into the studio in St. Charles to rerecord more-polished versions of the songs.)

My planets are spinning around...

Man, what a deeply frustrating article. I really hate that Brian was so excited about the Paley material and yet it never got released because of Melinda. Her being his manager really led to some bad decisions up until they decided to work on Smile. But how sad... "No, you can't work on this music that excites you and makes you happy, you have to do more commercial, adult-contemporary crap with Joe Thomas."

[Wirestone]

Except that he didn't. Brian decided to fire Joe shortly after the article was published, and Melinda supported him in that decision. Andy even joined the touring band.

[Gohi]

Except that he didn't. Brian decided to fire Joe shortly after the article was published, and Melinda supported him in that decision. Andy even joined the touring band.

And then they released the Paley material!
Wait...

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

A few of the Paley songs appeared on GIOMH, albeit in re-recorded form...

[Wirestone]

In the case of SS and SMITC, not re-recorded at all ...

[ForHerCryingSoul]

A few of the Paley songs appeared on GIOMH, albeit in re-recorded form...

Albeit in inferior re-recorded form (IMO)...

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Plus the original backing track for YSAM  ended up on MIC albeit with a 1999 lead vocal

[The Cincinnati Kid]

Damn you guys and your abbreviations!    SMITC? YSAM?

Edit: Just figured out YSAM, but SMITC?  No clue.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Saturday morning in the city.

Oh yes, it's Saturday Morning in the city...

[The Cincinnati Kid]

Saturday morning in the city.

Oh yes, it's Saturday Morning in the city...

I'm not sure what to say about that song.   

[Jim V.]

Plus the original backing track for YSAM  ended up on MIC albeit with a 1999 lead vocal

Hey, actually I'm pretty sure I read on hear (c-man probably) that what was actually used for released version of "You're Still A Mystery" was the Was backing track and the Was vocals.

[puni puni]

I also remember that it was a '99 vocal.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Plus the original backing track for YSAM  ended up on MIC albeit with a 1999 lead vocal

Hey, actually I'm pretty sure I read on hear (c-man probably) that what was actually used for released version of "You're Still A Mystery" was the Was backing track and the Was vocals.

Backups, you're right, but lead was done later, produced by Joe Thomas. .

[ForHerCryingSoul]

Plus the original backing track for YSAM  ended up on MIC albeit with a 1999 lead vocal

Hey, actually I'm pretty sure I read on hear (c-man probably) that what was actually used for released version of "You're Still A Mystery" was the Was backing track and the Was vocals.

I like the vocals found on bootlegs better than the out-of-place '99 vocal from Brian.

[phirnis]

Here's a great article Jason Fine wrote about Brian for Rolling Stone in June 1999. 

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/brians-summer-plans-19990708

In addition to bringing in Joe Thomas and coordinating Brian's tour, Melinda is working with a screenwriter on a biopic about Brian's life that she hopes will star Jeff Bridges. (An A&E biography on Wilson premieres on June 20th, his fifty-seventh birthday.) After the current tour — which travels through the East Coast in June, then goes to Japan and the West Coast — Melinda plans to release a live Wilson album and then return to St. Charles in the fall so Brian can record a second album with Thomas.

Though Wilson seems more eager to finish the material he's done with Andy Paley than to return to St. Charles, Melinda says he's obligated to do another record with Thomas. She calls the Paley — Wilson material "great therapy" but says his vocals are not up to par and believes the production isn't good enough to be released commercially. As is often the case with Brian's career, Brian doesn't seem to be the one calling the shots. "I'd like to stay here in L.A., but we built the studio, so I guess I have to go," he says simply.

Several of the Wilson-Paley songs, recorded with Wilson's own money, have found their way onto a bootleg CD, but there are no plans to release the music commercially. (Melinda says she'd like to see the two go back into the studio in St. Charles to rerecord more-polished versions of the songs.)

My planets are spinning around...

Man, what a deeply frustrating article. I really hate that Brian was so excited about the Paley material and yet it never got released because of Melinda. Her being his manager really led to some bad decisions up until they decided to work on Smile. But how sad... "No, you can't work on this music that excites you and makes you happy, you have to do more commercial, adult-contemporary crap with Joe Thomas."

"This was great therapy but let's rather not complete/release it"; someone could have said the exact same thing about Love You and that is one of the most beloved albums among hardcore BB/BW fans. For most of BW's solo career, his music has been pleasant but a little lame, with the notable exception of BW88 and, to a certain extent, TLOS (just my opinion of course). I'm sure Melinda isn't the only one who made bad decisions in that context.

[Gohi]

No, like Andy Paley said, it's seemingly how Brian's been treated his whole life.

[RangeRoverA1]

Gohi, you're missing 1 point - Brian isn't a child that's not given his favorite toy. He's not vegetable, he's adult who's always been choosing collaborators that were right fit for this'n'that studio chore. If Brian wanted to work with Paley & Melinda was against, couldn't he, like, say "No"? We don't know what thoughts were rolling in his mind. He might've agreed with decision later as a result of thinking it over, going thru many doubts & whatnot. It is a hunch but it's possible.

[HeyJude]

Plus the original backing track for YSAM  ended up on MIC albeit with a 1999 lead vocal

Hey, actually I'm pretty sure I read on hear (c-man probably) that what was actually used for released version of "You're Still A Mystery" was the Was backing track and the Was vocals.

Backups, you're right, but lead was done later, produced by Joe Thomas. .

Interestingly, I believe c-man had a precise date for the 1999 lead vocal overdub session for “You’re Still a Mystery”, and I believe it took place in October, 1999 during or right before the west coast tour dates, which would have been after Joe Thomas was out of the band. I believe he also mentioned that it was not done with Mark Linett present either (Linett didn’t know about the vocal overdub apparently until prepping the track for the MIC set).

I’m not sure if they ever determined *who* (besides obviously Brian) was at that October 1999 session, or what the purpose/idea/theory was behind re-cutting the lead vocal. By 2000/2001, Brian was working to some degree with Andy Paley again, so I wonder if Paley was involved in that October 1999 overdub session.

Seperately, as someone else confirmed, the backing track on all the circulating and released versions of “You’re Still a Mystery” feature a Was-produced backing track. If an earlier backing track and/or vocals were cut during the mid 90’s Paley sessions prior to working with Was, it hasn’t been heard so far.