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Author Topic: BW/AP Interviews circa 2000 from The Beach Boys Complete  (Read 1587 times)
Wata
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« on: October 10, 2018, 07:13:04 AM »

A Japanese reference book on the Beach Boys,The Beach Boys Complete (VANDA), has three exclusive interviews with Andy Paley and Brian Wilson.

With kind permission from interviewer Tomonori Wanibe (the president of Japanese Beach Boys fan club, BBFUN), the late Kunihiko Sano (the founder of Japanese music magazine VANDA, which has been influential in major recognition of The Beach Boys and various sunshine pop acts among serious music fans) and the editor at the publisher, Mr. Arano, here I present the all three interviews, originally translated in Japanese, in re-translated form. (translation by myself)

Owing to my amateurish translation skill, there may be some parts that I fail to reflect the original context, so please keep that in mind:


Andy Paley Interview with Tomonori Wanibe
Part 1: At Hilton Nagoya, February 25, 2002

Q: I think today’s concert in Nagoya was better than the two I’ve seen in Tokyo. I was surprised to see you play various instruments really well. Did you learn to play all of them on your own?
Andy: Yes. Guitar,keyboard, percussions, vibraphone and vocal.

Q: Why did you join in Brian’s band?
Andy: Brian asked me to join his band. And I answered, “Sure, I’m ready to go anytime.”

Q: I’ve heard that was because Mike D’Amiko, a former member of Brian’s band, had quit his band.
Andy: I guess so.

Q: Is there any changes in the sound of the band since your participation?
Andy: I’m not sure. It’s you who tell what have changed. What do you think have changed? Tellme. All we’re doing is to play our own sounds to various audiences.

Q: I was surprised at your performance of Desert Drive. That song is a remake of Beach Boys’ sound in 1963, right?
Andy: Wow!

Q: The intro is almost the same as Lana.
Aney: Yes, that’s right!

Q: What did you try to describe with the song?
Andy: It’s about a drive in a desert, from South California to Las Vegas. Deserts are romantic. You sit in a car and drive, stop by at various places, and see beautiful flowers.
Lots of fun is waiting for us in Las Vegas. So, “let’s get outta town before the sun goes down”to Las Vegas. That’s what the song is about.
(Jeffrey Foskett comes in, and the interviewer felt a little nervous)

Q. When did you first met Brian?
Andy: At Brian’s home in Bellagio Road. There was my brother, Jonathan, too. And there were Carl and Ricky Fattar. I wonder when it was…
Jeff: In 1972?
Andy: Nah, it was much later. Maybe in 1975. There were Carl, Ricky, Jeffrey and we met Brian.

Q: What was your impression about Brian ?
Andy: I thought he was a very lovely person.

Q: Would you tell us about your producing Brian’s first album in 1988?
Andy: To be exact, I didn’t really produce that album. There were very few that I was involved in the album. But I was really excited to work with him. I’d never experienced such excitement before.

Q: You were also involved in Sweet Insanity.
Andy: Yes, I did a little, but it never came out.

Q: It was a pity that it didn’t come out. But you kept on working with Brian after that. Still, there are only a few that has been released; will you talk to us about This Song Wants To Sleep with You Tonight? I wanted you to play it this time.
Andy: Brian, Danny Hutton, Jonathan and I recorded the vocals. We used an orchestra. I had B.J Thomas in mind. I was moved by one of his songs- what was it, Jeff? (Jeffrey seemed that he didn’t listen to Andy’s question attentively, and didn’t answer)
Q: How about In My Moondreams?
Andy: A song that six-string guitar was on lead. Just like…myon myon myon myon. Jeff was listening to that song again and again the other day.

Q: And there’s a cover, Sweets for My Sweet.
Andy: Ha!! (laughter) That was for the tribute album to Doc Pomus.

Q: And there’s also This Could Be the Night.
Andy: That was by Brian, Jonathan and me. Jeff, I wanted you to join in that recording.

Q: Why are many of the materials with Brian still left unrelaesed?
Andy: I don’t know why.

Q: Why did youleave from the project with Brian?
Andy: No, I never leave. I just didn’t go to Chicago. (Interviewer Note: Brian was living in Chicago to work on Imagination with Joe Thomas, a producer who works there,
from 1996 to 1998. )

Q: Besides Brian, who have you ever worked with?
Andy: Jonathan Richman, The Modern Lovers, Elton John, April March, Jerry Lee Lewis, and so on. Plus, Mandy Barnett. She had unbelievably beautiful and loud voice.

Q: What is the hardest part when playing Brian’s songs?
Andy: There aren’t any hard parts for me. Easy.

Q: Great. Now,what is your favorite Brian Wilson or Beach Boys song?
Andy: (Think for a while) The Warmth of the Sun. And Help Me Rhonda too.

Q: You played them in the concert today. But I was disappointed that you didn’t use wind chimes on the part “Still I have the warmth of the sun” while having them with you.
Andy: Sorry.
Jeff: Why don’t we do it tomorrow?
Andy: And, among their album, I love Shut Down Vol.2. That album is full of absolutely great songs. (Name some of the songs)

Q: You also produced the reunion sessions of the Beach Boys in 1995, right?
Jeff: That was Bay Watch Night.
Andy: Oh, that’s right!! I have no idea why it never came out, but I remember producing it.
Mike, Carl, Brian, Jeff, Jonathan and I joined in it. Carl was an amazing
person.

Q: This is the last question. Please talk about the song with Carl’s last lead vocal, Soul Searchin’.
Andy: Brian and I wrote it together in London. We wrote it during touring London. Brian came to my room in the hotel and he looked busy. I said to him, “I’ll be coming back to L.A., so please wait for a week.” But he said, “No, I can’t wait. Come along with me now.”And we wrote it the next day. (Note: This probably happened during the Beach Boys’ tour with Status Quo in January, 1996)

Q: I think this song should be released as a single.
Andy: I believe it’ll be so.

Q: Please give a message to Japanese fans.
Andy: Never forget to shout, dance and keep working hard!



Part 2: At Osaka Miyako Hotel, February 27, 2002

Q: I saw four of the five shows in Japan this time, except the one in Fukuoka. Which do you think was the best one?
Andy: I did my best at every show. I think it’s you audience who decide which was the best. What did you think? (Everyone around answered “Osaka!”) Thanks!

Q: I was impressed particularly with the performances of the whole Pet Sounds album and Forever. Who chose the song you played this time?
Andy: We’ve shared ideas for the set list. Desert Drive was from me, and Forever was Brian’s own selection.

Q: There were some people who complained that there was no orchestra with the performance of Pet Sounds, unlike the US tour in 2000. What do you think about there not being an orchestra?
Andy: I’m not sure. I haven’t toured with orchestra.

Q: In this tour, you played Don’t Talk with a background chorus that didn’t appear on the original. Whose idea was that?
Andy: We arranged Don’t Talk with a harmony on the second verse.

Q: Yeah, there was a chorus sounding like “Unreleased Backgrounds” , which was a bonus track of Pet Sounds. By the way, what is the name of that eastern-looking percussion Taylor Mills was playing on “Caroline, No” , which looked like a pot twined with pearls?
Andy: I don’t know. Sure it’s eastern-looking. You know more about that, don’t you?


Q: You too were playing the percussion with her.
Andy: Yeah, I was playing the harpsichord on the right hand, and the percussion "pong!" on the left hand.

Q: Now, I’m going to change the subject. You co-wrote three songs with Brian on the album “Brian Wilson”. First, would you tell us about “Rio Grande”, which is my favorite song?
Andy: I wrote that song in the form of a suite because Lenny Waronker, who was the sub-president of Warner Bros., asked me to write an experimental song. (Interviewer Note: Lenny Waronker was the president at the time, but he said so supposedly because Mo Ostin was the president and Lenny was the sub-president for a long time. Lenny is now at Dreamworks, which was established by Steven Spielberg, with Mo. Andy was vice president at Sire, one of the group companies of Warner at the time of 1988.)

Q: You still belong to the Sire label, right?
Andy: No, I quit the company long time ago, and now I’m independent.

Q: Next, how about“Meet Me In My Dreams Tonight”?
Andy: On that song, we aimed for the sound of girls groups in the 1960s. Just like, “Sweet talking guy…”.

Q: Last, how about“Night Time”?
Andy: That was the song we aimed for R&B sound on.

Q: Let me move to the topic of “Andy Paley Sessions”. I have some documents on it. Will you tell me the credit on each song?
Andy: “I’m Getting’In Over My Head”, “You’re Still Mystery”, “Chain Reaction of Love”, “Soul Searchin’, “It’s Not Easy Being Me”, “Desert Drive”, “Saturday Morning in the City”, “This Song Wants to Sleep with You Tonight”, “Marketplace”, “Must Be a Miracle”, “Slightly American Music” were all co-written by me and Brian. “In My Moondreams” was my own composition.

Q: “You’re Still A Mystery” is one of the songs recorded at the Beach Boys’ sessions in 1995. Will you talk about that?
Andy: Me, my brother, Brian, Mike, Carl and Al recorded vocals. Only Bruce Johnston was absent.

Q: How long do you guess will the Brian’s tour go on?
Andy: I’m not sure.

Q: Finally, would you want to join if there would be a reunion of The Beach Boys by Brian, Al, Mike and Bruce?
Andy: Of course! I want to play with them at any cost.


Brian Wilson Interview with Kunihiko Sano
At Teikoku Hotel, Tokyo 1999/7/11


Q: Hello. Today we have ten questions for you. We’d appreciate it if you answer them recalling the memories of the 1960’s. Is it okay for you?
Brian: Yeah. It’s okay. No problem.

Q: First, “Pet Sounds” is now rated among rock fans in Japan as one of the greatest among numbers of rock albums, and its CD sales in Japan have been more than one hundred thousand copies. What are your thoughts on this worldwide re-appreciation on the album?
Brian: I’m very proud of that. This is the most famous album of ours, and I’m glad that people think it’s a very cool album. It’s not a usual album of its time – the sound is winding, isn’t it? - I’m very glad.

Q: “The Pet Sounds Sessions” was the greatest gift we Beach Boys fans have received, but there is still “SMiLE” left in the vaults. There has been news that it would get released from time to time, but every time it ends up not being released. Is there any plan to release “SMiLE”?
Brian: Regarding that album, I’m not sure if we’ll work on it. It’s unlike our sound too much. And the music I made was abnormal because of the drugs I did pretty much back then. So I ended up jumping out of it.

Q: You once said “SMiLE” was “buried”, but on Good Vibrations box set we got “SMiLE” versions of songs like “Heroes And Villains”, “Wonderful” and “Wind Chimes”. Did you select only the good stuff?
Brian: Yeah.
Q: Other than those, the manufactured covers of “SMiLE” list “I’m in Great Shape”, “The Elements”, “Child Is the Father of the Man”, “The Old Master Painter” as its tracks. Among them, myths to many fans are “I’m In Great Shape” and “The Elements”. Did you complete them? Was the stuff reworked as different songs?
Brian: Some songs were reworked as other subpar songs, and others remain unused.

Q: “The Elements” is said to be formed by four parts: Fire, Water, Air and Earth. Among them. Fire is “Mrs. O’Leary’s Cow”, and Water is “I Love To Say Da Da”, right?
Brian: Yeah, right. You mean the songs included on SMiLE?

Q: Right, right (the interviewer was suspecting if he remembers his memories gradually) And you said “Air” is a piano track before. Does still it remain unreleased, right?
Brian: Yes. It’s still incomplete.

Q: What song is “Earth”?
Brian: I don’t know, well, I don’t remember what happened back then due to drugs. Really. (He sounded like he wanted us to stop asking about SMiLE.) Why not move on to next question?

Q: How about Today!, the album regarded highly by Beach Boys freaks?
Brian: I think it’s very pretty. Fans all love it, and its cover is pretty too – this album makes me feel happiness.

Q: We believe Phil Spector and The Beatles were the inspiration for these albums. How did you feel while listening to their music at that time?
Brian: I think they’re very great. They sounded like presents from God – that’s how I felt about their music.

Q: You mean you liked their music?
Brian: Of course. I would often play their songs, too.

Q: And we believe Curt Boettcher, The Association and The Four Seasons were influenced tremendously by The Beach Boys.
Brian: Wow, really? Whew!

Q: What do you think about them?
Brian: Four Seasons?
Q: No, not only them(It was told that The Beach Boys and The Four Seasons were like cats and dogs, so we became a little uneasy as Brian reacted only to them. That was probably a joke, though. )
Brian: Curt Boettcher did really make fantastic, beautiful music. Probably his melodies are the most strange and beautiful. Like this. (He sang The Association’s “Never My Love”, but Curt already left the group at the time of the recording of the song.) That really was a beautiful song.

Q: How about the album Sunflower?
Brian: Sunflower is one of my favorite. It’s nice and sounds like rock’n’roll. And it’s an MOR album. I love it myself.

Q: During your solo career, you left the sessions with Gary Usher, “Sweet Insanity” and the sessions with Andy Paley in the vaults, and some of which are fantastic. How will these songs be? We think it’s a pity to leave them unreleased.
Brian: Yeah, they are nearly finished, but not finished yet. There are lots of great songs, are I’m thinking about what to do with them. They’re all really good, and they will probably be on the new album.
Q: Really?
Brian: Yeah. There are much great music. There must be unbelievably good songs that will make you surprised.

Q: You mean there’s a plan to release those songs?
Brian: Of course.

Q: That’s great. I’m looking forward to it. By the way, what album Imagination was like for you?
Brian: Imagination is…(laugh) an album full of love. A new beginning, creation, well, I mean, when you wake up in the morning, you take a bath and shower and say to yourself you will work hard today. That’s what that album is like.

Q: And we’ve heard that Reprise and Caribou albums will be reissued in the future.
Brian: Really? (A joke that sounded like asking us where we got that information from) (Everyone laughed out loud)

Q: Do you remaster these reissues?
Brian: Yeah, I and David Leaf. To say the truth, the rumor of the reissue is true. (sounded like an apology for teasing us)

Q: Is there any plan to include bonus tracks on them?
Brian: We’re going to include a lot of them. We’re planning to have 18 bonus tracks in total. I want to outwit everybody and make them say “wow, great!” (laugh)

Q: All the 2 in 1 Capitol CD’s have gone out of print. Is there any possibility that the bonus tracks on them will come out again?
Brian: I’m not sure. We can’t be involved in that, no matter how we feel. So I can’t comment on where or when it will happen.

Q: Sorry to have asked too many questions. This is the last one.
Brian: No way. It’s okay.

Q: How do you write songs now? Do you put together fragments you call “feels”, or do you get inspiration from playing boogie on the piano?
Brian: Yeah, play the piano and keep the beat this way (tapping his laps, he sang “I wish they all could be California girls”), and go to next melody (sang “Go back this summer…” from Back Home). And then mix them. I shuffle them. First, I play piano and put melody on it, then put lyrics on melody and sing loud, like, I wish they all could be California Girls!

Q: Thank you.
Brian: Thank you, too.

Q: (They asked us to take a memorial photo with Brian)Could you take a picture with us?
Brian: Of course. David, why don’t you come in?
« Last Edit: October 10, 2018, 07:24:03 AM by Watamushi(Polly Poller) » Logged
SMiLE Brian
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« Reply #1 on: October 10, 2018, 09:25:20 AM »

Thanks mushi!
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And production aside, I’d so much rather hear a 14 year old David Marks shred some guitar on Chug-a-lug than hear a 51 year old Mike Love sing about bangin some chick in a swimming pool.-rab2591
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« Reply #2 on: October 10, 2018, 12:36:24 PM »

Thanks!  A couple points of historical interest -

In regards to "Soul Searchin'", Andy is quoted as saying "We wrote it during touring London..."  - more specifically and more recently, he's stated that he had the backing track completed before Brian ever heard it, but that when he did, Brian liked it so much he followed Andy to London so they could write the lyrics together. However, the note about it probably happening in January '96 is definitely incorrect, as The Beach Boys' vocal sessions for the song were held in November '95. Maybe Andy was on tour with someone else in London when he and Brian finished writing the song?

Also, Andy seems to be intertwining memories of the two groups of sessions he and Brian held with The Beach Boys in '95. Based on contemporary reports, we know that in early March, Brian, Mike, Carl, Andy, Michael Andreas, and Andy's brother Jonathan recorded the proposed "Bay Watch Nights" theme, and possibly a soundtrack submission for "Grace Of My Heart". Al and Bruce were not involved in those sessions. Andy indicates here that Jeff was involved with those recordings, but I would say that's unlikely since Jeff had been out of the band's employ for 5 years at that point - but you never know.

The second group of BW/AP/BBs sessions was in November of that year (for "Soul Searchin'" and "Still A Mystery"), and while Andy states here that his brother Jonathan was involved with those and Bruce wasn't, an eyewitness account by Cindy Lee Berryhill, published in an issue of "ESQ" within a couple months of the session, confirms Bruce's participation (as well as Matt Jardine's), but there's no mention of Jonathan being involved with those November '95 sessions. The track sheets also include notations for Matt's and Bruce's vocals.
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Jim V.
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« Reply #3 on: October 10, 2018, 02:16:36 PM »

The second group of BW/AP/BBs sessions was in November of that year (for "Soul Searchin'" and "Still A Mystery"), and while Andy states here that his brother Jonathan was involved with those and Bruce wasn't, an eyewitness account by Cindy Lee Berryhill, published in an issue of "ESQ" within a couple months of the session, confirms Bruce's participation (as well as Matt Jardine's), but there's no mention of Jonathan being involved with those November '95 sessions. The track sheets also include notations for Matt's and Bruce's vocals.

I will admit the stuff about Bruce not being there for the "You're Still A Mystery" and "Soul Searchin'" sessions did seem a little odd to me, as it I pretty much surely seemed to hear his voice on the former.
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« Reply #4 on: October 11, 2018, 01:04:27 PM »

Thanks, Wata.  That was an interesting read.
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...if you are honest - you have no idea where childhood ends and maturity begins.  It is all endless and all one.  ~ P.L. Travers        And, let's get this out of the way now, everything I post is my opinion.  ~ Will
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