Just how much piano did Brian play?

[Wirestone]

Brian's still pretty good with the keyboard in the studio. The piano-only version of "This Isn't Love" from the late 90s is excellent, and is just Brian on overdubbed pianos. Likewise, he plays on the title track of WIRWFC and Walking Down the Path of Life. When I saw the band live last month, he played on "In My Room" and the intro to "Marcella."

[shelter]

When I saw the band live last month, he played on "In My Room" and the intro to "Marcella."

Brian also played piano on Wilson's Phillips' version of In My Room.

[Rocker]

I think Brian played every song on GIOMH just on piano and then the band added their parts afterwards. I'd like to hear the solo-piano songs.
I love Brian's playing. My biggest wish was a CD with just Brian and his piano singing his songs. Like "My little red book" (ok, not his song and a bass was there too, I know) or the demo "Surf's up"; that sounds like magic.
I love the piano-part of "Funky pretty" btw. I'd even like to hear Brian and piano alone nowadays with his "older" voice. He has a great rhythm and, like Carol Kaye says, everything starts to swing when brian plays....

I don't know who did what, but I believe that Carl probably played a lot of the keyboard parts in 'So Tough' and 'Holland'. I also read somewhere that Brian played drums on Funky Pretty.

I believe Brian played almost everything on "Funky pretty". That's why I thought it was him playing piano too. Don't know for sure though...

[Bicyclerider]

He played keyboards on most of the songs on Beach Boys Today, judging by the SOT session tapes.

[Fire Wind]

When I saw the band live last month, he played on "In My Room" and the intro to "Marcella."

Brian also played piano on Wilson's Phillips' version of In My Room.

I recall at the Adelphi PS show, he played the keyboard (arpeggios) for that tune too.

[joe_blow]

This is my first post on this board, though I may know some of you from others. I lke this topic a lot. I would say Brian had a great command of the keyboard with playing notes and chords, but was not as technically sound as a session pro. His palaying according to SOT is all over the Today album. He also played organ on That's Not Me.

When I saw him play in Vancouver in 2005 he played the intros to Marcella and WDTPOL. I would really like to see him do the piano on Love and Mercy, I think that would add a great intimacy to the encore. However I think at this point he is more comfortable relying on his talented band to provide the music.

[grillo]

Besides Today, I think Bri plays on a lot of the Smile stuff on SOT. I figure, whenever it's not his voice coming over the 'talk-back' he's probably in the studio on piano. I don't have that stuff with me right now, so maybe I'm full of hot air. And like the post a few back said, he writes SONGS on piano, not musical phrases. Since piano isn't the featured instrument on many songs (in fact, on the best of his productions there are NO featured insts.) his writing style is just to find the chords that fit the melody and worry about individal instrumental parts later. Still, I love his piano demos and have pretty much stolen his style of playing, which seems to impress my friends pretty easily. P.S. Both times I've seen him ('99 and '04) he never played a lick of keys, but he did pretend to play bass!!

[the captain]

Still, I love his piano demos and have pretty much stolen his style of playing, which seems to impress my friends pretty easily.

I love his piano playing, too. It may be simplistic in a sense (most of the time), but it gets the entire background of a song across, just like strumming a guitar. As a mediocre pianist, I can play songs in that style and sing along, etc. without any trouble.

[c-man]

AGD had the privledge of witnessing a Brian piano performance of "Rhaposdy In Blue" at Westlake Studio back in '85.  I'm sure he'll vouch for Brian's technical ability.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Surely did, and he was on the money - especially the transition into "Cast Your Fate To The Wind", which was so smoothly executed that it took me maybe 30 seconds to realise he'd done it. When he wants to, he's still got it.

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

AGD, was Brian's performance of RiB a note-for-note performance from the "official" piano reduction score, or was it Brian's own by-ear arrangement?  Or was he playing the actual piano solo parts from the Concerto?

[Amy B.]

Surely did, and he was on the money - especially the transition into "Cast Your Fate To The Wind", which was so smoothly executed that it took me maybe 30 seconds to realise he'd done it. When he wants to, he's still got it.

Was it like his performance of Rhapsody in Blue on the BWPS DVD?
Which part is "Cast Your Fate To the Wind"? Or maybe that can't be verbalized. Is it the really fast part?

[Andrew G. Doe]

It was much longer - maybe 10-12 minutes - and much better, flowing and a definite BW arrangement (I'm pretty sure he moved a few sections around and maybe dropped one part), and then he just segued into "CYFTTW". I was sitting in the corner of the studio with my eyes on stalks, my lower jaw in my lap. Prior to this, he'd been pounding out a standard boogie phrase (not, not "Shortenin' Bread" !) and, I'll be blunt, royally fodaing it up. And then he played this wonderful classic, and near-flawlessly. Every hair on my body stood to attention. One of the highlights of my life, musical or otherwise.

And the thing was (remember, this was March 1985), when he'd finished, the Brian Wilson that turned to me, smiled and said "I love that tune" was a regular guy. Relaxed, lucid, polite and funny. Simply the most stunning demonstration of music exorcising personal demons that I have ever seen.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Surely did, and he was on the money - especially the transition into "Cast Your Fate To The Wind", which was so smoothly executed that it took me maybe 30 seconds to realise he'd done it. When he wants to, he's still got it.

Was it like his performance of Rhapsody in Blue on the BWPS DVD?
Which part is "Cast Your Fate To the Wind"? Or maybe that can't be verbalized. Is it the really fast part?

"CYFTTW" is a totally seperate song, popularised (in the UK, at least) by Sounds Orchestral in the sixties. Which made the juxtaposition that much more unexpected.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Slightly OT (and blowing my own trumpet), but my March 1985 trip to LA was pretty much a fan's wet dream. Over a week, with a LOT of help from many good people (a big thanks to Raymond J. McCarthy), I managed to meet and in some cases interview:

Bruce (who also brought me lunch and asked me down to the studio - Westlake Audio: they were doing the final mix)
Carl
Alan
Brian (all in the studio)
Van Dyke Parks (excellent evening spent at his house, almost no BB stuff discussed !)
Stevie Kalinich (bought me dinner, showed me original lyrics)
Stephen Desper (chauffeured me around BBs LA for a day, played some interesting tapes, gave me a tour of Capitol Tower & studio, also Western 3, bought me lunch, and set it up for me to meet)
Chuck Britz (spoke to him for a couple of hours in the control room of Western 3 - does it get any better ? A total gentleman)
Jasper Dailey (told me some great BW stories, bought me Sunday breakfast in Rodeo Drive - another lovely man)

Yeah... what a week.  And cheap - everyone was buying me food. Seriously, all these people took time - in some cases a whole day - out of their often busy lives to indulge the mad Englishman. Chuck was still working at Western, Bruce was mixing, Steve Desper was in the middle of a project. I have nothing but the very best memories of that week, and those people, some now sadly departed.

[Zander]

AGD - Where was Mike?

[Amy B.]

Which part is "Cast Your Fate To the Wind"? Or maybe that can't be verbalized. Is it the really fast part?

"CYFTTW" is a totally seperate song, popularised (in the UK, at least) by Sounds Orchestral in the sixties. Which made the juxtaposition that much more unexpected.
[/quote]


Oh, right. Hence the phrase "segued into." Sorry, Andrew.

[Amy B.]

Or "transition into" even.
 

Sleep deprivation sucks.

[c-man]

Andrew's writings on his trip, including interviews with many of the people he mentioned, appeared in Beach Boys Stomp!, issues 49, 51 & 52.  Great reading!  And you get to see a picture of Andrew with shades and matching hair color!

Stomp!  was my main source of BBs info in the '80s.  God, what a great mag!  What a great time!
I miss my twenties!

PS, I remember in Andrew's description of the Westlake session, he said the others explained that Mike hates mixing, thus his absence.  

[Andrew G. Doe]

AGD - Where was Mike?

When I asked that self same, and entirely reasonable, question, Bruce, Alan & Carl all burst out laughing. Eventually, I think it was Bruce, said "Mike mixes down the phone".

[Andrew G. Doe]

Andrew's writings on his trip, including interviews with many of the people he mentioned, appeared in Beach Boys Stomp!, issues 49, 51 & 52.  Great reading!  And you get to see a picture of Andrew with shades and matching hair color!

Stomp!  was my main source of BBs info in the '80s.  God, what a great mag!  What a great time!
I miss my twenties!

PS, I remember in Andrew's description of the Westlake session, he said the others explained that Mike hates mixing, thus his absence. 

Y'know, it's kinda scary when someone knows more about what you've written than you do yourself. 

Stomp was a great 'zine back then. Celebrates its 30th anniversary this May. Damn, but I feel old.

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

Slightly OT (and blowing my own trumpet), but my March 1985 trip to LA was pretty much a fan's wet dream. Over a week, with a LOT of help from many good people (a big thanks to Raymond J. McCarthy), I managed to meet and in some cases interview:

Bruce (who also brought me lunch and asked me down to the studio - Westlake Audio: they were doing the final mix)
Carl
Alan
Brian (all in the studio)
Van Dyke Parks (excellent evening spent at his house, almost no BB stuff discussed !)
Stevie Kalinich (bought me dinner, showed me original lyrics)
Stephen Desper (chauffeured me around BBs LA for a day, played some interesting tapes, gave me a tour of Capitol Tower & studio, also Western 3, bought me lunch, and set it up for me to meet)
Chuck Britz (spoke to him for a couple of hours in the control room of Western 3 - does it get any better ? A total gentleman)
Jasper Dailey (told me some great BW stories, bought me Sunday breakfast in Rodeo Drive - another lovely man)

Yeah... what a week.  And cheap - everyone was buying me food. Seriously, all these people took time - in some cases a whole day - out of their often busy lives to indulge the mad Englishman. Chuck was still working at Western, Bruce was mixing, Steve Desper was in the middle of a project. I have nothing but the very best memories of that week, and those people, some now sadly departed.

I haven't met all of those people, but of the ones I have, and some other Beach Boys related people, it's been very surprising how downright "nice" they all are (or at least can be...).  Just regular ol' people.  Not much rock-star stuff going on at all.  And yes, very giving of their time.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Thus far, excepting the late Eugene Landy, I've only had one person directly involved with the BB that really got my goat. And no, it's not who you're thinking. 

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Thus far, excepting the late Eugene Landy, I've only had one person directly involved with the BB that really got my goat. And no, it's not who you're thinking. 

If it's who I think, then you're definitely not the only writer who's has the problem.

Slightly OT (and blowing my own trumpet), but my March 1985 trip to LA was pretty much a fan's wet dream. Over a week, with a LOT of help from many good people (a big thanks to Raymond J. McCarthy), I managed to meet and in some cases interview:

Bruce (who also brought me lunch and asked me down to the studio - Westlake Audio: they were doing the final mix)
Carl
Alan
Brian (all in the studio)
Van Dyke Parks (excellent evening spent at his house, almost no BB stuff discussed !)
Stevie Kalinich (bought me dinner, showed me original lyrics)
Stephen Desper (chauffeured me around BBs LA for a day, played some interesting tapes, gave me a tour of Capitol Tower & studio, also Western 3, bought me lunch, and set it up for me to meet)
Chuck Britz (spoke to him for a couple of hours in the control room of Western 3 - does it get any better ? A total gentleman)
Jasper Dailey (told me some great BW stories, bought me Sunday breakfast in Rodeo Drive - another lovely man)

Yeah... what a week.  And cheap - everyone was buying me food. Smiley Seriously, all these people took time - in some cases a whole day - out of their often busy lives to indulge the mad Englishman. Chuck was still working at Western, Bruce was mixing, Steve Desper was in the middle of a project. I have nothing but the very best memories of that week, and those people, some now sadly departed.

What a seriously cool story! Talk about a memory of a lifetime...