Brian in Sept. 1982 - Close To The End

[Jay]

I forgot to mention in my post last night that this footage seems to be sped up. So Brian might look ever so slightly more "manic" than he actually was at that show. Are there any good examples(audience tapes, ect) of Brian singing during the 1982 shows? I was just wondering how his voice was. I mean, did it get much worse than Long Beach 1981?

[MBE]

I always thought that the picture is from 1979, because Brian looks a lot better then in 1981 and 1982 footage.

Notice the grey in his beard that's how you pick it out. Plus he was never that heavy in 1979.

[c-man]

Petsite just beat me. I think it was June

Carl played a few dates in April to "check it out" as he put it, and saw that "the group really needed a lot of work"...rehearsals were scheduled and almost didn't happen (due to the others' reluctance to work, he said), but it the end it all came together.  They put together a new show, opening with six songs back-to-back (a tactic probably inspired by the Doobie Brothers, who Carl had opened for the previous year).   I think the first show they played after this "rebirth" was May 2nd in San Diego.   

[c-man]

That footage is pretty hard to watch. I wish it had the original audio, if nothing else than to just hear what Brian said when he took center stage.

Probably: "Now it's time for the great Rock Out! I want everybody, everybody, to stand up! Now, I want everybody to put their hands in the air and wave, and rock out!"

[c-man]

Are there any good examples(audience tapes, ect) of Brian singing during the 1982 shows? I was just wondering how his voice was. I mean, did it get much worse than Long Beach 1981?

Yep, audio recordings actually exist of both shows that day (Sept. 5th).  At the first show Brian sings "Sloop John B." and the bridge to "Surfer Girl"; at the second he only sings "Sloop".  He bellows his way through his vocals, singing in a deeply exaggarated baritone, like a caricature.  Irorincally, when he sang "God Only Knows" the previous December at the Circle Star Theatre in San Carlos, CA, it actually sounded rather good...he would hold the last note of each line and "vibrato" it a little:  "I may not always love yo-oo-ou", etc. (I seem to recall he sang "Sloop" like Mickey Mouse at that show, and it wasn't so good...funny, but not so good). 

Al mentioned something kinda funny at the evening performance: the current 'Penthouse Forum' column from the notrious "gentlemen's magazine" featured a tribute to Brian Wilson entitled 'I Crawl Around' (copyright 1943). I guess it was written from the perspective of Brian as a toddler. Al said he would show it to Brian on the plane...

[c-man]

I won't say that Brian was wearing the same thing over and over again, but, here is a photo from the Houston show 2 weeks before:

Interesting that Brian is playing the Wurlitzer here (like he used to do on "Help Me, Rhonda" the few years previous).  Petsite, do you recall which song or songs he played it on at the Houston '82 show, and what Bruce was doing while he did?

[petsite]

I saw Brian with the group at the Dome here in Houston a few weeks before this footage was shot. Brian sang two lines of Sloop John B and had to ask Carl to finish as he was short of breath. When the group came out to the stage in the center of the Dome, they had to walk up a flight of stairs that had been swung into place at a cutout in the side of stage right. After they all got up there, the stairs would be pulled back and a metal plate lowered over the cutout. Well, when Brian had to climb the stairs, two BIG security gurad went up infront of him, got on either side of the cutout the stairs were wheeled into, and pich Brian up under his arms and hauled him to the stage. He was too out of shape and too big to walk the 8 to 10 stairs. I remember thinking that this would probably be the last time I saw Brian alive. Thank God it was not and I got this:

[petsite]

Brian played Help Me Rhonda on the electric piano while Dennis played the grand, just like in the Knebworth video.

Btw, for those who were wondering if I was correct in the year of that pic of Brian at piano, from the Corbis website (and you will know the photographer too):

Image:    © Henry Diltz/CORBIS
 
Photographer:    Henry Diltz 
Date Photographed:    August 24, 1982 
Location Information:    Houston, Texas, USA 

[MBE]

Thanks for the info on when Carl came back.

[Pretty Funky]

I saw Brian with the group at the Dome here in Houston a few weeks before this footage was shot. Brian sang two lines of Sloop John B and had to ask Carl to finish as he was short of breath. When the group came out to the stage in the center of the Dome, they had to walk up a flight of stairs that had been swung into place at a cutout in the side of stage right. After they all got up there, the stairs would be pulled back and a metal plate lowered over the cutout. Well, when Brian had to climb the stairs, two BIG security gurad went up infront of him, got on either side of the cutout the stairs were wheeled into, and pich Brian up under his arms and hauled him to the stage. He was too out of shape and too big to walk the 8 to 10 stairs. I remember thinking that this would probably be the last time I saw Brian alive. Thank God it was not and I got this:

Who's pinching Brians ass?

[petsite]

No one was pinching Brian's ass. Brian was uptight because he thought that someone there at the soundcheck was going to shoot him (it was during that phase). He thought maybe me. So he was nervous.Here was a funny part. Brian stood next to me and then put his arm around me first and said "Come on Bob, let's look like buddies.' He then took my name (Bob) and started singing (you guessed it) "Bob Bob Bob Bob Barbara Ann".

As a side note. When I saw the group in 1982 at the Dome, they started with It's Ok. I really liked that as an opening number. It worked out well.

Bob

[MBE]

Gosh he looked more spacey there then in 1982.  Still very cool you got your picture with him. What year was it?

[the captain]

Wow, boards like this really make me feel good that I'm not famous, and that people don't labor every photograph I've ever been in. "Wow, luther looks terrible there. Is he fatter? Thinner? Looks crazy! He must have been thinking [whatever] or on [whatever else]!"

Based on petsite/Bob's posts, Brian was probably just making a face, being silly. Not out of it, just having fun.

[MBE]

While I think Brian did settle down and have fun, the post made it clear that he was having a bad day and I can see it in the photo. I am not saying that I am judging him for it, simply that it's not most flattering picture.

With Brian the weight problem (like Elvis before him) was part of the story. A reflection on where he was at during certain periods of his life. Plus also like Presley, the changes are rapid and carry with them a morbid fascination. It may not be the PC thing to say but most of us would admit it's true.  I myself like seeing the changes someone goes through in life and appearance is a big part of that.

[Ian]

Petsite- That date is a correct one-but be careful when trusting sites- many of the pictures on Corbis are not dated correctly-check out a few photos of Dennis, Carl, Mike and Al-there dated July 1 1983-when clearly there from about 10 years earlier. Similarly- a photo of Brian, John Philips, Michelle Philips and Roger McGuinn is dated Sept 1976- when it is from the Sept 1986 shoot for California Dreamin. There is also a color portrait of Brian from 1968 that is dated to 1966, etc, etc....

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

While I think Brian did settle down and have fun, the post made it clear that he was having a bad day and I can see it in the photo. I am not saying that I am judging him for it, simply that it's not most flattering picture.

With Brian the weight problem (like Elvis before him) was part of the story. A reflection on where he was at during certain periods of his life. Plus also like Presley, the changes are rapid and carry with them a morbid fascination. It may not be the PC thing to say but most of us would admit it's true.  I myself like seeing the changes someone goes through in life and appearance is a big part of that.

Maybe that's why Brian is dropping weight now...?

[Jay]

I know this is a really old thread, but I just thought I'd bring it back to ask if anybody saved this footage. It's long gone from YouTube now, and I'd like to see it again.

[c-man]

I know this is a really old thread, but I just thought I'd bring it back to ask if anybody saved this footage. It's long gone from YouTube now, and I'd like to see it again.
[/quote

I've been thinking that, too.

[mikeddonn]

I would also like to see it, along with the pictures.

[Steve Latshaw]

What's fascinating to me is that not a single photo in this thread is visible.

[Jay]

Before it was uploaded on youtube, was this footage circulating?