the sandbox

[BiNNS]

I've read and heard so much about this inspirational sandbox in brian's living room circa the SMiLE era, yet i haven't seen one picture of the thing.  Is there a picture out there that i've simply overlooked?

[Ron]

There's no known pictures of it. 

[Fun Is In]

No photos.  Amazing!

[Alex]

There must be some pictures of Brian and Van Dyke at the piano in the sandbox, but with the sandbox being cut off from the picture because it was too low to the ground for the camera lens to capture. Maybe........

[Mark H.]

OK...let's nail down a few things about this sand box business

1.  What house?  Bellagio or Laural Way?  If Laural Way it appears to have been removed buy the time the Surf's Up footage was shot.  There is no evidence that Brian's in a giant sand box.  If he were I think that would have made for some great footage.

2.  How long was in in place.  By any estimation this whole thing appears to have been rather short-lived.  A week....two weeks.  They said the dogs were crapping in it and trailing sand all over the house and Brian said the sand was too "cold" to be comfortable.  Therefore my guess is that this particular indulgence didn't last long at all.

3.  Van Dyke said he found it to be insulting or some such description...I don't think he had anything to do with it.

4. Are there any specific songs Brian said originated in the sand box?  If so that would be a clue as to when the thing as in.

I bet there aren't any pictures because who could stand this thing in the house with dogs, cats, and who knows what else.

Just my 2 cents.

[Mark H.]

opps....double post

[Alex]

OK...let's nail down a few things about this sand box business

1.  What house?  Bellagio or Laural Way?  If Laural Way it appears to have been removed buy the time the Surf's Up footage was shot.  There is no evidence that Brian's in a giant sand box.  If he were I think that would have made for some great footage.

2.  How long was in in place.  By any estimation this whole thing appears to have been rather short-lived.  A week....two weeks.  They said the dogs were crapping in it and trailing sand all over the house and Brian said the sand was too "cold" to be comfortable.  Therefore my guess is that this particular indulgence didn't last long at all.

3.  Van Dyke said he found it to be insulting or some such description...I don't think he had anything to do with it.

4. Are there any specific songs Brian said originated in the sand box?  If so that would be a clue as to when the thing as in.

I bet there aren't any pictures because who could stand this thing in the house with dogs, cats, and who knows what else.

Just my 2 cents.

I think I either read or saw a doc where it said H&V, Surf's Up, Cabin Essence, and Wonderful were written in the sandbox.

[Chris Brown]

OK...let's nail down a few things about this sand box business

1.  What house?  Bellagio or Laural Way?  If Laural Way it appears to have been removed buy the time the Surf's Up footage was shot.  There is no evidence that Brian's in a giant sand box.  If he were I think that would have made for some great footage.

2.  How long was in in place.  By any estimation this whole thing appears to have been rather short-lived.  A week....two weeks.  They said the dogs were crapping in it and trailing sand all over the house and Brian said the sand was too "cold" to be comfortable.  Therefore my guess is that this particular indulgence didn't last long at all.

3.  Van Dyke said he found it to be insulting or some such description...I don't think he had anything to do with it.

4. Are there any specific songs Brian said originated in the sand box?  If so that would be a clue as to when the thing as in.

I bet there aren't any pictures because who could stand this thing in the house with dogs, cats, and who knows what else.

Just my 2 cents.

I think I either read or saw a doc where it said H&V, Surf's Up, Cabin Essence, and Wonderful were written in the sandbox.

I'm pretty sure that comment was in the Smile doc, from Brian.  That would lead me to believe that it was there a bit longer than a few weeks, although I suppose all of those songs could have just been written quickly. 

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

I think we may be on to something, in terms of the length of time the box was in the house.  You never really hear about that, but, given the litter box situation, it may very well have been a shorter time than you, at least I, sort of picture.  As we know, Brian was prone to act on a whim, so it may have been there and gone in a relative flash.  I think those four songs mentioned were actually written pretty fast.

Now, obviously the production of them took much longer.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Don't forget the piano tuner incident - Marilyn recalled that when the guy turned up to tune Brian's piano, he nearly pitched a fit when he found out it was full of sand. Now that didn't happen overnight, even allowing for a little exaggeration for effect.

[Emdeeh]

1.  What house?  Bellagio or Laural Way?

It was Laurel Way, for certain. Ron Swallow's the man to ask for details on the sandbox, since he helped build it.





 

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

Hmm...Ron would actually be a great person to ask about a lot of things.  He's "around", then, I take it?

[XY]

When asked about filming Brian at home, Inside Pop cameraman Bernard Hirschenson mentioned the sandbox and tent. So it was probably still there in December or whenever the home-stuff was filmed. Don't know if "Surf's Up" & the other songs ("Child Is Father Of Man", "Heroes & Villains", "Open Country Song" & "Sunshine") were recorded in the sandbox, perhaps they had another pianos in the house.

[Cam Mott]

Tony Asher says it wasn't there when he and Brian worked at Laurel Way.

Marilyn has said it was in place during Pet Sounds.  Al Kooper has said it was in place in early May '66.

OTOH, Michael Vosse says it [and the tent] went up just after he began working for the BBs  mid October '66.

Was there through November and December '66 when Jules Siegel, David Oppenheim and the crew of Inside Pop saw it.

Was still there in the 3rd week of March '67 but Brian was saying it had "got to go".

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

So something like, nov 66-mar 67, 5 or 6 months.  That seems like the appropriate honeymoon period.

[Cam Mott]

About the same as his honeymoon with SMiLE some might say [maybe just me].

[Magic Transistor Radio]

If it was 5 or 6 months you would think that there would be some pictures taken of it

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

People in the eye of the storm don't seem to grasp the enormity of their lives.  If it was me, I wouldn't have taken a picture of it.

[Mark H.]

Don't forget the piano tuner incident - Marilyn recalled that when the guy turned up to tune Brian's piano, he nearly pitched a fit when he found out it was full of sand. Now that didn't happen overnight, even allowing for a little exaggeration for effect.

It was likely tuned when it was first placed in the sand box.  I imagine 3 or 4 guys had to man handle the piano to get it in place - likely needed to be re-tuned right away.  I assume the piano in question was Brian's Chickering.  I know that piano was sold or auctioned in the late 70s - there was an add in the BBFUN Newsletter at the time (I was like 16 or 17 with no cash) - who owns it now?

If it was there as late as March 67 maybe they took it out to help "sell" the house.  Whose gonna guy a house with a sandbox in the living room?  The move to Bellagio was May?

It was mentioned in the 5/6/67 Derrick Taylor article has being in place during November 66.


To some extent I think the story has reached such legendary status more people "saw" it than actually laid eyes on it.

I'm looking at the CBS film....all head shots basically....does he look as if he is elevated beyond normal in any way?  I gotta believe that would have made the film in some way.  Maybe it made to cutting room floor.....

[Jon Stebbins]

Hmm...Ron would actually be a great person to ask about a lot of things.  He's "around", then, I take it?

I interviewed Ron for the Dave Marks book. He was extremely helpful, and had a lot of historically important first hand recollections regarding Dave and his time in the band.

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

Ron seems like he'd be THE guy to ask about equipment stuff.

[SG7]

Maybe whatever stays in the sandbox and tent, stayed in the sandbox and tent   



 

[Alex]

Didn't the author Thomas Pynchon get high with Brian in the tent and then they just stared at each other without saying anything?

[XY]

Didn't the author Thomas Pynchon get high with Brian in the tent and then they just stared at each other without saying anything?

Yep, and after that they ate sandwiches.

Maybe whatever stays in the sandbox and tent, stayed in the sandbox and tent   

Huh?

[The Shift]

Billy Hinsche mentions the sandbox during in-between song patter on his live at the Cannery album -  he was at the house to write Lady Love with Brian and mentions walking past the sandbox on his way to see Brian, who was in bed.