What did Johnny Rivers DO?

[shadownoze]

In the 'Help Me Rhonda' sessions, Murry tells Brian, "Success never comes from a phony singing for money." And Brian says, "Why don't you go tell Johnny Rivers that?" Any ideas what that was all about? Brian has always seemed so non-aggressive, rarely having anything bad to say about anyone, so I'm curious what Rivers had done that caused Brian to even give him a thought? Apparently it wasn't bad enough to keep the BBs from recording Mountain of Love on the Party LP...or to keep Bri from contributing background vocals to Rivers' 1975 hit remake of 'Rhonda.' And I have this nagging feeling that Brian made another Johnny Rivers remark somewhere, but I can't recall it right now.
Thoughts?

[RONDEMON]

Hmm. It's not often Brian says negative things about other artists.
Care to embellish this thread compiling some negative Brian statements?
I remember in some Rolling Stone article years back he talked about his favorite albums and he mentioned Dark Side of the Moon but now he's scared of it because some of the low notes or something...
I'd love to find the exact quote...

[voxnut]

I think given the context- it was a recording session and not a public interview or anything on the public record- it wasn't as big of a dig at Johnny Rivers as it seems on the face of it. I think the point is by the mid-60's there was a lot of stock placed on artists writing their own material. Johnny Rivers in many ways was an "entertainer" in the traditional, almost cabaret sense rather than an "artist." Johnny Rivers cranked out LPs and gigs that were mostly cover versions of hits of the day sprinkled with a song or two that might have been written for him, but not by him and thusly wasn't considered to have a lot of artistic integrity. I wasn't around back then, but I'd imagine that in the time period Johnny Rivers was considered in the public along the same lines that say, a Britney Spears would be today- not stricly speaking- but someone who cranks out "product" that is pleasant enough for non-musicophiles on a regular basis rather than releasing musical artistic statements. Johnny Rivers certainly followed the trends of the day to stay employed rather than was at the vanguard of the changing musical landscape of the time period.

But IMHO the context of Brain's remark was a frustrated retort to Murry, who at the moment was humiliating him in front of peers, colleages and record company managers- not a response in an interview or a statement intended for public consumption.     

[JB Wilojarston]

Could it be that Murry had made a previous comment about Mr. Rivers and Brian told his dad to tell that to Johnny's face? Johnny Rivers was an infuential performer and an innovative publisher and label head; plus, he had a very nice office on The Sunset Strip. He was doing what Phil Spector, Bobby Darin, Terry Melcher and Brian were doing.

[Dave in KC]

Well I've read and heard Brian on several occasions over the last 8 years bad-mouth The Beach Boys. Basically always saying that the singers he has now are better than The Beach Boys ever where. So yes, he has bad-mouthed other artists.

[RONDEMON]

Yeah, but The Beach Boys is one thing.
He always talks about how great the BB's voices are (Mike's in particular) but then he makes fun of it like in that video where he has Al pinch his nose. Classic Brian.

So anyone else?
Isn't there a story of BW signing an autograph and writing "Thanks for the great..." and crossing out "great" and writing in "good songs."
Who was that?

[mikeyj]

So anyone else?
Isn't there a story of BW signing an autograph and writing "Thanks for the great..." and crossing out "great" and writing in "good songs."
Who was that?

Apparently it was one of the Eagles according to someone in this thread: http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,3410.0.html

There are some great Brian stories in that thread by the way!!

[Chris Brown]

Isn't there a story of BW signing an autograph and writing "Thanks for the great..." and crossing out "great" and writing in "good songs."
Who was that?

Whoever it was, that has always been one of my favorite Brian stories!

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

While we're on the subject of Johnny Rivers...Brian's voice isn't as great on this as I was led to believe. Of course, he's barely audible, but you can definitely hear a huge decline in his falsetto.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPToxd7h6hg

[the captain]

While we're on the subject of Johnny Rivers...Brian's voice isn't as great on this as I was led to believe. Of course, he's barely audible, but you can definitely hear a huge decline in his falsetto.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPToxd7h6hg

Isn't that from 1975? So why would you think Brian's falsetto was any good?

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Because the myth has it that Brian's voice was still intact, and it declined rapidly from here until 15 Big Ones, which is actually bullshit.

[the captain]

As myths are wont to be. Never believe a myth, especially about BW as spoken by BW fans. He could fly if he wanted to!

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

I wonder who the other backups are. Brian's buried way in the mix, but vocally he sounds whiny as hell and honestly doesn't sound anything like Brian . If he did the mid-range back ups too, then he already sounds like his 15 BO self minus the heavy rasp.

edit

Sure enough, Brian's doing both the high and mid range "Help Me Rhonda" part during the chorus.

[CarCrazyCutie]

I once read something Brian said about Madonna. It surprised me because I'd only ever heard of him saying positive things about people (even the ones that don't deserve it).
It's from gigwise.com

Brian Wilson has said that Madonna owes her high level of success to the fact she has openly took her clothes off in her early days. 

The ex-Beach Boys star, who is enjoying a renaissance this year, believes she may not have become the global superstar she is if she had kept her clothes on.

As contact music reports, he said: "Madonna. I'm not sure why (she's been so successful).

"Maybe it has something to do with the fact that she was always naked."

I must say I have agree with him

[Chris Brown]

I once read something Brian said about Madonna. It surprised me because I'd only ever heard of him saying positive things about people (even the ones that don't deserve it).
It's from gigwise.com

Brian Wilson has said that Madonna owes her high level of success to the fact she has openly took her clothes off in her early days. 

The ex-Beach Boys star, who is enjoying a renaissance this year, believes she may not have become the global superstar she is if she had kept her clothes on.

As contact music reports, he said: "Madonna. I'm not sure why (she's been so successful).

"Maybe it has something to do with the fact that she was always naked."

I must say I have agree with him

When Brian's right, he's right!

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

He said something similar about Britney Spears.

"That's not even music! Plus her eyes are too far apart".

[Dave in KC]

Because her eyes are too far apart. Laugh my rear end off. I love you Brian.

[MBE]

I always thought the 1975 Help Me Rhonda was kind of like his vocal on In The Still Of The Night. He hits the notes ok but you can hear a differrence from even a year or so earlier. It's right in the middle of the swift decline to me.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Yep.

[Alex]

I always thought the 1975 Help Me Rhonda was kind of like his vocal on In The Still Of The Night. He hits the notes ok but you can hear a differrence from even a year or so earlier. It's right in the middle of the swift decline to me.

But even on "California Saga Pt. 3", and the tag to "Surf's Up", though Brian's voice isn't gruff, Brian still doesn't really sound like he used to...I actually used to think those parts were sung by Al.

[mrski]

Back to Johnny Rivers:

Memory is a little vague on this...

Didn't I read one article which included a discussion regarding the possibilities of a promontional video for 'Barnyard'?

I seem to remember that Brian suggested that they could have chickens in tennis shoes 'bopping around' some luxurious pad... "It could be Johnny River's pad", he suggests...

[Aside: Johnny Rivers' name also crops up on the 1966 Jan & Dean Meet Batman Lp on the track 'Flight Of The Batmobile', with Dean posing the question 'Where's Johnny Rivers?' right at the end of the track.]

[Chris Brown]

Back to Johnny Rivers:

Memory is a little vague on this...

Didn't I read one article which included a discussion regarding the possibilities of a promontional video for 'Barnyard'?

I seem to remember that Brian suggested that they could have chickens in tennis shoes 'bopping around' some luxurious pad... "It could be Johnny River's pad", he suggests...

You're thinking of Paul Robbins.

So sad that I know that from memory.

[Aegir]

I always thought the 1975 Help Me Rhonda was kind of like his vocal on In The Still Of The Night. He hits the notes ok but you can hear a differrence from even a year or so earlier. It's right in the middle of the swift decline to me.

But even on "California Saga Pt. 3", and the tag to "Surf's Up", though Brian's voice isn't gruff, Brian still doesn't really sound like he used to...I actually used to think those parts were sung by Al.

The beginning of California (the part that Brian sings) is sped up.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Really? That's the first I've heard of that.

[Aegir]

I read it here...