Celebrity Appreciation for BW/BB lesser known material

[punkinhead]

First off, I wanna say something that's on my mind that off topic, but it does concern the lesser known material...It seems like Bruce is always saying in different interviews over the years that Hardcore BB fans always give more credit to the post 1967 recordings, and then he defends the early hits...I feel like he's kinda bashing us...the only reason why we highlight the later stuff is because we've heard all the early stuff so many times before.

Anyways, enough with that rant...Does anyone know of any celeb's fondness of beach boys, lesser known material...now we all know about the people on documentaries and tributes like Elvis Costello loves Surf's Up and Paul loves Pet Sounds....does anybody know some really good info from other sources?

[Camus]

Isn't Pete Townshend and Roger Daltry a big fan of Pet Sounds and beyond?  ISTR reading that Keith Moon was a big fan too.

[Jason]

I think as far as Bruce is concerned, he was in awe of Brian's talent from way back in 1963. And I'd say he's a Brian fan first and foremost. He probably defends the early hits because they were Brian at his creative zenith. Keep in mind that he went on the record saying Surf's Up (album) was one big joke. He didn't see much point in the Beach Boys without Brian participating. Of course, it begs the question...why IS he playing with Michael if he's essentially Brian's biggest cheerleader?

[punkinhead]

good call, you'd think he'd wanna join Brian's band....though he did perform with him on Imagination tour/dvd

[joe_blow]

From Uncut Magazine in June, 1998 some artists listed their favorite Beach Boys songs and albums. Of note that might add to this thread would include:

Bobby Gillespie (Primal Scream)  -Top 3 songs - IJWMFTT, Let's Go way For A While, Still I Dream Of It
Jim Reid (Jesus and Mary Chain) -Top 3 songs - That's Not Me, IJWMFTT, Love And Mercy
Sean O'Haggan -Top 3 Songs - Sail On Sailor, Caroline, No, California Girls/Don't Worry Baby - Albums - Pet Sounds,Surf's Up, Smile
Norman Blake (Teenage Fanclub) -Top 3 Songs - God Only Knows,Girl Don't Tell Me, Do It Again - Albums - Pet Sounds, Holland, Surf's Up
Bob Stanley (Saint Etiene) Top 3 songs - Don't Worry Baby, This Whole World, She Knows Me Too Well


Other well know n people who have publicly mention lesser known material include:

Elvis Costello - Feel Flows,Surf's Up, Cuddle Up(?)
Neil Young - A Day In The Life Of A Tree
Sean Lennon - Sail On Sailor, Happy Days
Peter Buck - Love and Mercy
Matthew Sweet -  The Warmth Of The Sun
John Lennon - The Little Girl I Once Knew
Elton John - Carl and The Passions - So Tough

[Eric Aniversario]

Carnie Wilson's favorite BB song is "The Trader", if I remember correctly.  She said that in some interview...

[Andrew G. Doe]

good call, you'd think he'd wanna join Brian's band....though he did perform with him on Imagination tour/dvd

First time I've seen one gig called a tour. 

[metal flake paint]

Peter Buck - Love and Mercy

Also The Beach Boys Love You. Reckons for years he could buy copies for 29 cents each and give copies to his friends.

John Cale cites Cool Cool Water as his favourite track.

[The Shift]

Some guy called John Stamos liked Forever enough to sing it once or twice...

[Rocker]

I heard that Jim Morrison was a big Beach Boys-fan (calling them the reason he came/or returned to California) and that "Wild honey" was one of his favorite albums. If that changed after Denny had beaten him up ? 

Tom Petty likes, among other stuff, "Holland" as you can read in the liner notes.

[PongHit]

Jenny Fabian on Syd Barrett: "Years later I found him again living up the road from Earls Court in a flat where he had room. Again he didn't speak much. He was sitting in the corner on a mattress and he'd painted every other floorboard alternate colours, red and green. He boiled an egg in a kettle and ate it. And he listened over and over again to Beach Boys tapes, which I found distressing. He was still exactly the same, only now he was only Syd Barrett the has-been rather than Syd Barrett the star. Years after that I was told that he lived in the Penthouse Club and was very fat and got a weekly cheque from the Floyd. I prefer to remember him as this thin, white, violet-eyed nutter who didn't speak much and who wrote wonderful songs."

[oldsurferdude]

didn't Pink Floyd ask Bruce to sing with them on a cut or two??

[SloopJohnB]

didn't Pink Floyd ask Bruce to sing with them on a cut or two??

Yup, for "The Wall".

Pink Floyd wanted the Beach Boys, the studio bookings had even been made, but then the BB went on tour so the sessions were cancelled. Bruce, who hadn't re-joined the BB yet, was available, and he ended up on the album along with Toni Tennille. Both of them sing on side 4 of the album ("The Show Must Go On" is a dead cert, but they might be on "In The Flesh", "Run Like Hell" and "Waiting For The Worms" as well)

[Andrew G. Doe]

didn't Pink Floyd ask Bruce to sing with them on a cut or two??

Yup, for "The Wall".

Pink Floyd wanted the Beach Boys, the studio bookings had even been made, but then the BB went on tour so the sessions were cancelled. Bruce, who hadn't re-joined the BB yet, was available, and he ended up on the album along with Toni Tennille. Both of them sing on side 4 of the album ("The Show Must Go On" is a dead cert, but they might be on "In The Flesh", "Run Like Hell" and "Waiting For The Worms" as well)

The session was cancelled the very morning it was due to take place. October 2nd 1979 at Sundance Productions, Los Angeles. The only song Bruce & Toni are on is that one: "The Show Must Go On". The session was booked for noon to 5 pm, but according to Roger Waters, "they decided to go off and do their own album". In fact, they were up to their collective ass in the KTSA sessions.

[Loaf]

I can't help but feel that the BBs appearing on The Wall would have done more for their career (and sales of KTSA) than actually releasing the KTSA album.

With regards to celebrity appreciation for lesser-known material, it might stretch the definition of celebrity but pretty much everyone who appeared on the Caroline No! tribute album would be included, as well as all the others who have covered BBs songs post-66. The Faces, Primal Scream, Hefner, Bluetones are just the ones of the top of my head.

[Peadar 'Big Dinner' O'Driscoll]

Cameron Crowe - Feel Flows
Alex Chilton - Solar system, honkin down the highway

[49ersphil]

There are versions of two "Pet Sounds" numbers on the Elvis Costello/Anne Sofie von Otter album "For The Stars".

They are

"Don't Talk" and "You Still Believe In Me".

Worth a listen.

[Andrew G. Doe]

The late and very much lamented Kirsty McColl recorded "You Still Believe In Me" and "Don't Go Near The Water".

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Scott Weiland from Stone Temple Pilots is a hard-core Brian Wilson fan and has gone on record as saying BW is his 2nd biggest influence after John Lennon. A couple of months ago I was talking to Doug Grean (his long-time friend and guitarist for his solo projects) and he said Scott's favorite BB song was Busy Doin' Nothin', although it seems to change depending on his mood*. 

Mandy Moore is also a huge fan.




*=gee, who does THAT remind you of?

[SloopJohnB]

didn't Pink Floyd ask Bruce to sing with them on a cut or two??

Yup, for "The Wall".

Pink Floyd wanted the Beach Boys, the studio bookings had even been made, but then the BB went on tour so the sessions were cancelled. Bruce, who hadn't re-joined the BB yet, was available, and he ended up on the album along with Toni Tennille. Both of them sing on side 4 of the album ("The Show Must Go On" is a dead cert, but they might be on "In The Flesh", "Run Like Hell" and "Waiting For The Worms" as well)

The session was cancelled the very morning it was due to take place. October 2nd 1979 at Sundance Productions, Los Angeles. The only song Bruce & Toni are on is that one: "The Show Must Go On". The session was booked for noon to 5 pm, but according to Roger Waters, "they decided to go off and do their own album". In fact, they were up to their collective ass in the KTSA sessions.

You're right - I had read a Roger Waters interview and just repeated what he'd said, but he was obviously wrong:

=> http://www.pink-floyd.org/artint/119.htm

JL: After listening to the first three sides of this album and then you get here and the first thing you hear is the Beach Boys. That really kind of turned my head around.

RW: They agreed to do it. We asked them to do it. And they were going to do it and then they went off and toured Japan or something instead. I think they were quite into doing it. Mind you, they hadn't all seen all the stuff about the 'racialist' stuff that comes in some of the songs we asked them to sing. I don't know how they would have responded to that. Because Bruce Johnston actually came down and did some. He's credited on the sleeve in fact as one of the backing singers. Well, I like that sound that they make, a lot, and it epitomizes a lot of that sound.

I've just compared the Beach Boys' and Pink Floyd's schedules for 1979 and the BB certainly weren't touring Japan on October 2nd, 1979. That's interesting... So they COULD have attended the session, but then decided not to? A tour would have been a valid excuse, but now I'm wondering why only Bruce agreed to do it.



Oh, and you can add Drew Barrymore to the list of celebrities who like the Beach Boys. IIRC she managed to put Beach Boys songs once or twice in her movies' soundtracks, and she was in the video for "Rock 'n' Roll to the Rescue".

[Phil H]

You can also add Jimmy Nail, famed comedy actor in UK tv programme 'Auf Wiedersein Pet', but perhaps more well known as a singer of hits such as Crocodile Shoes, Love Don't Live Here Anymore and U.K. number one, Ain't No Doubt.  He said in his excellent autobiography 'A Northern Soul', "but listen to any Beach Boys record, particularly Surf's Up, and marvel at the bass playing those counterpoint passes. Groovy. After the tragic summer of 1967 (he had some personal tragedies that year), the Beach Boys became more important and precious to me". He also said about Brian, "The term 'genius' is much overused these days, but I do believe that, for a time back then, Brian Wilson was plugged into something which no one else was privy. His compositional skill, choice of instrumentation and structure, with gorgeous tumbling harmonies everywhere, are real works of modern art".  I guess none of us here could have put it into words better than that.

[punkinhead]

Would it be accurate to say George is a fan or was influenced or appreciated You're So Good To Me? As he did reference it in the Beatles' Anthology doc.

[Alex]

Scott Weiland from Stone Temple Pilots is a hard-core Brian Wilson fan and has gone on record as saying BW is his 2nd biggest influence after John Lennon. A couple of months ago I was talking to Doug Grean (his long-time friend and guitarist for his solo projects) and he said Scott's favorite BB song was Busy Doin' Nothin', although it seems to change depending on his mood*. 

Really? One of the godfathers of post-grunge (STP, Bush, Live, Silverchair, Nickelback, Creed, 3 Doors Down, etc.) likes the BBs?

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Ja, but STP shouldn't be lumped in with the other bands as their tastes ran more towards 60s & 70s rock, plus they moved beyond that sound after their first two albums.  Actually, I probably should have counted the whole band as fans, but Weiland mentions the BB/BW pretty much any time he's asked about music he enjoys listening to.



BTW...Silverchair are also fans...

[Alex]

Ja, but STP shouldn't be lumped in with the other bands as their tastes ran more towards 60s & 70s rock, plus they moved beyond that sound after their first two albums.  Actually, I probably should have counted the whole band as fans, but Weiland mentions the BB/BW pretty much any time he's asked about music he enjoys listening to.



BTW...Silverchair are also fans...

I guess it's awesome that those guys are fans... That blows away my whole image of musician BBs fans as nerdy and/or quirky/odd types whose musical tastes run a little left of center (a la Elvis Costello, Rivers Cuomo, Steven Page, Jeff Mangum, etc.), rather than "macho" mainstream rock guys.