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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Mar 3, 2021 13:31:37 GMT
It's been written that Brian Wilson missed shows as early as 1963 in addition to 1964 before he officially left touring at the end of 1964. Question - was he replaced on stage? If yes, by whom? If not, who played bass (especially in 1963)? I think Al Jardine filled in for Brian in 1963. I wasn't exactly sure when Brian missed the shows in 1963 and when Al returned to the band, at least on the road, but that would make sense. I wasn't sure if there was a Jimmy Nichol-like figure, but if there was, I guess we would've read about it.
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Post by kds on Mar 3, 2021 13:38:27 GMT
I think Al Jardine filled in for Brian in 1963. I wasn't exactly sure when Brian missed the shows in 1963 and when Al returned to the band, at least on the road, but that would make sense. I wasn't sure if there was a Jimmy Nichol-like figure, but if there was, I guess we would've read about it. I think I read in Carlin's book that was pretty much how Al got back into the band, filling in a few shows for Brian. But, that early BB history still tends to be a tad murky.
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Post by Kapitan on Mar 3, 2021 14:02:23 GMT
But, that early BB history still tends to be a tad murky. It really is. And understandably so when you consider: - It was 60 years ago. - At the time, they didn't know anyone would ever care about these things (and so didn't make a point of documenting it all). - Public relations efforts at various times might* have intentionally been misleading for the sake of image, confusing later attempts to remember reality.
*This part is speculation on my part, and I don't mean anything sneaky or malicious by it. I just mean that if Brian is having mental health issues, for example, the band probably didn't say "Brian Wilson will be skipping four shows because he is having a mental health crisis." Instead they would have made up some lie. Bands often were misleading about the romantic status of their members for PR reasons. Any controversies were papered over, possibly not only with misleading statements, but potentially with different misleading statements at different times.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Apr 11, 2021 3:40:55 GMT
Question? Why wasn't Sweet Insanity finished and released?
Brian Wilson, with Dr. Landy filling the role of Murry Wilson in getting Brian a record deal, released his first solo album in 1988. While it was mostly a critical success, the album didn't sell very well. But, why didn't the follow-up album, Sweet Insanity get released? In my opinion, Sweet Insanity's songs and Brian's vocals on them are superior to the previous album. Brian wrote a lot of songs for Sweet Insanity, and they were fully realized songs. They were not just demos or sketches of songs. They were varied compositions - some rockers, some ballads, some mid-tempo, some quirky. I'm assuming they (Brian and Landy) couldn't get a record company to buy into it, and that surprises me. Yes, Landy was making enemies and burning bridges, but Brian's reputation, at least musically, was still quite high. Here you had 14-15 new Brian Wilson songs, and nobody wanted them? Or, didn't "they" just want to deal with the Landy insanity. Yes, the songs/Brian needed a co-producer a la Russ Titelman to finish them, or more specifically to maximize their potential. Wouldn't Landy agree to that? And, yes, the lyrics needed to be seriously tweaked. Again, didn't Landy agree to that?
It's hard to believe not one record company - big or small - came forward to release Sweet Insanity, a Brian Wilson solo album. It's interesting that some of the Sweet Insanity songs eventually got finished and released, thus proving that "somebody" thought they had merit. I wish that "somebody" would've been around in 1988-89.
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Post by Kapitan on Apr 11, 2021 12:52:11 GMT
This warrants some research on my end, but if I'm not mistaken, whether it was finished (or how finished it was) is a matter of debate. A seemingly finished version was distributed as a demo to some DJs and music critics (and a few wrote about it), but then Landy/Wilson decided it needed tweaking before a wide release. More work was done but it was still supposedly going to see release soon. (One of the interviews I recently posted has Wilson saying it'll be out within a couple of months.)
I'd assume labels weren't interested. Personally, I don't blame them.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Apr 11, 2021 16:09:18 GMT
This warrants some research on my end, but if I'm not mistaken, whether it was finished (or how finished it was) is a matter of debate. A seemingly finished version was distributed as a demo to some DJs and music critics (and a few wrote about it), but then Landy/Wilson decided it needed tweaking before a wide release. More work was done but it was still supposedly going to see release soon. (One of the interviews I recently posted has Wilson saying it'll be out within a couple of months.)
I'd assume labels weren't interested. Personally, I don't blame them.
It was finished in Brian's and Landy's eyes; they were shopping it. But, being finished in Brian's and Landy's eyes, especially in 1988-89, meant that it was probably flawed and needed to be at least tweaked if not seriously tweaked. Again, I'm surprised that a record company, if not a large one like Capitol/Reprise/Atlantic/Geffen - a newer, smaller one that wanted to make a name for themself, or being a huge BW/BB fan - didn't come in and scoop up Sweet Insanity. No matter who it might've been, if they were competent, I just think they would've had to call Brian and Landy in and say, "Guys, we really love the record, but we'd like to have our guy (someone like a Russ Titelman/Joe Thomas, Carl Wilson) come in and "sweeten" the tracks and improve the sound, and then have their own Carole Bayer Sager-type do the same with some of the lyrics. Would've Brian and Landy complied or...settled? I would think they both wanted that album released pretty badly, for a number of reasons. But to have the album just sit there...and die...a Brian Wilson album in 1989? In retrospect, I find that almost unbelievable.
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Post by Kapitan on Apr 11, 2021 16:15:47 GMT
I know we've talked about it, but more than any labels, I'm surprised the Beach Boys didn't mine some of that stuff, as well as the Paley stuff that came shortly after. With the recent resurgence of numerous legacy artists and their reputation growing again thanks to the box set and their '93 tour, it's simply unfathomable to me--or at least would be if it were any other band--that they couldn't pretend to get along and put together a strong comeback album in the mid-90s, whether the material was from Sweet Insanity, Paley sessions, or whatever else. Best of everybody's best, one real try.
Obviously the smarter answer was guesting on their own pop-country self-covers album. Obviously.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Jun 12, 2021 3:56:43 GMT
When James Guercio joined the Beach Boys' touring band in the mid-1970's and was kind of managing the group, why didn't he also produce them, especially after Love You? Guercio was barely 30 years old in 1975, and while he left Chicago on acrimonious terms, I wouldn't think he was finished with producing. Yes, it was probably going from one crazy environment to another, but look at the talent! I guess maybe he didn't want it... The Beach Boys were looking for a producer in late 1977 and chose Al Jardine. After Brian became ill in 1978, they were looking again. Who would you rather have producing The Beach Boys in the mid/late 1970's - Al Jardine, Bruce Johnston, or James Guercio?
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Post by Kapitan on Jun 12, 2021 11:59:22 GMT
I don't know the answer, but just to add that Dennis was (as I recall) close to Guercio, and Guercio really encouraged him to write music and release a solo album. That solo album, released in 1977, was produced by ... Dennis Wilson and Gregg Jakobson.
Maybe he was still just busy with other projects? I really have no idea: my knowledge of Guercio is limited basically to his Beach Boys work.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Jun 12, 2021 12:34:55 GMT
A quick tour of Caribou Ranch studio and a mini-documentary:
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Jun 12, 2021 13:36:34 GMT
Chicago albums produced by James William Guercio and their highest chart position on Billboard in the U.S.:
1969 - Chicago Transit Authority - #17 1970 - Chicago - #4 1971 - Chicago III - #2 1971 - Chicago At Carnegie Hall - #3 1972 - Chicago V - #1 1973 - Chicago VI - #1 1974 - Chicago VII - #1 1975 - Chicago VIII - #1 1975 - Chicago XIX - #1 1976 - Chicago X - #1 1977 - Chicago XI - #11
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Post by B.E. on Jun 12, 2021 13:52:09 GMT
I've never listened to a Chicago album.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Jun 12, 2021 14:08:46 GMT
I've never listened to a Chicago album. I have their Greatest Hits comps. I love(d) their singles. The voices of Chicago and The Beach Boys are eerily similar:
Peter Cetera = Carl Wilson Terry Kath = Dennis Wilson and the later Brian Wilson Robert Lamm = a bit of a reach but maybe Al Jardine (Al's voice wasn't as deep as Robert's).
Then you had Karen Lamm become...Karen Lamm-Wilson. You had the "Wishing You Were Here" collaboration single. Their sounds were kind of similar instrumentally. I'll never understand why James William Guecio didn't either "go for it" (the producer's role with The Beach Boys), or wasn't "drafted" by the group. Apparently he was liked by everyone. I can't help but think if Jimmy Guecio would've produced M.I.U., L.A. (Light Album), and/or Keepin' The Summer Alive...
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Emdeeh
Pacific Coast Highway
Posts: 518
Likes: 530
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Post by Emdeeh on Jun 12, 2021 14:35:10 GMT
Also Beckley-Lamm-Wilson
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Jun 12, 2021 14:36:30 GMT
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