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Garage to Stadiums is one of the Top 5% of podcasts in the world. From the bars to the arenas, learn the fascinating stories of how our biggest rock music legends made the leap. Each episode reveals the stories, songs and little known facts of the journey from obscurity to fame of one of rock music’s biggest stars. Join us on Garage To Stadiums as host Dave Anthony teams up with an author of a rock biography or director of a rock documentary to explore that journey, their early years, the stories behind the scenes, their top songs, and their place in music history.
Learn about the passion, talent, luck and even scandal that often came together to propel these stars from obscurity to household names.
GARAGE TO STADIUMS
Episode 20: The Story of Brian Wilson & The Beach Boys
Speakers: Dave Anthony (host)
Guest: Author, David Leaf Author of SMILE: The Rise, Fall, and Resurrection of Brian Wilson
Dave Anthony 0:01
Dave, Hi there. I'm Dave Anthony, and this is the garage to stadiums podcast rated as one of the top 5% of podcasts globally. On each episode, we tell you the story of how one of our music legends rose from obscurity to fame and play some of the songs that marked that journey. What Welcome to garage, to stadiums. Today's episode is the story of The Beach Boys. The Beach Boys are an American rock band formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California, a suburb of Los Angeles, just about 12 miles from Hollywood. From the start, it was a family affair. The original founding lineup was incredibly mostly made up of teenagers and included Brian Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love and a close family friend, Al Jardine, starting as a garage band, they quickly became known for their rich vocal harmonies and songs that captured teenage life in early 1960s Southern California, including songs about surfing cars and young romance. That early formula struck a chord, helping them sell over 100 million records worldwide. At the heart of the group's creative direction was Brian Wilson, the eldest Wilson brother and the band's principal songwriter and producer. Over time, Brian came to be recognized as a musical genius and one of the most innovative figures in pop music, known for his layered orchestrations, influences from classical and jazz music and his forward thinking approach to recording, which impressed artists like Paul McCartney, John, Lennon, Elton, John and others, one of the most intriguing chapters in the band's history centers around a long shelved project called Smile, an ambitious album Brian began in 1966 that was never officially released at the time. For decades, it was considered one of the great lost albums of rock history. It eventually surfaced 37 years later, and as you'll hear in this episode, our guest today played a key role in bringing that music to light. Here to discuss the Beach Boys, is our guest David leaf. David's been associated with the Beach Boys for five decades, starting with his biography The Beach Boys and the California myth and the recently updated version called God only knows, which examined the behind the scenes, tensions and family history that had never been previously covered publicly. According to music critic Richie Unterberger, leaf was quote the first author to write extensively and honestly about the Beach Boys. David has just released his latest book called Smile, the rise, fall and resurrection of Brian Wilson, based on that long lost album of the same name, based on that long lost album of the same name, and directed a documentary on the efforts to resurrect the album after 37 years in the vaults, called Beautiful dreamer. Brian Wilson and the story of smile, which was released in 2004 his honors include a Peabody Award for intelligent, powerful and moving stories told in broadcast and digital media. Since 2010 David has been teaching undergraduate courses at the UCLA herb Albert School of Music in Los Angeles, including courses on rock documentary The legends of songwriting, The Beatles and Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys. Welcome to garage, to stadiums. David, thank
David Leaf 3:30
you. It's great, great to be here. I love the title of the show.
Dave Anthony 3:35
Thank you very much. Let's get started. We've had some incredible authors and film directors, film producers on this show. But I must say your story is unique. And I know you've probably told the story a few times, but do you want to recount for our audience, a global audience, how you came to be involved with the Beach Boys? It's an incredible story, starting way back in the early 70s. It's,
David Leaf 4:01
it's kind of unbelievable, but when I became obsessed with with Brian Wilson, The Beach Boys and smile in the fall of 1971 it was because of a Tom Nolan story in Rolling Stone magazine, which was timed, was a cover story time to promote the release of the Surf's Up album, and reading that story inspired me to buy the Surf's Up album. And I heard that that surfs up was as great as everything the article said about this long lost album called smile, and the song before Surf's Up till I die, I it
David Leaf 4:50
was one of the saddest and most beautiful songs I'd ever heard. And it was like, okay, so smile is as great as the article says. And. My roommate, and I became obsessed with Brian and the Beach Boys and the whole story, and and, and I was in kind of my youthful outrage period. I was in college in DC during the Nixon administration, and I guess I was kind of angry about everything that was going on in the world. And in reading this story about Brian, it was like something didn't seem right. And my roommate says, Well, you know, if, if you're so upset about it, why don't you do something about it? I said, Okay, I'm going to move to California write a book about Brian Wilson, become his friend and help him finish smile, which was, you know, like a high school president saying, you know, one day I'm going to be President of the United States. It was that unlikely a circumstance. And and I moved to California in 75 but
Dave Anthony 5:54
I understand within a couple of weeks you met one of the Beach Boys. Did you not?
David Leaf 5:59
Well? Actually it was, I was in California, 36 hours. I was, I was, I was from New York and on unemployment. And I came out of the unemployment office, which was at the corner of Fifth and Broadway in Santa Monica, and I crossed the street going north, and walking towards me was Dennis Wilson, and I was not shy. I went up to him and said, Hi, Dennis, my name is David leaf. I just moved to California to write a book about your brother, Brian. And his response was, he like, good luck, you know, and because you realize kind of the absurdity and impossibility of it. But within three years of that, meeting with Dennis on the sidewalk, my first book, The Beach Boys in the California myth, was in stores. Man,
Dave Anthony 6:49
that is such a story of inspiration to just say, I'm going to do this and determined enough to actually see it through which we'll hear by the end of this show. The incredible finish to this story. What astonishes me, David, about this band is how quickly they made it big. They had the first song. You know, these high school kids, Brian's 19, Dennis is 17, and Carl's What 15. Their cousin Mike Love joins them, and Al Jardine, who's a neighbor friend, they have a deal with Capitol Records after they had a regional hit. Surfing, surfing is the only light, the only way for me now, surf, surf. And all of a sudden, in 1962 these guys are really the first big rock band. They're way ahead of the Beatles in that regard. If
David Leaf 7:39
we look at rock history, which your show certainly does in a great way. The Beatles, it took five years of playing dives in Hamburg and clubs in Liverpool and half empty dance halls in Liverpool, so it took them five years to get a record deal like within a few months, it was almost as if they had hit the rock star lottery. It was that fixed.
Dave Anthony 8:04
In every story, there seems to be some mercurial figure behind the band that propels them, believes in them, pushes them, does something with them. And of course, in this case, it's their father, Murray. What impact did he have on the boys? So
David Leaf 8:19
So Murray Wilson was a failed songwriter that was a little bit of a hobby of his, if you will. He wrote songs, one of which, actually there's sheet music you for the two step sidestep in the era of the Cha Cha, cha. But he had no he was really unsuccessful in the music business, and he had, he had his own business that paid the bills for the Wilson household. He was, by all accounts, verbally, emotionally and physically abusive. Now, what impact that has? You know, you would need a forensic psychologist to figure that the amount of damage done. But the other impact he had that is often overlooked is he believed in Brian's talent. He recognized Brian's talent, so that he turned the garage of the Wilson home in Hawthorne into a music room, put a put a piano in there, and bought Brian a reel to reel tape recorder. The boys play him this song that they've worked up while he's away, called surfing, and he knows a local independent producer, and introduces them. And all of a sudden they're in the studio, and surfing comes out and it's and it's a local hit, in large part because they had a call in show on a radio station. And if you called in and chose one of three songs that became part of the playlist, and the Beach Boys were calling in under all sorts of different voices and getting all their friends. So they were helping their own success along, at any rate. So they have this hit, and Murray takes a demo tape they've recorded to capital and a guy named Nick Vinay hears it and signs them almost instantly, it is just an astonishingly fast rise to from nowhere to them having a double sided hit, single surfing Safari on one side,
David Leaf 10:37
then 409 on the other side. When I
Unknown Speaker 10:39
take her to the back. She really shines. She always turns in the fastest
David Leaf 10:47
time. Instantly, they found their two appealing brands, if you will, surfing and cars. In 1962
Dave Anthony 10:58
The Beach Boys were signed by Capitol Records. They put out surfin Safari, and ascension to stardom happened almost immediately. They were called America's bands, and the albums and hits just kept on coming. Surfing USA
Dave Anthony 11:20
was released in March 1963 and contained the hip surfing in the USA, which is essentially Chuck Berry's sweet little 16 done a little bit differently and is credited to Brian Wilson and Chuck Berry.
Dave Anthony 11:40
After that album, something shifts for Brian Wilson, inspired by Phil Spector's production of be my baby by the Ronettes, an all girl group, he starts thinking differently about how music can be arranged. Specter's approach layering multiple instruments like guitars, basses and organs, keyboards, creating what became known as the wall of sound, a style that redefined pop production.
Dave Anthony 12:14
Brian takes note, and with the surfer girl album, he begins stepping into a more serious creative role, he brings in professional studio musicians known as the Wrecking Crew, who also played on specters albums, and starts incorporating strings in a wider range of instrumentation. You can hear the difference in tracks like in my room.
Dave Anthony 12:41
And catch a wave.
Dave Anthony 12:49
This was followed by little Deuce coop, an album in October 1963 which contains the song Little Deuce coop,
Dave Anthony 13:02
yeah. Volume Two was released shortly thereafter and contained the hits, fun, fun, fun,
Dave Anthony 13:21
all summer long in 1964 was the next album containing get around,
Dave Anthony 13:34
and this was the start of nine consecutive gold albums. However, touring comes at a price for Brian. He has panic attacks on tour on an airplane in December of 1964 and makes a decision to stop touring influenced by Phil Spector's wall of sound. He wants to focus solely on songwriting and studio production. In effect, he will become primary creator and producer, while the rest of the band will be the touring version of The Beach Boys. Next, we'll dive deeper into the remarkable talents of the eldest Wilson brother, Brian. Wilson, a man who would go on to become a towering figure in the evolution of modern music. And what makes what you are about to hear more astonishing. He was actually deaf in one ear. Accounts vary as to how this happened. Some say it was the result of a childhood accident struck in the head with a pipe by a neighborhood friend. Others claim it stemmed from physical abuse at the hands of his father, Murray, an issue we touched on earlier.
Speaker 1 14:35
You're listening to garage to stadiums with host Dave Anthony.
Dave Anthony 14:40
Let's begin that deep dive by talking about 1965 when everything started to change for Brian Wilson. He stepped away from touring with the Beach Boys and turned his full attention to the studio. As mentioned, Brian was fascinated by Specter's wall of sound and embarked on continuing to evolve the music even further. You can hear that influence loud. Clear on the beach. Boys today, released in March 1965 that album marked a big turning point. Brian was leaving surf music behind and writing more introspective songs like, help me Rhonda.
Unknown Speaker 15:22
Oh, when
Dave Anthony 15:25
I grow up to be a man,
Dave Anthony 15:39
a few months later, in July, The Beach Boys dropped Summer Days and Summer Nights. Another step forward, it featured the classic California Girls
Dave Anthony 15:58
with its rich arrangement of cellos, Obos, layered keyboards and dramatic drums, Brian was painting with a much bigger musical palette than ever before. That same year, Brian also experimented with LSD for the first time. He believed it could unlock a new level of creativity ideas that had never been explored in music before. He wasn't just chasing bigger sounds. He was chasing new concepts. Then in December 1965 everything shifted again. Brian heard Rubber Soul, the latest album from the Beatles. It hit him like a lightning bolt. Songs like Norwegian Wood, featuring George Harrison on sitar, showed him what a cohesive, concept driven album could sound like. He was floored.
Dave Anthony 16:50
He later admitted, after hearing Rubber Soul, he declared a quote, self imposed war on the Beatles. He wanted to meet and surpass their creative vision. He even hired the Beatles publicist, Derek Taylor, because he admired how they handled their fame, and wanted that same polish and reach. With all this in mind, what I wanted to set up David was this watershed year of 66 I think it's safe to say there's a pre 1966 and a post 1966 period with this band, when he gets into this Pet Sounds, what was it that that about that album that blew everyone away
David Leaf 17:25
everything? Brian's orchestration abilities grow in leaps and bounds. And, you know, a lot of people talk about him being inspired, as he does, by Phil Spector and the wall of sound. Brian's friend Danny Hutton said the wall of sound was something that came all at you at once with Brian, what he was doing was taking multiple instruments and combining them and creating new sounds. So you had somebody at the absolute top of his game who was who could hear things that no one else could hear. So he's writing songs that are, that are introspective. God Only Knows. God
Speaker 2 18:13
only knows what I do without you. What
David Leaf 18:24
wouldn't it be nice.
Unknown Speaker 18:34
And sloop, John B how?
David Leaf 18:45
But, but Brian just wanted to do something different. He always wanted to do something different, and the record company was not happy with that notion. You know, we love, we love hearing this Pet Sounds album. But can't you do something more like California Girls and so this, this push and pull, this tug of war between formula hits and advancing first really comes into the fore, and it's and it's a real issue for Brian, because up until then, nobody had questioned what he was doing. He had complete and total support. As you pointed out in 1965 when he stayed home and the Beach Boys went on on tour, he would produce the backing track so that when they came home they would see he would bring him into the studio, and they were his vocal instrument, right? So it wasn't really a band in the way the Beatles were, where the four of them went into the studio and made a record. Suddenly, the Beach Boys were just his instrument. Now he played that instrument magnificently. And nobody, I believe, has ever sung better in. Then, then that Beach Boys blend on the records, and it's just a sound that, you know, I talk about the church of Brian Wilson, and then when they sing something like the Lord's prayer or our prayer, you
David Leaf 20:25
Oh, it really feels like you're in church. And so, so there are all of these sounds on Pet Sounds that that are new. And so for people in the music industry, it's like, holy shit. What just happened here, and not only just the music industry, but as Brian told me, John Lennon and Paul McCartney call him to congratulate him and tell him how much he loved they loved the album. So so it's getting everywhere. Sir George Martin told me in an interview that Sergeant Pepper was their attempt accent on the word attempt to equal Pet Sounds. So that gives you a sense of the impact that the music had on on everybody who was listening Capitol Records wasn't so happy they had quotas to make. So less than two months after Pet Sounds was released, they put out Best of The Beach Boys, which was really a slap in the face.
Dave Anthony 21:26
It would have undercut Pet Sounds. It would have taken away from it, cannibalized it.
David Leaf 21:30
Well, it cannibalized it, but it sabotaged it. Because when, when stores sold out of Pet Sounds and they reordered more copies, what they got was Best of The Beach Boys. So it it turned Pet Sounds into a relative failure. Now, by failure, we're talking about an album that went to number 10 and had four top 40 hits, right? But the capital capital was in the music business. Accent on the word business
Dave Anthony 22:01
reviews of pet sound by Billboard in 1966 gave it a positive review, calling it a masterpiece and noting Brian Wilson's growth as a composer and producer. Cashbox magazine praised the album for its exquisite musical textures and highlighted Brian's unique vision and Rolling Stone also praised it, saying it was the best album Brian Wilson has delivered McCartney and Lennon both inspired by it. Do you have a view on how specifically it influenced the Beatles? Did it change their sound, their approach, their philosophy?
David Leaf 22:32
Well, it manifested first and probably foremost on on the revolver song. Here they are in every ring of the
Unknown Speaker 22:46
making.
David Leaf 22:51
I was lucky enough to interview Paul not yet, Sir Paul McCartney in 1990 for the for the CD liner notes for the first CD of Pet Sounds. And he talked about it then that that that was, that was the most obvious influence. But he he was just staggered by what, what Brian had done on Pet Sounds. And in that interview, he said, I've given a copy of of the album to my children, because no one is musically educated until they've heard Pet Sounds. And coming from him, that's, that's a, that's, you know, you can't get a bigger, a bigger statement of of how important it is. Elton John feels similarly about the album. This
Dave Anthony 23:38
is more of a speculative question, I suppose to answer. But do you think Brian's decision to stay home and get, you know, innovate in the studio influence the Beatles stop touring?
David Leaf 23:50
I don't think so. I think, I think, you know, he quit touring at the end of 64 although there's a great quote from John Lennon on the end of 65 there was this kind of jukebox jury thing that he that he was on analyzing recent songs, and he was listening to the Beach Boys latest single, the little girl I once knew, and he was talking about what Brian Wilson does, and he said, Well, he just stays home and he sits and he thinks he comes up with these incredible arrangements, so that might have planted the seed, but I don't think they needed any seeds. Planting touring was was terrible in those days they were playing baseball stadiums, and everybody talks about, you know, the Beatles at Shea, not understanding that their sound came through the loudspeaker. So, the same, the same, the same speakers that would say, Now batting number 12. You know, that's, that's, that's how people heard it. You didn't have big stacks of martial amplifiers behind them. So, so it was, it was just dreadful. And and six. 66 I think, is why they stopped touring, because their lives were threatened. You know what happened when John made his so called, bigger than Jesus remark and they were threatened with death in the United States?
Dave Anthony 25:15
Well, the falling back and forth between those two great bands is something that you you really document well how they influenced each other, despite the commercial disappointment in the US of Pet Sounds, Brian begins a several month Odyssey to create a single and a good vibration.
Dave Anthony 25:42
Is there a song that's closer to Heaven than that song? It's unbelievable. It's
David Leaf 25:46
it's a pretty remarkable piece, and it's the first time, you know you refer to it as a song. Everyone has to think of it as a record, because it was the first time Brian has recorded in pieces, and then, and then figured out how to put it all together. Up until then, he would have a melody in his head when he recorded a backing track. This is the first time that he has, I think there might have been, you know, as many as 19 sessions. Brian
Dave Anthony 26:14
uses all sorts of instruments, like violins, cellos, multiple basses, whistles of all types, organs, sleigh bells, marimbas, glockenspiels, electrotheramines. He comes up with the concept of modularity, which is essentially creating small bits of songs that can be put into other songs. Imagine Software code that can be placed in different spots to create different outcomes. The song Good Vibrations, for example, is like several songs in one.
David Leaf 26:46
And you know, good vibrations is almost an instant worldwide, number one hit now, Pet Sounds, interestingly, is a success in England, yeah, at the same time, it's not as big a success here exactly the Beach Boys go to England in the fall of 66 they're they're greeted as conquering heroes. And I think it was an NME at the end of the year, in their album of the year poll, they they put revolver and Pet Sounds as CO number ones as albums of the year. So he's done what was seemingly impossible, in a sense, beaten beaten, or at least equaled the Beatles in terms of critical appreciation. There's, there's a poll with a reader's poll, you know, pick your best, your favorite pop group, and the Beatles are edged out by the Beach Boys. Wow. Incredible. Your favorite pop personality, Brian is in the top five, along with Paul John and Bob Dylan. I mean, it's just, it's just staggering what happens in 1966
Dave Anthony 27:58
next we're diving into the incredible story of a truly legendary lost Beach Boys album, smile. It was originally started back in 1966 that same watershed year when the groundbreaking Pet Sounds came out along with a massive hit single, Good Vibrations. And for 37 years, it remained a mystery, unreleased to the public and David, we will discuss how you played a role encouraging Brian to revisit and resurrect the smile album. We're really going to pile into what you've done. But good vibrations, I guess, emboldens Brian to, you know, embark on smile. And he recruits Van Dyke Parks, multi instrumentalist, arranger, real and what's interesting to me is how young these
David Leaf 28:44
guys still are. They're 24 and 23 when they start working together,
Dave Anthony 28:48
right? And so this, this teenage symphony to God, quote, unquote, that Brian Wilson calls smile. You know, I've read conflicting things about what this album is about. Conceptually. Is it about America? Is it about elements, fire, water, air,
David Leaf 29:04
well, you know, as you know, I've written an entire book about smile, the rise, fall and resurrection of Brian Wilson, because, you know, Pet Sounds of Good Vibrations are the apex of his rise. And this the smile project on which he embarks with Van Dyck that he ultimately shelves after about seven months of work on, it is as catastrophic a fall as any artist had ever experienced, I think, in terms of their creation and their person, Personal life. And so what is it they're doing? So one description is, it's the story of a bicycle rider looking down upon America as he goes from Plymouth Rock to Hawaii. That's that's one story. Another story is that it is indeed a teenage symphony to God. Another thing is. Yeah, that is it's going to have a suite of the elements, the four basic elements, earth, air, fire and and water. So that's all somehow going to be part of this. Brian really believed in the healing power of laughter, which is why the title is called Smile. Yet when you listen to the songs, there aren't too many of them that actually would make you laugh. I mean, there's nothing about Surf's Up.
David Leaf 30:40
Cabin essence
David Leaf 30:51
that makes you laugh, they make you feel and you're amazed by what they are, but you got to go to vegetables. You time.
David Leaf 31:06
So you've got all these pieces he's trying to fit into this one owl.
Dave Anthony 31:10
While he was creating some of the most innovative and memorable music of his career, the pressure was starting to build. Brian was under a lot of stress, even as his creativity soared. One especially striking example comes from a track called Mrs. O'Leary's cow. It's a dramatic instrumental inspired by the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 and, yes, named after the cow that was maybe unfairly blamed for starting it. Brian even jokingly bought everyone toy fire hats and envisioned the song as telling the story of the great fire. The drums in the song were meant to symbolize water being thrown on a raging Blaze gradually extinguishing.
Dave Anthony 31:57
But then something unsettling happened while Brian and the wrecking crew were rehearsing that very song, and nearby warehouse actually caught fire. That coincidence really shook Brian. He began to worry that through the intensity of the music, he had somehow caused it a moment that reflects just how much pressure he was carrying at the time. That sense of anxiety only grew as his ideas became more experimental, as reactions from his fellow Beach Boys weren't always supportive. It was a period of incredible artistic achievement, but also one of real emotional strain, and you've got the Beach Boys returning as conquering heroes, kind of wondering, What the heck is this? Is that sort of what happens next?
David Leaf 32:44
He was well aware that if you stayed in the same place that you would, you would be going backwards. And so how do you how do you do something new? Well, Brian with good vibrations had shown exactly how you do something new, and it had been a giant, giant success, so he was nervous as to how the new music would be received. But I don't think he was ready for the kind of what the heck is this and and it threw him. Now, you combine that with the record company, his father, the chemicals, a whole host of issues that were swirling around him at the time, and eventually he just, you know, he said to me, he said, I figured I'd need a year to complete it if it took him, uh, three months to finish good vibrations, which is three and a half minutes, yeah, how long is it going to take him to finish a 3540 minute album? And so his ambition to create this new modular album was, what was I, in a sense, almost paralyzing him, and so under pressure from the record company, he was, he was focused on the heroes and villains single, which, according to some reports, was going to be a double sided single, heroes and villains Part One and Part Two, like a seven minute single you my life,
David Leaf 34:25
which, again, that's Brian, ahead of the industry. Totally, totally. Now, did all of these pressures cause him to take more and more drugs? Who the heck knows? You know. Again, do we have a forensic psychologist to go back and figure all this stuff out. We don't but, but ultimately, after recording all of this beautiful music, including a performance of Surf's up for a Leonard Bernstein special,
Dave Anthony 34:52
despite all of these reasons, Brian was still thought to be a genius on a television special hosted by Len. Bernstein, composer and conductor of the New York Philharmonic inside
Speaker 3 35:04
pop, The Rock Revolution has been brought to you by
Speaker 4 35:12
General Telephone and Electronics, G, T and E and its family of companies.
Dave Anthony 35:18
And Brian appeared on the show playing the piano. Here
Speaker 3 35:21
is a new song too complex to get all of first time around, it could come only out of the ferment that characterizes today's pop music scene. Brian Wilson, leader of the famous Beach Boys, and one of today's most important pop musicians, sings his own Surf's Up dove, nested dove. So Brian
David Leaf 35:45
is at the absolute top of the world. As far as the outside world knows, the publicity for smile, because their tale of the former Beatles publicist is, is really, you know, fanning the flames, so to speak. Everybody is waiting for this album, and then Brian shelves it. Ultimately,
Dave Anthony 36:07
smile is abandoned. There are so many factors at play based on reading your book of why the project has ended. His increasing use of drugs, especially LSD, for purposes of mind expansion, which he directly thought would expand the music Capitol Records, reaction that this was not marketable and too far astray from the Beach Boys, surfer hits his own bandmates, reaction at complex lyrics and compositions. Brian's internalized pressure and sagging confidence as this feedback was given to him, and perhaps the final blow while recording smile the Beatles beat him to the punch in his mind with Sergeant Pepper containing Strawberry Fields and other complex studio music, and yet he himself was still delayed in the studio trying to finish smile.
David Leaf 36:51
Everything had had burst and and it was all affecting him at the same time. The question that I ask is if, if the Beatles could go from I want to hold your hand to Strawberry Fields in three years. Why couldn't Brian go from surfing USA to surfs up in three years? And I think that's, you know, maybe he was heartbroken when he heard Strawberry Fields in that he knew that not only had the Beatles done something that was dramatically different, but that that he may not get the chance to do, to do what he was dreaming of doing. I
Dave Anthony 37:32
mean, I find it interesting that the Beatles kind of went on that LSD, psychedelic, changing lyrics, expansion of the mind, the music Brian sort of begins it with Pet Sounds, which you've quite eloquently said Paul McCartney cited as a major influence. And you know, you have the derailment of smile. It means that they end up not having an offering as that era emerges, and yet he sparked it all. Is it that The Beatles were a united front? And of course, he's battling his brothers and Mike Love to stick with the formula as they want, and he doesn't have that united front to do that three and a half year evolution that you said the Beatles did.
David Leaf 38:19
I think the Beatles were certainly a united front. The Beatles also had Jeff Emmerich in the booth and George Martin in the booth. They only had to worry about writing and recording. They didn't have to worry about, you know, everything that Brian was dealing with. Yeah, that's a great point. You know, Brian is the composer, arranger and producer. He's he's producing the backing tracks, and he's producing the vocal sessions. He's arranging the vocal sessions. So Brian is is doing it all in terms of how the the group is responding to it. He was heading in the direction that the world of music was heading in, and he was, in a sense, leading that way. And the Beach Boys are on the road. They're playing to their fans who want to hear their hits. They don't know that the song that Brian wrote after his first LSD trip is California Girls, they don't know that, and it doesn't matter, but he did, the fans don't know that. Wouldn't it be nice? And God only knows, are inspired by some sort of spiritual journey that Brian is on where he believes that God is music.
Dave Anthony 39:32
David, it really seems like Brian was on a mission to take pop music to a whole new level, something that matched that powerful belief of his that God is music. From what I understand, he felt that pop music hadn't yet reached its full of potential, especially compared to the emotional and spiritual weight of hymns sung in churches. He believed pop could be just as meaningful, just as moving, but it needed to be more thoughtfully composed, more deeply orchestrated. And he was it seemingly determined to be the one to make that happen. Well,
David Leaf 40:04
that's a very different thing than the record company saying, hey, we need another hit. Guys can What do you got? You know, I think I cite between Brian and I, we cite about 12 or 13 Reasons why he shelved the album in the book. It's there's no one answer.
Dave Anthony 40:20
You cited all those reasons, you know, and at the end it sort of Brian said they just weren't with me. I didn't think it was right for them, like he, he kind of walked away, and he kind of felt duty, what to support them in their he was like the patriarch or something of that family, or the benefactor, like he felt like he it wasn't right for them in the end, and he kind of took the blame for that, like, it's just very sad.
David Leaf 40:46
Well, it's extremely sad. There was a loyalty to family that had been drummed into him by his father. And I think one of the key differences of comparing the Beatles and The Beach Boys is that the Beach Boys were a family business, and Brian recognized that you used the word benefactor by the time of good vibrations, they're all married, or almost married. They all have their own big homes, starting to have kids, and suddenly there's a lot of malice to feed. Now I'm looking at it from a different point of view, kind of as the elder statesman saying, Well, yeah, but everybody bought every copy of Pet Sounds that was in the stores. They bought a million copies of good vibrations. This was just the next step. And so those those people would have been ready for this music, especially as if we look at 67 is kind of a turning point where people are buying albums instead of singles, as a point where people are starting to use more recreational drugs, as as everything about music is changing very rapidly, and Brian recognized that, and he was leading the way in that regard.
Dave Anthony 42:07
As Sir George Martin, the legendary producer of The Beatles, says in David's documentary about the smile album, we all waited in great anticipation for this great album to come out, and it never happened. Next. David will take us through his own role in the rediscovery and long awaited release of smile. But first, it's important to understand what happens in the ensuing years, which is the personal descent of the man behind it, Brian Wilson.
Speaker 1 42:33
Want more garage to stadiums. Check out our bonus content for official playlists, concert footage and other interesting facts for each episode.
Dave Anthony 42:43
After the ambitious smile, sessions fell apart. In 1967 Brian slipped into a deep depression, plagued by paranoia, at one point, even convinced his home was being bugged. His mental health was already fragile, but what happened next only made things worse. In 1969 his father, Murray Wilson, made the shocking decision to sell the Beach Boys catalog for just $700,000 the buyer a company associated with Irving Azoff, who would go on to manage the Eagles, Brian was absolutely devastated to him. It wasn't just a bad business deal, it was a betrayal. Today, with artists selling their catalogs for hundreds of millions, the move seems almost unthinkable. It symbolized, in many ways, the broader abuse the Wilson brothers had endured since childhood from Murray. This sale meant that the Beach Boys no longer controlled their own songs or the royalties as the 1970s wore on, the band faced growing financial pressure, forcing them to tour constantly just to stay afloat. A greatest hits compilation brought brief success, but any new attempt at new material failed to really gain traction. By the mid 70s, Brian's condition had worsened so dramatically that his wife, Marilyn reached out for help, hiring a controversial Hollywood psychologist named Dr Eugene Landy. He charged $20,000 a month and took a tough love approach, forcing Brian back on the road in hopes that touring might snap him out of his decline. But it backfired. Brian had quit live performance in 1964 due to crippling stage fright and panic attacks, his real genius thrived in the studio, not on stage. Eventually, Landy was fired for his excessive fees, and unfortunately, that wasn't the end of it. In 1982 Landy returned, this time with far more control over Brian's life. Over the next eight years, he became not just Brian's therapist, but also his manager, songwriting partner, executive producer and even co author, Landy, charged up to 430,000 a year and claimed credit on Brian's solo albums, including 1988 Brian Wilson and the unreleased sweet insanity i. Landy over medicated Brian, he isolated him. He manipulated every aspect of his life, from his career to his finances. And in 1989 the California Board of Psychology revoked landys license due to unethical behavior. But even then, Landy continued to act as Brian's business partner until a 1992 court order finally banned him from all contact. Brian's rescue came from an unexpected place, a woman named Melinda Ledbetter, who worked at a car dealership where Brian happened to visit to purchase a Cadillac. As she began to deepen her romantic relationship with Brian, she questioned Dr landy's methods, saw the abuse for what it was, and helped free Brian from his control.
Speaker 1 45:44
Do you love Bruce Springsteen, Fleetwood Mac David Bowie and the who listen to more garage to stadiums on all podcast streaming platforms.
Dave Anthony 45:54
By the late 1990s Brian re emerged. He began touring again, this time performing Pet Sounds with a new band that leads
David Leaf 46:01
us to the resurrection, 37 years after he shelves it, he actually comes back to it and brings it to life. And
Dave Anthony 46:11
that's where I want to go next is this incredible 37 year gap between shelving that album, and I have to tell you your book, smile, the rise, fall and resurrection of of Brian's of Brian Wilson is and and the documentary, the 2004 documentary called Beautiful dreamer, Brian Wilson and the story of smile. What I admired about these works is your modesty in telling this story. You let others tell the story, and you pose those questions that you've so eloquently posed to us today. We don't know the answers. I can only give you the information, and you decide, and I have to congratulate you for that, because it's it's a beautiful These are beautiful pieces of work. While
David Leaf 46:57
it's a beautiful thing to say, there's still some questions that we can't answer.
Dave Anthony 47:04
How did you because I think you're very modest, David, how did you get close enough to Brian? Because you played a huge role in convincing him to go forward with this project? Well, he's
David Leaf 47:16
incredibly strong and incredibly sensitive, which sound irreconcilable, and he's easily hurt, but he's been hurt so many times that he can shrug off the pain. All of the pain that he suffered in his youth led him to write this music that is so deep that it does inspire people like Paul McCartney, so we're the beneficiary of all that pain and suffering he went through to get to the finished product. The first major step in terms of my being involved, you know, other than moving to California, writing a book about Brian and becoming his friend, was when, when, when Capitol Records asked me and Andy Paley and Mark Lynette to do a box set in 1993 for the for the 30th anniversary of The Beach Boys first hit, and when we had, when we had a track listing. And I said, you know, Brian, there's a gap in this track listing. And he kind of looked at me says, What do you mean? I said, Well, we have good vibrations the single, and we have heroes and villains the single, but there's eight months of recording of the smile sessions that aren't represented. And I said, I'm not asking you to finish the album, but it would be great if we could include some of those songs there to fill that gap. And he said, Okay, What songs do you have in mind? And, you know, I was ready with my list, and it was like surf, sub cabin, essence, wonderful, wind chimes, you know, etc, and, and I didn't, purposely, didn't mention fire, because I figured, you know, I don't want to push that button, but, but, but I mentioned, I mentioned the songs, and he said, okay, there was, there was no back and forth, like, I don't want to do this one or that one. But what I realized, what I said, was, I'm asking you, the man who created this music, if it's okay, if we put this on the box set, not saying to you, we're going to do it, whether you like it or not. I'm showing him respect, and I think he appreciated that. Another time I said to him, I see, you know, Brian, maybe we could get a symphony orchestra and a choir to do this music, because it's just too beautiful not to be heard. And he said, he said, Good, I deserve it. So. So again, this was just me as his friend talking about this beautiful creation. I think the biggest turning point after that was, was the all star. Tribute to Brian Wilson in 2001 because I was the the creator and writer and producer of that tribute. I said, Brian, you really should do that at the tribute next year. And he said, Okay. I mean, it wasn't, there was no arm twisting. It was just again, a friend to friend. This is a beautiful piece of music. Why not do it? And that was a big turning point, because he started adding smile songs to his sets in his touring after that. So he reached a place where, when, when his management team and the his agent and Glenn Max from the Royal Festival Hall said, Hey, what about coming here and doing smile, essentially commissioning it. He was like, Okay, I think maybe the world's ready for smile. That's That's what the film was telling, the story of smile, so that people who did not understand this rise, fall and Resurrection could go on this, this real emotional roller coaster with with one of the sweetest guys in the world, and see and see him struggle, see him walk out of rehearsals the second day and drive himself to the emergency room. I mean, just, it's just, it was just a very difficult time. But he would not quit. He said, No, I have to do this.
Dave Anthony 51:18
I think the book and the documentary do an incredible job of showing that journey this, this man is frightened to get on that stage. At some levels, he wants to do it. It's such an emotional ending to that thing. I mean, man, I was choked up watching the end and reading the end of the book and how he he just did it and he went out there. Well,
David Leaf 51:43
I think what happened was starting with with his touring years in 1999 what he first understood was that he had a band that could play his songs, note perfect and with the feeling he wanted, and sing the parts the way he had written them. So he knew he had people who could do the music. The Pet Sounds tours were so spectacularly successful in the US and the UK, he realized that there wasn't anything he and his band could do and and they were incredible. Van Dyke Parks came back to work on some songs that needed lyrics or lyrical polishing, you know. So what there was was that Brian was surrounded by by unconditional love. That's really what this story is. This is the story of unconditional love and the triumph of one person over all of his demons and fears, and I think that's what I'm most proud of in telling this story.
Dave Anthony 52:50
Tell us now in a few words, what you think, if you had to describe his personality to someone, what would you say about him? Well, he
David Leaf 52:58
likes to laugh, he loves to eat, he loves music, he loves He loves to watch sports on television. It sounds like a pretty good friend. Sounds like a pretty good hang. He just does all of those in a way that are that's unlike anybody else. He eats faster than anybody you've ever seen. He makes great music faster than anybody that's ever done that. And and there are lots of reasons for it. Part of it, I think, is, is just his general there's a general impatience where he wants something different. So his songs, this compositions, move quickly, change and modulate, just to keep himself interested, right? He can be as an 83 year old, he's in as good a spaces as he can be as an about to be 83 year old man who's been diagnosed with dementia and has physical problems as well from back surgeries. So it's, it's, it's tough. The you know when, when he was 16, he lives in a world where getting your driver's license and your wheels meaning freedom was what you leave for and he no longer has that ability to just get up and get in the car and go for a ride, and I think that's tough. He loved to be in the car and do what we used to call casual singing. He loved singing along to the radio just for fun.
Dave Anthony 54:34
Who do you think the Beach Boys have influenced in terms of their sound, their harmonies? Well, they've
David Leaf 54:41
influenced a lot of people in many, many different ways. Two of the biggest influences I would point to are Elton, John Lindsay, Buckingham and his work with Fleetwood Mac you
Dave Anthony 54:54
quoted David Crosby in the book. And I thought, maybe you know CSN. CSN for sure, like the car. Minis that they put out and the layers of music,
David Leaf 55:02
I think his influence on all the vocal bands was, was special, Crosby Stills and Nash
Unknown Speaker 55:13
did slowly go by and feed them on your dreams. Dream.
David Leaf 55:23
If they had managed to keep their egos in check and kept Neil, Neil involved, they could have been the American Beatles in the 1970s they had that much talent in the group. I think, I, I think you know, how could you you leave out queen in terms of who they influence. And when Brian heard Bohemian Rhapsody, he was just over the moon. Just over the moon.
Dave Anthony 55:48
It's funny, you say that because it was talking to program director Scott Campbell, and we both said, Man, when you hear queen now, it's with a whole new year after you've heard a lot of that Beach Boys stuff. Again, is there three songs that you think maybe tell a story or some theme that they should really dig into.
David Leaf 56:04
I'm gonna pick two songs that set me on my journey. The two, the last two songs on the Surf's Up album till I die in surfs up because I think the depth of those songs and the beauty of them, right? But you know you could listen to love and mercy from his solo work.
David Leaf 56:42
That's a song that I think you know has stood the test of time.
Dave Anthony 56:46
Our audience is going to leave this episode with a new appreciation for Brian Wilson and your book. Smile, The Rise Fall and resurrection of Brian Wilson are is just an incredible story. It tells of a fragile genius who is strong enough to face so many challenges and resurrect that lost smile album 37 years after its creation. And I wanted to thank you today, David for appearing and telling such an eloquent tale of Brian's life.
David Leaf 57:19
Thank you, Dave. My pleasure. I'm glad, I'm glad you invited me
Dave Anthony 57:27
some closing notes on the Beach Boys. Despite the Beach Boys surf image, only drummer Dennis Wilson actually surfed. It was Dennis who suggested the band write songs about the local surfing craze which led to their first hit surfing. As we mentioned in the episode, Paul McCartney was a huge Brian Wilson fan. He has repeatedly praised Pet Sounds, saying it was the inspiration for Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, and purchased copies of Pet Sounds for his kids, because, as he said, nobody's musical education was complete until they heard that album. He called God only knows, from that album, the greatest song ever written, the original Beach Boys lineup, Ryan Carl and Dennis Wilson, Mike Love and Al Jardine were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 by Elton John along with Paul McCartney, Elton John was a huge fan of The Beach Boys with I get around 1964 good vibrations, 1966 and Kokomo in 1988 The Beach Boys hit number one on the Billboard. Hot 100 in the 1960s and 1980s skipping the 1970s altogether, but proving their longevity, as we mentioned, Brian is deaf in his right ear, possibly due to abuse from his father or a childhood accident. Remarkably, he still developed into one of the most celebrated producers and composers in rock history, despite only being able to hear in mono, The Beach Boys played to the largest concert audience ever at the time, in 1985 The Beach Boys performed on the National Mall in Washington, DC on the Fourth of July, an estimated 750,000 people attended, making it one of the largest free concerts in US history. Carl Wilson was the band's musical anchor, often overshadowed by Brian and Mike. Carl was the band's on stage band leader, and became the group's de facto leader in the 1970s he played guitar on nearly all of their classic tracks and sang lead on hits like God only knows. And lastly, Charles Manson had a connection with the band. Charles Manson and Dennis Wilson of the Beach Boys met in 1968 when Wilson picked up two female Manson family members hitchhiking, Wilson soon became fascinated by Manson's charisma, and hosted him and his followers at his Los Angeles home. Manson, aspiring to be a rock star, saw Wilson as a gateway to the music industry. The Beach Boys even reworked and released a song that Manson had. Tried to create called cease to exist. They reworked it extensively to become the song never learn not to love. And according to biography.com when he was not credited on the song, Manson gave Dennis a bullet as a warning Manson's erratic behavior and growing paranoia alarmed Wilson, who eventually severed ties. Their relationship ended bitterly, foreshadowing Manson's descent into infamy and the 1969 Hollywood murders he and his followers committed. Thanks for making garage the stadium one of the top 5% of podcasts in the world. We'd love for you to follow our shows on your favorite podcast platform so you can be alerted when our next episode drops. Follow us for some great music history content posted on our social channels, Instagram, X, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube. Our YouTube channel has additional bonus coverage from our interviews. Visit us at garage to stadiums for more bonus content on all the bands featured and links to great downloadable playlists on Apple and Spotify. Special, thanks to our guest today, David leaf, long time beach boy chronicler, who has written books and produced documentaries on the band. His latest book was smile, the rise, fall and resurrection of Brian Wilson, about the long lost seminal album called smile that we discussed today, thanks to our producers, Amina faubaire and Connor Sampson, our program director Scott Campbell, Creative Director Chad Raymond and video director Nigel Campbell, you've been listening to garage to stadiums. I'm Dave Anthony. See you next time for another garage to stadium story,
Unknown Speaker 1:01:43
another blast furnace, labs, production, the.