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- [00:00]
Ian
Join the human ring.
- [00:09]
Evan
Welcome back to Jokerman Brian Wilson program. That's right, the Jokerman's Brian Wilson Podcast. And I'm Evan.
- [00:21]
Ian
I'm Ian. Here we are. Here we are at last. Long time. Coming near a year and a half into the Beach Boy series Long Promise Road. And we're here. Yeah, truly, we're. We did technically kick this off. I don't know, what was that a month ago, six weeks ago, something like that, when we did the cocaine and hamburgers episode, which was sort of a. In the midst. Prologue of prologue. Yeah, exactly. But here, this is chapter one. The book is open. We're ready to write it here today with our dear friend Brian with another prologue, kind of.
- [00:59]
Evan
This episode is sort of the. There's a lot of context to set the stage for the episode that will just be about the Brian Wilson solo album from 1988.
- [01:13]
Ian
That's right. Because would you be shocked to discover that it was a complicated and difficult and twisted path to the creation of the first Brian Wilson solo album? Would that surprise you?
- [01:27]
Evan
If everything we've done up to this point is any indication, then no.
- [01:33]
Ian
Yeah. So, yeah, this will be a little bit like some of the previous episodes we've done where we did the Bad Vibrations thing, talking about the Smile saga, the it's okay or the it's not okay episode, you know, leading up to Brian's back. This is kind of that. That table setting for the Brian Wilson solo album, which will be coming, I think later this week, depending on when this posts. So stay tuned to the old Jokerman podcast feed for that. But yeah, we'll just. I guess we'll begin where we need to begin. Do you have any statements to lodge before we do?
- [02:10]
Evan
I'll just say that I did revisit the video of the Rock and Roll hall of Fame.
- [02:20]
Ian
Oh, yeah, we're going to be getting to that in this episode, too.
- [02:23]
Evan
And I will confess that I had to watch it at varying points at faster than normal speed because I found it unbearable.
- [02:34]
Ian
It's very painful. It's very painful. The 1988 rock and roll hall of Fame induction ceremony is something that we've talked about several times on this program, and it's sort of floated around the Jokerman universe in several contexts, but we haven't really taken the time to knuckle down on it in a formal manner. But before this episode is over, we will have done so. So I'm excited, too. Yeah, I think. Excited to get there.
- [03:00]
Evan
I mean, I'm excited to, like, finally.
- [03:03]
Ian
Just rip the band aid.
- [03:04]
Evan
Off we went into the show, I think both having seen it. And we, I think, did a very good job of trying to, despite knowing about its existence, give the benefit of the doubt to certain parties, A certain partee singular. And yeah, I think watching it again made me realize how generous we were. And I. I hesitate to say further anything about it because we'll, we'll get into it soon enough.
- [03:41]
Ian
We'll get there shortly whether we want to or not. Well, let's resume the story here with our friend David Leaf in Brian Wilson. The Beach Boys and the California Myth. This book is interesting because it's been written three times or at. You know, there are three different eras of this book. The original copy was published in 1978. There was sort of a revisited version published in 1985. And then more recently there was a re. Revisited version published in 2022, which, you know, tacked on several decades of additional information and context about Brian and the Beach Boys, obviously. But we're gonna begin today at the end of the 1985 section, which we've been quoting from extensively in the past. But I do want to just sort of set the scene here to begin with David Leaf's comments about Brian at this moment in time. Remember this is sort of mid-1985, so I'm gonna quote from him here at that time. I once drew a picture of Brian as a prisoner of circumstances, the victim of an insensitive world. That's a big part of the story. But now I know there is a side of Brian that needs to be manipulated. Having seen firsthand the frustrations of dealing with a person as powerful as Brian. I no longer self righteously indict the world of being bad to Brian when it's apparent that Brian has been hardest on himself. Brian not only allows leech like behavior, but by eccentrically not taking control of his life, he virtually guarantees that there will always be those who attach themselves and literally drain him dry of his creative resources and his money. Will Brian ever get psychological treatment that will address his problems without simultaneous re entry into the pressure cooker? Dr. Landy has stated he's working to give Brian a choice. But does Brian have the right to choose who his creative collaborator will be in the healing? There also seems to be a great amount of wheeling and dealing. We'll come back to that soon. As Brian bounces back and forth between forced participation in the Beach Boys and numerous cop outs, one waits for an alternative that Brian can sustain for the balance of his life. For the Beach Boys There remains an unresolved dichotomy, as there was with Murray Wilson. There is also conflict with Eugene Landy. One of the prime causes of this tension may be Landy's determination to separate Brian from the Beach Boys. If so, he must be careful not to make the same mistake I made in the first edition of this book. Remember, this is the 85 second edition. That mistake, according to David Leaf, is that he missed a key subtlety in Brian's relationship to the band the Beach Boys. While he may feel that they are an obstacle to his artistic expression, I, David, misunderstood this to mean that Brian didn't want the group to exist. As one friend of Brian's recently explained, it's not that Brian doesn't want to be a Beach Boy. He just wants to run the show the way he did in the old days. As one former employee of the group points out, Brian halfway committed suicide so the Beach Boys could go on. He destroyed himself for the group. If he didn't care about them, he would probably be a sane man today or dead. He would have either never gotten so involved with drugs or gotten so involved that he would have ended up dead. Drugs were an escape from the responsibility of being the Big Head Beach Boy. But now all he has is, is the Beach Boys. Nothing is as close to him as the concept of the Beach Boys.
- [07:20]
Evan
A lot going on there.
- [07:22]
Ian
A lot going on, yes. So that's where. That's where we're at in 1985, and that's where we were at on our most recent Beach Boys episodes. You know, obviously we did The Beach Boys 1985 album, which I think we both agreed was relatively good despite the circumstances. It's listenable, you know, listenable. And a couple good tracks on there. You know, I think get your back and Male Ego. Those are groovy. I'm so lonely. As we discussed classic Brian and then obviously we had The Beach Boys 25th anniversary spectacular that we spoke about not so long ago. We're going to come back to that again today because that was more relevant than I realized even at the time.
- [08:07]
Evan
One of their best 25th anniversary shows, I'll say, of.
- [08:13]
Ian
Of.
- [08:13]
Evan
Of. Of the ones they've done.
- [08:16]
Ian
That's right. It is absolutely one of the best. So, you know, a lot happening here in the mid-80s. The Beach Boys are figuring out how to continue on, if they can continue on without Dennis Wilson. And at the same time, we're trying to get Brian Wilson back in the saddle, whether that is in the saddle of the Beach Boys themselves. Or in the saddle of his own, you know, his own life. And that's really. That's, I think, what this, this point in time and this conversation is going to focus on is the. The trials and tribulations of turning Brian Wilson from the head beach boy, as we just heard in those previous quotes, into Brian Wilson, solo artist, you know, against his will, against many people's wills at certain points, but making it happen nonetheless.
- [09:10]
Evan
I feel like that. That stuff that you just read from the 85 edition, you say, yeah, I feel like it's pretty crazy, some of it, like the. Some of it's pretty bold, like the implications of that he. He needs to be manipulated, that he, like, seeks out. It is because this is before the release of the album. I mean, I can't help but think now that, you know, looking back, I'd be curious to know how it's dealt within the third edition of the book. But the, The. The future that Leif doesn't know about when he wrote that is, I don't know. I think it maybe would contradict that premise. But as we've talked about before, it is complicated and I do think it would be overly simplistic to look Brian and the situation of Brian and the Beach Boys and just go, poor Brian. He is no agency. He's a victim of the sinister Mike Love, the Mike Lovecraftian forces around him, and the Eugene Landian forces. And it's kind of a fine line whether you're going to victim blame him, to use a buzzword. Is it victim blaming or is it giving him a sense of agency that he has his own choices he's kind of making for himself? It's tricky.
- [10:41]
Ian
It is, absolutely. And I mean, I think that the portrait, by and large, that is often painted of Brian is one of complete and utter helplessness. And he is helpless in many cases, often as a result of the decisions made by people in his life, you know, in the band and in his, you know, outside of the band as well. But he isn't entirely helpless. He absolutely has some degree of agency and he may be in a tough spot and may have been forced into a tough spot, but that doesn't exonerate him entirely, I guess, is what I would say. And what you were saying about some of the writing there being a little harsh from David Lief, I totally agree with. And that's why I wanted to contextualize it and make it clear. That's from 1985, that's from way, way back in time. And we'll see shortly that the following updates to the book, which we're going to get into in just a moment. Actually, he sort of changes his tune and his tone a little bit based on obviously what ends up happening in the ensuing 40 years, which, on that note, let's get there. So we'll fast forward from 1985 all the way up to 2022 in David Leaf's book, Beginning the next chapter, Till I Die, the battle for Brian Wilson.
- [12:08]
Evan
Wow.
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Ian
Yeah.
- [12:09]
Evan
Okay.
- [12:10]
Ian
From the moment of his return in late 1982 to his departure in 1992, the Landy years were marked by tumult and accomplishment, strange and scary days, and sometimes truly wonderful music. There were investigations behind the scenes intrigue. Landy's unusual and controversial therapy meant one thing. His control over Brian was ironclad. Considering what had happened in 1976, why was Landy brought back in? As Carl Wilson, speaking in 1996, said to Brian's friend and collaborator, Andy Paley, we'll come back to Andy Paley shortly. When the prayer went up, we couldn't be too picky about who might answer it. The choices the Beach Boys and Brian's family made turned the 1980s into unbelievably complex and stressful years for everybody who loved Brian, and most of all, for Brian himself. It quickly became clear that despite the slimmer and trimmer Brian, the public soon saw around 1985, there was trouble in paradise. In the 1985 update of this book, I, David, had written and wondered about what might be. What might happen going forward. Would Landy stay out of Brian's creative process? The answer, we all soon found out, was no. In 1986, Brian began working again with one of his first collaborators, Gary Usher. He's going to be a major character here in today's conversation. Brian and Usher had Most notably written 409 the Lonely Sea and a little song called In My Room. Pretty good, Pretty good working relationship between the two of them. Whether Gary's ideas for what would make Brian sound commercial in the 1980s were right. The old friends had reunited, were writing and recording. However, I, David, heard more than once from a worried Gary that Landy was more than just a control freak. Gary's concerns expressed to me were more about Landy's control of Brian himself. Here we will pick up with a new document that just became known to me the other day. Have you heard of the Wilson project? No, I hadn't either. But David Leif certainly had. He mentions it in his book. And as luck would have it, I was able to Pull this from the Internet. I'll try to throw it up on Patreon or something if people want to take a look. Basically, Gary Usher as Brian is working with him here in 1986. Again, former producer and co writing partner with Brian from the early, early, early days of the Beach Boys. Gary Usher, as he's doing this with Brian, is recording daily audio diaries about his experience with Brian and his experience recording the music and with all these freaks and geeks that are running around in this circle as well. And after the fact, a few years afterwards, they end up being compiled by one Stephen McParland, some guy I'd never heard of, into this document, the Wilson Project, based on Gary Usher diaries. So we've got a little bit of direct firsthand primary source evidence from Gary Usher at this moment in time in 1986 and 1987, as we end up wheeling our way through a crooked series of twists and turns towards the Brian Wilson album. The foundation stone for the reemergence of Brian Wilson, Gary Usher working relationship was a song titled let's Put the Fun Back in Rock and Roll. I'm sure that was a great song. When we made the private show, we.
- [16:00]
Gary Usher
Never saw the picture, heard the radio, oh baby.
- [16:03]
Ian
Let's put the fun back and rock and roll. That Usher had co written and produced for past teen idols Frankie Avalon, Bobby Rydell and Fabian Forte. The trio recently had embarked on a series of live appearances billed as the Golden Boys. Usher recorded the song during early 1986 at his own House of Usher Studios. That's a clever name for recording studio in, get this, Calabasas, California. Wow song. That's right. The song written by Usher had been selected for the trio's appearance on the nationally aired show Sol and Gold. So I would like to just take this moment and pause right here. This entire story that we're about to go through with Gary Escher and Brian Wilson is taking place in Calabasas. There's actually references to Las Virginus Road in this diary. Brian at this time is living in a beach house in Malibu. Honestly, I think relatively not, not so far from where your folks have a place. And he's drive. Brian is driving back and forth from his house in Malibu, up Malibu Canyon into Calabasas to hang out with Gary Usher, which most listeners out there, you know, doesn't matter to you, but to the two of us, I just, I love the idea that this entire drama is playing out literally like where the Albertsons and the Starbucks is off, where the Erewhon is today. I should say off Lost Hills Road.
- [17:33]
Evan
Let it be known. It's not as if my parents have like the type of house that I'm sure Brian Wilson was staying in. We're not talking Malibu Colony here.
- [17:42]
Ian
Well, interestingly, they actually describe Brian's house in this document or, you know, this document also.
- [17:46]
Evan
Is it a modest one bedroom apartment?
- [17:48]
Ian
I mean, that's. It sounds like. That's basically what I think. It had like a recording facility in it. But it was like pretty Spartan, pretty bare, pretty, you know, dressed down. You know, obviously I'm sure he still, you know, paid a pretty penny for it, but it was not some sort of, you know, it's not like Cher's fucking house in Malibu. For anyone who works with shares house. Well, that's true as well. Bob Dylan might be making an appearance in this episode before long.
- [18:16]
Evan
Wow. Notable that, you know, we're talking about Calabasas. It's like this is kind of the secret history of like the SFV in terms of heroes of popular music. So we've talked about the Wilburys. You know, they gathered just down the freeway a bit in Woodland Hills.
- [18:36]
Ian
That's right. This is where everyone was living at that time. It's like all of these millionaire artists were all just living either in the San Fernando Valley or in Conejo Valley. Even back before it was back before it is what it is today.
- [18:53]
Evan
It's still that though. It's like Kanye and if he still, you know, lives there, I don't know. And all the rest.
- [19:02]
Ian
Right. Well, it is still that, but it's the, the connotation.
- [19:06]
Evan
Well, I think at the time it was relatively sparsely built up and more associated with like horses and such. It was more like old Agora Hills or something. I think at the time it was, you know, they didn't have an Erewhan.
- [19:23]
Ian
Exactly. No Commons, no Erewhon, no luxury Ferrari dealers. But you know, on its on its way there. Anyways, let's. Let's resume our story here with Gary Usher, who. Who says, quoting directly from Usher in this, this document. Now from these literal audio tapes, I can't get over the fact that he was doing. He was doing his own podcast about working with Brian Wilson. I was talking to one of the producers down there and David Leaf came on the phone. There we go. And I got to talking to David. We had a good talk and somewhere towards the end of the conversation he strongly suggested that it would sure be nice if I could work with Brian or someone could work with Brian and kind of get back not so much the good old days. But just get Brian Wilson music out, maybe update it. And I told him I felt I was one of the few guys who could do it and I would love to do it. A couple weeks go by and I didn't hear back, so I figured it was a dead issue. Then finally, surprisingly enough, I got a call from Dr. Eugene Landy. I happened to be home, caught the phone and talked to him. Dr. Landy mentioned that he had discussed the matter of recording with Brian. With the Beach Boys manager at this time, Tom Hewlett. And he was quite interested in developing Brian as a solo artist. Quoting Gary Usher again, you could tell that Landy was feeling me out. I'm sure there were a lot of people who wanted to get to Brian. And obviously from the state of the situation, one of Landy's responsibilities was to screen these people. A few days later, the good doctor phoned Gary Usher with news that Brian was excited about the possibility of once again working with his old friend. Dr. Landy also stressed that Brian wanted to get together as soon as possible. So this is all just a very low key, casual, like, let's put you guys in the studio type thing. It's 1986. Brian's gonna go and hang out with Gary Usher and just kinda write some songs, produce a couple tunes on his own. No Beach Boys involved, no plans beyond just like, let's see what's going on in the studio. So they get together. Gary Usher says, I asked Brian how he was and he said, fine. He was in a much more positive mood than he had been the previous time I spoke to him on the phone. Brian said, you know, I was at the piano this morning kind of writing a song, and I don't know why, but I got a heart on. I had to go to the bathroom and masturbate.
- [21:44]
Evan
Take that back.
- [21:45]
Ian
Didn't know what to say.
- [21:46]
Evan
Take it back. Just say it again. Just say the sentence before that again and then start from there.
- [21:53]
Ian
Brian said, you know, I was at the piano this morning kind of writing a song, and I don't know why, but I got a heart on. I had to go to the bathroom and masturbate.
- [22:02]
Evan
Okay. For a second, I just wanted to be sure that this wasn't Gary Usher saying that.
- [22:08]
Ian
No, this is Gary Usher saying it. But he's quoting Brian just to be sure.
- [22:12]
Evan
Because Brian, it's like, anything goes. Okay, I understand. Of course. I know how it is, Brian.
- [22:17]
Ian
You know how it is.
- [22:18]
Evan
It would be a lot weirder if it was like I was Just kind of like auditing. Brian Wilson playing the piano. And I had to crank one out.
- [22:26]
Ian
Gary says, I didn't know what to say. I looked at Scott. This is Scott Steinberg, a limousine driver who's ferrying Brian up and down Malibu Canyon at this moment in time, Employee of Landy's. Scott started laughing. I started laughing, and I said to Brian, you know, there's gotta be a song in there somewhere. Little more color about what's going on just in, you know, the house.
- [22:48]
Evan
Sounds like we're getting a lot of color about what's going on.
- [22:50]
Ian
Well, you're about to get even more. Gary's studio is in, like, a garage in the backyard of his Calabasas estate at this moment. And he says when Brian went to the bathroom, he wouldn't close the door because he felt claustrophobic. It was awkward at home because the bathroom is right off the kitchen. Brian would just walk in and go to the bathroom with the door open. And there would be my wife working on dinner just a few feet away. It was kind of odd for her, especially when Brian would yell from the bathroom, hey, sue, bring me a cup of coffee, would you? Also, Brian's craving for coffee was proof to me that he was still in need of stimulants. He was supposed to be off coffee, per Landy's orders, so we kept an eye on him. The case of the coffee in the bathroom was interesting because sue, his wife, simply inquired, well, are you supposed to have it? And Brian replied, it's okay. Then he heard Scott Steinberg again coming in from the studio. And so he ran to the kitchen and drank the entire cup before Scott could get there. I guess it was hard for him to be dry. However, he made another interesting comment to me at one of the sessions. We were having a good time, and he said, hey, what do you say we go get an injection of morphine? That sent a chill right down my spine. I didn't know what to say. It gave me the feeling that he'd been in and around some of that at some period in his life. I wasn't aware of the fact that he was on hard stuff, but that gave me a strong suspicion that he had been. Yeah, I think that just sort of speaks to the arrangement that he has with Dr. Landy at this moment in time. He's not even allowed to drink a cup of coffee, lest one of Eugene Landy's little minions find out. And yet he's still proffering morphine to his buddy Gary Usher. So they get to Work, the two of them putting these songs together, and they start getting kind of excited. It's sort of a halting back and forth, stop and start process. But little by little, they're making progress here throughout the summer of 1986.
- [24:42]
Evan
They're getting excited.
- [24:47]
Ian
One of them is getting excited, and just wait for this on a song they were working on. Once the first verse was completed, the second was tackled. Halfway through the third, the tape machine broke down. Usher, who had constantly tried to instill an aura of professionalism into the proceedings, was quite embarrassed. This was not the first time it had happened, but again, it was beyond his control. Quoting Gary Usher now, he says, I walked over to Brian, gave him a little massage on the back, kind of rubbing him to make him feel good. While I apologize for the breakdown, he fluffed him. He said it was okay not to worry about it in that respect. Brian was very patient and understanding. Also, while he was on the floor relaxing, now they're on the floor, Brian's on the floor. He said, gary, what we need right now is a good shot of heroin. He did not get the heroin, but it does sound like he's on substances at this moment in time.
- [25:40]
Evan
If you're into all kinds of drugs like he is, you've got to have your stimulants and your downers. So you can always be at a state of extra medium.
- [25:51]
Ian
You know, you gotta be at supreme equilibrium.
- [25:53]
Evan
You gotta feel just more normal than anyone else in the world. But doing that requires taking extremely dangerous combinations of drugs.
- [26:04]
Ian
You're balanced on a knife's edge.
- [26:07]
Evan
Yeah.
- [26:09]
Ian
And, you know, balance is maybe not Brian's strongest, strongest suit at this moment in time. They're working on a couple songs, one of which is called Heavenly Bodies. There's demos out there of that song didn't end up getting released officially, but, you know, check that out somewhere. Gary Asher says towards the end of the session for Heavenly Bodies, Brian and Kevin. This is another one of Landy's little characters who, it should be noted, Kevin, the nickname for these guys, these little, you know, kind of goons that he has.
- [26:49]
Evan
Henchmen Goons.
- [26:50]
Ian
Yeah, the Brian Wilson specific terminology for these henchmen, these goons is surf Nazis, which I think is just Google Brian Wilson surf Nazis. And these guys names will pop right up. It's, you know, it's stranger than fiction. I don't know.
- [27:12]
Evan
Imagine like tall blonde guys with a Hawaiian lei on, but the lei is black, red and white.
- [27:19]
Ian
Right, Exactly. It's honestly probably not that far off from reality towards the end of the session, Brian and Kevin Surf Nazi, were getting ready to leave. Kevin said, can I have a tape copy of the music? So Brian ran through the song with a click track, but not a code. That's part of the machine that he was using. He just threw it down. I then dubbed it off onto a cassette. As Usher handed the copy over Leslie, Kevin Leslie confronted him with the demand that Dr. Landing now wanted all the master tapes from all of these sessions, not just a copy of the song in progress. I said, well, what does he want with them? He can't listen to them. He doesn't have the equipment to play them. And there isn't. There aren't too many Fostech 16s anyway. The Fostech 16 is the big elaborate apparatus they're using at this time. Having the tapes wouldn't do him any good. Kevin says, well, he wants to see what's on them. And I replied, well, he's not going to be able to see what's on them. The only thing he's going to be able to see is the legend on the box. Quite frankly, the tapes are not going to leave this studio. If you want the information, copy it down. You can copy the titles, you can copy the dates. This is all the information there is. I mention this because this is. This is basically what's going on already early on in this process. And what kind of goes on throughout the rest of this process is Landy is never actually at any of these sessions with. With Gary Usher. He isn't really involved with Brian in the music making to any great extent, but he is always sending one of these little surf nazis there to monitor the proceedings, monitor Brian, and then at this point try to basically demand the music back in his clutches. And it just.
- [28:55]
Evan
We are taking some music, Brian, whether you want it or not, we're taking it back.
- [29:00]
Ian
That's basically it.
- [29:03]
Evan
You can't even take these. You have nothing to play them on. Take some music.
- [29:07]
Ian
They just want it. And to his credit, Gary Usher fights that off and kind of maintains the tapes. But this is what's going on. Landy's kind of trying to pull the strings from a distance. And as much fun and enjoyment as Brian might be having making these records, they're being made and then trying to be sort of controlled and taken away from him almost immediately.
- [29:32]
Evan
Basically, it's like when Indiana Jones has to work with the SS guy. It's like he's the only one who can show them where the ARC is.
- [29:38]
Ian
Yes, that's. Honestly, yes, it's a very appropriate metaphor. Back and forth. This goes on for quite some time. We're now two, three months into the project. They start calling. Usher starts calling it the project again. He's not making a record. The idea kind of loosely gets formulated that they're making demos of Brian Wilson songs to pitch to record companies that they would then listen to and then kind of write him a record contract at that point. Brian continues to get confused and thinks that he actually is making a record. But the project, that's kind of what it constantly gets referred to as. Eventually, Landy and Usher end up having a face to face meeting at the Sea lion on the coast there in Malibu. Do you know what the Sea Lion. Do you ever go to the Sea Lion?
- [30:30]
Evan
I don't think that exists anymore.
- [30:32]
Ian
The Sea Lion Malibu, famous Malibu seafood restaurant on PCH that closed in 1996, becoming the site of Duke's Malibu.
- [30:42]
Evan
Oh, wait, really? Well, we all know Duke's Malibu.
- [30:45]
Ian
That's right. We, you know, legendary. Legendary Malibu. Is that. Is Duke still there?
- [30:51]
Evan
Yeah, yeah, well, it was. It didn't get burned down, but there was a mudslide and so it's been under construction. It's going to be reopening soon, I think.
- [31:01]
Ian
Huh.
- [31:02]
Evan
But yeah, Ruby's grandmother, Gidget. Gidget is the ambassador of aloha at Duke's.
- [31:11]
Ian
When I talked to Kyle from Little Wings, he mentioned something about how he would go to Duke's. Has gone to Duke's and likes to shoot the shit and knock back a couple drinks with Gidget.
- [31:21]
Evan
Yeah, yeah, you can start to do that pretty soon, I think.
- [31:25]
Ian
Once again, not that good of food at Dukes.
- [31:29]
Evan
No, but good vibes. Yeah, it's about the vibes.
- [31:34]
Ian
Yeah. Well, that's where Eugene Landy is having this business meeting is the site that would become Duke's. After a couple introductory drinks, the meeting began with Dr. Landy stating the first thing on his agenda was the songwriting issue. He explained again, backed by Tom Hewlett, Beach Boys manager, that years earlier, when Brian was £300 with little likelihood of survival, he had entered into an agreement with him. Landy and Brian had entered into an agreement to supply his full time, 24 hours a day care in return for 25% of Brian's copyrights. It was the only way Brian could afford his much needed services. Quoting Gary Usher again, agreements had been drawn up and the problem Landy was now facing was that Brian and I were riding together and that meant a 50, 50 split. I would get 50%, but Brian would have to split his 50% with Landy. Therefore, Brian would only receive 25% and I would end up with more of the publishing than Brian. So the deal that came down was that if I was going to co write with Brian, then I would also have to be willing to accept that landy would take 25% off the top of my songwriting credits, leaving Brian and I to split the remaining 75%, which would come out to 37.5% apiece. We don't need to go too far into the business details here. But again, just to clarify, to stress this, Landy is take is taking a quarter of all the rights and profits from everything that Brian Wilson is generating at this time. Not only that, he's taking that amount from anyone who's writing with Brian at this moment in time. Gary Usher. So I think you start to see that despite the fact that Eugene Landy might have professed to want to fix Brian and bring him back out into reality and get him upright and ready to go as a recording artist again, the guy might have some ulterior motives.
- [33:28]
Evan
You don't say. The part where he's like, my plan is that you have to sign away your creative gifts 25%.
- [33:37]
Ian
To me, this is literally, you know, the devil in Robert Johnson. Except, you know, real, basically. And also, you don't get, you know, what does Robert Johnson get from the devil? He gets like, he's the best guitar player ever or whatever.
- [33:50]
Evan
Yeah, yeah. It just gets to me. He's all written. This is Brian Wilson's like, what could he ask the devil for, you know, in terms of talent? He's.
- [33:58]
Ian
He doesn't need it.
- [33:59]
Evan
Lacking that. It's.
- [34:01]
Ian
He makes a deal with the devil, and the devil just puts him on a diet.
- [34:04]
Evan
Yeah, yeah. That makes him close to the door to the bathroom.
- [34:09]
Ian
A few days after this meeting, David Leaf called in on Gary Usher. He brought with him a tape containing a couple hours worth of material Brian had worked on from 1972 to 1984. Among the varied selection were songs Brian had recorded in the studio with and without the Beach Boys, and some rough piano demos. Just Brian and piano. Of all the songs, Usher was impressed by, two in particular, One of which was titled Still I Dream of It. Hmm, interesting.
- [34:35]
Evan
Great song.
- [34:36]
Ian
Great song. This is before that song is really out there and anyone's aware of it, but Gary Usher says, I was very attracted to Still I Dream of It. I'd heard it some time ago, and David Leaf also had it. I liked it so much that when Brian was Over. I said, hey, Brian, you got a song that I think is just great. I love it. I absolutely love it. I think if it had a more contemporary lyric, more of a male, female theme, it could be a nice album. Candidate. Real beautiful song. It really shows off a nice side of you. Brian said, go ahead, no problem. I mentioned it to Dr. Landy, who was not at all excited about the idea. He immediately mentioned that he thought it was an old copyright that Brian did not own or have control of. This, of course, meant that Eugene would not be able to claim his 25%. He said he would do a copyright search for me and find out. Of course, this subject ends up getting dropped, but just the concept of this song still, I dream of it at this moment in time. They dig it out of the vaults and, hey, this might be a great song to put on the record for you, Brian. Obviously it would have been. It just gets kind of kiboshed and squashed. Not because it isn't a great song. It is a great song, but because Landy can't collect his rent off of it. Grotesque.
- [35:51]
Evan
Horrible.
- [35:52]
Ian
So we're a little ways down the line. Brian is going to go to a Moody Blues concert, Labor Day weekend. Gary Usher says, we got into the limo driven by Scott Steinberg, and I was informed Brian was gonna take a date to this concert. And the date he was gonna take was a girl by the name of Melinda. She was a car salesperson. Melinda is going to be. She's going to come back again in this story down the line. Brian had just bought a brand new 86 Seville. Two tone, brown and tan. Real beautiful car. Sounds handsome. He got it from a Cadillac dealer, and Melinda was the person who sold it to him. He liked the girl, I'm sure platonically, because she'd been very nice to him. And so he had asked her if she wanted to go to a Moody Blues concert. I don't know the first thing about the Moody. Have you listened to the Moody Blues?
- [36:44]
Evan
Not really. I can picture the album cover, but.
- [36:48]
Ian
I'm just thinking of the Blues Brothers.
- [36:50]
Evan
It's different from that.
- [36:52]
Ian
I know it's different from that, but I don't know how it's different from that.
- [36:56]
Evan
What's their big song? It's like the.
- [37:00]
Ian
I'm sure Stephen would be chastising me if he were here right now.
- [37:02]
Evan
Yeah, both of us.
- [37:04]
Ian
Not my problem. Gary Usher says, quoting Gary Usher here. This is not my words. Gary Usher's words should be noted. Gary Usher is Jewish. I'm saying that for the context of what he's about to say. Brian and I met her, Melinda. And she was what I would call a Fairfax Jew with a nose job. Nice gal, 35 years old, former model out of New York, now a little older, a little wrinkled. She was selling cars and doing quite well. She mentioned she had sold 18 cars during August, so she was doing all right. She was very nice, very open, very honest. She and Brian had as much in common as apples and bananas, which I guess I think he's trying to imply they don't have a lot in common. Although apples and bananas, they are fruits. They're different kinds of fruits.
- [37:48]
Evan
They're very different fruit, let's be real.
- [37:50]
Ian
That's fair. During the Moody Blues concert, Scott Steinberg passed a card to me and asked me to give it to Brian. They're all sitting in rows here. Brian couldn't read it, so I got my wife to read it to him. The card had come from Dr. Landy, and on it was a set of instructions. Brian, be nice to your date. Show her some love. Put your arm around her. So Brian, out of respect to that request, put his arm around Melinda and for the remainder of the concert, left it there. But that's as far as it went. Later that night at a bar, actually, at the. I think the Beverly Hilton, I want to say. Either that or the Beverly Hills Hotel, one of the two. Anyways, hanging out. Brian mentioned to me in 1985 that he tried to commit suicide. And I said, well, how'd you do that? And he replied, I was swimming and I just decided to commit suicide. I just started swimming straight out into the Pacific. But someone saw me and came out and got me and pulled me back in. I don't know how seriously to take that little aside. That's the extent of that. I just. I hope that it wasn't, you know, too terribly true.
- [38:59]
Evan
How far did he get in?
- [39:01]
Ian
Yeah, I guess maybe about as far as he got on that. That John Belushi Dan Aykroyd skit on the.
- [39:07]
Evan
Maybe that's what he was talking about.
- [39:10]
Ian
He could. He could well be. Anyways, Brian and Melinda have a good time. He's awkward and is told by Landy to invite her to future get togethers and forgets to do it and then remembers to do it and is told to do it, and she ends up accepting. Long story short, or just to, you know, spoil it for people out there, they end up getting married. Brian and Melinda Wilson. So this is the start of the next great love in his life. But so we'll come back to her in the future. Here, scooting along with Gary Usher, I do want to mention here a little more about what they were talking about in the studio during the recording for the project. Gary says, we went back into the studio. This is some months down the line. This is in fall of 1986. And Brian walked over between the speakers and started talking to me about drugs. I mentioned the fact at one time or another that I'd never taken cocaine in my life. Other than the marijuana, I'd never really taken any drugs. Well, he went on for half an hour giving me a speech. It was almost as though he was on a podium, as though he was in a therapy session with Dr. Landy. Brian Spiel went on and on how drugs were really a source of destruction both financially and physically. It was not just talk because Brian was extremely serious and held himself up as an example of what drugs can do to an individual. He admitted that for five straight years all he did was take cocaine. Coke for himself, coke for his friends, three or four hundred dollars a shot every day, every night, all he did was snort coke. He also admitted that he drank at least 12, 12 cups of coffee a day. He said, I didn't have the maturity to keep myself from abusing myself, so now I've got to pay the price. Now I have to live in a strange hell. I'm under 24 hour psychiatric treatment and I'll probably be that way for the rest of my life. That's the problem with being a 19 or 20 year old kid with a million dollars. It absolutely ruins you. Brian put a lot of blame on the fact, the circumstances that he found himself in. He then went on to say how frustrating it was for him knowing he couldn't be free. He looked at Kevin the surf Nazi and said, you know, I'm never alone. I don't even get a chance to take a vacation alone. Since I started in Dr. Landy's program, I've never been alone once. I can't even take a ride to see my friends. I can't call, I can't do anything. I'm a prisoner and I have to be that way for the rest of my life. Sometimes I wake up in the morning and I put the pillow over my head and I scream. He then he made a screaming sound. He said, I scream so loud. The pain, it hurts me so much because I'm so screwed up that I can't live and conduct a normal life. I went through a period of time where I didn't like anybody. I didn't trust anybody. I feel like that's an interesting kind of glimpse into what we were talking about earlier. Brian not as this totally helpless person, but as someone with some degree of agency who nevertheless finds himself in just fucked up circumstances. He's aware of all this. It's not like he's not seeing this and not feeling it himself. He's, he's awake, he's alert, he understands what's happening to him. But at the same time he, for whatever reason just can't stop it. And so it has to continue to happen to him. It's a little bit like those stories when you hear people are having surgery and they give him some sort of knockout drug, but it doesn't actually put them to sleep. And then they wake up in the middle of the surgery, but they can't move or say anything. So they're just feeling all of these cuts and pokes and prod. It's like it's, it's brutal.
- [42:52]
Evan
Yeah. It's also, you know, reminds me of those like conservatorship nightmare stories like with.
- [42:58]
Ian
Like the Britney Spears thing. Exactly.
- [43:00]
Evan
You know, also just when people are like sent to institutions and they are kept there for some arbitrary reason. Like it's situations like this where somebody's judged based on the worst that they can ever feel. And it doesn't matter that that's not a constant state or that that's an extreme that can be helped another way. It's just like that's the new standard. This person is that dangerous to themselves always.
- [43:40]
Ian
Part of Brian's problem, it seemed, was that he lacked faith not only in himself, but in people in general. It was not only his record business dealings that had instilled distrust in him. It went back much further than that to his childhood as the victim of an abusive father and the son of a mother who herself was equally victimized. Brian's values and faith in human nature had not been given the chance to form in a proper environment. This problem had been magnified as he grew older. The more successful and famous he became, the more insecurity took hold.
- [44:08]
Evan
Oh, in that time when his dad tried to sell, sold all his music behind his back. That too.
- [44:17]
Ian
Imagine that, you know, tempting or tempting your faith in humanity. Brian stated it was during this period of time. This is quoting Usher again. That it really hurt him to look someone in the eye. He didn't have faith in anything, especially human beings. They said things to hurt him and to take advantage of him. He could not understand why a person would want to do that. It was hard for him to shake someone's hand or take them into his confidence because he really had been hurt by people around him who were very close. Difficult set of circumstances here for dear Brian. To lighten things up a little bit here. This relationship continues to go on and on. I'm again not going to go into all the details here because we've already gone on quite some time here, but just one last little, delicious little look into Brian's time with Gary Usher here as they're working together on the project and going back and forth and Landy is trying to steal tapes and take songwriting credits and arguing with them and just causing a fucking ruckus. Brian and Usher were invited to the Anaheim Convention center and this is early 87 for the Yamaha Music Awards. Brian was going to be a special guest. Quoting Gary, he says, I was dressed in my pinstripe suit and vest. I looked pretty sharp. Brian was in his silver gray suit, which didn't really fit him too well. He probably had it when he weighed more. His collar was at least two sizes too big. It was a shame they didn't take the time to make sure he got dressed properly. I don't think Brian cared about things like that, but it should have been rectified by Eugene. That's what I thought he was supposed to do, look after things like that. One of the first guests Usher encountered at the Yamaha Music Awards was George Martin. He was older than I remembered him, much taller. He was also quite hard of hearing, which I thought was quite amazing. I really enjoyed talking with him, although he had to turn his head to the side all the time. I also spoke with Quincy Jones, Michael Jackson's producer. Usher found Quincy Jones to be quite receptive and the two producers spent some time discussing general topics while they buzzed around. Usher discovered at Brian's expense that Quincy Jones also possessed a keen sense of humor. Quoting Usher, I was talking to Quincy later that evening and Brian walked over to the table, sat down and said, quincy, I'd like to invite you out afterwards for some champagne. We'll go to the club downstairs and just kind of drink some champagne. Quincy replied, thank you very much. It was really nice of you, Brian, but if I don't get a young girl by 11pm I'll start having a heart attack. I wouldn't be. Wouldn't be much fun down there. Brian misunderstood him and said, you're having a heart attack. Are you alright? And he stood up in alarm. Quincy looked at me and just broke out in Laughter Brian then realized he had said something wrong and left. Just walked away from the table. It goes on to be explained that Eugene has set Brian with the task of going around this convention and glad handing with all the famous people and shaking hands and trying to invite them to drink champagne in the club. This was not Brian's forte. Gary Usher says he was awkward. So they kind of asked me if I would go around with him. I said all right, just to give him some support. It was like three little kids. These are the surf Nazis pushing some big guy to do something wrong. Here was myself and Kevin and Scott, all under instruction from Landy, who wasn't there. Parading Brian around the room looking. Looking for another victim to drink champagne with. It was just so unreal and awkward for Brian, for example, to walk up to Little Richard and ask him to go out afterwards and have some champagne. Especially when Little Richard's as gay as they. As gay as they come. What was even worse was that Brian went around the room all night long cutting these extra extremely unpleasant farts. In fact, he let the biggest one go while he was in a group taking a picture. It was just horrible. And everybody was trying to be polite, not knowing what to do. Marie Osmond of Donny and Marie was holding her nose. And I thought the girl behind the bar was just going to buckle over. So it just. I love the idea of Brian Wilson in a suit three sizes too big. Accidentally trying to proposition Little Richard for some sort of gay tryst. And just farting like a madman the entire time. You gotta laugh to keep the tears away. I think. I think we can probably leave it there with Gary Usher. Basically, you know, it just kind of goes back and forth and back and forth. They continue to work on these songs over time. And two steps forward, three steps back type of thing. Eventually, ultimately, he gets the boot. He gets completely shut out of everything. After having staked Brian for all these sessions at his own personal studio, after having written all these songs with Brian, after having kind of endlessly devoted himself to this project for over a year, it comes around to the fact that Landy just kind of cuts him out completely. And he doesn't even end up having a credit on the record that ends up being made whatsoever. Even though he in large part was the reason that it got made to pick back up with David Leaf here moving forward into 1988. The truth, as we know, is that Landy would constantly interfere in Brian's work as the boss. Landy would be credited as executive producer on Brian's first solo album, as well as co writer on five songs. You can actually see this on the credits. I was looking at my copy of the record earlier today. Before anyone's credit on the entire album. It says executive producer Dr. Eugene Landy above literally every other person involved. Whether it was writing lyrics for Brian or determining who had access to him, Landy was in charge day or night. Brian did what he was told following Landy's program. What nobody knew at that moment was that a divorce was in the offing between Brian and the Beach Boys. Landy was in the process of taking Brian solo. This is back in this moment in time. Regardless of his motives, perhaps nothing in Brian's life or the story of the Beach Boys was more significant than the decision Landy made for Brian's next album to be made under Brian's name. And that, I think, is really, like, the central question we gotta wrestle with here, or that's worth kind of recognizing, is like, all of the shit, all the fucked up songwriting credits and the control and the surf Nazis and whatever from Eugene Landy is horrific and horrendous and just, on its face, evil shit. But at the same time, he does ultimately end up helping Brian become Brian and no longer a member of the Beach Boys. And I don't. Like. I still haven't settled on a satisfying answer as to whether or not this was a net positive or a net negative or whatever. But we do have to at least acknowledge that there is something good that comes of all this shit at the.
- [51:27]
Evan
End of the day, you know, I guess. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, let's get into what, I suppose.
- [51:38]
Ian
Well, yeah, so Brian Wilson, the record ends up coming about because of a meeting that Brian has with Seymour Stein, who was president of Sire Records at Warner Brothers at this moment in time. That's an imprint of Warner Brothers. They get involved with each other after Brian inducts Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller into the Rock hall of Fame. This is in 1987. And Seymour Stein. And Brian sings on Broadway Acapella at the performance. Great, you know, great performance there from Brian. And Seymour. Stein decides, hey, let's make a record. Let's get Brian in. He's aware of the efforts that Brian's been going through with Gary Usher and says, you know, come on in, let's do this. And he ends up bringing in this guy Andy Paley, who, I don't need to go too far into detail on his scene, but he was a member of a band called the Paley Brothers, sort of the Lemon Twigs before the Lemon Twigs. Really. If you've ever listened to the Paley Brothers. Very Beach Boys influence, but from like the late 1970s kind of. He was a staff producer working on the Dick Tracy soundtrack at this moment in time, actually.
- [52:48]
Evan
I mean the movie Dick Tracy.
- [52:50]
Ian
The movie. The soundtrack to Dick Tracy. Exactly. And so Andy Paley ends up kind of getting brought in as Gary Usher is Ushered. Haha, no pun intended, is ushered out. And they end up having a great relationship, Andy Paley and Brian. But it's just as fucked up, just as fractious as the kind of situation with Gary Usher was because Landy continues to constantly get in and evolve and overstep and whatever. Lenny Waronker also starts playing a part at this moment in time. He's the head of Warner's. We remember Lenny, of course, from his lifelong collaboration and friendship with Mr. Randy Newman. Interestingly, actually at one point in time there was supposed to be a Randy Bryan co write, actually duet on this first Brian Wilson album. They were supposed to be a Randy song and a Madonna song. Neither of those ended up coming out. Let me guess, but Eugene Landy, I think that had. I think that had something to do with it, to be honest.
- [53:54]
Evan
Well, he can't just be like Randy Newman, Madonna. Thanks for coming. Thanks for meeting me at the Sea Lion. I would like to have 25% of whatever you make on this.
- [54:09]
Ian
Yeah, exactly. Madonna. Give me a quarter of everything here. Ridiculous. Lenny, it should be noted, is envisioning a new age album from Brian at this moment in time, even as Andy Paley is in there. But he wants a whole record full of cool, cool water type songs. He literally quotes cool, cool water, you know, from the end of Sunflower. I want a whole album full of that.
- [54:28]
Evan
I want a whole album full of that.
- [54:29]
Ian
It does sound kind of tight. But Lenny ends up being the one who sort of on his advice, like Rio Grande is sort of the realization of that at the end of the album. Which you know we'll get to when we talk about it. Anyways, Seymour and I just.
- [54:44]
Evan
So funny. Matt. New age album. Like you're getting a massage and Rio Grande is playing.
- [54:50]
Ian
That's right. Night Bloomin Jasmine. Andy Paley says Seymour and I went out to Brian's Malibu house. Lanny was trying to be charming. Various people who worked for him were hanging around, videotaping everything. All of that was ridiculous. I knew Brian's history and I knew what was going on with quote, the shrink. Just got down to the fact that Brian was interested in playing Music for us. As he played, Brian might be saying, this isn't finished. There were some songs I knew because I had all the bootlegs, although I didn't. Brian didn't know Brian well enough to say so again, Andy Paley is like a Beach Boys nut fanatic. Kind of the perfect person to put put with him. What Andy heard, knowing Brian's musical history so well, was a mixed bag. The music was cool, the melodies and some of the chord changes. I can hear a very natural Brian Wilson lyric. I'm pretty good at spotting those. And I'm a big fan of his lyrics, I really am. But the lyrics to songs Brian played that day were kind of awkward, just kind of plodding. They were bringing songs down rather than lifting them up. And it was pretty evident from the start that Landy was writing these songs with Brian. Maybe Alexandra, this is Eugene Landy's secretary and potentially romantic interest. She might have been involved in lyric writing as well. Without the quality of songs Seymour and Andy heard that day and Andy's confidence and determination to handle this difficult set of circumstances, it's unlikely there would have been a deal. But Andy moved to LA to supervise the project with Brian. And they end up, you know, kind of again, by hook or by crook, working it out together the same way that Gary Usher did over time. A lot of back and forth, a lot of bullshit from Eugene Landy, but ultimately it ends up being. Being part of what makes this record, this record. And he survived the craziness. Quoting David Leaf again, because working on music with Brian was the ultimate reward. One of his favorite stories, that was about a very rare day off. Quoting Andy Landy. Eugene had me on a beeper. There's tons of shit about Eugene Landy's beepers. Just beepers out the wazoo. At this moment in time, I still don't really know what a beeper does call.
- [56:57]
Evan
It tells you that someone's calling your home phone, I think.
- [57:00]
Ian
Right. But like, why don't they just call you?
- [57:02]
Evan
Well. Cause people don't have the ring. Well, if you're.
- [57:05]
Ian
I guess you're not by the phone.
- [57:06]
Evan
You don't have a cell phone. So you're out. You're out and about. You're at the Sea lion and then you get a beep saying that somebody's called you.
- [57:14]
Ian
It seems pretty complicated to me.
- [57:15]
Evan
Yeah, I think that's how it works anyway.
- [57:18]
Ian
Yeah, Landy had me on a beeper. I didn't work for him, but he thought I did. I was either going to Brian's house every day or into the studio every day. I was deeply involved in the whole thing. I was living close to Warner Brothers Records. This is in Burbank. It was a crazy long, round trip drive to Malibu from Burbank, brother, let me tell you, it is. But it was worth it because I was working with Brian Wilson. I had to keep telling myself that. And yet I didn't really have to keep telling myself that because there were plenty of high points, plenty of really good collaboration, But I was beat. A friend of mine from Boston came to visit me. He said, you look exhausted. You got circles under your eyes. I said, look at this situation, man. This crazy, psychotic fake shrink has me on a beeper. His office calls me a hundred times a day.
- [58:04]
Evan
Glad someone's fucking say it. This fake shrink.
- [58:09]
Ian
And I'm actually working with someone who is, to me, one of the greatest songwriters ever. My friend said, we're gonna put this beeper here in your desk. I'm gonna take you out to play 18 holes of golf. It's Monday, the course will be empty. And we did. I really did relax. And I had a great time. And of course, when I got back, there were 35 messages on the answering machine. Messages from Landy, like, where the fuck are you? I've been trying to reach you for an hour and a half. You better call me right away. You're missing a golden opportunity. The reason Lanny was especially crazy that day was that, as Andy explains, Andy Paley explains, he, Eugene and Brian had run into Bob Dylan at the Malibu emergency room. Brian was there for his monthly checkup, and Bob was there to get stitches on his left hand. Brian suggested that I could just come over and join them at the house in Malibu. This is Bob's house in Malibu. And play guitar. Because Dylan had a bandage on his hand and he couldn't play. But he ended up missing it out. And he says, when I showed up to Brian next, he says, you'll never guess who was here yesterday. I love this from Brian. Folk music's Bob Dylan.
- [59:19]
Evan
Yeah. Wow.
- [59:24]
Ian
And we will get to their collaboration because Bob does appear on the Spirit of Rock and Roll from the never released second Brian Wilson solo album.
- [59:33]
Evan
Okay. I just. I can't get over him.
- [59:37]
Ian
Folk music telling.
- [59:39]
Evan
Telling someone who in the music business, you'll never guess who is here. Folk music's Bob Dylan. From, you know, from. I don't know if you follow folk music. Folk music in the year. What year is this?
- [59:53]
Ian
1988.
- [59:54]
Evan
Yeah, you know the folk musician Bob Dylan.
- [59:59]
Ian
I Love, Brian. In the midst of all this, this is connecting back to what we spoke about at the beginning of this. The Beach Boys were inducted into the Rock and Roll hall of fame in January 1988. Here, I think it's appropriate to spend a few minutes dwelling on this momentous occasion, because as Brian is actively attempting and in fits and starts making himself into a solo artist with the assistance of Andy Paley and Gary Usher, with the desistance of Eugene Landy, the Beach Boys are still fucking being. The Beach Boys are stressed nowhere more clearly than in the Rock hall of Fame induction, which includes one of the most extraordinary things I've ever seen from Mr. Michael Love.
- [60:52]
Evan
It's worth noting that anybody who wants to watch this and doesn't want to have the sensation of a drill being slowly drilled into their head can just stop immediately after Brian finishes his speech, which is the beginning part.
- [61:10]
Ian
I forgot about that part, like, because it's the mic. The mic thing is the famous thing from this 1988 induction of the Rock hall of Fame. But the beginning of the whole thing is Brian with these ego, enormous Uncle Junior glasses on, reading the most stilted, ramshackle speech ever, direct from a piece of paper.
- [61:30]
Evan
But I like the speech, though.
- [61:32]
Ian
I like it, too.
- [61:33]
Evan
The speech is nice. And it is like, just Brian's stuff, you know? It's like music is the voice of God. Remember that?
- [61:40]
Ian
Right?
- [61:42]
Evan
27 years ago, over a summer weekend in 1961, my cousin Mike, Mike Love, and I got a bright idea. We were going to write a song. My parents were going away and they left us some money for food. As soon as they split, we went to the music shop and rented some music equipment. By Sunday night, when my folks came home, we were very hungry and we had written a tune called Surfing. Who could have known then that 27 years and 52 albums later, we would be standing before you, receiving this very great honor? We're very proud and very grateful. During that, though, you get an ominous foretaste of what's to come. Because there's a part where, like, the mic, the mic stand, microphone, the mic stand, M I C stand, you know, it's a little low. And so then Mike Love intercedes and he pulls the mic. He's trying to adjust the stand for Brian. And you could already tell that there's sort of like dark clouds around him.
- [62:43]
Ian
You can tell he's. Something's brewing in there.
- [62:46]
Evan
Come on, Brian, you're taller than all these music studio bigwigs or whatever. He said.
- [62:54]
Gary Usher
You'Re Taller than most of these executives in the music business. He's a giant.
- [63:05]
Evan
I have all. I also started my day by listening to records by all of you. He says, you're a giant. He's a giant. And then it takes Brian, like, clearing his throat to find his spot again.
- [63:20]
Ian
Completely interrupts his flow. Exactly.
- [63:25]
Evan
And read the rest of his very. Yes, stilted, but very earnest and simple speech, which, if he had just stopped there, I think that everyone would have been thrilled just to see him and would have just been thinking, as they went home that night of sweet memories of the Beach Boys. And, oh, isn't it great that Brian's still around and he can go up and get this award? But there is a second part. There's some comments from Carl.
- [64:00]
Ian
Yeah, Carl has a very brief. Just like, I'm here to speak on behalf of Dennis, who is no longer. You know, we thank you all for inducting us. And he just steps away from the mic pretty much immediately.
- [64:09]
Evan
And then if that had been, you know, that would have been great to just call. End it there. But Mike's speech that he gives is.
- [64:21]
Ian
How long is it? It's only like four minutes, five minutes, something like that.
- [64:26]
Evan
It feels like the longest speech an hour. Interminable on many levels. It is. It is one of the most bitter, misguided, and embarrassing. It's just mortifying to even know that that happened ever. Like watching this, I just had to skip past it. I'd seen it in the past when I. Maybe it was easier to swallow when I knew less about the Beach Boys.
- [64:54]
Ian
Right. It's even worse. I just. I can't. I still can't wrap my mind around, like, what. What was Mike like? Why, like what? What did he think he was doing?
- [65:11]
Gary Usher
You heard from cousin Brian the reason why we started making music and the reason it keeps us going. And it sounds corny, but you can hear it in the harmonies. Those of you who are musicians and the reason why people like the Beach Boys is because we love harmony. We love music and we love harmony. And we love all people, too. When I went to school, high school, my cousin Brian and I would jump over the fence ditch class, we'd go surfing. Now, we couldn't surf very good, but it was a whole lifestyle thing. We would listen to the music, the R and B music at the time, and some of our favorite records were the doo wop type of deals. And there you go again with harmony. And I think it's wonderful to be here tonight, but I also think it's sad that there are other people who aren't here tonight. And those are the people who have passed away. Those are the obvious ones. But the other, other not so obvious ones are people like Paul McCartney who couldn't be here tonight because he's in a lawsuit with Ringo and Yoko. That's what he sent a telegram to some high priced attorney in this room, you know. Now that's a bummer because we're talking about harmony right in the world.
- [66:38]
Evan
Airing the laundry of Paul McCartney. Paul McCartney going out to. Out of his way to be like. Well of course there's people who can't be here tonight because they're, they're no longer with us. But you know what else I think is sad? I think it's Sad that Paul McCartney isn't here because he's having a lawsuit with Ringo and Yoko. I think it's sad that. Who else does he call out? He says, Ms. Ross, you can believe it.
- [67:15]
Gary Usher
The Beach Boys have their own intersticing or whatever you call it, Squabbles. But that's a bummer when Ms. Ross can't make it, you know.
- [67:23]
Ian
Ms. Ross, yeah, Diana Ross. The Supremes are getting inducted, but Diana isn't there. He also calls out Jagger and says Mick Jagger's not gonna be here. And Mick Jagger is in the audience and he's about to sing multiple song.
- [67:37]
Gary Usher
The Beach Boys continue to do about. We did about 180 performances last year. I like to see the mop tops match that. I'd like to see Mick Jagger get out on his stage and do I get around versus Jumping Jack Flash any day now.
- [68:01]
Evan
He is there. Mick Jagger is there. He's not too good for this event.
- [68:06]
Ian
He's literally in the audience. He's there to induct the Beatles. It's just the most baffling and yeah, like you said, meanest, most bitter, most bitter thing like I've ever heard from anyone. I guess what he's trying to say, like he kind of. He reels it in with this like harmony. Yeah, like harmony, exactly. This is all about music and we should all be together making the world a better place or whatever. But in between the beginning and end, where he kind of very lazily makes gestures in that direction, he's just prosecuting the harshest grudges you can imagine in this room full of the most famous people on the fucking planet. I guess it's worth noting this ceremony is also featuring the induction of Bob Dylan into the Rock hall and the Beatles and the Supremes and Bruce Springsteen is There to induct Bob, Mick Jagger, like we said, is there to induct the Beatles, the remaining Beatles. And one Mr. William Joel is even there.
- [69:08]
Evan
Yeah, he gets mentioned.
- [69:10]
Ian
He gets mentioned.
- [69:11]
Evan
Can he still come and tickle the ivories?
- [69:13]
Ian
Tickle the ivories. Oh, my God.
- [69:16]
Evan
Relentless. And it's not based on seemingly anything but this sort of ambient resentment. Yeah.
- [69:26]
Gary Usher
Now, a lot of people are going to go out of this room tonight thinking that Mike Love is crazy. Well, they've been saying that for years. Ain't nothing new about that. What I'm talking about is, forget this room. The United States is 6% of the population in the world. That's why I came here tonight with Muhammad Ali.
- [69:48]
Ian
It's completely disconnected from everything else going on in that room. There's also the Muhammad Ali thing, right where he says. Yeah, I didn't hear you say it back.
- [69:57]
Gary Usher
Muhammad, Salaam alaikum. I didn't hear you say alaikum salam. Alaikum salam.
- [70:19]
Ian
He said it as Muhammad Ali is in the beginning stages of Parkinson's, I believe what makes this even funnier also is I don't know if you watched any of the performances because in addition to the speeches and the inductions, they also all kind of gave performances. There's this Beatles performance where Billy Joel is singing some Beatles, which is great. There's a honestly pretty rockin version of Satisfaction sounds that. That Mick kind of kills. And Mike is very awkwardly standing off there to the side singing back up right alongside little Al and Bruce Johnson. I kind of love just seeing Bruce Johnson and Al Jardine right there next to Mick Jagger. And the Beach Boys also do Barbara Ann. And it's just the weakest, just like tinniest, shittiest sounding performance of Barbara Ann that you could ever imagine. And compare that to what they do on things like Satisfaction. They just. They sound and look so diminished, so weak next to all of these other people. And for Mike to be at the same time just like airing the dirtiest of laundry against everyone, it's just. It. You can't even really kind of hate watch this. You know, it's just like. I hate watching it is the thing.
- [71:34]
Evan
Yeah, I don't even like to hate. Watch it. I think I used to, but now I just find it.
- [71:41]
Ian
Unpleasant, just distasteful all around.
- [71:43]
Evan
There's no, like, upside to the cringe.
- [71:45]
Gary Usher
Okay. I don't care what anybody in this room thinks. You know, when they were talking about this, this guy with the guitar, you know, Arlo's father Woody Guthrie.
- [71:58]
Evan
Yeah.
- [71:59]
Gary Usher
Well, I knew that because my father used to sing some of those songs. And my father, mother the Wilson, Emily Wilson, I'm first cousin with Brian, Carl and the late Dennis, the surfer of the group. When they first came to California, they were Kansas Dust Bowl Swedes, all right? Swedish people who didn't have enough money to rent or buy a house. They lived in tents on the beach in Huntington Beach, California, when they first came out, all right? And now we're sitting in this room with all this glitterati of the glissando, all 6% of us. And we're hassling, we're fighting interstine squabbles, you know, messing around. What I want to see is this whole room. Recognize that there is one earth here. And I want us to do something fantastic. Fantastic with all this talent and all this wonderful spirit and soul. And I'd like to see some people kick out the jams. And I challenge the Boss to get up on stage and jam. I want to see Billy Joel, see if he can still tickle ivories. Let me see. I know Mick Jagger won't be here tonight. He's gonna have to stay in England. But I'd like to see us in the Coliseum. And him, Lemley Stadium, because he's always been chicken shit to get on stage.
- [73:32]
Evan
With the Beach Boys after knowing what. What's been going on behind the scenes. It just feels like salt on a wound to watch this. And he's wearing that big hat to. Like that.
- [73:47]
Ian
What kind of the UCLA hat?
- [73:48]
Evan
Like a big, like, flat brim with.
- [73:51]
Ian
His tux with, like, laurels on it or something. There's like, gold laurels, like, embroidered on the brim. It's a very elaborate hat.
- [74:00]
Evan
Yeah. Of course, the ending of that clip is the excellent save by Elton John. Elton John, who swoops in and says, thank fuck he didn't mention me.
- [74:16]
Ian
Thank fuck he didn't mention me. Bob, of course, in his. In his acceptance speech. Also, thanks, Mike Love, for not mentioning him.
- [74:24]
Evan
It's also riffed on by Little Richard.
- [74:27]
Ian
Oh, my God.
- [74:28]
Evan
Which is.
- [74:28]
Ian
We don't even have time to do the Little Richard thing. But he's also just off on his own fucking planet in a totally different way.
- [74:35]
Evan
I was happy to see that the comments for under the Little Richard video, which is a separate. Were like, gotta love him. Like, he's crazy. He's a true original. What a character. You all gonna make me scream like a white lady.
- [74:58]
Ian
Shut up. You know, white lady said, oh.
- [75:02]
Evan
Black lady said, whoo. I Feel surreal. I mean, he's like the Joker. He's like the joker from the 60s. Batman. He's like Cesar Romero Joker.
- [75:15]
Ian
He's Cesar Romero Joker. Exactly. And Mike Love is the Jared Leto Joker. Just the least pleasant incarnation.
- [75:24]
Evan
I mean, I can't say much more about Little Richard here, but did you happen to see that there's this one clip of Little Richard from, I guess around the same time where he's talking about his influence, saying all these other great rock stars, they sold more from Tutti Frutti than I ever did. But I'm happy. I like that. I'm glad that it's made of this impact because I was just this Jewish boy.
- [75:54]
Ian
I had Billy Preston on my organ, James Brown and Joe Tex was my vocalist. I had all of them. That's the reason I'm the king. All of them came from me. Po, little old bitty me. A little Jewish boy, black bottom from.
- [76:08]
Evan
Georgia, refers to himself as a Jewish boy.
- [76:13]
Ian
He rocks. I love Little Richard.
- [76:15]
Evan
He's tapped into some kind of other force, of course.
- [76:19]
Ian
I just love the energy that he's bringing. I do have to say, watching these clips of this whole thing, especially the performances where you got Mick Jagger and Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan and George Harrison and Ringo and Billy Joel and Mike Love and the rest of the Beach Boys and Paul Schaefer on a keytar and Jeff Lynn and they're all.
- [76:39]
Evan
At this thing that feels like a school assembly.
- [76:43]
Ian
It feels like the G building at Agora High School. Exactly.
- [76:46]
Evan
Like a multi purpose room talent show atmosphere feels so rinky dink.
- [76:51]
Ian
It's incredibly chintzy. And yet I feel like I understand what the Marvel guys get, you know, when they go to see the characters and they see, well, they see all their favorite characters. They see Spider man and Iron man and the Hulk, but they also see like the Chinese guy and Benedict Cumberbatch and you know, the Red Hulk or.
- [77:12]
Evan
Whatever and the Chinese Hulk.
- [77:13]
Ian
They're all teaming up to fight Thanos or whatever. Like that's kind of how I feel seeing literally all of our guys up there on the stage playing.
- [77:23]
Evan
They're all quipping about the supervillain Mike.
- [77:29]
Ian
So, you know, it's not all bad news here. Back to Brian wrapping this whole thing up. As the work dragged on in 1988, after this insane induction ceremony, the Brian Wilson album was becoming one of the most expensive records of the decade, maybe ever. It cost close to a million dollars. This is in 1988 money, which do the math at home, but quite A bit in today money. Besides Andy Paley and Russ Teitelman, another producer. Brian was recording with other co writers and co producers, including Jeff Lynn and Lindsey Buckingham. Lenny Warrenker was in the studio too. Months went by, songs were rewritten, lead vocals re recorded. Brian no longer had the ability to stand up to a loud, abusive figure. That made him something of an easy mark for Landy, who understood the weakest aspect of Brian's nature from his childhood on. Brian didn't like being yelled at. He would do anything to avoid that. In the earliest days of the Beach Boys career, the group and Brian needed Murray to keep the suits away. But Murray created his own static, which is why the Beach Boys eventually fired him. But the damage Murray had done to Brian made it more likely for him to be victimized by Landy. I think that's a pretty strong reading of things that Landy ends up becoming this sort of alternate father figure disciplinarian in Brian's life. I don't think it's any coincidence that he kind of falls in with Lanny just a year or two after Murray dies in the early 70s for the first time for Andy Paley, under normal circumstances, this all would have been the thrill of a lifetime. But Landy's seeming control over every aspect of Brian's life, from diet to exercise to socializing, and more frightening from what we were hearing, prescription drugs, was total. For the moment, all those issues were set aside. I, David Leaf, don't say that with pride, but everybody's primary goal was making this first solo album as good as possible and one that would sell a lot of copies. Warner's publicity and marketing machinery was gearing up to sell the record. But in June 1988, a month before the album hit the stores, the LA Times published a major article on the Brian and Landy relationship titled actually Bad Vibrations. Didn't even realize that existed when we stole that title from for one of our earlier episodes. I had a whole bunch of shit highlighted in this too. I think we've been going on for quite some time, so we don't need to go too far in depth. But I will just say that around this moment in time, the state licensing board in California starts investigating Eugene Landy for his potential malpractice as a psychologist for Brian Wilson. Not only that, but there are also claims of a female patient of Landy's who stated that Landy forced her to have sex with him, assigned her to have sex with others, escorted her to an orgy and took cocaine and amyl nitrate with her as part of her, quote, treatment. So lest you think he took poppers.
- [80:40]
Evan
As part of her treatment.
- [80:42]
Ian
Correct.
- [80:43]
Evan
Yeah. Okay.
- [80:45]
Ian
He's a guy that knows how to have a good ass time while making.
- [80:49]
Evan
Someone else have a terrible ass time. It seems their ass time was part of it.
- [80:56]
Ian
Exactly. In her civil suit, rg. Those are the initials of this one. They didn't publish her name. Also testified that during two years of counseling, Landy phoned her and made appointments with her. Started as a follow up, sex counseling and ended in sessions that she alleges included free basing, cocaine, sexual intercourse, masturbation and oral sex.
- [81:23]
Evan
All of that stuff was sort of considered normal. In that sort of poverty, of course, everyone is doing it.
- [81:29]
Ian
They actually mentioned in this article that at this time at least something like 60 to 70% of licensed therapists had admitted to having a former patient.
- [81:39]
Evan
Okay, well, that's probably still the case.
- [81:44]
Ian
The freebasing, that's a bridge too far.
- [81:46]
Evan
I like the idea that like freebasing was just sort of like, well, you know, it's healthier or something.
- [81:51]
Ian
What is freebasing?
- [81:53]
Evan
It's when there's. Instead of smoking crack from a pipe, it's like put it in like a piece of tin foil or something and you heat that and then you. The smoke that comes from that, you just like inhale, suck with a straw. So it's like.
- [82:09]
Ian
Oh, right, with the little, with like the little glass straw.
- [82:12]
Evan
Yeah. Or whatever. I don't know exactly what the benefit is supposed to be. Maybe it's supposed to be more like. Like a bong rip, but for crack.
- [82:21]
Ian
It'S like smoking spirits, you know, it's good, it's good for you. It's natural. It's from the earth.
- [82:29]
Evan
Yes.
- [82:32]
Ian
Brian Wilson. The album mostly got great reviews. Robert Hilburn for the LA Times, who I spoke to last year about his Randy Newman biography, said it's a remarkable work that recalls the exhilarating sweep of the Beach Boys. Most endearing hits. An album with moments of both wonderful innocence and poignancy. David Frick in Rolling Stone called it a stunning reminder of what pop's been missing all these years. The songs are full of sunshine and choirboy harmonies and sing along hooks. The eerie similarity in tune and texture tipet sounds suggest the newly liberated Wilson has merely picked up where he left off two decades ago. Much more to say about this in our next episode about the album proper. But unfortunately the record wasn't a major success. The singles didn't become hits in retrospect. Perhaps the vibe of Landy around. Brian just sent the message, stay away. Something weird is going on. And maybe radio programmers felt there was only room for one new Beach Boy song on the airwaves. In the summer of 1988, that record, Kokomo, went to number one, the biggest selling chart hit of the group's career.
- [83:42]
Evan
I'd like to see the mop tops top that. I'd like to see Mick Jagger do Kokomo versus Jumpin. Jack Flash.
- [83:56]
Ian
Aruba, Jamaica.
- [83:58]
Evan
Sometimes you just can't. There's nothing to say, you know, And I'm not gonna pretend that history didn't happen the way it happened. I'm not gonna say, like, you know, that there wasn't a moment when we were all kind of concerned that Hitler was going to maybe win this thing. You know, there are some wins even in your enemy's side that you got to tip the cap. I'm not saying I would tip the cap to Hitler.
- [84:25]
Ian
You don't got to hand it to Hitler. You also don't got to hand it to the serf Nazis.
- [84:30]
Evan
Really want to be clear not handing it to Hitler. He never wrote a song even close to being that good.
- [84:37]
Ian
Well, we'll be talking about that song soon, when we get to still cruisin'. The next Beach Boys record. Oh, boy, what a dog that one is. But before we get there, we're gonna be. We're gonna be getting to the good stuff. Finally, finally, Finally. Brian Wilson, 1988. A little bit of love and mercy for everyone out there the memories still hold us together. Thank. He didn't mention me. Oh.
- [85:27]
Evan
Reaching every night.
- [85:35]
Ian
It'S in the heart of every fall Everywhere, all around the world the spirit is spirit the spirit is spirit the spirit of rocking Ra.