Extra Scenes: The Former Beach Boys/Passions (Post-1973)

The Beach Boys, 1966.

With the underwhelming performance of the Passions' fourth album Holland, the band members had gone their separate ways by the end of 1973. Dennis Wilson had found a new calling as a music producer for Highway 61 Records, as well as joint A&R director with ex-Badfinger member Pete Ham. Like his older brother, Carl continued being part of the music industry, mostly providing backing vocals for the likes of Elton John and various other soft rock bands, as well as doing the odd solo project. Carl remained active until his death from lung cancer on February 6, 1998, at the age of 51.

Similarly, Mike Love and Bruce Johnston continued onward with music careers in their own way; Love's solo career had its own ups and downs, such as his 1988 hit single "Kokomo", before finally bottoming out with his 1992 solo album, Summer of Love[1]. It would be another twenty-five years before he went back into the studio again.

On the other hand, Bruce Johnston's career was less eventful, ending up mostly as a songwriter for other artists, sometimes even working with the likes of James Taylor. But what about Al Jardine? Well, he was mostly retired from the music industry, deciding instead to take up farming, even becoming an advocate for vegetarianism. Every once in a while, he reunited with the other ex-Beach Boys either for a charity performance or for small reunion tours with guest musicians playing in lieu of Brian Wilson. Although there were talks of a reunion album either as the Beach Boys or the Passions, they never came to fruition.

One can only debate what could've happened had Brian Wilson lived...

Footnotes

1. OTL's Summer in Paradise, regarded by many as the worst Beach Boys album.

Author's Comments

This is perhaps the shortest post I've made for the story thus far, so there's not really a lot to talk about here. It was doing that Beach Boys 1967-1973 discography that made me realize I'd made a horrible misjudgment in killing off Brian Wilson too soon. But alas, I can't really go back and make changes. I've always intended for this to be a first draft of sorts, so when I get to a second draft, most likely when I finish up Phase Three, I can iron out the kinks, weed out the really awkward bits and even expand upon some elements that I didn't in the first draft. Although I planned to bring up to the end of the 1980s, I might stop the first draft at Live Aid because - let's face it - if Bohemian Rhapsody was anything to go by, it just feels like a real finale. And maybe an epilogue chapter if I feel like it.

The main point of divergence was the Rolling Stones putting out Could You Walk on the Water like they originally planned, which ends up disrupting the Beatles' career later on down the road and, by extension, affects the rest of the world (and not just in the music industry). Think of it akin to the point of divergence in Blue Skies in Camelot in which Marilyn Monroe surviving past 1962 does not directly service the intended narrative and the main butterfly, John Kennedy surviving the Dallas ambush in 1963; for the narrative to make sense, both points of divergence need to happen. (For the second draft of Strawberry Peppers, it's the Rolling Stones releasing Could You Walk on the Water, and, something that will happen for the second draft, George Harrison's songwriting being taken more seriously by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, preventing the eventual breakup of the Beatles.)

But I'm getting ahead of myself here. Before that, I've got a few more Extra Scenes to put out before moving onto Phase Three, beginning in 1977.

Chapter 35: See My Baby Jive (January - August 1973)

January 20, 1973

Yoko Ono and John Lennon, 1973.

Whilst he was watching the televised inauguration of George McGovern, the 38th President of the United States of America, as well as Vice-President Terry Sanford, John Lennon felt a great sense of relief now that Richard Nixon was no longer in office. Hopefully, the new President would change his focus on other issues in America and dismiss the charges against the Lennons and grant John citizenship. But of course, that was going to be a long process, and Lennon didn't think about leaving America lest he risk being banned from visiting again.

JOHN LENNON: "At the time, the only way I could communicate with Brian [Epstein] was through the speakerphone. He was based in London and I was in New York. We weren't exactly on the best terms with each other since the Ladders and Paul had put out those political statements on record, and it was also why he'd put out those 'best of' compilations. But still, I did kind of miss England greatly, and was hoping I could get dual citizenship between both it and America." (1983)

Two months earlier, on the night of McGovern winning the election, John and Yoko attended a post-election wake that was hosted by Jerry Rubin in his New York home. Among the attendees were Ringo Starr, Keith Moon, Micky Dolenz, David Crosby and journalist Hunter S. Thompson. It was during the party that Lennon got drunk and had sex with a female guest (her identity was not revealed out of respect). Yoko was left depressed following the incident, which inspired her song "Death of Samantha" for her next album, Approximately Infinite Universe, released February 16.

RINGO STARR: "I joined Yoko home after the incident. I felt sorry for her. But I also felt sorry for John; when I next met him, all sobered up, he knew that I knew that he had fucked it all up. It was his second marriage, and he'd been just as unfaithful to Yoko as he'd been to Cynthia. In fact, he was now more into making music with me and George than he was with her." (1998)

GEORGE HARRISON: "In John's defense, he wasn't the only one who was going through a failing marriage. Pattie [Boyd] was now head over heels in love with Eric [Clapton], and Ringo was cheating on Maureen for Nancy Andrews; it didn't help that Ringo was also deep into alcoholism as well. We were utter drunkards in the 1970s and it wouldn't be until the end of the decade that we decided to clean up." (1992)

23 March 1973

George Harrison, 1973.

The Ladders' first release in eight months was the non-album single "Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)", a song penned by George Harrison the year previously, coinciding with the height of his devotion to Hindu spirituality. It marked the Ladders' first #1 American hit since the "Bangla Desh/Imagine" double A-side in 1971, although it managed to reach #7 in the United Kingdom, and was hailed as a return to form for Lennon, Harrison and Starr following their political statements the year before.

The choice for the B-side to "Give Me Love" was an ironic one; "Oh Yoko!" had been written as far back as 1968 during the Beatles' trip to India, but it had not been fully completed until the recording sessions for the Ladders' Imagine, although it did not make the cut. With neither John nor Ringo having anything to offer up for the B-side, "Oh Yoko!" ended up being chosen instead, which was better than leaving it gathering dust on a shelf.

Although the song was dedicated to Yoko, it had been released at a time when their marriage was beginning to fall apart. The couple had agreed to separate in order to let John exorcise his demons; this would eventually be dubbed the Ladders' "Lost Weekend", alternating between Los Angeles and New York City, and living the "sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll" way of life. "Paul was really lucky during that time," John would later comment. "His and Linda's relationship seemed to be rock solid." (1990) But in between these drunken antics, there was the matter of work on Mel Brooks' first movie under Apple Films...

Mel Brooks as a Yiddish Indian Chief in Blazing Saddles, 1974.

MEL BROOKS: "I was in a room with Andrew Bergman, Richard Pryor, Norman Steinberg and Al Uger, with Andrew having coming up with the basic story. We practically wrote the story in the middle of a drunken fistfight, yelling loudly for all of our ideas to be put into the film. As director, I had the right to decide what would stay in the movie and what would be left out; I did speak the loudest out of all of us." (2004)

Blazing Saddles originally went by the working title of Tex-X, a play on Malcolm X's name, and was to be directed by Alan Arkin and had James Earl Jones as Sheriff Bart, but this didn't get off the ground. When Mel Brooks took over the project, he had wanted Richard Pryor to play the sheriff, but Pryor's history of drug arrests prevented this, although he still received a writing credit. The role to Sheriff Bart eventually went to Cleavon Little; the film would also cast the likes of Gene Wilder as Jim the "Waco Kid", Harvey Korman as Hedley Lamarr, and Madeline Kahn as Lili von Shtupp the "Teutonic Titwillow".

Brooks got involved with disagreements with executives from Warner Brothers (who would distribute the film; Apple was involved with production) over the content of the script, especially the frequent use of the word "nigger". Despite all the suggestions to make it more family friendly, Brooks refused to make any changes, except for cutting the line, "I hate to disappoint you, ma'am, but you're sucking my arm," said by Sheriff Bart when Lili von Shtupp seduced him.

JOHN LENNON: "When I got a hold of the Blazing Saddles script, I practically roared with laughter for how outrageous and ballsy it was. I did suggest to Mel, of course, that he not show it at all to Brian Epstein, and I told him about what had happened when I tried to release 'Woman is the Nigger of the World' as a single. I even asked him if there was a chance me, George and Ringo could be in the film." (1980)

John Cleese (second to left) with the rest of Monty Python in the episode A Book at Bedtime, 1973.

John, George and Ringo soon found themselves cast as extras in the film; John got the role of Boris, the head of Hanging House, and George (Howard Johnson) and Ringo (Gabby Johnson) were a pair of Rock Ridge townsfolk.[1] Klaus Voormann also appeared in a cameo role as a third townsfolk member, as did Billy Preston as the pianist of a big band Sheriff Bart meets in the desert on his way to Rock Ridge. Mel Brooks would later lament that he didn't have Paul McCartney in the film. "I could've had the complete set [The Beatles]," he said in a 1999 interview for Blazing Saddles' 25th anniversary, "but given how John, George and Ringo - mostly the first two - were feeling towards him at the time, I get why that couldn't happen."

Near the end of the film, there was a resulting brawl that would result in a literal fourth wall break crashing onto a neighboring set of a Busby Berkeley-style top-hat-and-tails musical number, but Brooks was stuck on deciding who should play the role of the director. The role was intended for Peter Sellers, but George Harrison, a Monty Python fan, suggested that one of the members could fulfill the role.[2]

JOHN CLEESE: "At the time, Flying Circus had completed its third series and I'd very much left the show. But then a got a call from this Jewish-American bloke, Mel Brooks, asking if any of us would be interested in starring in his newest film. I ended up drawing the short straw and flew over to Burbank, California where they were filming the climax for Blazing Saddles. Fantastic film, by the way, and it fit Monty Python's sense of humor like a pair of trousers." (2006)

Madeline Kahn as Trixie Delight in Paper Moon, 1973.

During the filming of Blazing Saddles, the three former Beatles obtained friendships with Gene Wilder, Harvey Korman, Mel Brooks and John Cleese (the latter was even particularly interested in teaming up with them again in the future). But if there was anyone John Lennon had gotten very close to during that time, it was a young actress of thirty by the name of Madeline Kahn, having previously starred in What's Up, Doc? and Paper Moon, in 1972 and 1973, respectively.

MADELINE KAHN: "I don't know what it was that drew me to John. He was heavily outspoken and brash, and I was very shy and reserved. The first time we met when not acting, he asked me what my childhood was like, and I told him about my father leaving me when I was a baby. Surprised, John said that he was separated from his father as well, having left England for New Zealand. He grew up to be a wild, edgy kid that everyone wanted to be like, whilst I grew up a fairly uneventful childhood. We were soon friends after a few days, and at the time, I didn't know anything about his time with the Beatles, nor about his rivalry with Paul in the early 70s." (1992)

GENE WILDER: "I noticed that when John was around Madeline, he was quite a different person. Whenever he was in a music studio, he was sometimes a bit of a clown, but around Madeline, he was a lot gentler and more sensitive. I mentioned this to Ringo and George, who were surprised by this development, especially given that he was already married." (1987)

April 6, 1973

The Passions - Holland

Released: April 6, 1973

Recorded: November 4, 1972 - March 3, 1973

Producer: Dennis and Carl Wilson

Track listing[3]

Side A

Sail On, Sailor
Here She Comes
Big Sur
The Beaks of Eagles
We Got Love

Side B

Hold On Dear Brother
The Trader
Leaving This Town
Only with You
Student Demonstration Time

The Passions' fourth album was the first with Mike Love as a full-time member, the first without Bruce Johnston, and the first with South African guitarist Blondie Chaplin and drummer Ricky Fataar. Despite the return of Love to the music scene and the presence of fresh blood to the lineup, Holland only managed to hit #36 and #20 in the United States and the United Kingdom, respectively. It was the lowest charting album that Dennis and Carl Wilson had performed on since the Beach Boys' debut album Surfin' Safari in 1962 in America (#32).

Despite the underwhelming chart performance, critical reception was fairly positive, although some like Robert Christgau felt that it had strayed too far from what the Beach Boys were known for in the 1960s. Elvis Costello cited Holland as one of his favorite records of all time, and Tom Petty described the album as "beautiful" in 2000.

DENNIS WILSON: "I didn't want to admit it at the time, but I felt that the Passions were dying out. Bruce leaving the band following So Tough was a warning sign, but the under-performance of Holland seemed to solidify it. It didn't really matter if we were the Beach Boys or the Passions; we were falling out of favor with popular music tastes during the early to mid-1970s, and I was left wondering what would become of us within five years, let alone the rest of the 20th century." (2004)

Fortunately, Dennis Wilson found a new calling when the Ladders went into the studio to record their next album. Following the success of "Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)" back in March, a follow-up album to Bloody Sunday seemed the next logical choice. John, George and Ringo entered the studio with the general mindset of straying far away from their political and religious material, but they didn't know how the next album would sound.

Dennis Wilson performing live with the Passions, 1973.

GEORGE HARRISON: "The break following the release of Bloody Sunday did us some good; it gave us time to write up new material. Even Ringo had a few contributions of his own, but after Phil Spector broke down, we needed a new producer. By sheer luck, John had come across Dennis Wilson during the filming of Blazing Saddles." (1976)

DENNIS WILSON: "John and I talked a lot together in a pub in Burbank, exchanging jokes and stories. He even promised me that he'd ask Mel Brooks to invite me to the premiere of Blazing Saddles, which wouldn't be out until February next year. Eventually, John asked if I could help him, George and Ringo in producing the next Ladders album. Producing for someone outside of familiar company? I loved a challenge, so I took the job." (2004)

That June, the Ladders entered the studio with Wilson in the producers' chair. The sessions were much like the days of the Beatles and the Beach Boys; laid back, productive, and overall fun. At least twenty songs were recorded during the sessions, but only twelve would end up on the final album. Among the songs recorded were Lennon's "Mind Games", "Rock and Roll People", "One Day (At a Time)", "Tight A$", "You Are Here", and "I'm the Greatest", which he would give to Ringo to sing. Harrison's contributions included "Living in the Material World", "Don't Let Me Wait Too Long", "So Sad", "Dark Horse", "The Light That Has Lighted the World", and three songs for Ringo; "Sunshine Life for Me", "You and Me (Babe)", and "Photograph". Starr would even write a few songs himself; "Step Lightly", "Oh My My" and "Devil Woman", the latter two of which were written with Dennis Wilson.

There was a lot of leftover material when the sessions ended in July, with plans to use that material for another album release next year.

24 August 1973

The Ladders - Photograph

Released: 24 August 1973

Recorded: June - July 1973

Producer: The Ladders and Dennis Wilson

Track listing[4]

Side A

I'm the Greatest
Living in the Material World
Mind Games
Photograph
One Day (At a Time)
Be Here Now

Side B

Bring on the Lucie (Freda Peeple)
The Light That Has Lighted the World
Step Lightly
Out the Blue
Don't Let Me Wait Too Long
You and Me (Babe)

Photograph was hailed as a return to form for the Ladders following the poor reception to Bloody Sunday. It hit #1 in both the United States and the United Kingdom, with critics praising Dennis Wilson's production touches and the vocal performances by Ringo Starr, for the first time having equal vocal contributions alongside John and George. The title track was released alongside the album with Lennon's "Meat City" as the B-side, and also hit #1 in America, but topped out at #3 in the United Kingdom.

CARL WILSON: "It's almost like the former Beach Boys and the former Beatles have become allies in a sense; Paul co-produced an album by former Beach Boys, and Dennis co-produced an album by former Beatles." (1973)

Lennon's "Mind Games", a track tracing back to the Get Back sessions in 1969, would later be released as a single in November with a Shine One leftover, a cover of Bob Dylan's "If Not for You". It would chart at #5 and #8 in the United States and the United Kingdom. Whilst John, George and Ringo were enjoying the success they'd managed to claw back, unbeknownst to them, Paul McCartney would soon strike back...

Footnotes

1. The role of Boris the hangman went to Robert Ridgely, Howard Johnson to John Hillerman, and Gabby Johnson the prospector to Jack Starrett.
2. Dom DeLuise portrayed Buddy Bizarre instead of John Cleese.
3. Tracks are sourced from Surf's Up, Carl and the Passions - "So Tough" and Holland. "We Got Love" is a bonus track from the 2015 remaster of Holland on iTunes.
4. Tracks are sourced from Ringo, Living in the Material World and Mind Games.

Author's Comments

For the last three chapters, we've been jumping around between 1972 and 1973. For this chapter and the next two, we're gonna be stuck in 1973 full time. This chapter wasn't easy to write up, to say the least. I didn't know when Blazing Saddles was being filmed, so I had to guess by pure instinct. If I was right or wrong, hopefully this won't affect the flow of the story too much.

And finally, we reveal the identity of "Maddy Lennon" - Madeline Kahn herself! I don't know why I chose to have her and John together; I just thought the idea was pretty interesting. Sometimes, things don't plan out the way you originally intended, and that's a good thing. And since John's got a certain Tricky Dicky off of his back, anything could happen to him during the Lost Weekend, and that was a direction I decided to take with him. The prologue I posted back in January may be changed slightly given how things are changing up; heck, John's second kid may not even be named Sean! But we'll see what comes up in the future...

This will also not be the last we hear from Monty Python in the story, but sadly, Holland is likely to be the last Passions album because I feel that if I tried to compile material for an album for 1974 or later, I'd be scraping the bottom of the barrel, especially since the Beach Boys' material between 1976 and 1996 ranged from forgettable to outright unlistenable. Though they did make a comeback with That's Why God Made the Radio in 2012. But fear not! We'll see more from Dennis in the future.

Also, we've officially reached the midway point of Phase Two! The overall length for it will be thirty chapters total compared to twenty chapters in Phase One. Yep, we'll soon be reaching fifty chapters for the story, and that will happen in mid-March at the earliest. If I'm ambitious enough, Phase Three could range from forty to fifty chapters in length, though I doubt I'd be able to make it to a hundred by the time we hit Live Aid in 1985. But we'll see where this goes!

Chapter 31: Life on Mars (April - December 1972)

April 13, 1972

Dennis Wilson, circa 1971.

DENNIS WILSON: "Before we'd begun collaborating with Steve [Winwood] and his mates for So Tough, I had gotten into an argument with my wife Carole [Freedman] that was so severe, I ended up punching through a plate glass window. That ended up severing the nerves in my hand, meaning I was unable to play the drums for about a couple of years. At least I was still able to sing, play a bit of the keyboards and produce the recording sessions, and thank goodness Roger [Hawkins] was there to play the drums in my place for the Passions' material." (1997)[1]

Prior to the recording of So Tough, the Passions' third album, Dennis Wilson starred alongside Apple Records artist James Taylor and actors Warren Oates and Laurie Bird for a movie called Two-Lane Blacktop, directed by Monte Hellman. Taylor portrayed the Driver, and Wilson the Mechanic. Based around Route 66, the film was made on a minimalist budget of $875 thousand (around $5.5 million in 2019), Two-Lane Blacktop was called movie of the year for 1971 by Esquire magazine, and although not a commercial success, it has since gone on to become a counterculture-era cult classic.

Now Dennis was collaborating with another musical peer; this time, it was for an album with Steve Winwood and the rest of Traffic. And it all happened because of a telegram:

HEY STEVIE, WANT TO GET SOME DRINKS AND TALK ABOUT THIS PROJECT? -DENNY

OF COURSE. WHAT TIME AND DATE SHALL WE ARRANGE FOR A MEETING? -STEVE

ASAP -DENNY

The members of Traffic, 1972.

Steve Winwood and his bandmates from Traffic - saxophonist Chris Wood, percussionists Jim Capaldi and Rebop Kwaku Baah, bassist David Hood, and drummer Roger Hawkins - were soon at Strawberry Hill Studios in Jamaica with the members of the Passions. Winwood had chosen the location for recording because he felt like wanting to record in an exotic location, and the vibes of Jamaican music there would also serve as an influence to their sound.

The sessions for the collaboration album, under the supergroup name "Traffic Passions", were generally smooth, save for the occasional argument between Chris Wood and Bruce Johnston. One of them ended up being so severe that Johnston decided that he didn't want to work with the Passions anymore following the sessions for the album.[2]

JIM CAPALDI: "I remember that a lot of the time, Chris [Wood] and Bruce would get into a lot of arguments due to their clashing egos, but Al and Carl were the glue that kept both Traffic and the Passions together for the collaboration album. Given the opportunity, and if Bruce hadn't been so full of himself and treated Chris like crap, I'd have liked to have played with them again." (2003)

Despite the tensions between Wood and Johnston, shortly after the final session for So Tough, a jam session had taken place consisting largely of Beach Boys covers, which would not be officially released until 2004.

October 27, 1972

The Passions and Traffic - So Tough

Released: October 27, 1972

Recorded: April 13 - September 10, 1972

Producer: Dennis Wilson and Steve Winwood

Track listing[3]

Side A

Shoot Out at the Fantasy Factory
Steamboat
Tragic Magic
All This Is That

Side B

Make It Good
Evening Blue
Cuddle Up
(Sometimes I Feel So) Uninspired

The collaborative album, So Tough, managed to reach the Top 10 in the United States, topping at #6. Sadly, it was not as successful in the United Kingdom, charting at #25. The album had received mixed reviews from critics; whilst some praised the novelty of having the members of Traffic collaborating with the former members of the Beach Boys, others were less forgiving, stating that the compositions from both acts were uniformly weak, with Village Voice ending their review with the note "Giveaway: '(Sometimes I Feel So) Uninspired'." No singles were released to promote the album.

Traffic released one more album before breaking up a second time, When the Eagle Flies, in the middle of the tour for said album in 1974. As for the Passions, following the departure of Brian Johnston, Carl Wilson took over on bass, and they brought in drummer Ricky Fataar and guitarist Blondie Chaplin from South African rock band the Flame, through Carl's suggestion. They were also aided by Mike Love, having decided to rejoin his former Beach Boy bandmates with "newly-sparked inspiration following the Landlocked sessions. Although Dennis couldn't see it at the time, sooner or later, lightning would strike twice.

1 December 1972

Badfinger - Zoo

Released: 1 December 1972

Recorded: January - October 1972

Producer: Badfinger

Track listing[4]

Side A

Get Away
Piano Red
The Winner
Blind Owl
Do You Mind

Side B

When I Say
Cowboy
Regular
I Can Love You
Timeless

Badfinger's first two albums, Maybe Tomorrow (as The Iveys) and Magic Christian Music, were produced by Tony Visconti and Mal Evans, with Paul McCartney producing a few songs for the latter. No Dice was produced by Evans alongside Geoff Emerick, and Badfinger's latest album, Straight Up, had been co-produced by Todd Rundgren and George Harrison. But now, Pete Ham felt that Badfinger should try self-producing for their next album. Although there were good intentions when it came to this approach, the results were not as great as they could've been.

Zoo, Badfinger's fourth album (fifth overall if Maybe Tomorrow was counted), was released at the start of December and only managed to chart at #16 and #22 in the United Kingdom and the United States, respectively. The lead single from the album was Tom Evans' "When I Say" backed with Joey Molland's "Do You Mind", had been released earlier in September, managing to hit #14 in the United States but did not chart in the United Kingdom.

PETE HAM: "We called our fifth album Zoo, but really, we probably should've called it Ass, given everything surrounding the album. Joey wrote half of the tracks for the album, Tom and I contributed two songs each and Mike [Gibbins, Badfinger's drummer] only had one ['Cowboy']. We'd signed a publishing agreement before Joey came on board. We soon reached a settlement with help from Peter Brown, who became our manager for the rest of our time at Apple, and from Zoo onwards, all songs would be credited to 'Badfinger' as a group, not each member individually." (1981)

16 October 1972

The Electric Light Orchestra, 1972.

ROY WOOD: "Before we'd transferred to Apple, Jeff, Bev and I were being managed by Don Arden. He had a personal vision as to how bands should be operated, and we were glad to be rid of him by the end of 1970. Thank God for George [Harrison] recommending Brian Epstein to us." (1977)

When Don Arden attempted to take control of the Electric Light Orchestra at Apple, Brian Epstein and Peter Brown had already taken the reins, and Lord Beeching simply left Arden a message telling him to "bugger off and let the boys do their thing." By now, following a tour across Europe, Jeff Lynne and Roy Wood were making plans for a second ELO album.

JEFF LYNNE: "During the New Year, George and I talked about spirituality and cosmics, which planted the seed that eventually became The Lost Planet. Most of the songs were to be longer than four minutes, almost like a rock symphony." (1995)

Roy expressed some concern regarding the lack of hit singles from The Lost Planet, and so to compensate, Jeff agreed to releasing a few non-album singles. The first single was Wood's "Ball Park Incident" with Lynne's "Momma" as the B-side, for a release date of 16 October. It topped at #6 in the United Kingdom. The second single, released after the album in January, was a double A-side with Wood's "See My Baby Jive" alongside a mashup of Chuck Berry's "Roll Over Beethoven" with Beethoven's 5th Symphony. The single would top the charts in the United Kingdom and went to #17 in the United States. The latter track would end up becoming a staple in closing many ELO concerts.

15 December 1972

The Electric Light Orchestra - The Lost Planet

Released: 15 December 1972

Recorded: May - October 1972

Producer: Jeff Lynne and Roy Wood

Track listing[5]

Side A

You Can Dance Your Rock 'n' Roll
In Old England Town (Boogie No. 2)
Wear a Fast Gun

Side B

From the Sun to the World (Boogie No. 1)
Jolly Cup of Tea
Kuiama

The Lost Planet managed to reach #20 in the United Kingdom, but it fared worse in the United States at #49. Although it was not released as a single, the closing track "Kuiama" gained a cult following among rock fans, even by the band themselves, playing it at nearly all of their concerts. Drummer Bev Bevan described it as "a sad story about a war orphan with a soldier explaining to her all about the war, and that it was he that killed her parents. The most sensitive thing we do." (1973)

Despite being viewed as Beatles copycats, the Electric Light Orchestra were slowly gaining a bit of a following due to their non-album singles. Many of the die-hard fans would go all the way to purchase the albums to add to their rock music collections.

Footnotes

1. In OTL, Dennis Wilson had injured himself during the sessions for Surf's Up in 1971.
2. In OTL, Bruce Johnston had a falling out with the Beach Boys' manager Jack Rieley; there are also conflicting reports that Johnston quit because of his lack of enthusiasm for a hard rock approach and that he was fired because of his contempt towards Brian Wilson at the time.
3. Tracks are sourced from Traffic's Shoot Out at the Fantasy Factory and the Beach Boys' Carl and the Passions - "So Tough" and Holland.
4. Track listing is based upon an early version of Ass, dated January 14, 1973, which can be seen here. All tracks are taken from the 2010 remaster of Ass; most of the tracks here are alternate versions. Only "Cowboy" is sourced from the actual album whilst "Regular" and "Piano Red" were previously unreleased.
5. Tracks are sourced from Wizzard Brew and ELO 2. The track listing was based off of AEC's version of The Lost Planet, only I rearranged the tracks so that not only did they alternate between Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne, but so that the sides were of roughly equal length.

Author's Comments

At last, we're back from the hiatus! This chapter was not that easy to write up, especially when it came to the segment about the Passions and Traffic, and so I apologize if the quality isn't up to my usual standard. The Badfinger and ELO parts were much easier to write up, the latter especially as I'd already had it pre-written.

Chapter 24: Whole Lotta Love (March - November 1971)

March 9, 1971

Dennis Wilson, 1971.

DENNIS WILSON: "It was on that particular day that we were going through Brian's old belongings. There were some that Carl and I both wanted to keep for sentimental reasons. I then came across a box that had a cassette with some writing on it. It was labeled 'Till I Die' in handwriting that looked like Brian's. I then showed it to Carl who also expressed surprise upon seeing it. We didn't know what it was meant for as it had never been presented to us while we were the Beach Boys." (1992)[1]

CARL WILSON: "I took the tape from Dennis and then played it. That voice was undeniably Brian; we almost cried. It had been four years since he left the world, and it was almost like coming across a recording of your parents after they'd both gone. We then played it over and over again several times and after like, I dunno, the sixth or seventh time, I told Dennis, 'That's got potential to be on the next album. We should share Brian's last gift to the world.'" (1975)

But it wasn't just the Wilson brothers who had the rights to the Beach Boys' recordings following Brian's unexpected death in 1967. His widow, Marilyn Rovell, also shared the rights, and her in-laws had to consult with her first before making any further decisions. Like Carl and Dennis, she too was moved by the recording, even comparing it to a self-epitaph in a sense. With Marilyn's approval, the brothers gathered Al Jardine and Bruce Johnston to the studio to record the next Passions album.

However, there was a problem; they needed a producer.

AL JARDINE: "Our first choice was Phil Spector, but he was already off recording with the Ladders, and Alan Parsons and Tony Visconti were also out of the question. We couldn't even get Norman Smith back to help us like he did with Smile. But Dennis, of course, had another idea in mind." (2012)

Linda and Paul McCartney, 1971.

Paul McCartney had just completed the work for Cherry Wine, due out within two months, and it was to be his first solo album following the Beatles' split. The album was currently in post-production when he received an unexpected visit from one Dennis Wilson on his Scottish farm.

PAUL McCARTNEY: "So Dennis stops by the farm, y'know, and he shows me this tape Brian did before his death, which blew me away, and then he popped the question on if I was interested in helping 'em out with producing this song, to which I said, 'Of course!'" (1983)

To the public, there truly was camaraderie between the former Beatles and Beach Boys after Brian Wilson's death four years ago; the Beatles had sent in their condolences to Wilson's family and bandmates when they had received the news, and all profits made from Tribute to Brian Wilson went to the Wilson family as well as research towards mental illnesses. Now a former Beatle was going to be producing an album featuring four of the former Beach Boys. It seemed like a dream come true.

But of course, the sole obstacle in making this a reality was Marilyn, still bitter about the Beatles playing a role - albeit unintentionally - in her husband's early demise.

Brian Wilson with his wife Marilyn Rovell, 1966.

MARILYN ROVELL: "You just didn't get that Brian was mentally ill, and you and your fucking 'rivalry' with Brian ended up killing him! How do you fucking sleep at night?! And now you want to ruin his last song with your bullshit?! Fuck you! Fuck you! *sobs*" (to Paul McCartney, 1971)*

"...how do you think I feel..." was the first sentence Paul had said after Marilyn screamed in his face. At that point, he too was tearing up. Linda was now holding Marilyn in her arms, trying to calm her down.

"I'd been outright ditched by my former bandmates," Paul continued, "and they went and recorded an album behind my back, y'know." There was a hint of anger and resentment in his voice, but still clearly filled with sadness. Marilyn paused for a while, before she pulled Paul in for a tight embrace. Almost immediately, she had regretted what she had just screamed in his face.

"Maybe... Brian would have wanted you to help produce it," she said at last.

(* - Many years later, some journalists often misquoted Rovell's rant towards McCartney as being the inspiration behind John Lennon's "How Do You Sleep".)

May 10, 1971

Mike Love with his girlfriend Tamara Fitch, 1971.

BRUCE JOHNSTON: "We were in the midst of recording a song - I forget which exactly - when all of a sudden, we noticed Mike Love coming into the room. I was surprised; we hadn't played with him since the completion and release of Smile. After explaining the situation with him, he asked if he could provide some backing vocals to some of the songs. It really began to feel like a Beach Boys reunion album." (2001)

MIKE LOVE: "Yeah man, they played me that last Brian song, cut me deep in my core, and I thought, screw it, I'll help contribute to it! Plus Paul producing it really made it hit home for me. And whilst we were recording the album, the taps seemed to open up and I had begun to write up new songs. Not for Landlocked, but for a potential third post-Smile album." (1988)

LINDA McCARTNEY: "Something inside me told me that it was going to take more than venting her anger towards Paul to allow Marilyn to move on from her bitterness. I spoke her, gave her some advice on how to deal with her grief. Board games provided a great source of dealing with grief, as I'd learned after Paul was dumped by John, George and Ringo. Marilyn and I ended up bonding over it." (1979)

August 15, 1971

Steve Winwood, 1971.

Whilst Landlocked (working title, Till I Die) was undergoing the final stages of production, Dennis Wilson went down to a pub in Hollywood called Whisky a Go Go where he came across Steve Winwood of the jam band Traffic. According to Winwood, he and his group were playing a few gigs at the pub when he noticed Dennis come into the pub. For the past few years, Dennis had stayed away from drugs and alcohol of any kind, so it was surprising that he had decided to come down to Whisky a Go Go. "Hey man, can't keep away from alcohol forever," Dennis had told Winwood. Of course, Dennis had only drunk alcohol in moderation, usually a couple of shots at a time.

STEVE WINWOOD: "Dennis and I chatted for a bit and then he asked me if he'd like to play alongside Traffic for a one-off in tonight's gig. I told him, 'Alright, I'm sure our drummer [Jim Gordon] won't mind if you fill in for him.' Sadly, Jim was beginning to lose it at that point." (1984)

Despite drummer Jim Gordon's absence on stage, the performance of Traffic with Dennis Wilson went down well and was met with a positive audience response, especially since they were playing with a former Beach Boy. Winwood had even offered Dennis to perform a mini-set in the midst of the performance. The mini-set consisted of a few songs from the Passions' Sunflower album, as well as the Beach Boys' "In the Back of My Mind".

Following this performance, the band and Dennis went to have some drinks where he asked them if they wanted to do something else together another time. Winwood was in favor of the idea, whilst the other band members felt that they needed to think about that so they could discuss it further.

August 27, 1971

The Passions - Landlocked

Released: August 27, 1971

Recorded: 1967 - July 29, 1971

Producer: Dennis Wilson, Paul McCartney

Track listing[2]

Side A

Loop De Loop
Susie Cincinnati
San Miguel
Fallin' in Love
Disney Girls
4th of July

Side B
Long Promised Road
Feel Flows
Lookin' at Tomorrow
A Day in the Life of a Tree
Till I Die
(Wouldn't It Be Nice) To Live Again

Bruce Johnston's "Disney Girls" was chosen as the lead single off of Landlocked, with Dennis Wilson's "Lady" being the B-side. Released June 28, eight days after what could have been Brian Wilson's 29th birthday, the single soon reached #1 in both the United States and the United Kingdom. Critics and fans alike praised Johnston's performance, calling it the best song he had ever written. The "Lady" B-side as well as Paul McCartney's co-production were also met with similar appraisal.

The album was finally released at the end of August, soon reaching #1 in the United Kingdom for three nonconsecutive weeks and topping out at #2 in the United States. Landlocked was met with even better reviews than Sunflower, with critics likening it to a Beach Boys reunion album after Brian Wilson's untimely demise.

Billboard

August 27, 1971

The Passions bring Brian Wilson back to life in Landlocked

"Brian Wilson left us too early whilst the Beach Boys were working on their final album, Smile. Despite dying at the ripe age of twenty-five, along with the other members of the Beach Boys, Wilson left behind a legacy that will live on forever. His final gift to the world, 'Till I Die' - which some will interpret as Brian's last words to give to his fans, friends, and family alike - is a lovely piano demo piece polished up by brothers Dennis and Carl along with former Beach Boy bandmates Al Jardine and Bruce Johnston, as well as the surprise comeback of Mike Love to the music scene after being absent for four years. It almost sounds like the Beach Boys have reunited after Brian's death.

Speaking of which, Dennis' '(Wouldn't It Be Nice) To Live Again', the album's grand finale, could be seen as a plea to his older brother. It's a touching moment for the album, and even more touching closure between the brothers.

That isn't to say the songs prior to 'Till I Die' are in any way inferior. Johnston's 'Disney Girls' is a nice ode to the 50s about growing up, and 'Falling in Love' sounds like a lost track from the Pet Sounds sessions. In fact, if there was one complaint we had overall, it's that Landlocked leaves the listener wanting more. It's an album with six distinctive talents (and we include Mike Love and the late Brian Wilson) that leaves little room for each to express themselves. But that's neither here nor there; it's a special album for sure."

9 September 1971

The Ladders - Imagine

Released: 9 September 1971

Recorded: March - July 1971

Producer: Phil Spector, The Ladders

Track listing[3]

Side A

Imagine
What is Life
Jealous Guy
It Don't Come Easy
I Dig Love
Crippled Inside

Side B
Bangla Desh
Gimme Some Truth
Art of Dying
Oh My Love
Ballad of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let It Roll)
Loser's Lounge
Power to the People

The success of the Concert for Bangladesh, as well as the "Bangla Desh/Imagine" double A-side single, helped to propel the Ladders' second album, Imagine, straight to #1 in both the United States and the United Kingdom based off of pre-orders alone. Imagine was met with universal acclaim from fans and critics, and retrospective reviews have cited it as the second best album of the 1970s, beating out Jimi Hendrix's Black Gold and only being topped by Simon and Garfunkel's Bridge over Troubled Water. "Can't believe we were beaten by a bloody folk duo," John Lennon would state years later. (1990)

The second single off of the album, "What Is Life" would also top the charts in the United Kingdom, but topped out at #4 in the United States. The B-side, "It Don't Come Easy", also charted at #4 in the United Kingdom. But beyond the four songs that were released as singles, there were other tracks that also had the potential to be singles: Lennon's "Jealous Guy", "Gimme Some Truth" and "Power to the People", George Harrison's "Ballad of Sir Frankie Crisp" and "Art of Dying", and even Ringo Starr's vocal cover of "Loser's Lounge". It seemed as though the album had been recorded to give every song included the potential to become a single.

But alas, not every song recorded during the sessions were chosen for inclusion. Lennon had five tracks which didn't make the cut ("It's So Hard", "Oh Yoko!", "I Don't Wanna Be a Soldier", "How?", and "How Do You Sleep"), Harrison had three ("Run of the Mill", "Deep Blue", and "Hear Me Lord"), and Starr only had "Coochy Coochy". That being said, most of them would soon find their way on a later album whilst a select few were chosen for non-album B-sides.

17 September 1971

Yoko Ono - Fly

Released: 17 September 1971

Recorded: 1971

Producer: John Lennon, Yoko Ono

Track listing[4]

Side A

Midsummer New York
Mind Train
Mrs. Lennon

Side B
Mind Holes
Fly

Yoko Ono's first album on Apple Records, Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band, was released on 11 December 1970, the same day as the Ladders' Shine On. It had been met with mixed reception from critics and failed to chart in the United Kingdom, although it did reach #182 in the United States. The only single off of the album was "Why" backed with the non-album single "Who Has Seen the Wind", which also failed to hit the Top 100 on either side.

Nine months later, Ono came out with Fly, which, unlike Plastic Ono Band, was produced without any involvement from Phil Spector. Compared to the avant-garde sound of the latter album, Fly was given a more pop rock sound with "Mrs. Lennon", "Midsummer New York" (both of which were released as the lead single with the former being the A-side) and "Mind Holes", balanced out by the lengthy jams of "Mind Train" and the title track. Both album and single did not reach the Top 100 on either side of the Atlantic.

October 28 - November 24, 1971

The cover for the Ladders' non-album Christmas single, "Happy Xmas (War is Over)".

The Ladders reconvened with their spouses and producer Phil Spector at Record Plant East in New York to record a single for the Christmas market, much like the Beatles had done between 1963 and 1969. (There was none in 1970 due to the band splintering away from Paul.) John Lennon's "Happy Xmas (War is Over)" was a protest song against the Vietnam War set to the traditional English ballad "Skewball" and included a children's choir at his request. Yoko, Maureen and Pattie provided backing vocals. "Paul was working with Linda at that point," said George. "As was John with Yoko. It seemed fair that Ringo and I brought in Maureen and Pattie." (1987)

The single was recorded very quickly over two sessions, taking place on October 28 and 31. For the B-side, the Imagine outtake "Deep Blue" was chosen, fitting with the A-side's message it wanted to spread.

"Happy Xmas (War is Over)" was released the day after Thanksgiving in America on the 24th of November, where it reached #3. It topped at #2 in the United Kingdom, being left off of the top spot by the "Bangla Desh/Imagine" double A-side. "Happy Xmas (War is Over)" received extensive airplay and promotion over the Christmas holidays, and the Ladders would film promo videos to be shown across various television shows in both the United Kingdom and the United States, which helped sales greatly.

Footnotes

1. "Till I Die" had actually been written in 1969 for 20/20, not 1967.
2. Tracks are sourced from Endless Harmony Soundtrack ("Loop De Loop"), 15 Big Ones ("Susie Cincinnati"), Good Vibrations: Thirty Years of The Beach Boys ("San Miguel", "4th of July"), Made in California ("Fallin' in Love", "(Wouldn't It Be Nice) To Live Again"), and Surf's Up ("Disney Girls" and all of side B except for "(Wouldn't It Be Nice) To Live Again").
3. All of John's songs are sourced from Imagine excluding "Power to the People", taken from Power to the People: The Hits. All of George's songs are sourced from All Things Must Pass excluding "Bangla Desh", taken from Living in the Material World. "It Don't Come Easy" is sourced from Photograph: The Very Best of Ringo Starr and "Loser's Lounge" is sourced from Beaucoups of Blues.
4. All tracks are sourced from Fly.

Author's Comments

Man, this chapter was a lot harder to write out than I initially thought possible. I received extensive help from The Lifehouse in order to write out the Passions' part of this chapter, so thanks goes to him for assisting in writing with the backstory for Landlocked. The Ladders' part of the chapter (plus Yoko Ono) was fairly simple. This hypothetical Imagine is one of my personal favorite albums that I've made for this series thus far; nine times out of ten, I can just picture John, George and Ringo being in the same room with Klaus and Billy along for the ride. The fact that they (as well as Ringo) played on the majority of the tracks by John and George helped the illusion greatly. I can almost "imagine" being this a true album. (See what I did there?)

Album cover for Landlocked was made by The Lifehouse.

Chapter 18: I Heard It Through the Grapevine (January - October 1970)

January 1 - March 30, 1970

With the death of Brian Wilson during the production of what would ultimately become Smile, the Beach Boys had come to a premature end. Mike Love had taken on Transcendental Meditation under Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and was now studying to become a teacher of TM, but unlike many of his musical peers during that time, he had no interest in continuing with music. Brian's younger brothers, however, were.

Dennis Wilson, 1970.

Despite that he had been the drummer for the Beach Boys, Dennis was still a solid singer and songwriter, even taking up a few production gigs in the United States despite only being twenty-four.

DENNIS WILSON: "Brian's death must've sparked something creative in me, probably helped by taking Transcendental Meditation along with the others. Of course, my real creative talent didn't shine until mid-1969, where I must've come up with nearly an album's worth of material. But I didn't want to record it all alone. I spoke this out with Carl, and then we called up Al [Jardine] and Bruce [Johnston] to see if they were interested." (2004)

CARL WILSON: "Al and Bruce were reluctant to bring back the Beach Boys into the music scene. Their reasoning was perfectly understandable; Brian was dead, and Mike was disillusioned with music. Without either of them, there were no Beach Boys. Dennis had anticipated this rejection. He said, 'No, no, we're not bringing the Beach Boys back. We're going to be a new group; the Passions or something like that.'" (1983)

AL JARDINE: "Dennis was very persuasive, but eventually, Bruce and I caved in and agreed. He promised that he wouldn't go nuts during production, and had even stopped taking drugs and alcohol following Brian's episodes whilst making Smile. But I still maintained caution. Just in case." (2011)

The re-vamped Beach Boys, now known as the Passions, entered the studio on New Years' Day 1970, and the first recording they did was a rendition of the traditional Scottish poem "Auld Lang Syne" with Dennis leading the group on piano. Carl then took the guitar, Al the bass, Bruce the keyboards and Dennis his drumkit to also get a feel for themselves by performing older songs such as "Heartbreak Hotel" and "Johnny B. Goode" before delving into some of Dennis' new songs like "Be With Me" and "Slip on Through".

BRUCE JOHNSTON: "The sessions were relatively smooth, and soon, even Al and I got into the swing of things by contributing our own songs and helping Dennis and Carl with their own. Sometimes, we'd ask Brian or Mike if they had any ideas, only to realize that they weren't there. But Dennis and Carl would assure us that they were with us in spirit. It helped us get by in the studio." (1992)

The sessions for the Passions' first album lasted three months with Dennis as the producer. Recorded in secret, the public did not know about the remaining former Beach Boys' newest project until they made a surprise appearance at Finsbury Park Astoria in London on 24 May.[1] The performance included not only older Beach Boys songs, but also a few new songs from the Passions' new album. The show was met with mildly positive reception, and whilst some performances were a bit sloppy, it was fun overall and gave some much-needed hype for the album.

July 24, 1970

The Passions - Sunflower

Released: July 24, 1970

Recorded: January 1 - March 30, 1970

Producer: Dennis Wilson

Track listing[2]

Side A

Tears in the Morning
Be With Me
All I Want to Do
Our Sweet Love
Got to Know the Woman
The Nearest Faraway Place

Side B
Slip on Through
Cotton Fields
Never Learn Not to Love
Forever
It's About Time
Celebrate the News

The Passions' debut album Sunflower was released on Reprise Records and was met to positive reception. It reached #3 in the United Kingdom and topped at #29 in the United States. Special praise was given to Dennis Wilson's songwriting, vocal performances and production, being cited as "the hero the Beach Boys needed when Brian lost his self-control during the making of Smile."

Some critics have taken the album to be something of a concept; the track listing implied that it was about a man who had recently lost his old lover and eventually moved on to find a new one, even asking her to marry him at the end. Others believed it was something of an allegory for Dennis' old band falling apart ("Tears in the Morning") before bringing it back together again following Brian's death ("Be With Me", "All I Want to Do") and even saving his bandmates from forever fading into obscurity ("Never Learn Not to Love", "Forever", "Celebrate the News").

DENNIS WILSON: "Such a concept that it was about myself rebooting the Beach Boys as the Passions was completely unintended for Sunflower. I just write songs and sing them like any other self-respecting artist would. That's all." (1977)

2 October 1970

The Yardbirds - Fight the Horde

Released: 2 October 1970

Recorded: November 1969 - August 1970

Producer: Jimmy Page

Track listing[3]

Side A

Immigrant Song
Friends
Celebration Day
Since I've Been Loving You
Out on the Tiles

Side B
Gallows Pole
Hey, Hey, What Can I Do
That's the Way
Bron-Y-Aur
Poor Tom
Hats Off to (Roy) Harper

The third album under the Page/Plant era of the Yardbirds, and the eighth overall, was more eclectic than any other album in their discography that came before it, including folk-sounding tracks alongside their hard blues rock tunes. Much of the album was recorded at Bron-Yr-Aur in Wales, which inspired the title to one of the tracks on side B. This change in sound was surprising to many fans and critics, but that didn't stop Fight the Horde from reaching number one on both sides of the Atlantic.

The title Fight the Horde came from the lyrics of the opening track, "Immigrant Song", which was later released as a single with the acoustic "Hey, Hey, What Can I Do" as its contrasting B-side. It  was inspired by a brief tour in Iceland from June and would later become an early example of Viking metal, influencing the likes of Swedish rock artists Heavy Load, Yngwie Malmsteen and Bathory.

Still, a particularly scathing review from Rolling Stone had angered Jimmy Page so much that he would not give press interviews for at least eighteen months. Despite that, reception towards Fight the Horde was kinder than it had been towards Going Down Like a Lead Zeppelin and Whole Lotta Love (despite the latter's title track being universally praised), but although it peaked the charts in the United Kingdom, another album by another band would as well...

Pink Floyd - Atom Heart Mother

Released: 2 October 1970

Recorded: March - August 1970

Producer: Pink Floyd, Norman Smith, Ron Geesin

Track listing[4]

Side A

Atom Heart Mother

Side B
Point Me at the Sky
If
Summer '68
Dark Globe
Fat Old Sun
Ibizia Bar

DAVID GILMOUR: "When both Fight the Horde and Atom Heart Mother came out the same day [2 October 1970], people thought we were trying to compete with the Yardbirds, but really, we were each doing our own thing at the time. Jimmy and co had theirs, and we had ours. In fairness, they did put out more effort into their songwriting than we did at the time." (1981)

JIMMY PAGE: "I thought Atom Heart Mother had its own merits. I mean, that opening suite is some of the best music Roger and his mates had ever put together. They're really good with long instrumental suites; we could never try to match that!" (1977)

Pink Floyd had not released a new album in over a year following the release of The Man & The Journey, although, to be fair, it was practically two albums packaged together. To fill the gap, the band contributed some music to Michelangelo Antonioni's Zabriskie Point with pre-Man/Journey tracks as well as a new song called "Cirrus Minor".

With the working title Themes from an Imaginary Western, Ron Geesin was brought in as a co-producer, having recently worked with Roger Waters and the other members of Pink Floyd for the soundtrack to a documentary film called The Body.

Roger Waters performing with Pink Floyd, 1970.

The cover art for Atom Heart Mother consisted of a cow in a field with no text indicating that it was a Pink Floyd album. Syd Barrett would give it the nickname of "The Cow Album", in reference to Beatles '68 sometimes being referred to as "The White Album" due to its white background. Critical reaction towards the album was mixed, and all members of Pink Floyd (including Syd Barrett) had spoken negatively about Atom Heart Mother since its release, with David Gilmour commenting that they became more prolific after its release.

ROGER WATERS: "If somebody said to me now – right – here's a million pounds, go out and play Atom Heart Mother, I'd say you must be fucking joking." (1984)

Footnotes

1. The Beach Boys' performance at Finsbury Park Astoria took place in 1968.
2. Tracks are sourced from Sunflower and the 2001 reissue of 20/20.
3. Tracks are sourced from Led Zeppelin III excluding "Hey, Hey, What Can I Do" and "Poor Tom" from the 1993/2008 reissue of Coda, and "Bron-Y-Aur" from Physical Graffiti. All three tracks were recorded during the sessions for LZ3 but not included, although "Hey, Hey, What Can I Do" was released as the B-side to "Immigrant Song".
4. All of Atom Heart Mother is used excluding "Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast". "Point Me at the Sky" is from The Early Singles, "Dark Globe" is from Syd Barrett's The Madcap Laughs, and "Ibizia Bar" is sourced from More.

Author's Comments

Another fairly short chapter here. The Beach Boys have risen like a phoenix from the ashes, Syd Barrett's still part of Pink Floyd, and the Yardbirds are carrying on like normal. Nothing much to say here.

Album cover for Sunflower designed by Loulou.

Chapter 5: All or Nothing (January - November 1967)

January 15, 1967

DENNIS WILSON: "'66 was a frightening time to be a rock musician. The Rolling Stones had come out with Could You Walk on the Water, and then America believed that John Lennon said the Beatles were bigger than Jesus Christ. Hell, we'd even had a song titled 'God Only Knows'. They may had been fighting religion, but the Beach Boys weren't trying to. At least, I don't think we did." (1996)

The original cover for Smile, designed by Frank Holmes.

Trying once again to top the Beatles with Abracadabra, Brian Wilson had declared that the Beach Boys' twelfth album was going to be called Smile. It was touted as a teenage symphony to God and would contain a variety of genres including comedy sketches, classical music, folk, spirituality, and satire. It was a far more ambitious project than Pet Sounds, but perhaps it may have been a far more daunting task than Wilson had predicted.

One of the proposed tracks for Smile was "Good Vibrations", which was originally planned to appear on Pet Sounds, but was instead dropped in favor of being a non-album single for October. The majority of the backing tracks had been finished by December 1966, but the rest of the band was baffled by Brian's ideas, and did not record their vocals. He had worked with Van Dyke Parks for the majority of the music, including lyrics. He had first met the senior Wilson brother back in 1965 through David Crosby and Terry Melcher[1].

The intended release date for Smile was January 15, 1967 under Capitol Records. However, Brian had missed the deadline, and that incident would mark the beginning of not only the downfall of Brian Wilson, but the Beach Boys as well.

NICK GRILLO: "Brian had a difficult time trying to explain his concept to the rest of the boys. In the studio, he would be seen curled into a ball telling us that there were 'too many bells' and told us to get rid of them. There were no bells as far as I knew, but I dismissed it as stress over missing the initial deadline. If I knew then what I know now, I could've done something to prevent his downfall." (2011)[2]

February - July 1967

The Beach Boys in the recording studio, 1967.

Various incidents had taken place surrounding the Smile recording sessions; Carl's arrest for draft evasion, clumsy editing processes, a lawsuit against Capitol Records demanding for over $250 thousand for royalty payments, as well as the threat in terminating their contract with Capitol, but most significant was the decline of Brian Wilson's mental health and creative dissatisfaction. Arguments within the group would eventually lead to Van Dyke Parks leaving the project in April. Still, Wilson refused to give up on Smile until he'd made the album he intended to release.

But did he really know the album he wanted to make?

MIKE LOVE: "Everybody was thinking the same when it came down to Brian's vision of Smile. When asked, Carl [Wilson] had said that Smile was to have the theme of spirituality and spreading goodwill. He'd come up with a 'health' side, whatever the hell that was, but it seemed like he was overthinking it too much, especially after Rubber Soul." (2007)

And it only got worse with the performance of the Beatles at the Games for May concert with Pink Floyd, and the subsequent release of Merseyside two weeks after that. The concert had split opinions among rock music fans; some took it as an excuse to lie down and let their greats become greater, others claimed it was a call to arms. It was undeniably the latter for Brian Wilson; by now, he had become increasingly paranoid and deluded over his "rivalry" with the Liverpudlians, and the constant consumption of cannabis and smuggled candy bars did little to soothe his schizophrenic behavior.

AL JARDINE: "One day, he'd say that a recording had too much guitar, and then another, he'd demand that the guitar be overdubbed. It was a nightmare, as if the album was cursed." (1987)

July 14, 1967

CARL WILSON: "I knew that with Brian's sudden death, we were in trouble. We had an unfinished album on our hands, Capitol wasn't happy with our situation, and I was feeling scared. I told the others, 'We've fucking had it now.'" (1992)[3]

Brian Wilson shortly before his death at twenty-five, 1967.

It was a day that would forever be a dark one in the Beach Boys' history. It was shortly after the last recording session that Brian Wilson had suffered from a heart attack. He was discovered by their manager Nick Grillo and was quickly rushed to the nearest hospital, but by then, it was already too late. The doctors' reports confirmed that the cause of his heart attack was excessive amounts of drugs, alcohol and stress. When the remaining Beach Boys received the news of their band mate's sudden death, they took the rest of the month off to prepare for Brian's funeral. His widow, Marilyn, was devastated by the news, even going so far as to accuse the Beatles for his death.

At the time of Brian's death, the majority of the recordings that would eventually form the final Smile album ranged from the initial February 1966 sessions with "Good Vibrations", all the way up to July 1967, half a year after the planned release! During the strenuous sessions, EMI and Capitol released "Then I Kissed Her", a previously released track from 1965, for a May single, despite the band's protests.

August 4 - September 22, 1967

EMI called the surviving Beach Boys for a meeting, stating that Smile had to be completed once and for all, even without Brian Wilson's input. The band agreed, and needed to find a producer; as far as they knew, the Beach Boys were finished.

NORMAN SMITH: "When I heard about the Beach Boys' situation, I sort of raised my hand and offered to help finish up Smile. I was working on Pink Floyd's second album, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, but I still wanted to help the Beach Boys out of the jam they were in. Understandably, they were sort of uncomfortable with my presence, having worked with the Beatles before, but still, they appreciated that I came in. They were even impressed with my work with Pink Floyd." (1980)

Norman Smith, 1967.

When new producer Norman Smith was brought in, he had been given a sheet of paper listing the potential songs for the final album. Taking a cue from George Martin, Smith decided to arrange the tracks in a "W"-shaped pattern; the best songs would be at the start and end of both sides ("Good Vibrations", "Cabin Essence", "Heroes and Villains", "Surf's Up"), whilst the weaker songs would be more towards the middle. In addition to the twelve songs on the list, he even included two new recordings, "With Me Tonight" and "Little Pad", and used an alternate version of "Good Vibrations" to differentiate it from the original 1966 single release.

MIKE LOVE: "It was so wrong, and yet it was so right at the same time." (2007)

AL JARDINE: "What Norman Smith did was take the biggest load of badly-recorded garbage with a cynical feeling to it ever, and he made something of it." (1967)[4]

The final mixes for Smile were done within a fortnight due to Smith needing to return to England and finish his work with Pink Floyd, and the master tapes were finally given to Capitol Records for a release date of September 22, 1967.

The Beach Boys - Smile

Released: September 22, 1967

Recorded: February 17, 1966 - July 14, 1967

Producer: Brian Wilson, Norman Smith

Track listing[5]

Side A

Good Vibrations
Do You Like Worms
I'm in Great Shape/Barnyard
With Me Tonight
Vega-Tables
Wonderful
Cabin Essence

Side B

Heroes and Villains
Child is the Father of the Man
The Old Master Painter
Wind Chimes
The Elements
Little Pad
Surf's Up

The definitive Smile was met with mixed to negative reviews upon release, with some critics deriding it as "a cheapskate epitaph, a cardboard tombstone, a sad and tatty final note for Brian Wilson." John Lennon and Paul McCartney would defend the album in interviews, even stating that despite his bad situation, Brian was still able to give his audience some worthwhile music.

27 November 1967
Shortly following the release of Smile, as well as a university tour with Rick Wright of Pink Floyd, the Beatles briefly returned to the studio to record an album covering the Beach Boys called Tribute to Brian Wilson[6], released shortly after their single "Hello Goodbye"/"I Am the Walrus". Critics singled out Paul's vocal on "God Only Knows" as the best performance of the album.

The Beatles - Tribute to Brian Wilson

Released: 27 November 1967

Recorded: 26-30 October 1967

Producer: George Martin

Track listing

Side A

Wouldn't It Be Nice? [LM]
Vege-Tables [M]
I Get Around [LM]
Little Deuce Coupe [H]
Don't Talk (Put Your Head on My Shoulder [M]
Good Vibrations [LH]
California Girls [LM]

Side B

Heroes and Villains [S]
I Know There's an Answer [H]
Little Honda [L]
Surfer Girl [M]
I'm Waiting for the Day [L]
Help Me, Rhonda [H]
God Only Knows [M]

The message from the back cover is as follows:

"As you are very well aware, we have lost one of the brightest voices in pop music this year, one of the best songwriters the United States had to offer. Brian Wilson to us was not only an accomplished musician, songwriter and singer, but he was a friend - a dear friend whose works will never be forgotten. Ever since Surfin' came out in 1961, he and the Beach Boys have been making hit after hit, rivaling us even in 1964. Of course, Pet Sounds was the biggest inspiration for Merseyside, no secret, but we think his masterpiece, his swan song, will be Smile, a true treasure for the generation. But, as you know, he died of heart attack before the release of Smile... As a tribute, the Beatles have decided to record this album in tribute of Brian; all album sales will go to the Wilson family."

Eventually, time would prove kind to Smile. By its twenty-fifth anniversary in 1992, reviews became more positive, praising the songwriting and production, and even saying the Beach Boys went out on a high note. The one downside was that Brian Wilson never lived to see his final masterpiece be a critical success, but despite his early death at twenty-five, his legacy, as well as that of the Beach Boys, would live on forever.

Footnotes

1. Terry Melcher was the producer for the Byrds.
2. Nick Grillo was the Beach Boys' second manager following the dismissal of Murry Wilson, the father to Brian, Carl and Dennis.
3. John Lennon said something similar concerning the fate of the Beatles after the death of Brian Epstein.
4. John Lennon said something similar when defending Phil Spector's work on Let It Be.
5. All tracks are taken from Smiley Smile and The Smile Sessions. "Good Vibrations", "Vega-Tables", "Wonderful", "Heroes and Villains", and "Wind Chimes" come from the former to add some variation, and to give an idea to what Norman Smith may have contributed.
6. Tribute to Brian Wilson is the only album so far in the series that is completely fictional. The lead singers are listed in [brackets].

Author's Comments

Like the previous chapter, this chapter was originally written back in January 2018 and now it's very much the definitive version of my personal backstory for Smile. If you have a hard time accepting it, I don't blame you. Smile has become almost mythological in a sense, and despite the facts being laid out for all to read, they've been overshadowed by the hype for half a century. Your results as to how it might've sounded may vary.

As for why I chose to have Brian Wilson killed off? Well, if you think about it, the Beach Boys' post-Surf's Up albums ranged from mediocre to downright unlistenable, with That's Why God Made the Radio being a surprising comeback from them in 2012. Having him killed off in 1967 would mean that the Beach Boys end at their creative peak, a similar reason to how the Beatles broke up following Abbey Road (or, depending on how you view it, Let It Be) - only in their case, no one died until 1980.

On a similar tangent, I had Brian Epstein survive into 1968, but how will he handle the Beatles during their last few years? Well, those are chapters for later. I'd also like to point out that I'm establishing a rule for Strawberry Peppers; for every person whose life I spare, another one dies in their place - not on the same day that Person A died on, but around a similar period. Can't have too many people surviving now, can we?

My final comment here is that ever since hearing about Peter Tork's death last month, that got me thinking; what could I do for the Monkees in this timeline? From what I've read, they've plenty of material during the late 1960s that wasn't put out on the albums back then. I've also got similar plans for the Yardbirds and the Zombies, and you've got some ideas for what I could do with each band, that would be great. You might even have something that I never even thought up myself!