bookofb
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Post by bookofb on Jan 26, 2024 18:06:24 GMT -5
In the recent thread about "When I Grow Up" vs. "Little Honda" we all took it as a given that Brian had the final say in choosing which songs would be released as singles. Does anybody know when Capitol first granted Brian this authority? I assume that Capitol and the Beach Boys did not start out in mid-62 with this arrangement (?) (In fact, now I'm wondering if the decision to put out "Ten Little Indians" as a single was made by somebody at Capitol, or Brian, or Brian-Murry, or Brian-Usher, or some kind of informal committee)
As the story has most often been recounted, more attention is paid to Capitol's willingness in 1963 to allow Brian to (1) record at outside studios and (2) be the sole credited producer on the albums. And also that Murry ran interference for Brian in getting these concessions from Capitol. Less attention is paid to this other concession from Capitol - choice of single. (although I may have overlooked something in my past reading) Does anybody know when this occurred? Can we assume that it was around the same time that Brian got the sole producer credit?
(I think in the Teen Set from Oct. '64, Earl Leaf mentions that Brian had been choosing the singles)
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Post by jk on Jan 29, 2024 17:21:12 GMT -5
Two days later, I'll stick my neck out and say yes, at the same time as the other concessions you mention. Google the string "Brian made 45 rpm singles special" and it should get you to page 301 of Jim Murphy's indispensible book where it is not exactly spelt out in black and white but as near as makes a difference!
My two eurocents, for what they're worth...
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Post by bessieboporbach on Jan 29, 2024 17:51:20 GMT -5
If Brian could choose singles, he can't have had sole/overriding authority to do so...unless it was Brian who chose to cut the legs out from under "Little Girl I Once Knew" as it was peaking by releasing "Barbara Ann." Right?
So it would have had to been (at that point anyway) that Brian had a vote and somebody else at Capitol also had a vote.
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Post by Matt H on Jan 29, 2024 18:54:16 GMT -5
If Brian could choose singles, he can't have had sole/overriding authority to do so...unless it was Brian who chose to cut the legs out from under "Little Girl I Once Knew" as it was peaking by releasing "Barbara Ann." Right? So it would have had to been (at that point anyway) that Brian had a vote and somebody else at Capitol also had a vote. Couldn’t Brian have been choosing the singles, but then someone from Capital deciding when to release them?
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Post by bessieboporbach on Jan 29, 2024 19:02:25 GMT -5
If Brian could choose singles, he can't have had sole/overriding authority to do so...unless it was Brian who chose to cut the legs out from under "Little Girl I Once Knew" as it was peaking by releasing "Barbara Ann." Right? So it would have had to been (at that point anyway) that Brian had a vote and somebody else at Capitol also had a vote. Couldn’t Brian have been choosing the singles, but then someone from Capital deciding when to release them? I have no idea. It is true that there was a release schedule that Brian had to fulfil. That's the whole reason why things like the Party album exist. Brian obviously does still enjoy "Barbara Ann" or at least has never disliked it enough not to play it live, but I find it a bit hard to believe that releasing it as a single was his call. But maybe it was. While the Beach Boys' singles during their peak years were often artistic peaks as well, I don't think there were that many that were particularly challenging (like "Little Girl...") &, conversely, I find it hard to think of very many cases of songs that had obvious commercial potential that were NOT put on singles: there's "Little Honda," I guess, but not that much evidence otherwise of Brian exercising a prerogative in tension with what Capitol might have wanted, until the Smile era.
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Post by markmoore on Jan 30, 2024 1:46:32 GMT -5
Just for industry comparison, Jan Berry’s situation was a bit different from Brian Wilson’s. Jan did not answer to a record company. Instead, Jan (through multiple contracts) answered to a major music production/publishing company based in New York City (with a fledgling West Coast office in Los Angeles), which in turn brokered and oversaw Jan & Dean’s deal with the record company.
So, as a songwriter, music arranger, and record producer, Jan answered directly to Don Kirshner at Nevins-Kirshner Associates/Aldon Music in New York (1961-1963) and that company’s successor Screen Gems-Columbia Music, Inc. (1963-1968). All of this fell under the aegis of Columbia Pictures’ Music & Record Division, with Lou Adler serving as vice president and head of the company’s West Coast office. Liberty Records (Jan & Dean’s label) did have a limited say in how things progressed. They paid a hefty royalty to Nevins-Kirshner/Screen Gems for the privilege of releasing Jan & Dean’s records. But final approval always came from Nevins-Kirshner/Screen Gems. And the parent company corresponded directly with Jan (not through Lou Adler).
When Jan Berry took complete control of Jan & Dean creatively—beginning with the sessions for “Linda” in late 1962—Nevins-Kirshner/Screen Gems adhered to Jan’s choices for single releases and album cuts. But Jan’s contracts specifically stated that everything—single, album, or album cut—was subject to the approval of Nevins-Kirshner/Screen Gems. That dynamic went relatively smoothly for a couple of years, but Jan clashed with both the label and production company/publisher in the days before his car accident in April 1966.
Even though Jan and Brian’s contractual agreements were vastly different, there are similarities. It’s highly unlikely that Brian Wilson had free rein to choose which singles were released. Capitol supported Brian’s choices/preferences (as well they should have) until they didn’t. And that’s when the Party! LP happened, and “Barbara Ann” usurped “The Little Girl I Once Knew.”
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Post by jk on Jan 30, 2024 4:50:10 GMT -5
Just for industry comparison, Jan Berry’s situation was a bit different from Brian Wilson’s. Jan did not answer to a record company. Instead, Jan (through multiple contracts) answered to a major music production/publishing company based in New York City (with a fledgling West Coast office in Los Angeles), which in turn brokered and oversaw Jan & Dean’s deal with the record company. So, as a songwriter, music arranger, and record producer, Jan answered directly to Don Kirshner at Nevins-Kirshner Associates/Aldon Music in New York (1961-1963) and that company’s successor Screen Gems-Columbia Music, Inc. (1963-1968). All of this fell under the aegis of Columbia Pictures’ Music & Record Division, with Lou Adler serving as vice president and head of the company’s West Coast office. Liberty Records (Jan & Dean’s label) did have a limited say in how things progressed. They paid a hefty royalty to Nevins-Kirshner/Screen Gems for the privilege of releasing Jan & Dean’s records. But final approval always came from Nevins-Kirshner/Screen Gems. And the parent company corresponded directly with Jan (not through Lou Adler). When Jan Berry took complete control of Jan & Dean creatively—beginning with the sessions for “Linda” in late 1962—Nevins-Kirshner/Screen Gems adhered to Jan’s choices for single releases and album cuts. But Jan’s contracts specifically stated that everything—single, album, or album cut—was subject to the approval of Nevins-Kirshner/Screen Gems. That dynamic went relatively smoothly for a couple of years, but Jan clashed with both the label and production company/publisher in the days before his car accident in April 1966. Even though Jan and Brian’s contractual agreements were vastly different, there are similarities. It’s highly unlikely that Brian Wilson had free rein to choose which singles were released. Capitol supported Brian’s choices/preferences (as well they should have) until they didn’t. And that’s when the Party! LP happened, and “Barbara Ann” usurped “The Little Girl I Once Knew.” Many thanks, Mark, for the detailed explanation. That bold bit makes sense. Capitol didn't like the drop in chart success of "TLGIOK", a single that probably raised company eyebrows to start with, and intervened. But until then (and maybe later?) it would seem they let Brian do the choosing. Looking at page 316 of Jim's book, when Capitol were pushing for a 45 to boost sales of Little Deuce Coupe, Brian passed over "several strong car songs" and "chose 'Be True To Your School'."
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Post by longtime lurker on Jan 30, 2024 9:30:50 GMT -5
Just for industry comparison, Jan Berry’s situation was a bit different from Brian Wilson’s. Jan did not answer to a record company. Instead, Jan (through multiple contracts) answered to a major music production/publishing company based in New York City (with a fledgling West Coast office in Los Angeles), which in turn brokered and oversaw Jan & Dean’s deal with the record company. So, as a songwriter, music arranger, and record producer, Jan answered directly to Don Kirshner at Nevins-Kirshner Associates/Aldon Music in New York (1961-1963) and that company’s successor Screen Gems-Columbia Music, Inc. (1963-1968). All of this fell under the aegis of Columbia Pictures’ Music & Record Division, with Lou Adler serving as vice president and head of the company’s West Coast office. Liberty Records (Jan & Dean’s label) did have a limited say in how things progressed. They paid a hefty royalty to Nevins-Kirshner/Screen Gems for the privilege of releasing Jan & Dean’s records. But final approval always came from Nevins-Kirshner/Screen Gems. And the parent company corresponded directly with Jan (not through Lou Adler). When Jan Berry took complete control of Jan & Dean creatively—beginning with the sessions for “Linda” in late 1962—Nevins-Kirshner/Screen Gems adhered to Jan’s choices for single releases and album cuts. But Jan’s contracts specifically stated that everything—single, album, or album cut—was subject to the approval of Nevins-Kirshner/Screen Gems. That dynamic went relatively smoothly for a couple of years, but Jan clashed with both the label and production company/publisher in the days before his car accident in April 1966. Even though Jan and Brian’s contractual agreements were vastly different, there are similarities. It’s highly unlikely that Brian Wilson had free rein to choose which singles were released. Capitol supported Brian’s choices/preferences (as well they should have) until they didn’t. And that’s when the Party! LP happened, and “Barbara Ann” usurped “The Little Girl I Once Knew.” Many thanks, Mark, for the detailed explanation. That bold bit makes sense. Capitol didn't like the drop in chart success of "TLGIOK", a single that probably raised company eyebrows to start with, and intervened. But until then (and maybe later?) it would seem they let Brian do the choosing. Looking at page 316 of Jim's book, when Capitol were pushing for a 45 to boost sales of Little Deuce Coupe, Brian passed over "several strong car songs" and "chose 'Be True To Your School'." Can you please tell me....who is "Jim" and what's the title of his book? Thanks in advance.
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Post by jk on Jan 30, 2024 10:32:55 GMT -5
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Post by Will/P.P. on Jan 30, 2024 10:54:53 GMT -5
Many thanks, Mark, for the detailed explanation. That bold bit makes sense. Capitol didn't like the drop in chart success of "TLGIOK", a single that probably raised company eyebrows to start with, and intervened. But until then (and maybe later?) it would seem they let Brian do the choosing. Looking at page 316 of Jim's book, when Capitol were pushing for a 45 to boost sales of Little Deuce Coupe, Brian passed over "several strong car songs" and "chose 'Be True To Your School'." Can you please tell me....who is "Jim" and what's the title of his book? Thanks in advance. James B. Murphy - Becoming the Beach Boys 1961-1963. Essential reading. A book a Beach Boys fan should own for reference and enjoyment.
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Post by Will/P.P. on Jan 30, 2024 10:58:29 GMT -5
Strange. I didn't see your post sitting there when I made mine. Says that was twenty minutes ago.
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Post by Will/P.P. on Jan 30, 2024 11:00:11 GMT -5
Good morning on the Beach Boys train...
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Post by jds on Jan 30, 2024 13:06:24 GMT -5
If Brian could choose singles, he can't have had sole/overriding authority to do so...unless it was Brian who chose to cut the legs out from under "Little Girl I Once Knew" as it was peaking by releasing "Barbara Ann." Right? So it would have had to been (at that point anyway) that Brian had a vote and somebody else at Capitol also had a vote. Is there any indication that Brian thought about single releases in nuanced economic terms? This is a guy who, at the height of the Beach Boys' 60s commercial power, went 3 months shy of a year without even a domestic stopgap release. My read is that during the salad years Brian had an implied right to select singles with Nik Venet having veto power early on. Probably was more bothered by the Greatest Hits conflicting with Pet Sounds -- once someone pointed it out to him -- than "Barbara Ann's" effect on "Little Girl." As far as managing the release of the singles, I don't know of any evidence that Brian took an interest.
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bookofb
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Post by bookofb on Feb 5, 2024 20:18:47 GMT -5
Thanks for the replies to my question. Getting back to this, it seems there's no clear answer (at least in this thread). I think Mark Moore makes a good point – No "free rein" for Brian; it's hard to imagine Capitol granting this power to Brian in contractual black-and-white, in writing, where Capitol's hands would be tied if Brian for some reason picked something totally outrageous or utterly uncommercial for release. (If something was in writing, it would have to have been a very qualified authority.) So maybe the reason the various source materials make no explicit mention of Capitol giving Brian this authority (in addition to allowing use of outside studios and sole production-credit) is that the authority was never (formally) granted in the first place. (And now I’m wondering if even the ch-choice-of-studio and sole-production-credit was granted contractually in writing, but never mind)
Still, there was some kind of power that Capitol allowed Brian on choice-of-single, informally, at least as a matter of pattern and practice (by the way, my initial post above was wrong, I think, about Teen Set mag saying, in Oct. '64, that Brian was choosing the singles. It was the March '65 issue of Hit Parader that said, for what it's worth: "Brian even has control over the songs they release. He picks their hits for Capitol and they never seem to miss.") If this is accurate, then the question, as discussed in this thread, is when did Capitol pull rank and reassert its authority over the singles (if indeed Capitol ever did or needed to do that - after all, Brian as we know was going to receive pressure from inside the group/Beach Boys organization too)
Did the "Barbara Ann" single mark the point at which Capitol reasserted its control over choice-of-single? I'm sure the "Barbara Ann" question has been discussed over and over again, but as a reminder, here's two bits of information:
(1) the recollection of Capitol West Coast promo-man Ken Mansfield about what happened with "Barbara Ann." In his book (anybody read it? or know of it, or know anything that might cast doubt on what Mansfield says?) Mansfield notes that because of the Beach Boys' status as hit-makers, Brian Wilson “pretty much decided what they released and when.” ("pretty much" is telling - suggests that Brian’s authority wasn’t ironclad). Mansfield says that the typical staff meetings (promotion, A&R, merch, publicity) "had little meaning for the Beach Boys, and we basically bypassed [the meetings] in their case" because of the Beach Boys' track record. Mansfield's recollection is that Brian came into the office with an acetate of “Barbara Ann” as the upcoming single, and Mansfield was unimpressed with it: “In my estimation, what I was hearing sounded like everyone was having a good time but obviously not too concerned about the artistry of it all. Beneath my trained and stoic exterior, my mind was screaming through its own shock and disbelief, This is a Brian Wilson record, for crying out loud, and definitely not what I was expecting. *** To me it was clear: releasing a sloppy-sounding record like ‘Barbara Ann’ was, for Brian, a major step backward.” Mansfield says he told Brian it was a mistake and it could possibly bomb on the charts (not that it was a mistake creatively or artistically), and that the Boys shouldn't release this and also that doing so would not help the Beach Boys get more help from Capitol, which was already devoting so much energy to the Beatles. And that Brian simply declared to him that "Barbara Ann" was the single, and that was all there was to it. And that Brian walked out of the room. And then, Mansfield later got a call from Nick Grillo (who wasn't then formal BB manager but with the accounting/management firm that managed Beach Boys affairs) and Grillo basically relayed the message from Brian that Mansfield would no longer be involved in “the planning portion of future Beach Boys releases.” Mansfield’s view is that at that time Capitol wouldn’t have pushed back against a successful proven artist like Brian, and in the end he says that Brian had the magic touch - that Mansfield himself was wrong, and Brian was right, as indicated by the commercial success of "Barbara Ann"
(2) The June 1966 issue of Teen Set, which features Brian's commentary during the preparation of Pet Sounds: “Brian was not particularly happy with ‘Barbara Ann’: ‘It didn’t represent any production talent, just a live sound. We didn’t spend as much time polishing it, because we didn’t know it would be forced out as a single. But don’t get me wrong, I couldn’t be happier that it went number one.’”
Thoughts? Personally, I tend to credit Mansfield's account of things and think it’s possible that in 1966, around the time of Pet Sounds, Brian the artist was disowning what he had done for the sake of business and also to possibly to cover for the relative failure of "Little Girl I Once Knew."
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Post by bessieboporbach on Feb 5, 2024 21:07:43 GMT -5
Thanks for the replies to my question. Getting back to this, it seems there's no clear answer (at least in this thread). I think Mark Moore makes a good point – No "free rein" for Brian; it's hard to imagine Capitol granting this power to Brian in contractual black-and-white, in writing, where Capitol's hands would be tied if Brian for some reason picked something totally outrageous or utterly uncommercial for release. (If something was in writing, it would have to have been a very qualified authority.) So maybe the reason the various source materials make no explicit mention of Capitol giving Brian this authority (in addition to allowing use of outside studios and sole production-credit) is that the authority was never (formally) granted in the first place. (And now I’m wondering if even the ch-choice-of-studio and sole-production-credit was granted contractually in writing, but never mind) Still, there was some kind of power that Capitol allowed Brian on choice-of-single, informally, at least as a matter of pattern and practice (by the way, my initial post above was wrong, I think, about Teen Set mag saying, in Oct. '64, that Brian was choosing the singles. It was the March '65 issue of Hit Parader that said, for what it's worth: "Brian even has control over the songs they release. He picks their hits for Capitol and they never seem to miss.") If this is accurate, then the question, as discussed in this thread, is when did Capitol pull rank and reassert its authority over the singles (if indeed Capitol ever did or needed to do that - after all, Brian as we know was going to receive pressure from inside the group/Beach Boys organization too) Did the "Barbara Ann" single mark the point at which Capitol reasserted its control over choice-of-single? I'm sure the "Barbara Ann" question has been discussed over and over again, but as a reminder, here's two bits of information: (1) the recollection of Capitol West Coast promo-man Ken Mansfield about what happened with "Barbara Ann." In his book (anybody read it? or know of it, or know anything that might cast doubt on what Mansfield says?) Mansfield notes that because of the Beach Boys' status as hit-makers, Brian Wilson “pretty much decided what they released and when.” ("pretty much" is telling - suggests that Brian’s authority wasn’t ironclad). Mansfield says that the typical staff meetings (promotion, A&R, merch, publicity) "had little meaning for the Beach Boys, and we basically bypassed [the meetings] in their case" because of the Beach Boys' track record. Mansfield's recollection is that Brian came into the office with an acetate of “Barbara Ann” as the upcoming single, and Mansfield was unimpressed with it: “In my estimation, what I was hearing sounded like everyone was having a good time but obviously not too concerned about the artistry of it all. Beneath my trained and stoic exterior, my mind was screaming through its own shock and disbelief, This is a Brian Wilson record, for crying out loud, and definitely not what I was expecting. *** To me it was clear: releasing a sloppy-sounding record like ‘Barbara Ann’ was, for Brian, a major step backward.” Mansfield says he told Brian it was a mistake and it could possibly bomb on the charts (not that it was a mistake creatively or artistically), and that the Boys shouldn't release this and also that doing so would not help the Beach Boys get more help from Capitol, which was already devoting so much energy to the Beatles. And that Brian simply declared to him that "Barbara Ann" was the single, and that was all there was to it. And that Brian walked out of the room. And then, Mansfield later got a call from Nick Grillo (who wasn't then formal BB manager but with the accounting/management firm that managed Beach Boys affairs) and Grillo basically relayed the message from Brian that Mansfield would no longer be involved in “the planning portion of future Beach Boys releases.” Mansfield’s view is that at that time Capitol wouldn’t have pushed back against a successful proven artist like Brian, and in the end he says that Brian had the magic touch - that Mansfield himself was wrong, and Brian was right, as indicated by the commercial success of "Barbara Ann" (2) The June 1966 issue of Teen Set, which features Brian's commentary during the preparation of Pet Sounds: “Brian was not particularly happy with ‘Barbara Ann’: ‘It didn’t represent any production talent, just a live sound. We didn’t spend as much time polishing it, because we didn’t know it would be forced out as a single. But don’t get me wrong, I couldn’t be happier that it went number one.’” Thoughts? Personally, I tend to credit Mansfield's account of things and think it’s possible that in 1966, around the time of Pet Sounds, Brian the artist was disowning what he had done for the sake of business and also to possibly to cover for the relative failure of "Little Girl I Once Knew." I've borrowed & read some of The White Book and the chapter on Mansfield's relationship with Brian is a bit frustrating in that it contradicts the received wisdom but also, doesn't seem to contain any errors of the sort that would permit us to dismiss it. It dates the meeting about "Barbara Ann" to early November, before "The Little Girl I Once Knew" was even released -- so, if we accept his account, then it's impossible that the rushing out of "Barbara Ann" in late December was any kind of reaction to "Little Girl", or at least to its chart performance. There is room for a bit of interpretation in Mansfield's account, though. He quotes Brian as saying something like, "This is the next single." He doesn't, as far as I can recall, quote Brian as defending it in the face of his criticisms or otherwise explicitly taking ownership of the record. He just says that, at the time, Brian "pretty much" made release decisions and that during that meeting, Brian made the statement that "Barbara Ann" was their next single, and infers from the former that Brian was stubbornly overriding his advice. But another possibility is that the Teen Set interview is reliable, and Brian had indeed more or less been forced to accept "Barbara Ann" as the single by someone who outranked Mansfield (and there were many such executives at Capitol). He then went to share the single with Mansfield, not so much in pride as in resignation, knowing that Mansfield would be honest about it. And then he was sufficiently upset by Mansfield's candor (which may well have accorded with what he himself felt) to not want to deal with Mansfield again. I don't have any insider information one way or the other, and my knowledge of the pop world at the time is fairly limited. One thing I do know a bit about is the nature of the contracts that were offered at around the same time to the highest-profile and biggest-selling jazz artists, figures like Miles Davis and John Coltrane, by labels like Columbia and ABC. And in those contracts, the artist usually had final approval over album contents and album covers, and veto power over the release of takes. But two powers such contracts don't seem to have conferred on the artists were the power to control *when* things came out or how often, and, to our point, what went on singles or what got edited down for jukebox releases. So, for example, Coltrane could choose which take of "Ascension" got released, he could even direct the recall of the wrong take in favor of the right one (which did indeed happen) -- but he had no control over how it was edited for its Seeburg "Little LP" jukebox release nor any say over when that record (or any other record he made) came out. Nor, evidently, could he have vetoed such a release. These contracts were top of the line at the time (early '60s). Did Brian, with his massive success and access to the gigantically profitable teen market, have even more power? I don't know. VDP has said that Brian was the most powerful individual recording artist in the entire industry at the time of their working relationship.
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Post by markmoore on Feb 5, 2024 21:23:14 GMT -5
According to Bruce Johnston (in his interview with me), Capitol was spooked by the two bars of dead space (silence) in "The Little Girl I Once Knew"—just enough time for listeners in their cars to reach over and switch the radio dial without listening to the rest of the song. As a result (according to Bruce), Capitol promotion man Al Coury began pushing "Barbara Ann" instead—and that's how that particular Party! track usurped "The Little Girl I Once Knew" as a single.
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bookofb
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Post by bookofb on Feb 5, 2024 21:58:16 GMT -5
But another possibility is that the Teen Set interview is reliable, and Brian had indeed more or less been forced to accept "Barbara Ann" as the single by someone who outranked Mansfield (and there were many such executives at Capitol). He then went to share the single with Mansfield, not so much in pride as in resignation, knowing that Mansfield would be honest about it. And then he was sufficiently upset by Mansfield's candor (which may well have accorded with what he himself felt) to not want to deal with Mansfield again. I was thinking about this too, though you've articulated it better than I could have. If Mansfield is telling the truth, then yeah, Brian would have been annoyed to hear Mansfield tell him that "Barbara Ann" wasn't up to snuff when of course Brian would have known that already without needing an executive to tell him the obvious. If Mansfield's account is reliable (and it sounds like it, based on the anecdotal specificity and details), then Brian had his reasons for doing what he did, and who knows what they were. One possibility as you've said is that the order came down from the higher-ups. It seems we can only speculate from what's known.
If somebody is vested with the authority (albeit informal) to make decisions on behalf of himself, his band, his family and the label he records for, it's conceivable he makes a decision as a businessman, basically, before switching to artist mode. ( "Little Girl I Once Knew" seems to reflect Brian balancing commerce with his growing artistry.) Doing what he did (or may have done) with "Barbara Ann" may have even given Brian the moral justification he needed to take a sharp turn unilaterally with Pet Sounds: if "Barbara Ann" is a hit, Brian is a hero and wins more goodwill and credibility with which to change the band's sound; if it fails, all the more reason to improve the quality and sophistication of Beach Boys music by bringing Beach Boys music up to par with Rubber Soul, etc. Too many questions here. Without knowing more, it comes down to what's in Brian's head at the time.
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bookofb
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Post by bookofb on Feb 5, 2024 22:16:25 GMT -5
According to Bruce Johnston (in his interview with me), Capitol was spooked by the two bars of dead space (silence) in "The Little Girl I Once Knew"—just enough time for listeners in their cars to reach over and switch the radio dial without listening to the rest of the song. As a result (according to Bruce), Capitol promotion man Al Coury began pushing "Barbara Ann" instead—and that's how that particular Party! track usurped "The Little Girl I Once Knew" as a single. Great - thank you. It's becoming clearer. (I think)
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Post by Cam Mott on Feb 7, 2024 9:15:51 GMT -5
FWIW, my understanding from a few in the 1960s Capitol art and production departments was the Producers had the most control over product. So being the group's producer gave Brian a lot of institutional control.
I suppose the levels of authority above Producer were swayed by Brian's force of confidence and personality and record of success.
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bookofb
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Post by bookofb on Feb 7, 2024 12:54:58 GMT -5
I don't know if this is pertinent to the issue, but Brian was an independent producer, not a Capitol staff producer. So it was a situation in which Brian was at once (1) signed to Capitol as an artist in his role of Beach Boy, and (2) an "independent," in his role of producer. I'm not sure what this means in practical terms. Other than, at the very least, Brian is wearing more than one hat in these days. He's a record producer, a member of the Beach Boys, and also he's becoming "Brian Wilson" the individual artist. All of these things seem to be colliding, somewhat awkwardly, at the end of 1965. Pet Sounds seems to signify Brian's preferred way of resolving the various tensions: on Pet Sounds, the studio producer, the artist and the "Beach Boys" brand are all in alignment. Alas...
In 1967, Capitol signed Murry not as a Capitol artist, but as an independent producer, free to pick and choose his projects, which he would then submit to Capitol. Murry of course used his deal to produce his vanity project and put out his own music. As an independent, Murry I assume had to figure out a way to bankroll his productions, that were then intended to be distributed under the Capitol label. (This is probably why various sources say that the Beach Boys, not Capitol, ponied up for Many Moods of Murry.) Brian had been an independent too, but his situation was such that, because he produced a Capitol-signed group, Capitol was paying for the sessions.
If this is an accurate reading of Brian-Capitol relations (and I'm not sure it is) than it's easier to appreciate the special, elite status Brian held in the mid-1960s: For Brian, being an "independent" seems to have come down to creative independence and creative freedom as a producer, but not financially "independent" in the sense that Brian or the Beach Boys were burdened with fronting the production costs of Beach Boys recordings. Brian reaped the creative benefits of independence while not being saddled with the financial burdens of true independence. At the same time, having this freedom came with responsibilities and obligations to the label, the public, the rest of the Beach Boys, etc. Up until Pet Sounds, I don't think anybody at Capitol or within the organization could have reasonably claimed that Brian had ever used his authority in a commercially irresponsible way. Then Pet Sounds happened.
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Post by jds on Feb 7, 2024 19:48:19 GMT -5
I think Brian appreciated the value of "Barbara Ann" as he recorded and selected it for single release. I also think he viewed it in unfavorable contrast to the self-consciously sophisticated recordings he made/was attempting in '66 to mid '67. I also think he went around the bend and rediscovered the appeal of a mostly-live, dry recording by Autumn '67.
Such is Brian Wilson.
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Post by drbeachboy (Dirk) on Feb 7, 2024 20:12:43 GMT -5
Brian must be pretty proud of Barbara Ann. I have seen Brian many times and he has played it at every show. With so many hits written by his own hand to choose from, he still includes this remake in his live set.
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Post by jds on Feb 7, 2024 20:34:46 GMT -5
Brian's views of his own songs should be viewed in light of the fact that the Hit Parade never stopped having an outsized influence on his own self-perception. This is one reason why I'm skeptical of the "Smile 2004 was a moment of personal redemption" narratives. I think the album as a concept let him down the more he realized it wasn't going to have any real pop currency.
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Post by Micha on Feb 11, 2024 12:15:05 GMT -5
There's this TV performance of "Barbara Ann" I think in the show with Bob Hope and this other guy. Was that before or after the release of the single?
EDIT: I found out myself, that TV show was aired two months before the Barbara Ann single was released. Maybe that had something to do with it.
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