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Post by AGD on Jun 13, 2021 0:58:15 GMT -5
Math was apparently not Murry's strong suit: in a letter dated May 1965 he refers to events concerning the band of the past five or six years, i.e. since 1960/1959.
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petsite
Author/Historian/ Researcher
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Post by petsite on Jun 13, 2021 0:59:25 GMT -5
Math was apparently not Murry's strong suit: in a letter dated May 1965 he refers to events of the past five or six years, i.e. 1960/1959. OK AGD, now I am on the floor. That was good!
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Post by Rick Bartlett on Jun 13, 2021 1:38:39 GMT -5
It's a heavy hard written letter, and an interesting look into the mind of Murry. Most people tend to throw him into being a jerk in The Beach Boys world, but if it weren't for him?..... We could go round in circles all day long about that...
There were many facets to this man and a lot comes out in this letter.
A loving, arrogant, controlling, bitter, upset, parental, concerned person. He seemed to have been a very 'disturbed' personality and probably had some mental illness himself. Mixing family and business can cause many problems, that's not uncommon, period. It's a pretty 'rough' letter.
As another said, Imagine being on the receiving end of that? It's just amazing the document has survived to an inside glimpse of the man. While he was hard on the boys, to say Murry never had a heart, soul, or talent, is simply untrue. This album by 'George Faulker - Sings Murry Wilson', is an excellent example Murry's ability as a songwriter. It's excellent.
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Post by boogieboarder on Jun 13, 2021 2:20:18 GMT -5
Murray’s just complaining about the same old crap from the previous two or three years. Brian wrote and produced and performed seven hit albums in two years, and yet Murray accuses Brian of being selfish for having extracurricular musical activities on top of all that success. Brian co-writing with Gary Usher, co-writing with others for Jan and Dean records, adding a falsetto with them. Producing non-Beach Boys records, trying to get hits as a producer. This is what musicians all do today. Once again, Brian led the way. What’s the matter wasn’t there enough money generated for everybody else? He had to try to squeeze more out of Brian? And if Murray was so honest in his business dealings as he claims, how come he left Mike Love off as lyricist on so many, many songs. It wasn’t just one accidental oversight. He had to have done it on purpose. And kicking David Marks out of the band, after he said “I quit” in the heat of an argument, even though David Marks had a current legal contract with Capitol Records as part of the band - how honest was that? "Murry". I wonder why they spelled it “Murray” on the Sunrays’ picture sleeve. I wonder why they called his album “The Many Moods of Murray Wilson?” When he only seemed to have one mood - anger.
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Post by jk on Jun 13, 2021 3:16:47 GMT -5
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petsite
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Post by petsite on Jun 13, 2021 3:38:47 GMT -5
So glad they didn't put my photo on the cover. I want people to actually BUY this thing. But I wonder if the guys at Cap got any of these ladies phone numbers for me. I am a star after all .
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Post by Cam Mott on Jun 13, 2021 8:25:43 GMT -5
As I recall some non-relatives who worked directly with the Boys also thought they were undisciplined and irresponsible jerks.
Murry's not the only one who will complain about disregard for what is ethical and moral and legal. On the other hand Murry will not be above the same disregard.
Business and family and adulting is hard, with plenty of blame and regret to go around.
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Post by Mikie on Jun 13, 2021 9:28:13 GMT -5
I wonder why they spelled it “Murray” on the Sunrays’ picture sleeve. Because someone in the Tower Records art department fucked up!
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Post by Mikie on Jun 13, 2021 9:35:13 GMT -5
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Post by leedempsey on Jun 13, 2021 9:37:53 GMT -5
I wonder why they spelled it “Murray” on the Sunrays’ picture sleeve. Because someone in the Tower Records art department fucked up! That’s a Billboard magazine promotional ad - not a picture sleeve. Still a pretty big miss by the Tower/Capitol advertising department — or the ad agency they used.
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Post by Mikie on Jun 13, 2021 9:53:15 GMT -5
Because someone in the Tower Records art department fucked up! That’s a Billboard magazine promotional ad - not a picture sleeve. Still a pretty big miss by the Tower/Capitol advertising department — or the ad agency they used. I'll give you that one, Lee, but there's no excuse for Tower missing it on the record label too:
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Post by #JusticeForDonGoldberg on Jun 13, 2021 17:15:30 GMT -5
Could someone clear something up for me? Now I have not spent decades studying all of the horrible things The beach boys have done, but this part of the letter is puzzling me… “The financial success and achievement of the Beach Boys' vocal group as given each and every one of its members a sense of false security and it has given vent for each member, in his own way, to take pre-calculated risks and on many occasions where if two or three of these premeditated risks were taken got into the papers and trades, this gigantic business deal could have gone down the drain. I am referring, of course, to such things as statutory rape, drinking, lacsivious conduct on the part of one of the members, which I can prove, along with one or two more vilations of the law which could be construed as felonies by a judge in a court of law.” Now I know the Beach boys did all sorts of illegal and horrible things post 68, but what exactly is Murry referring to here? Or is this purely just a scare tactic
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Post by Paul JB on Jun 13, 2021 18:14:26 GMT -5
Not a scare tactic but none of us will be able to say with certainty what he is referring to. Illegal drug use, buying maybe selling or sharing with others was certainly going on way before ‘68 as was having sex with young girls. It’s fairly common knowledge even in the earliest touring days that at least some of the boys hooked up with…hookers. So, sex for cash and other such behavior was asking for trouble and that’s the kind of stuff where I’m in agreement with Murry….he had valid points in some of these letters. Mike Love bragged in his biography that even in the early days he had multiple girlfriends in towns across the USA. How many athletes or entertainers then and today have gotten themselves into huge financial messes due to their sexual escapades alone.
Are you familiar with Sam Cooke? If not google the way his talented life ended.
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Post by Paul JB on Jun 13, 2021 18:23:37 GMT -5
Don’t mean to keep defending Murry here but the tale about Brian writing Parks a 5 or 6 thousand dollar check to buy a car before Parks did squat, really, is very telling in that it proves the Wilson boys were very careless with money. Since we all like to speculate here maybe Parks in part stuck along with Brian a lot longer than he wanted to because Brian was very generous from the get go. Who knows.
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Post by Al S on Jun 13, 2021 20:34:46 GMT -5
I don't know what Murry had to worry about. Remember, he had a secret weapon that was going to make him RICH!
Interesting, do you think he got rich from managing The Sunrays? One album and a run of singles that was all over by ‘66 or so - sure, some solid income for a couple of years but not sure if it was enough for a long term.
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Post by markmoore on Jun 13, 2021 23:46:54 GMT -5
I have compassion for Murry Wilson. On the one hand, I think he was deeply insecure and jealous. And no excuse for abusing his sons, psychologically or otherwise. On the other, he makes some valid points in the letter. But at least he admitted that he made mistakes and mishandled things at times. I kind of love him. People are complex and must be viewed as a whole, from many different angles. I wonder how much, if any, of Brian Wilson’s mental illness was inherited from Murry.
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Post by AGD on Jun 14, 2021 0:33:26 GMT -5
One extremely pertinent point that is routinely ignored in any discussion of Murry is that, bad as he was, his father was even worse: Murry came from a seriously dysfunctional family.
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Departed
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Post by Deleted on Jun 14, 2021 2:03:07 GMT -5
And Brian and all the other grandchildren and descendants can't take a little bit of time and a couple $1000 and put a simple plaque so that this man doesn't lie buried in an unmarked grave in Inglewood California?
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Post by jk on Jun 14, 2021 2:18:19 GMT -5
And Brian and all the other grandchildren and descendants can't take a little bit of time and a couple $1000 and put a simple plaque so that this man doesn't lie buried in an unmarked grave in Inglewood California? Indeed. This is beyond mind-boggling. Once a dysfunctional family...
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Post by Rick Bartlett on Jun 14, 2021 3:33:28 GMT -5
And Brian and all the other grandchildren and descendants can't take a little bit of time and a couple $1000 and put a simple plaque so that this man doesn't lie buried in an unmarked grave in Inglewood California? Wow! Is that true to this day? Yikes! You would think just out of 'respect' for what he did for the group, not personally even, the 'Beach Boys' (remaining members) Company could chip in a few dollars to some sort of plaque to him. It's not that they couldn't afford it, but it's truly sad in 2021, he has been buried without any acknowledgement of where he lays.... Yup, pretty messed up family.
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missilesofsoul1
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Hello, I am a longtime BB fan and aficionado from Berkeley, CA.
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Post by missilesofsoul1 on Jun 14, 2021 4:32:47 GMT -5
"Breaking my camera was yet another sign of your total failure on all levels as a son." This and all the other conflict that Dennis got the brunt of with his father really messed him up badly, as was shown when he recorded his interview with the "In Your Face" DJ (forgot the name) in the early '70s and, after drinking a jug of wine, had a total breakdown on camera regarding his relationship with Murry and the self-esteem issues it caused, which his family and those close to him have made sure will never be seen. That's a very private thing and it's good that it won't be available to the public.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 14, 2021 7:34:33 GMT -5
"Breaking my camera was yet another sign of your total failure on all levels as a son." This and all the other conflict that Dennis got the brunt of with his father really messed him up badly, as was shown when he recorded his interview with the "In Your Face" DJ (forgot the name) in the early '70s and, after drinking a jug of wine, had a total breakdown on camera regarding his relationship with Murry and the self-esteem issues it caused, which his family and those close to him have made sure will never be seen. That's a very private thing and it's good that it won't be available to the public. There's also a letter from Dennis to his Dad, dated 1968, promising to take care of his 16mm camera. So maybe Murrys letter had an affect on Dennis.. Concerning a camera anyway..
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Post by Vale on Jun 14, 2021 7:39:39 GMT -5
"Breaking my camera was yet another sign of your total failure on all levels as a son." This and all the other conflict that Dennis got the brunt of with his father really messed him up badly, as was shown when he recorded his interview with the "In Your Face" DJ (forgot the name) in the early '70s and, after drinking a jug of wine, had a total breakdown on camera regarding his relationship with Murry and the self-esteem issues it caused, which his family and those close to him have made sure will never be seen. That's a very private thing and it's good that it won't be available to the public. There's also a letter from Dennis to his Dad, dated 1968, promising to take care of his 16mm camera. So maybe Murrys letter had an affect on Dennis.. Concerning a camera anyway.. This one
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Post by Deleted on Jun 14, 2021 10:14:13 GMT -5
And Brian and all the other grandchildren and descendants can't take a little bit of time and a couple $1000 and put a simple plaque so that this man doesn't lie buried in an unmarked grave in Inglewood California? Wow! Is that true to this day? Yikes! You would think just out of 'respect' for what he did for the group, not personally even, the 'Beach Boys' (remaining members) Company could chip in a few dollars to some sort of plaque to him. It's not that they couldn't afford it, but it's truly sad in 2021, he has been buried without any acknowledgement of where he lays.... Yup, pretty messed up family.
I don't think we as fans can be in any position to judge the Wilson family for how they choose to (or not to) memorialize Murry.
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Post by Rick Bartlett on Jun 14, 2021 11:25:01 GMT -5
Your probably right Sir.
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