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Post by Rick Bartlett on Jun 8, 2022 4:33:28 GMT -5
Whoa! Jesus F^ck!! Ha! The curtain too! That thing looks like it's an easy good foot or so deep in the sand, you wouldn't be able to control the pedals... Incredible.
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Post by boogieboarder on Jun 8, 2022 4:58:13 GMT -5
I’m not sure that using the pedals would be important to Brian’s playing style. One pedal makes the piano slightly softer. One makes it sustain all the notes so they run together. The third sustains the currently depressed notes while subsequent notes are not sustained.
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Post by dauber on Jun 8, 2022 6:06:34 GMT -5
Okay...as far as anybody knows, the only known photos of the sandbox are/were in Marilyn's hands. I can only imagine the phone conversation that happened....
"Hello, Marilyn?.....Uhh....this is David. David Leaf......Yeah, that's right, the guy who wrote the book about your ex-husband that came out around the time of your divorce......oh, yes, they're fine, thanks for asking....well, funny thing. Listen, I know you're currently suing your ex-husband because of that whole publishing sales thing, but I was wondering if you could do me a little favor. You see, he's about to go on tour, and I'm working on the program...."
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Post by WillJC on Jun 8, 2022 6:12:58 GMT -5
I've been told it was discovered very recently in a German fanzine, not from Marilyn. Crazy the way some things work out.
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Post by dauber on Jun 8, 2022 6:13:21 GMT -5
My wife: "Now the only thing that can beat that is a picture of Banana or Louie taking a dump in it."
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Post by Cam Mott on Jun 8, 2022 6:48:12 GMT -5
At this point, you just have to use a little 'Imagination'... Very cool. It seems to me from the Inside Pop video that at that time the sandbox was probably against that wall of shuttered windows on the other side of the room in the bottom photo, where the dining table is under the chandelier. I guess the pedals weren't a concern for Brian's purposes. Not an expert on pianos but it seems to me the depth of that sand is a foot or less?
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Post by Emdeeh on Jun 8, 2022 8:51:52 GMT -5
Slightly OT, but I just bought a clear stadium tote bag just to carry that BW program book so I can get it home unscuffed.
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Post by dauber on Jun 8, 2022 9:16:46 GMT -5
It seems to me from the Inside Pop video that at that time the sandbox was probably against that wall of shuttered windows on the other side of the room in the bottom photo, where the dining table is under the chandelier.
Would the sandbox still have existed at the time, though? The Inside Pop film is from December, right? Seems to me the sandbox was installed earlier, like October-ish, no? and it wasn't around for long, IINM.
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Post by Mikie on Jun 8, 2022 9:18:11 GMT -5
and if it makes it easier to view... (albeit slightly photo-adjusted, hence the lower quality) Thank you, Malc! So Brian thought that putting up a curtain and pulling it closed, it would feel even more like he was at the beach? I guess I don't really understand the reasoning for the curtain. Or he wanted to keep out any distractions when he was in the sandbox? Or was it all about the artwork with kids at the beach? It couldn't have been put up to keep Banana & Louie out.......
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Howie
Author/Historian/ Researcher
Posts: 12
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Post by Howie on Jun 8, 2022 9:28:47 GMT -5
All credit goes to a fan named Jost Dockter, who reached out to me with the photo. It came from a German fan magazine -- evidently NOT Bravo -- and was part of his mom's teenage BB scrapbook -- already cut up and placed there -- and then LEFT.
He sent us a hi-res scan and Mark went to work. I'm tossing it to all of you guys -- we have no idea what magazine it was from, if it was the only photo printed from that day, or if an American or European journalist shot it. Pretty astounding that it's been "public" for all these years and NONE of us ever saw it.
Like an old Beatles collector once told me: "EVERYTHING exists somewhere."
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Post by Mikie on Jun 8, 2022 9:34:53 GMT -5
Wow, that photo would have been a welcome addition to the Smile Sessions accompanying booklet.
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Post by Cam Mott on Jun 8, 2022 9:46:13 GMT -5
"and it wasn't around for long"
According to Derek Taylor it was in place well into March 1967.
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Post by dauber on Jun 8, 2022 9:49:21 GMT -5
Like an old Beatles collector once told me: "EVERYTHING exists somewhere."
Hey, I'm still waiting with bated breath for the 1960 recording of "Fever," take 2 of "Twist and Shout," and as bad as it might be, "Tip of My Tongue."
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Post by dauber on Jun 8, 2022 9:50:29 GMT -5
"and it wasn't around for long" According to Derek Taylor it was in place well into March 1967. I thought Brian had it taken out so he could bring in the tumbling mats??? Or was that also March 1967??
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Post by Joshilyn Hoisington on Jun 8, 2022 9:52:12 GMT -5
I’m not sure that using the pedals would be important to Brian’s playing style. One pedal makes the piano slightly softer. One makes it sustain all the notes so they run together. The third sustains the currently depressed notes while subsequent notes are not sustained. As far as I can tell, Brian pretty much never used the sustain pedal when he recorded himself playing piano. The way he pounded doesn't lend itself to subtle colouration.
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Post by dauber on Jun 8, 2022 9:55:16 GMT -5
I’m not sure that using the pedals would be important to Brian’s playing style. One pedal makes the piano slightly softer. One makes it sustain all the notes so they run together. The third sustains the currently depressed notes while subsequent notes are not sustained. As far as I can tell, Brian pretty much never used the sustain pedal when he recorded himself playing piano. The way he pounded doesn't lend itself to subtle colouration.
Judging from just the sound in the Inside Pop film, it sure sounds like he was using the sustain pedal...and if he *was*, and assuming that (as per Cam) Derek Taylor was correct that the sandbox stayed around until into March (and assuming the piano stayed in there with it), he must have crammed two pianos in the Laurel Canyon house. (Notice that there's no piano owl in the sandbox picture.)
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Post by Cam Mott on Jun 8, 2022 10:05:32 GMT -5
Brian's shirt seems to show that the photo is not reversed. I suppose this shot could be from toward the end of the piano, against the shuttered windows, toward the corner of the wall by a seating area but the closed curtain on that side is cutting off that view of the rest of the room. You know...IF, etc, etc...
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Post by Cam Mott on Jun 8, 2022 10:10:37 GMT -5
"and it wasn't around for long" According to Derek Taylor it was in place well into March 1967. I thought Brian had it taken out so he could bring in the tumbling mats??? Or was that also March 1967?? I believe the tent came first in a room (den?), then later the mats and stuff in the living room (?), and the sand box last in the dining room.
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Post by boogieboarder on Jun 8, 2022 11:04:31 GMT -5
I thought Brian had it taken out so he could bring in the tumbling mats??? Or was that also March 1967?? I believe the tent came first in a room (den?), then later the mats and stuff in the living room (?), and the sand box last in the dining room. So, "interior decorator" should not be listed as one of Brian Wilson's many talents?
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Post by Mikie on Jun 8, 2022 11:26:55 GMT -5
What color shirt was Brian wearing? Is that shirt in any other photos of Brian from that era? And what kind of piano is Brian playing? He said "wanted to feel his toes in the sand" but it looks like he's wearing sandals or something there....
And I wonder what he's drinking. A milkshake? Cool-Aid? Royal Crown Cola?
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sloopjohnb
Historian / Researcher
Posts: 252
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Post by sloopjohnb on Jun 8, 2022 11:59:19 GMT -5
What color shirt was Brian wearing? Is that shirt in any other photos of Brian from that era? And what kind of piano is Brian playing? He said "wanted to feel his toes in the sand" but it looks like he's wearing sandals or something there.... And I wonder what he's drinking. A milkshake? Cool-Aid? Royal Crown Cola? Brian's playing his Chickering grand - same piano you see on Inside Pop, and hear on Smiley Smile, Wild Honey, Friends and beyond...
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Post by Mikie on Jun 8, 2022 12:27:18 GMT -5
What color shirt was Brian wearing? Is that shirt in any other photos of Brian from that era? And what kind of piano is Brian playing? He said "wanted to feel his toes in the sand" but it looks like he's wearing sandals or something there.... And I wonder what he's drinking. A milkshake? Cool-Aid? Royal Crown Cola? Brian's playing his Chickering grand - same piano you see on Inside Pop, and hear on Smiley Smile, Wild Honey, Friends and beyond... I believe Murry gave him that piano, correct?
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Post by Cam Mott on Jun 8, 2022 12:35:36 GMT -5
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Post by Rick Bartlett on Jun 8, 2022 14:16:02 GMT -5
Is this 'the' piano that Elton John wanted to buy, but Marilyn refused,
but is now owned by Carnie?
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Post by Mikie on Jun 8, 2022 15:07:05 GMT -5
I think it may be the same piano that I saw in person. The piano bench cushion has the opening notes to "Surfer Girl" cross-stitched into it. When the piano tuner showed up to Brian's house, Brian didn't want him to use pitchforks - instead he hummed the notes and had the piano guy tune to the pitch he was humming to get the sound he wanted to hear. Supposedly the result was a piano with a few sharp and flat keys but better harmonics.....
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