Post by George Faulkner on Jan 23, 2019 13:19:58 GMT -5
A few of you already know about my long-running Murry Wilson project - a record of re-recordings of the 'lost' Murry songs - but as it winds down I thought I'd share a bit of my story as I think it may be of some interest to the group. The conclusion of the story (for those who do not want to slog through all this) is I have ended up my research and outreach after years of plugging away. I will be releasing an EP later this year, but there will be no album. What I have been able to find out is that the songs are truly lost.
Sometime around 2002 I decided I wanted to make this album. I would dive in off-and-on over the years and poke at all my contacts and extended contacts, sending letters, emails, faxes and making calls. Last year I decided I would give the necessary research another shot, realizing that the internet could provide so much more to me than in the early 00's. I had to see this through. I had to participate in some small way to preserving this little slice of Wilson-family history (for better or worse).
My research indicates that Murry Wilson wrote at least 24 songs between 1940-1973 (and an additional 11 for Many Moods, Sunrays, and The Beach Boys) for a grand total of 35 songs. There are another 10 that are questionable but likely his (so, you could say with some degree of validity that he wrote at least 45 songs). There are an additional 14 attributed to 'Murray Wilson' that I am disqualifying for a variety of reasons (primarily name, topic/theme, publishers, collaborators, year, etc).
I’ve connected with the Wilson family, Bruce Morgan, Beach Boy historians and authors, librarians, mega-fans, record collectors, and DJ’s. I’ve crawled the deepest corners of the Library of Congress, publishing records, and the web. Initially, I was surprised nobody had done this research before, but that just made me push even harder. I became obsessed. The Library of Congress had 11 songs/titles/submissions, none of which had ever been recorded. I submitted a request as they had never been renewed. I thought I had cracked the nut and this album would become reality. Unfortunately, I later found out from the US Copyright Office that all of Murry's submissions had been destroyed due to 'relevance and age.' Disappointment would be an understatement. I was gutted.
Anyway, as I type this, I have only found sheets and/or recordings of five of the verified (non-Beach Boys/Sunrays/Many Moods) songs. I am recording all 5, but most of you have likely heard 2-3 of them already by other artists from the 50's. I've no more family connections, former managers, publishers, or etc. to pester, so this project will stall at being just an EP.
My deepest thanks to the Wilson family, Jon Stebbins, Jim Murphy, David Ponak, Jean Sievers, Phil Milstein, Darren Julien, Randall E. Goldberg, Brad Elliott, Elliott Kendall, Dr. Demento, Chris (Bgas), Akihiko Matsumoto, and Tom Caw for going above and beyond (and/or humoring me). I hope that someday, someone in the family finds a box of Murry's sheet music and allows the world to get a taste.
Sometime around 2002 I decided I wanted to make this album. I would dive in off-and-on over the years and poke at all my contacts and extended contacts, sending letters, emails, faxes and making calls. Last year I decided I would give the necessary research another shot, realizing that the internet could provide so much more to me than in the early 00's. I had to see this through. I had to participate in some small way to preserving this little slice of Wilson-family history (for better or worse).
My research indicates that Murry Wilson wrote at least 24 songs between 1940-1973 (and an additional 11 for Many Moods, Sunrays, and The Beach Boys) for a grand total of 35 songs. There are another 10 that are questionable but likely his (so, you could say with some degree of validity that he wrote at least 45 songs). There are an additional 14 attributed to 'Murray Wilson' that I am disqualifying for a variety of reasons (primarily name, topic/theme, publishers, collaborators, year, etc).
I’ve connected with the Wilson family, Bruce Morgan, Beach Boy historians and authors, librarians, mega-fans, record collectors, and DJ’s. I’ve crawled the deepest corners of the Library of Congress, publishing records, and the web. Initially, I was surprised nobody had done this research before, but that just made me push even harder. I became obsessed. The Library of Congress had 11 songs/titles/submissions, none of which had ever been recorded. I submitted a request as they had never been renewed. I thought I had cracked the nut and this album would become reality. Unfortunately, I later found out from the US Copyright Office that all of Murry's submissions had been destroyed due to 'relevance and age.' Disappointment would be an understatement. I was gutted.
Anyway, as I type this, I have only found sheets and/or recordings of five of the verified (non-Beach Boys/Sunrays/Many Moods) songs. I am recording all 5, but most of you have likely heard 2-3 of them already by other artists from the 50's. I've no more family connections, former managers, publishers, or etc. to pester, so this project will stall at being just an EP.
My deepest thanks to the Wilson family, Jon Stebbins, Jim Murphy, David Ponak, Jean Sievers, Phil Milstein, Darren Julien, Randall E. Goldberg, Brad Elliott, Elliott Kendall, Dr. Demento, Chris (Bgas), Akihiko Matsumoto, and Tom Caw for going above and beyond (and/or humoring me). I hope that someday, someone in the family finds a box of Murry's sheet music and allows the world to get a taste.
