Domenic Priore - SMiLE: The Story of Brian Wilsons Lost Masterpiece

Copyright 2005 Bobcat Books
This edition 2014 Bobcat Books
(A Division of Music Sales Limited, 14-15 Berners Street, London W1T 3LJ)

ISBN: 978-1-78323-198-0

Front-cover photograph courtesy of Guy Webster.

Photographs courtesy of the author unless stated otherwise.

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C REDITS

Editorial research: Brian Chidester.

Editorial guidance: Becky Ebenkamp.

Moral support: Mark London, David Leaf, Peter Reum, David Wilson.

Direct contributions to this book came from Brian and Melinda Wilson, Van Dyke and Sally Parks, Frank Holmes, Danny Hutton, Tony Asher, Guy Webster, Henry Diltz, Julian Wasser, Rodney Bingenheimer, Chuck Britz, Stephen J Desper, Darian Sahanaja, Mark London, Paul Williams, Greg Shaw, Art Fein, David Leaf, Peter Reum, Bob Hanes, Andy Paley, Mark Linett, David Bither at Nonesuch Records, Ronnie Lippin and Jean Sievers at The Lippin Group, Harvey Kubernik, Ed Big Daddy Roth, Al Burton, Dickson, John McEuen and Michelle Phillips. In London, thanks go to Paul Gorman, Sylvie Simmons, plus Iain MacGregor, Albert Depetrillo and Kathleen S Meengs (in San Francisco) at Sanctuary Publishing. Much appreciation also goes to Jules Siegel, Derek Taylor, Tracy Thomas, Keith Altham and Byron Preiss, whose work helped to illuminate Smile over the years.

S PECIAL D EDICATIONS T O

Becky Ebenkamp, whos been good, doesnt forget the fun we had last summer for over 10 years running now and has been a friend for almost 20.

Lillian Priore, who introduced me to design and fashion, brought me to every LA museum possible during the 60s and introduced me to the New York Public Library, with the lions out front, on Fifth Avenue. Thank you for holding off assimilation long enough for us to be the last two Italians left in the family.

Carmine Priore (19152001), who ran on the Evander High School track-and-field team in the Bronx, contributed with many in the fight against fascism during World War II (as a member of the US Air Force), danced with famous 40s movie startlets at the Hollywood Canteen and became a calm, cool, collected and often misunderstood Populuxe dad. He read the paper to me in a combination of FDRs fireside chat coupled with Mayor LaGuardia reading the Sunday funnies over the radio. He enjoyed opera and loved the 1920s Yankees.

Greg Shaw (19492004), who became the combination brother/friend that I never had, and without whom Look! Listen! Vibrate! SMILE! would not exist.

S PECIAL T HANKS TO

the band who performed SMiLE on stage behind Brian Wilson in 2004: Darian Sahanaja, Jeffrey Foskett, Nick Walusko, Probyn Gregory, Paul Mertens, Bob Lizik, Scott Bennett, Taylor Mills, Jim Hines and the original Stockholm Strings n Horns, Bjorn Samuelson, Staffan Findin, David Wilczewski, Malin-My Nilsson, Erik Holm, Andreas Forsman, Anna Landberg and Marcus Sandlund.

A LSO T HANKS TO

Greg MacGillivray, Fred Weintraub, Dustin Hoffman, Allen Ginsberg, Leonard Bernstein, David Oppenheim, Rick Stanley, Pamela Polland, Frank Zappa, Roger McGuinn, Bart Davenport, Ron Silva, Bill Earl, Mojo magazine, NME, CBS News and the gang over at the PBS documentary Rock n Roll (by Robert Palmer) for their words.

This book was inspired by the fastball-curve-fastball combinations of Sandy Koufax, the 1959/1963/1965 World Series Champion Los Angeles Dodgers, Pacific Ocean Park, Malibu sunsets and surfer Mickey Dora, eden ahbez, the Venice Beats, Ferus Gallery on La Cienega, Case Study House #22, the Watts Towers, The Byrds, the Brian Wilson/Van Dyke Parks songwriting team, the Sunset Strip Freedom Movement and all those who understand and can laugh about why 1966 was the last good year.

Smile: The Story Of Brian Wilsons Lost Masterpiece was written on Vine Street in Hollywood, California, USA.

B RIAN W ILSON

Its about a year since we first performed Smile for audiences in London, and, in many ways, its been the best year of my life. Smile is out in the world finally and the way its been received has really made me feel great. I am so pleased that people are loving this music, and Im so proud that it didnt disappoint anybody, especially those who have been waiting to hear it since 1966.

Its always hard for me to explain where the music comes from. Very simply, what I try to do is express my feelings at the piano. When I was composing the music of Smile, it was a very special and energetic and upbeat time in my career and life. I think thats the simplest explanation for why the album has so many different segments, and why its a very uplifting, jovial album. As you can hear, I needed a lot of musical feels in order to get across everything that was going on.

Now, as you might want to play the album while youre reading this book, here are a few things I would suggest you pay special attention to, a few thoughts about the songs and segments:

In Our Prayer, in the first movement, listen to the harmonies against the chords. I hope you get a feeling of love.

We included Gee because we liked the song a lot; it happened to be one of our all-time favourites.

On Heroes And Villains, listen to how the melody starts up real high and ends up real low. And pay attention to the words in the chorus: Heroes and villains, just see what youve done, done.

Up next is Roll Plymouth Rock, and Im really proud of the rhythmic changes in this one.

Barnyard follows, with funny lyrics and a real Americana feel in the music.

When we originally recorded The Old Master Painter, I couldnt remember the whole song, so I just did the cello part.

On You Are My Sunshine, listen to how unhappy the lyrics are and how sad it is for the guy to lose the person he loved, his sunshine.

The first movement of the teenage rock opera to God ends with Cabin Essence, which goes back and forth from one thing into a rock n roll waltz and finally ends with a creative fade tag.

The second movement begins with Wonderful. Listen here for the beauty of the chord pattern against a very personal lyric.

On Song For Children, listen to how happy and childlike the melody and background instruments sound.

After this, on Child Is Father Of The Man, listen to the ch-ch-child bit and the drums and chords. I think the drums here are very special.