Brother Records

Last updated
Brother Records, Inc.
Company type Holding
Industry Music
Founded1966;58 years ago (1966)
Founders
Brands The Beach Boys
OwnerMike Love, Al Jardine, Brian Wilson, estate of Carl Wilson

Brother Records, Inc. (BRI) is an American holding company and record label established in 1966 that owns the intellectual property rights of the Beach Boys, including "The Beach Boys" trademark. It was founded by brothers Brian, Carl and Dennis Wilson, and their cousin Mike Love. [1] As of 2011, the corporation was equally owned by four shareholders and directors: Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine, and the estate of Carl Wilson. [2]

Contents

Background and formation

The Beach Boys decided to form their own label, Brother Records, in response to Capitol Records' lack of support for the band's more ambitious album ideas. According to biographer Steven Gaines, Mike Love was "the most receptive" to the proposal, wanting the Beach Boys to have more creative control over their work, and supported Brian Wilson's decision to employ his newfound "best friend" David Anderle as head of the label, even though it was against band manager Nick Grillo's wishes. [3]

Plans for the company began in August 1966. [4] In a press release, Anderle said that Brother Records was to give "entirely new concepts to the recording industry, and to give the Beach Boys total creative and promotional control over their product". [5] Anderle later said that the label was for releasing projects that were "special" for Brian, and there was initially no concern over whether the label's products would be distributed by Capitol. [6] Another one of the major reasons that Brother Records was formed was so that Wilson could create his own recording studio. [7]

"Appeal to the Great Spirit" was appropriated as the logo for Brother Records The Appeal to the Great Spirit, Cyrus E. Dallin, Boston, Mass. (cropped).jpg
"Appeal to the Great Spirit" was appropriated as the logo for Brother Records

For the company logo, Wilson chose Cyrus E. Dallin's 1908 life size bronze statue Appeal to the Great Spirit at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. When Carl Wilson was asked in 1975 why the group used this as their logo, he said the Indian was chosen because the Wilson brothers' grandfather believed that there was a spiritual Indian guide who watched over them from the "other side". Carl called the logo "The Last Horizon." [8]

Brother Records' office took residence at 9000 Sunset Boulevard and Grillo was assigned the role of financial administrator. [9] Singer Danny Hutton was to have been one of the first artists signed to the label. [10] The Beach Boys also established a short-lived film production company, called Home Movies, to create live action film and television properties starring themselves. The company completed only one production, a promotional clip for "Good Vibrations". [11]

Wilson started having increasing doubts about the Smile project and showing signs of worsening mental health during the latter months of 1966. [12] After he began suspecting that his father may have planted a listening device in his home, he insisted on holding business meetings in his swimming pool. [13] He also suspected that Capitol was withholding payments from the band and instructed Grillo to conduct an audit of the label's financial records. Discrepancies were soon found. [14] On February 28, 1967, the band launched a lawsuit against Capitol that sought neglected royalty payments in the amount of $250,000 (equivalent to $2.33 million in 2023). Within the lawsuit, there was also an attempt to terminate their record contract prior to its November 1969 expiry. [15] Following the suit, Wilson announced that the company would issue "Vega-Tables" as the lead single from Smile. [16]

Anderle met with many record companies but failed to secure a distributor for Brother Records. [17] Frustrated by Wilson's regressive behavior, Anderle ultimately disassociated from the group. The last time Wilson was visited by Anderle to discuss business matters, Wilson refused to leave his bedroom. [18] The Capitol lawsuit was eventually settled out of court, with the Beach Boys receiving the royalties owed in exchange for Brother Records to distribute through Capitol Records. [19] An official announcement of the resolution was made on July 18. [20]

Later years

Al Jardine became a shareholder in 1973. [21]

Following his death in 1983, Dennis Wilson's heirs sold his shares back to the band to repay loans. [2]

According to Mike Love in his 2016 memoir, BRI's shareholders continued to receive 17.5% of all revenue under the terms of the license. [22]

In February 2021, it was announced that Brian Wilson, Love, Jardine, and the estate of Carl Wilson had sold a majority stake in the band's intellectual property to Irving Azoff and his new company Iconic Artists Group. [23]

Discography

ArtistTitleYear
The Beach Boys Smiley Smile 1967
Sunflower 1970
The Flames The Flame 1970
The Beach Boys Surf's Up 1971
Carl and the Passions - "So Tough" 1972
Holland 1973
The Beach Boys in Concert 1973
15 Big Ones 1976
Love You 1977
M.I.U. Album 1978
L.A. (Light Album) 1979
Keepin' the Summer Alive 1980
The Beach Boys 1985
25 Years of Good Vibrations1986
Summer in Paradise 1992
The Beach BoysFeel Flow2021 [24] [25]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Beach Boys</span> American rock band

The Beach Boys are an American rock band formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Distinguished by its vocal harmonies, adolescent-oriented lyrics, and musical ingenuity, the band is one of the most influential acts of the rock era. The group drew on the music of older pop vocal groups, 1950s rock and roll, and black R&B to create its unique sound. Under Brian's direction, it often incorporated classical or jazz elements and unconventional recording techniques in innovative ways.

<i>Smiley Smile</i> 1967 studio album by the Beach Boys

Smiley Smile is the twelfth studio album by the American rock band the Beach Boys, released on September 18, 1967. Conceived as a simpler and more relaxed version of their unfinished Smile album, Smiley Smile is distinguished for its homespun arrangements, "stoned" aesthetic, and lo-fi production. Critics and fans generally received the album and its lead single, "Heroes and Villains", with confusion and disappointment. The album reached number 9 on UK record charts, but sold poorly in the U.S., peaking at number 41—the band's lowest chart placement to that point.

<i>Sunflower</i> (The Beach Boys album) 1970 studio album by the Beach Boys

Sunflower is the 16th studio album by the American rock band the Beach Boys, released on August 31, 1970 on Reprise Records, their first for the label. It received favorable reviews, but sold poorly, reaching number 151 on the US record charts during a four-week stay and becoming the lowest-charting Beach Boys album to that point. "Add Some Music to Your Day" was the only single that charted in the US, peaking at number 64. In the UK, the album peaked at number 29.

<i>20/20</i> (The Beach Boys album) 1969 studio album by US band The Beach Boys

20/20 is the 15th studio album by the American rock band the Beach Boys, released February 10, 1969 on Capitol Records. The LP was named for being their 20th overall release when factoring in live albums and compilations. Much of 20/20 consists of outtakes from earlier albums. It reached number 3 on UK record charts and number 68 in the U.S. Brian Wilson was absent during most of the album's recording after admitting himself into a psychiatric hospital, requiring brothers Carl and Dennis to retrieve several outtakes he had recorded years earlier. While Brian does not appear on the front cover, the inner gatefold of the original vinyl release features him alone, behind an eye examination chart.

<i>Carl and the Passions – "So Tough"</i> 1972 album by the Beach Boys

Carl and the Passions – "So Tough" is the 18th studio album by American rock band the Beach Boys, released May 15, 1972 on Brother/Reprise. The album is a significant musical departure for the band and is the first to feature the Flames' Blondie Chaplin and Ricky Fataar as additions to their official line-up. It sold poorly and was met with lukewarm reviews, but later gained stature as a cult favorite among fans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heroes and Villains</span> 1967 single by the Beach Boys

"Heroes and Villains" is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1967 album Smiley Smile and their unfinished Smile project. Written by Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks, Wilson envisioned the song as an Old West-themed musical comedy that would surpass the recording and artistic achievements of "Good Vibrations". The single was Brother Records' first release. While it failed to meet critical and commercial expectations, it was nevertheless a hit record, peaking at number 12 in the U.S. and number 8 in the UK.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Surf's Up (song)</span> Song written by Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks for the Beach Boys

"Surf's Up" is a song recorded by the American rock band the Beach Boys that was written by Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks. It was originally intended for Smile, an unfinished Beach Boys album that was scrapped in 1967. The song was later completed by Brian and Carl Wilson as the closing track of the band's 1971 album Surf's Up.

"Wonderful" is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1967 album Smiley Smile and their unfinished Smile project. Written by Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks, it was their only collaboration that resulted in a love song, telling the story of a young girl's sexual awakening and its disruption of her devotion to God and her parents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cabinessence</span> 1969 song by the Beach Boys

"Cabinessence" is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1969 album 20/20 and their unfinished Smile project. Written by Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks, Wilson described the song as a "rock and roll waltz" about railroads, while Parks offered that the pair were attempting to write a song that would end on "a freeze frame of the Union Pacific Railroad". The instrumentation includes banjo, cello, dobro, bouzouki, fuzz bass, trumpet, accordion, and percussion that was arranged to sound like the pounding of rail spikes.

"Wind Chimes" is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1967 album Smiley Smile and their unfinished Smile project. Written by Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks, it was inspired by wind chimes hanging outside Wilson's home and was one of the first pieces tracked for the Smile sessions.

"Vegetables" is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1967 album Smiley Smile and their unfinished Smile project. Written by Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks, the song was conceived by Wilson as a tongue-in-cheek promotion of organic food. Another reported inspiration for the song was a humorous comment Wilson heard about the effect of marijuana turning him and his friends into a "vegetative" state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Love</span> American singer and songwriter (born 1941)

Michael Edward Love is an American singer and songwriter who was the lead vocalist of the Beach Boys which he co-founded with his cousins Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson and their friend Al Jardine. Characterized by his nasal tenor and occasional bass-baritone singing, Love has been one of the band's vocalists and lyricists for their entire career, contributing to each of their studio albums and serving as their frontman for live performances. During the mid-1960s, he was one of Brian's main collaborators, contributing lyrics to hit records such as "Fun, Fun, Fun" (1964), "I Get Around" (1964), "Help Me, Rhonda" (1965), "California Girls" (1965), and "Good Vibrations" (1966).

"Fire" is an instrumental by American musician Brian Wilson that he originally composed for the Beach Boys' never-finished album Smile. Named after Catherine O'Leary and the Great Chicago Fire, the track was originally conceptualized as part of "The Elements", a four-part movement based on the four classical elements: Air, Fire, Earth, and Water. Wilson's friends, family, and colleagues later referred to its recording as heralding his period of psychosis and the unraveling of the Smile project.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Anderle</span> American record producer

David Anderle was an American A&R man, record producer, and portrait artist. He is best known for his business associations with the Beach Boys during the production of the band's unfinished album Smile and the formation of the group's company Brother Records. Anderle also worked for MGM, Elektra, and A&M Records, and later acted as music supervisor on films including The Breakfast Club (1985), Pretty in Pink (1986), Good Morning, Vietnam (1987), and Scrooged (1988).

"Do You Like Worms?" is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys from their unfinished album Smile. Written by Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks, the song is about the recolonization of the American continent and contains references to the Sandwich Islands and "Bicycle Rider Back" playing cards. None of the lyrics appear to mention worms; asked about the title, Parks said he could not remember where it came from, although in a Reddit AMA, Wilson stated that Parks had come up with it.

"Child Is Father of the Man" is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys that was written by Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks. It was originally recorded for the band's never-finished album Smile. In 2004, Wilson rerecorded the song for Brian Wilson Presents Smile. In 2011, the Beach Boys' original recording was released on The Smile Sessions.

<i>Smile</i> (The Beach Boys album) Unfinished studio album by the Beach Boys

Smile is an unfinished album by the American rock band the Beach Boys that was intended to follow their 1966 album Pet Sounds. It was to be an LP of twelve tracks assembled from modular fragments, the same editing process used for their "Good Vibrations" single. Instead, after a year of recording, the album was shelved and the group released a downscaled version, Smiley Smile, in September 1967. Over the next four decades, few of the original Smile tracks were officially released, and the project came to be regarded as the most legendary unreleased album in popular music history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Vosse</span> American journalist and publicist

Michael Vosse was an American journalist and A&M Records publicist. He is best known as assistant to Brian Wilson during the formation of the Beach Boys' Brother Records and the recording of the album Smile (1966–67). His work also included limited time serving as a television producer, and narrator.

<i>Leid in Hawaii</i> Live album (unfinished) by the Beach Boys

Lei'd in Hawaii is an unfinished live album by American rock band the Beach Boys that was produced shortly after the completion of their 1967 studio album Smiley Smile. It was initially planned to include the band's first live concert performances since their tour of Europe in May 1967.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Beach Boys live performances</span>

The Beach Boys are an American rock band formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. Since then, the band has undergone many variations in composition, with representation by fill-ins onstage. As of 2021, the only principal members included in the Beach Boys' touring band are co-founder Mike Love and 1965 addition Bruce Johnston.

References

Citations

  1. ↑ Brother Records Inc. v. Jardine( 9th Cir. January 28, 2003), Text .
  2. 1 2 Stebbins 2011, p. [ page needed ].
  3. ↑ Gaines 1986, p. 164.
  4. ↑ Matijas-Mecca 2017, p. 60.
  5. ↑ Priore 2005, p. 108.
  6. ↑ Leaf 1978, p. 98.
  7. ↑ Badman 2004, p. 180.
  8. ↑ Proebe, Larry (1995). "The Beach Boys' Brother Records Logo". In Priore, Domenic (ed.). Look, Listen, Vibrate, Smile!. Last Gasp. p. 141. ISBN   0-86719-417-0.
  9. ↑ Badman 2004, p. 148.
  10. ↑ Priore 2005, p. 52.
  11. ↑ Priore 2005, p. 116.
  12. ↑ Badman 2004, p. 163.
  13. ↑ Gaines 1986, p. 166.
  14. ↑ Badman 2004, p. 165.
  15. ↑ Badman 2004, pp. 170, 178, 243.
  16. ↑ Badman 2004, pp. 173, 178.
  17. ↑ Gaines 1986, p. 165.
  18. ↑ Nolan, Tom (October 28, 1971). "The Beach Boys: A California Saga". Rolling Stone. No. 94. Archived from the original on February 24, 2012.
  19. ↑ Vosse, Michael (April 14, 1969). "Our Exagmination Round His Factification For Incamination of Work in Progress: Michael Vosse Talks About Smile". Fusion. 8.
  20. ↑ Badman 2004, p. 195.
  21. ↑ Dillon 2012, p. 237.
  22. ↑ Love 2016, p. 392.
  23. ↑ Doyle, Patrick (February 18, 2021). "Inside the Ambitious Plan to Monetize the Beach Boys' Legacy". Rolling Stone .
  24. ↑ MusicMeter. "The Beach Boys - Feel Flows (2021) - MusicMeter.nl". MusicMeter (in Dutch). Retrieved 2024-08-31.
  25. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "The Beach Boys: Feel Flows: The Sunflower & Surf's Up Sessions 1969-1971". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2024-08-31.

Bibliography

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.