Beach Boys Studio

Last updated

The Beach Boys at their studio during the 1969 sessions for Sunflower. From left: Dennis and Brian Wilson, Mike Love (back), and Carl Wilson (front). Brian Wilson's home studio.jpg
The Beach Boys at their studio during the 1969 sessions for Sunflower . From left: Dennis and Brian Wilson, Mike Love (back), and Carl Wilson (front).

Beach Boys Studio [1] (also known as Brother Records Studio, [2] Brother Recording Studio, [1] and 10452 Bellagio Road [1] ) was a private recording studio owned by the Beach Boys. It was located within Brian Wilson's home at 10452 Bellagio Road in Los Angeles. Six of the band's albums were recorded there in addition to his "Bedroom Tapes". In 1972, the studio was dismantled and later succeeded by Brother Studios in Santa Monica, California.

Contents

Background

The studio was built in 1967 due to various issues Wilson regularly experienced when working at commercial studios, such as being hassled by owners for touching the control board (a violation of union regulations), as well as to eliminate the inconvenience of booking time in advance. [3]

It is sometimes referred to as "Brian Wilson's home studio". Band engineer Stephen Desper said that the studio was funded and intended for use by everyone in the group, not just Wilson, and disputed its characterization as "Brian's studio". [4] Because his bandmates took much of the recording equipment with them when they left for concert tours, Wilson was not typically allowed to use the home studio unless the band was present. [5]

Technical details

Recording capabilities at Wilson's Los Angeles residence were made possible by his band and engineer Stephen Desper in the midst of recording Smiley Smile in mid-1967. For the first few months of operation, the makeshift studio was installed with a Gates Dualux radio broadcasting console as the quick recording of Smiley Smile didn't allow enough time to acquire a conventional mixing board. [6] By the recording of Friends in early 1968, the studio continued to use the Dualux console yet the rest of the chauffeur's quarters had been converted to feature a more permanent set-up. In October 1969, the console was upgraded to a 16-track recorder with quadraphonic capability. From 1967, until its dismantling in late 1972 by Marilyn Wilson, [7] the studio recorded a mix of artists with personal ties to the Beach Boys, including American Spring, The Flames, Stephen Kalinich and Charles Manson. [8]

Dismantling

The studio was dismantled by Wilson's then-wife Marilyn in mid-1972. Wilson later remarked, "If I could have anything in the world, I'd have a studio in my house again. That's the one thing I want more than anything!" [9]

Sessions

Session datesArtistAssociated project
Mid-1967 The Beach Boys Smiley Smile [10]
Late-1967 Wild Honey [10]
Early-1968 Friends [10]
Mid-1968 Charles Manson Various recordings [10]
Late-1969 Stephen Kalinich A World of Peace Must Come [10]
1969/1970The Beach Boys Sunflower [10]
1970/1971 Surf's Up [10]
1970 The Flame The Flame [10]
Late-1971 Dennis Wilson Unreleased solo album [10]
1971/1972 Spring Spring [10]
1971/1972The Beach Boys Carl and the Passions – "So Tough" [10]

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 their vocal harmonies, adolescent-oriented lyrics, and musical ingenuity, they are one of the most influential acts of the rock era. They drew on the music of older pop vocal groups, 1950s rock and roll, and black R&B to create their unique sound. Under Brian's direction, they often incorporated classical or jazz elements and unconventional recording techniques in innovative ways.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dennis Wilson</span> American musician (1944–1983)

Dennis Carl Wilson was an American musician who co-founded the Beach Boys. He is best remembered as their drummer and as the middle brother of bandmates Brian and Carl Wilson. Dennis was the only true surfer in the Beach Boys, and his personal life exemplified the "California Myth" that the band's early songs often celebrated. He was also known for his association with the Manson Family and for co-starring in the 1971 film Two-Lane Blacktop.

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

Smiley Smile is the 12th studio album by 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 US, peaking at number 41—the band's lowest chart placement to that point.

<i>Wild Honey</i> (album) 1967 studio album by the Beach Boys

Wild Honey is the 13th studio album by American rock band the Beach Boys, released December 18, 1967 on Capitol Records. It was the group's first foray into soul music and was heavily influenced by the R&B of Motown and Stax Records. The album was the band's worst-selling at that point, charting at number 24 in the US. Lead single "Wild Honey" peaked at number 31, while its follow-up "Darlin'" reached number 19. In the UK, the album peaked at number seven.

<i>Friends</i> (The Beach Boys album) 1968 album by the Beach Boys

Friends is the 14th studio album by American rock band the Beach Boys, released on June 24, 1968, through Capitol Records. The album is characterized by its calm and peaceful atmosphere, which contrasted the prevailing music trends of the time, and by its brevity, with five of its 12 tracks running less than two minutes long. It sold poorly, peaking at number 126 on the Billboard charts, the group's lowest U.S. chart performance to date, although it reached number 13 in the UK. Fans generally came to regard the album as one of the band's finest.

<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 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Never Learn Not to Love</span> 1968 single by the Beach Boys

"Never Learn Not to Love" is a song recorded by the American rock band the Beach Boys that was issued as the B-side to their "Bluebirds over the Mountain" single on December 2, 1968. Credited to Dennis Wilson, the song is an altered version of "Cease to Exist", written by the Manson Family cult leader Charles Manson. The blues-inspired song was written specifically for the Beach Boys, with Manson's lyrics addressing personal tensions that he had witnessed between Dennis and his brothers Brian and Carl.

<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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">'Til I Die</span> 1971 single by the Beach Boys

"'Til I Die" is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1971 album Surf's Up, subsequently issued as the B-side of the single "Long Promised Road". With autobiographical lyrics about death and hopelessness, it is one of the few songs in which both the words and music were written solely by Brian Wilson. An extended mix of the original recording, created by engineer Stephen Desper, was included on the 1998 Endless Harmony Soundtrack.

"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">Cool, Cool Water</span> 1971 single by the Beach Boys

"Cool, Cool Water" is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1970 album Sunflower. It was written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love and later issued as an A-sided single in March 1971.

"Time to Get Alone" is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1969 album 20/20. Written by Brian Wilson and produced by Carl Wilson, it is a baroque pop waltz. Brian originally intended the song for Redwood, the band that evolved into Three Dog Night.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gettin' Hungry</span> 1967 single by Brian Wilson & Mike Love

"Gettin' Hungry" is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1967 album Smiley Smile. Credited on the label to Brian Wilson and Mike Love, it was released as a single on August 28, 1967, the second and last released on the original iteration of Brother Records.

"Can't Wait Too Long" is a song written by Brian Wilson for the American rock band the Beach Boys. The song dates from 1967, and remains unfinished by the group. In 2008, a newly recorded "Can't Wait Too Long" was released for Wilson's solo album That Lucky Old Sun.

<i>Spring</i> (American Spring album) 1972 studio album by Spring

Spring is the only album by American pop duo Spring, released in July 1972 on United Artists. It contains cover versions of popular songs as well as original material written or co-written by Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys. Although Brian is the album's only credited producer, most of the production was actually handled by his collaborator at the time, David Sandler, alongside engineer Stephen Desper.

"Love to Say Dada" is an unfinished song that was written by American musician Brian Wilson for the Beach Boys' Smile project. It referenced the drug LSD in its initials and was one of the last tracks recorded for the album. The song subsequently evolved into "Cool, Cool Water" from Sunflower (1970).

<i>Adult/Child</i> Unreleased Beach Boys album

Adult/Child is an unreleased studio album by the American rock band the Beach Boys that was produced in early 1977. Similar to the release it was meant to follow, The Beach Boys Love You, the album is essentially a semi-autobiographical solo effort by the band's chief songwriter and producer, Brian Wilson. The title refers to a theory that one's personality can be split into "adult" and "child" modes of thinking.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Beach Boys' unreleased and bootleg recordings</span>

Many recordings and performances by the Beach Boys have attained some level of public circulation without being available as a legal release, and several albums by the band or its individual members were fully assembled or near completion before being shelved, rejected, or revised as an entirely new project. Since the early 1980s, numerous rarities compilations and album reissues have been released with studio outtakes included as bonus tracks.

<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.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Slowinski, Craig (November 13, 2012). "Re: Brian Wilson's home studio". Smiley Smile.
  2. Feel Flows: Sunflower Promo (Audio). The Beach Boys. Capitol Records/UMG. 2021.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  3. Leaf 1978, p. 113.
  4. Desper, Stephen (September 26, 2018). "Re: Beach Boys studio disasters and screwups?". smileysmile.net.
  5. Priore, Domenic (2005). Smile: The Story of Brian Wilson's Lost Masterpiece. London: Sanctuary. ISBN   1-86074-627-6.
  6. Preiss, Byron (1983). The Beach Boys. New York: St Martins Pr. ISBN   0-312-07026-8.
  7. CREEM, October 1976, Page 30
  8. Charles Manson, Simon Wells, 2009, Hachette UK. ISBN   9780340977019
  9. Leaf 1978, p. 152.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Doe, Andrew G. (2012). "GIGS" . Retrieved October 26, 2012.

Bibliography

34°4′51.12″N118°26′19.51″W / 34.0808667°N 118.4387528°W / 34.0808667; -118.4387528