http://www.spectropop.com
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Volume #0393 March 6, 2000
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Exclusive Original Television Soundtrack Album
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Subject: The "flick"
Received: 03/03/00 4:30 am
From: Carol Kaye
To: Spectropop!
Well, I'm pretty sure that everyone has seen the BB movie
for what it is basically, just Hollywood entertainment.
Sounds like they worked hard to get some details correct
while taking liberties and sticking stuff in there that
was totally wrong....
Brian is totally portrayed like a horrible monster (imo),
that's totally out and bizarre...how many more times
before they even come close to getting it right with this
gentle giant of a genius-man?! Most of that stuff did NOT
happen in the studios at all...we tracked everything, he
never offered his gold records, never acted like that at
all.
Brian was a totally competent, wonderful producer, sure
he'd get into the music sometimes, like all other
producers, he was a fine producer, totally professional
Now he's got to repair some of the damage this film did
him. A star is always a target.
Brian had a sly sense of great humor, put-on humor, and
was totally satisfied and happy in the studios, just the
opposite of the movie. NO, never saw Murry like that in
the studio, don't remember exactly if he was there -- he
may have popped in for a moment, but only that, and no
never addressed us. Yes we cut always tracks and never
with the Beach Boys....and no, I've never been to Brian's
house.
And Phil Spector? Good lord.....sure he was an entertainer
in the studios, totally rapt also with what he was doing,
but he was a human-being, not the silly caricature
portrayed. The impact of Brian seeing us was pretty good,
I thought, but so much else wrong, it's just a moment in
there.
His portrayal was completely wrong for Brian's true
personality...you have to think just the opposite and then
you're be more right. Having spent time with my collegues
who worked with Brian in the Landy days too, which was the
most-horrific time he went through, then hurrah for Brian
for coming through that period.
I fell down laughing during the "drug den" scene! What
will think of next? Tho't those ideas went out with the
hippie films of the late 60s, yes and they have to blame a
musician for getting Brian on drugs...no-one else uses
drugs I guess.
Sorry, that's a little sarcastic to say "guess no-one else
ever uses drugs"....our group of fine musicians are just
sick and tired of drug-use being blamed on musicians.
I am sure the actors worked very hard on this movie, and
others did too, it's just a shame the way it turned out.
Now Brian has to put up with living down this horrible
portrayal....thank God the public is getting wise to the
motivations in back of this film. For the rest of the
public, what started out fairly decent wound up, as a few
people told me, not worth even staying up to watch, and
they turned off the TV part-way through and went to bed.
The pretty actress who played me did a good job I thought,
really paid her dues to learn how to play with a pick and
act professional (she is a professional bassist). To put a
positive viewpoint in here...I tho't the impact of the
scene with the musicians in the studio was excellent. They
all studied our group and were very serious about "getting
it right".
The scene at Western even spooked them a little, felt
eerie to them to film there, where so many of us recorded
for so many years -- these are real musicians called to do
the parts. My great respect and compliments to Gary Griffin,
the musical conductor on that film as well as to the
beautiful actress Tera Hendrickson, a real blues bassist
btw but full-time actress, who I heard studied me down to
my moves, my clothes etc. What a compliment! And so many
worked very hard on that film to make it a serious
compliment to that era.
Thank God people have the great music and genius of Brian
Wilson to listen to, maybe someday they're really get a
true picture of the good man in back of it all.
Regards,
Carol Kaye
http://www.carolkaye.com/
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
Subject: Fifth Dimension Reissues
Received: 03/05/00 2:35 am
From: Ponak, David
To: Spectropop!
According to ICE, the first 5 Fifth Dimension LPs's (Up,
Up And Away, Magic Garden, Stoned Soul Picnic, Portrait,
and Age Of Aquarius) are all scheduled to be reissued on
CD with bonus tracks by Buddah on April 18.
REJOICE!
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Subject: Geronimo leaps
Received: 03/05/00 2:35 am
From: Ron Bierma
To: Spectropop!
In a message dated 2/29/00 5:46:42 PM, spectropop writes:
<< Jack. I agree 100%, although I do not believe that is
really a Spector recording, I sure as hell was blown away
by the faux wall of sound. I would love to get ahold of
that myself!>>
And similarly, there were 3 BB segments that I just MUST
know the source of...When Nik Venet is viewing the Smile
artwork, there is a track that sounds similar to Cool
Water, but not enough to peg it. Then Brian is in the
studio playing a track with the lyrics "Geronimo leaps and
bounds for glory in the dustbowl". (Sounds like mock Smile,
eh?) and then they play a background vocal to "Let the Wind
Blow" that sounds like a Smile outtake! Very cool! Brian
apparently sang the parts of the movie where his actor is
sitting at the piano. In My Room sounds like 90s Brian
with the choppy end of phrases, but the falsetto is
impeccable! Anyone know the genesis of these tracks? EL
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
Subject: re: faux Wall of Sound in film (was holy CRAP!!!!)
Received: 03/03/00 4:29 am
From: Jamie LePage
To: Spectropop!
Jack Madani wrote:
>I'm sittin' here watchin' the Beach Boy movie...when
>Brian gets to meet Phil Spector for the first time, and
>WHOAH!! What IS that AWESOME instrumental track that the
>"wrecking crew" is playing?!?!?!?
john rausch replied:
>[Although not] really a Spector recording, I sure as hell
>was blown away by the faux wall of sound...certain parts
>were reminiscent of several Spector classics but yet
>ambiguous enough to not be sure.
I had a similar feeling watching the Sonny & Cher
docudrama a while back. When they show Spector at work in
the studio, you seldom hear Spector related music. Instead,
it is ambiguous wall-of-sound ambience that alludes to
Spector's music.
In the case of the S&C flick, it was a rather superficial
facsimile. The only Spector-related song used was I Love
How You Love Me, which Cher supposedly first recorded for
Phil's guide vocal track, but Spector didn't write that
particular song.
He typically refuses to license his music for use in films
which portray him, so it is up to the musical director to
simulate the sound; the results vary according to the
qualities of the musical director. With the BB flick, I
understand Gary Griffin, who produces Jeffrey Foskett's
wonderful records, was in charge of the music, and if that
is so, I imagine the incidental music was every bit as
delightful as Jack and John describe it.
With Griffin as MD, and with people like Elliot Kendall
involved, you gotta think this was a good project turned
bad. The criticism I have seen all seems to point to a
recurring theme in the Beach Boys story, two four letter
words and one of them is love....
Spector portrayed in other recent film/TV movies...
That Tina Turner film had a few scenes with Phil,
including that great scene depicting the recording session
for River Deep. Yeah, of course the vocal and strings and
BG chorus were not recorded simultaneously, and that glass
vocal booth smack dab in the middle of the (far larger than
Gold Star) room didn't look all that authentic either.
Still, the scene was chilling. Thumbs up on this one.
One From the Heart. You remember this one from a year or
so ago where a Carole King type character ends up meeting
and marrying a suicide destined Brian Wilson type
character. Can't recall anything specific but the Don
Kirschner-type character is the spitting image of Phil. I
know a lot of people didn't like this film but I did. It
isn't often that we have the chance to hear retro-sounding
modern music that isn't tongue-in-cheek and all that. It's
very rare, if you think about it. The big disappointment
there was the pseudo Beach Boys recordings which sounded
like '97, not '67.
tilley5 wrote:
> any plans on releasing The Wrecking Crew's outakes?
> Something like what The Beach Boys did with Pet
> Sounds. It would be awesome to listen to.
A subject often discussed here. ABKCO distributes
Spector's recordings, and ABKCO is apparently content
with the state of its catalog, including early Rolling
Stones, Phil Spector and Cameo-Parkway. Many have
expressed the opinion that the catalogs should be reworked
for new reissues. Don't hold your breath, though. (An aside:
I hear new Cameo-Parkway boots are in the works, anyone
know about these?)
The good news is that there are unofficial Spector tapes in
circulation among collectors that are similar to those of
the Pet Sounds Sessions. Instrumental takes, false starts,
overdub tracking dates, etc. Spector is far more animated
than Brian Wilson is on his session tapes. It is pretty
funny sometimes, and always very interesting.
Jamie
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
Subject: Spector doc.
Received: 03/03/00 4:29 am
From: john rausch
To: Spectropop!
I received this message from Raechel Donahue who is in
charge of production for the Spector doc. that was
postponed on TLC:
>John -- Unfortunately, we didn't get Phil's final approval
>before the airdate, so we couldn't run the show. Now, we're
>just waiting to re schedule.
Sounds like Mr. Spector is still up to his old tricks!
John Rausch
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
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