A new book by noted author Charles Granata along with Tony Asher titled "WOULDN'T IT BE NICE" Brian Wilson and the Making Of The Beach Boys "Pet Sounds" has just been released. The book promises to be one of the very best ever written about Brian and the band.

You can ask Chuck Granata any questions you may have about his new book on the Gold Board message board on this site.

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The following is from "Publishers Weekly"

In 1966, Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys released a revolutionary rock album that would influence the Beatles' Rubber Soul as well as the music of the Who, Eric Clapton and the Rolling Stones. As music historian Granata points out in this often passionate, sometimes pedantic history of Pet Sounds, U.S. audiences turned a cold shoulder to this album because it represented such a
                     departure from the pleasing surf melodies that had made the Beach Boys famous. In spite of such a reception, the album showcases the soaring musical genius of Wilson, argues Granata, in what was perhaps truly the first ever "concept album." The innovative combination of folk, blues and jazz
                     blended into the gorgeous harmonies of the Beach Boys. Granata traces the evolution of the album from its writing, mostly by Wilson and Tony Asher, to the long nights of production in the studio. He
                     analyzes dispassionately each song on the album, from the jangly 12-string guitar chords of "Wouldn't It Be Nice?," which open the album, to the closing harmonies of "Caroline, No" that close  it. Granata chronicles Wilson's well-known disappearance from the musical scene not long after the
                     album's release to battle the demons of paranoid schizophrenia, as well as his recent solo appearances performing the songs from Pet Sounds. Granata devotedly tells a story whose contours  are already well known, so the book at times appears to be a set of liner notes allowed to grow too large.
 

Bruce Johnston of the Beach Boys:
   "Wouldn't It Be Nice is intelligently researched and beautifully written."

Updated 9/22/2003

BEACH BOYS 2004 CALENDER

Pre-orders are being taken now for the 2004 roach-clips.com
 Beach Boys' wall calendars, put together by long time BB/Denny
 Wilson pal Ed Roach. Info can be found on Ed's site at:
 http://www.roach-clips.com

Updated 9/10/2003

More Beach Boys On DVD Coming

Good news for our friends over in the UK. New DVDs are due for release on October 20, are Brian Wilson Pet Sounds Live In London and a real surprise, The Beach Boys Good Vibrations Tour 1976 Special. Apparently this is what has become known to fans as the It's Ok special, shown in 1976 on NBC to promote the 15 Big Ones/ Brian Is Back campaign.
As of now, no US release date has been announced.

Thanks to Steve Wood

Updated 9/6/2003
Brian To Perform On New Carnie Wilson CD

Carnie Wilson is releasing a new CD, called, FOR THE FIRST TIME, on Sept 16. Both her mom Marilyn and dad Brian will sing duets with her. She also performs uncle Dennis Wilsons great composition, Forever.

For more info check out CarnieWilson.com

Updated 8/28/2003

The Mayor Of Sunset Strip
Be on the lookout for the film "The Mayor Of Sunset Strip" a documentary about legendary LA DJ and long time friend of Brian Wilson, Rodney Bingenheimer. Brian appears in the film and his song, Rodney On The Rock , a "jingle" written by Brian and Andy Paley, is also featured in the films soundtrack. The film has already played at the LA Film festival and will be featured at the Toronto Film Festival next week. It is scheduled to be released commercially this coming January.

Thanks to Jean Sievers

Updated 8/20/2003

There is a new and interesting two-part article by Ed Howard on "Smile" online at Stylus Magazine.  Here are the links:
   http://www.stylusmagazine.com/articles/article030728page01of01.html
   http://www.stylusmagazine.com/articles/article030804page01of01.html

Updated 7/19/2003

There is a brand new and very interesting article about Brian, Smile and his upcoming Smile Tour at The Age

Updated 7/14/2003
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Updated 7/5/2003

Brian and his band performed Good Vibrations ,Sloop John B and God Only Knows on the July 4 A&E Network  Celebration from Nashville.

Updated 6/13/2003
Brian To Celebrate July 4th on A & E Network Performance

The city of Nashville will be center stage
 nationwide July 4th as the A&E Network broadcasts live from Riverfront
 Park an unprecedented fireworks celebration that features the
 Nashville Symphony Orchestra and guest performances from Beach Boy Brian
 Wilson, legendary performer Al Green and country music star Lee Ann Womack.

                   The two-hour special, “This is Your Country,” will be broadcast 7-9p.m., ending with a 20-minute fireworksdisplay over the Cumberland River. A&E officials said Thursday that the telecast has the potential of bringing Nashville into more than 85 million homes nationwide.

Updated 5/27/2003
Jean Sievers of the Lippin Group, which is Brians management company , in a message posted on the Imagination mailing list,confirmed yesterday that Brian's upcoming USA shows will NOT be Smile tour concerts.

Updated 5/23/2003
MORE SMILEMANIA
There is a nice article at cnn.com about Brian's announcement of a SMILE tour in 2004.
CNN.COM
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Clapton to perform on upcoming Brian CD

Brian Wilson has roped in a very special guest for his next
 project. He is getting ready to record a track with Eric
 Clapton.

 The Beach Boys legend told 6 Music he'd called the
 equally-illustrious guitarist to suggest a collaboration,
 and Clapton agreed. They are due to start work at Abbey
 Road studios this week.

 Speaking at the Ivor Novello awards, Brian said the song
 would be called Sea Blue, and even hummed a couple of
 bars for the benefit of the journalists there.

Updated 5/22/2003
'SMILE' - IT'S BRIAN!

BEACH BOYS legend BRIAN WILSON is to perform his mythical unreleased masterpiece 'SMILE' in its entirety on a UK tour next year, NME.COM can reveal.

The legend will return to London’s Royal Festival Hall, where he played six acclaimed sold-out shows last year, for four nights in February 2004. In addition to 'Smile', the concerts will include classic Beach Boys and Brian Wilson favourites, as well as selections from the star's forthcoming solo album.

There will also be shows in Bristol, Glasgow, Newcastle, Liverpool and Birmingham in March.

The full list of dates are as follows:
 

London Royal Festival Hall (February 20, 21, 22, 24)
Bristol Colston Hall (March 2)
Glasgow Clyde Auditorium (March 4)
Newcastle City Hall (March 6)
Liverpool Empire (March 7)
Birmingham Symphony Hall (March 8)

Tickets cost between £30 and £60. For the London shows, contact the Royal Festival Hall box office on 020 7960 4242 or click here.

From New Musical Express

Updated 5/20/2003
The upcoming Pet Sounds 5.1 Audio DVD will contain the
 complete album  for the 1st time in stereo, mono & surround , plus the following
bonus features:

     7 Bonus Audio Tracks
       Pet Sounds LP Original 1966 Promo Film
         The 1997 Pet Sounds Sessions Documentary
        Sloop John B Promo Video 1966/1997
          Sloop John B original 1966 Promo Film
   Photo Gallery
               Liner notes by noted Beach Boys author David Leaf
    Track-by-track notes
Sessionography
  Discography and much more
 
 

Updated 5/15/2003
BRIAN IN ONTARIO-CANCELLED
According to ticketmaster.ca, Brians scheduled June 12 concert
 at CasinoRama in ORILLIA, ONTARIO, near Toronto has officially
 been cancelled. No reason is posted.

Updated 4/26/2003
Elton John To Guest On Next Brian Wilson CD

From Rolling Stone Magazine:
"Help Me, Elton - Yeah!" Two great tastes that taste great together: Brian Wilson got Elton John, a longtime Beach  Boys obsessive, to sing and play piano on his new album. "Elton came in  to sing on 'How Can We Still Be Dancing,'" Wilson reports. Wilson's CD will feature his regular band the Wondermints [sic], and he hopes to collaborate with Sting and Eric Clapton. "It's got a little more
                thickness to it," he says. "The sound is a little more ballsy."

============================
Two More Greatest Hits Collections On The Way

                Capitol to Collect Beach Boys' 'Very Best'
                Fri Apr 25,11:45 AM ET
                By Jonathan Cohen

                NEW YORK (Billboard) - Following in the vein of successful hits
                compilations of rock'n'roll paragons the Beatles ("1,"
                Apple/Capitol) and the Rolling Stones ("40 Licks," Virgin), Capitol
                will on June 10 release "Sounds of Summer: The Very Best of the
                Beach Boys," a collection of the legendary surf-rock group's 30
               biggest hits.

               The single-disc "Sounds of Summer" collects 30 top-40 singles,
                including the band's four No. 1 hits, "I Get Around," "Help Me,
                Rhonda," "Good Vibrations," and "Kokomo." Nine more of the songs hit
               the top-10 of Billboard's Hot 100, including "Surfin'
                U.S.A.," "California Girls," "Surfer Girl," "Barbara Ann," "Wouldn't
                It Be Nice," and "Sloop John B."

                Capitol is also planning two more Beach Boys projects for summer
                release. The group's seminal 1966 album "Pet Sounds" is due for a
                DVD Audio release in 5.1 Surround Sound on July 22, while "40 Top
                40s," a double-disc expanded version of "Sounds of Summer" focused
                on the group's international chart hits, will be issued in
                September.

                Here is the track list for "Sounds of Summer: The Very Best of the
                Beach Boys":

                "California Girls"
                "I Get Around"
                "Surfin' Safari"
                "Surfin' U.S.A."
                "Fun, Fun, Fun"
                "Surfer Girl"
                "Don't Worry Baby"
                "Little Deuce Coupe"
                "Shut Down"
                "Help Me, Rhonda"
                "Be True To Your School"
                "When I Grow Up (To Be a Man)"
                "In My Room"
                "God Only Knows"
                "Sloop John B"
                "Wouldn't It Be Nice"
                "Getcha Back"
                "Come Go With Me"
                "Rock and Roll Music"
                "Dance, Dance, Dance"
                "Barbara Ann"
                "Do You Wanna Dance?"
                "Heroes and Villains"
                "Good Timin"'
                "Kokomo"
                "Do It Again"
               "Wild Honey"
                "Darlin"'
                "I Can Hear Music"
                "Good Vibrations"

Updated 4/16/2003
Confirmation  has been made regarding the concert in Boston, plus the announcement of two other shows this summer. See the "Tour" section for more info.

Courtesy of Brianwilson.com

Updated 4/12/2003
BRIAN IN BOSTON?
Several fans have reported that there is an ad in the Boston Herald announcing that Brian Wilson will be performing a free concert in Boston on June 14 . Thus far there has been no "official" announcement. More details will come once this is confirmed.

Updated 3/14/2003
Happy Birthday wishes to Mike Love from Imagination

Updated 2/28/2003

Jimmy Buffet, who, of course collaborated with Brian Wilson on the song South American , will release a cover version of the Beach Boys classic, Sail On Sailor, on his upcoming cd, Meet Me In Margaritaville, due for release this April.

Updated 2/10/2003

Another Brian Wilson TV Alert
It appears fans in Canada will be getting to see some if not all of the upcoming Brian Wilson "On Tour" video on TV.
This is from Much More Music in Canada.

Thursday, February 27, 10pm & 1am ET, 7pm & 10pm PT Friday, February 28, 3pm ET, 12pm PT
 MMMMarquee
NEW Brian Wilson - On Tour With... This tribute to Brian Wilson's immense talent and work follows his extensive tour of the United States and Japan with live performance. Guest appearances and interviews with Brian Wilson, the Brian Wilson Band and celebrity guests including Sheryl Crow, Pete Townshend, Eddie Vedder and more.

Updated 2/5/2003
Brian On TV
PBS stations around the country (USA) are running an edited version of the Queens Concert: Party At The Palace this week.The show will be running in both Philadelphia and New York tonight. Check your local istings for time and date. For those of you who get the Dish Network or Direct TV, PBS is running the show on Thursday at 8PM and 9:30 eastern USA Time.

http://www.pbs.org/whatson/dbs/description.html?nola_root=QUJU&date=2003-02-6

Updated 2/3/2003

SPECTOR ARRESTED IN SHOOTING

 Famed record producer PHIL SPECTOR was arrested Monday in connection to the fatal shooting of forty-year-old actress Lana Clarkson at Spector's residence near Los Angeles. Police responded to an emergency call at 5 a.m., and found the victim, who was pronounced dead at the scene. The producer,
 who is being represented by attorney Robert Shapiro, was freed on a $1 million bond. Spector produced a mammoth string of hits in the Sixties, many featuring his trademark Wall of Sound production. More recently, he had been in the U.K. working on songs by the British band Starsailor for their second
 album.

Updated 1/22/2003
The CD originally released in the UK as Knebworth 80 is scheduled for a US release on March 4th, retitled as "Good Timin" Live at Knebworth 1980. No word as to whether there are any differences from the UK release. Also on tap for a March 3rd release is a new Brian Wilson DVD titled "Brian Wilson On Tour" which will feature the following songs:
Fun Fun Fun This Isn't Love  Don't Worry Baby God Only Knows
                Ruby Baby  Saturday Morning In the City   Surfin' USA   Do It Again  Kiss Me, Baby  Sail On, Sailor   Darlin'   Good Vibrations   On Wisconsin   Little GTO  Vegetables  Help Me Rhonda  Lay Down Burden  Back Home  Caroline No  Barbara Ann  Viva Las Vegas Auld Lang Syne I'm So Young  California Girls Add Some Music To Your Day  Love And Mercy

No word if this will be released simultaneously around the world.

Updated 1/14/2003

Brian Comments On The Passing Of Maurice Gibb
The following message, attributed to Brian Wilson,about the passing of Bee Gee Maurice Gibb, was posted yesterday on the message board of his website at Brianwilson.com:
 "Maurice Gibb was one of my favorite Bee Gee's because his voice was so expressive. It made me feel happy and feel really good to hear him sing. His voice had a joy to it that touched one's soul. On a personal level, I loved his sense of humor and his spirit. He was a real friend to me. I remember when I inducted the Bee Gees into the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame, and I sang "Too Much Heaven." I was blown away by the experience only to find out later that Maurice was feeling the same sentiments. I will truly miss him. At a time like this, all my love and prayers go out to his family, and of course, his brothers." - Brian Wilson

=============================
Brian To Appear On New Styx CD

Brian Wilson will appear on the upcoming CD by Styx, called Cyclorama, which will be released on February 18 on the Sanctuary label. As you know, Styx recently appeared on Brian's latest Christmas recording of White Christmas late in 2002.
============================
Solomon Burke CD Receives Grammy Nomination

Don't Give Up On Me, the latest CD by Solomon Burke, has received a Grammy nomination on the Contemporary Blues catagory. Burkes CD is notable because it contains Burkes version of the unreleased Brian Wilson compostion, "Soul Searchin, which was also recorded by the Beach Boys but remains unreleased.

Updated 11/24/2002
BRAND NEW BEACH BOYS BOOK

There is a new Beach Boys/Brian Wilson bio written by Gael Tynevez called "L'enfance pour l'éternité", which translates to "The Childhood For Eternity". If you can't tell by now, the book is written in French and is probably the first book devoted to the Beach Boys written in French. A larger picture and more info on the book can be found, in French, at http://www.camionblanc.com/

Thanks to Hugues

Updated 11/20/2002
Brian Writing New Material For Next Album
In an interview with Undercover Music News, Brian Wilson reveals that he has now written seven new songs for his next recording project and that he will be doing the producing.  The entire article can be found at this link:
Undercover Music News Brian Article

Updated 11/03/2002
American Band and I Just Wasn't Made For These Times on DVD
Artisan Entertainment has announced that they will be releasing The Beach Boys "An American Band" and Brian Wilson "I Just Wasn't Made For These Times" together as a "double feature" home DVD on December 17.
=================================
Brad Elliott's Surf's Up Book Back In Print
Brad Elliott has announced that paperback copies of his book 'Surf's Up- The Beach Boys On Record 1961-1981 are now available. Information on how to purchase a copy can be found at http://www.surfsupbooks.us

Updated 10/20/2002
PACIFIC OCEAN BLUE TO BE RE-ISSUED

The November Issue Of Mojo has an article on Dennis Wilson by Ben Edmonds
 which mentions that his long out of print solo album,Pacific Ocean Blue, will soon be re-issued along with some material from the never released Bamboo sessions as a bonus. Not much more as far as specific details, but this is great news.

Updated 10/07/2002
Australian Tour OK!

The problems reported earlier that threatened Brian Wilson's upcoming tour of Australia have apparently been ironed out and the tour will go on as scheduled and will also include some additional dates. See TOUR SCHEDULE

Updated 9/30/2002

Knebworth 1980 - Official CD Release
The Beach Boys Knebworth 1980 concert is finally going to see an official
 cd release, at least in the UK , on October 14 on Eagle Records. Unfortunately, it is an edited down version of the actual concert, with I Write The Songs being one track left off.

Updated 9/26/2002
Australian Tour In Jeopardy!
The following is an excerpt from an article by Keith Moor that appeared today in the Herald Sun, an Australian news service concerning Brian Wilson's upcoming tour of Australia.

BEACH Boy Brian Wilson's Australian tour is in doubt after its Melbourne promoter
was yesterday arrested over a $19 million fraud.
Hundreds of tickets have already been sold to the former Beach Boy's December
concerts in Melbourne and Sydney.

The Victoria Police major fraud group yesterday arrested concert promoter Ben
Beath, 24.

Detectives searched Mr Beath's home in Shelley St, Elwood, and seized his
computer and various documents.

It is believed Mr Beath has already paid Wilson a deposit of $250,000 to secure
the tour.
That money was allegedly stolen and Wilson may have to hand it back.
The complete article can be read here.

Updated 9/5/2002
McCartney, Brian Wilson Play Benefit

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Former Beatle Paul McCartney and Beach Boys co-founder Brian Wilson will perform together at a Sept. 18 benefit to raise money for clearance of land mines.

McCartney and his wife, Heather Mills, will host the second annual Adopt-A-Minefield ``Open Hearts Clear Mines'' benefit at the Century Plaza hotel.

Tonight Show host Jay Leno will be master of ceremonies.

Updated 9/3/2002

You can download the full version of the Brian Wilson/Blondie Chaplin "reunion" track, "Hand On My Shoulder" from David Letterman drummer Anton Fig's new cd , titled "Figments" at http://www.mp3.com/anton_fig