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FEATURE MUSIC

SHAKE SOME ACTION BRIAN WILSON, PROUD MARY & CHRISTMAS TREES Words Stuart Coupe

W elcome back, music lovers. When we last chatted, I was telling you about a time in Los Angeles just before Christmas 1995. I’d spent that day meeting and interviewing Iggy Pop, Neil Diamond, and Jeff Buckley, before the call came through that I had a meeting with the legendary Brian Wilson (that Beach Boys guy and a musical hero of mine) in 45 minutes and no idea how to get to his home… So my hastily corralled taxi driver did what I wanted and drove the LA streets like an inspired maniac through extremely unfamiliar – to me – terrain. Wanna know the good news? We made it. We drove through the entrance of a gated community and I

concentration and asking me to remind him what we were talking about. At one point I asked Brian what songs the Beach Boys were going to include on their new album and he said it would include a version of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s classic Proud Mary . “I’ll show you,” he told me, getting out of the chair and walking over to the giant white grand piano. Brian motioned for me to sit next to him and told me to put my tape recorder on the piano. “If this ever gets out, I know where it came from,” he said, sounding surprisingly serious but trying to make it sound like a joke. He then sang and played the song. OK, OK, I was sitting next to

knocked on the door of a faux mansion – which I really hoped was the right address, as the taxi had already driven off. Yes, it was the right address. I was ushered by an assistant into the house. Glancing around the opulent surroundings, it was impossible to ignore the fact that each visible room had at least one, if not two or more, floor-to-ceiling, fully decorated Christmas trees. The assistant directed me into a massive room that was sparsely furnished (if you ignored the white grand piano dominating the space). There, yes, was Brian Wilson sitting in a big armchair, cuddling a large pillow. We were introduced. He told me to sit down. He didn’t, however, point to where I should sit. He also didn’t look around and express surprise that there was no other chair in sight. And he certainly didn’t call for an assistant to actually bring in a chair. So I sat on the floor, literally at the feet of the master. I slumped down on a cushion in front of Brian, trying to get as comfortable as possible, and not look surprised or thrown by the fact that he hadn’t offered me a seat. You know, trying to act like I was used to

Brian Wilson in his home in Los Angeles, while he performed Proud Mary . It was very, very surreal. Later, we were chatting more, me still at his feet, and he asked if I’d like a drink. At this stage I would have killed several people for a cold beer, so I said yes. “Get this guy a diet cherry cola,” he bellowed to an assistant. So, now Brian Wilson and I were both sitting, talking, and drinking diet cherry cola. It was kinda weird. In a good way. At one point the conversation (about the great lost and allegedly destroyed Beach Boys album Smile ) became too much and Brian walked out of the room to take a break. I went and sat with his wife Melinda while Brian played The Ronettes’ Be My Baby at full volume on one of a number of jukeboxes in the house. When Brian joined us in the room, to make conversation I remarked that I’d never seen so many Christmas trees in one home before. He looked wistfully at his wife and said softly, “We should put another one up in the bedroom tonight.” Welcome to the world of Brian Wilson.

doing interviews sitting on the floor whilst the subject sat in an extremely comfortable looking armchair clutching an oversized pillow. Wasn’t this how interviews always happened? The softly spoken Brian (where do you place a tape recorder?) wasn’t the easiest of interviews. Clearly damaged. The answers were short. He seemingly believed in only using three words if two wouldn’t do. And every six or seven minutes, he’d stop mid-sentence and stare at the ceiling for 30 seconds or so, before regaining his “If this ever gets out, I know where it came from,” he said, sounding surprisingly serious

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