Brian Wilson reimagines Gershwin - Official Press Release

Music Legend Brian Wilson Completes Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin a New Disney Pearl CD of George and Ira Gershwin Classics Set for Release August 17

HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE TWO NEW SONGS WILSON CRAFTED FROM PREVIOUSLY UNPUBLISHED GEORGE GERSHWIN MUSIC

BURBANK, Calif., June 29 /PRNewswire/ -- It's an unprecedented meeting of two legendary musical minds, separated by 70 years. Pioneering musical genius Brian Wilson, co-founder of the Beach Boys, has teamed up with George Gershwin, in Wilson's Disney Pearl debut CD, Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin. Featuring timeless classics like "Rhapsody in Blue," "I've Got Rhythm" and "Summertime," the album makes history with "The Like in I Love You" and "Nothing But Love," two new songs Wilson crafted from never-before-published music by Gershwin. Wilson Reimagines Gershwin arrives at stores and online retailers on August 17, with a special vinyl edition set for release August 24.

Said Wilson, "Along with Irving Berlin, Gershwin basically invented the popular song, but he did something more. He had a gift for melody that nobody has ever equaled, yet his music is timeless and always accessible. This is the most spiritual project I've ever worked on."

Produced by Brian Wilson, mixed by multi-Grammy® winner Al Schmitt and joined by his longtime acclaimed band, the new album features the trademark stacked vocal harmonies and orchestrations that made Wilson a towering and revered figure in popular music. Songs include his Gershwin favorites, such as "Summertime," "I Loves You Porgy," "I Got Plenty of Nothin'" and "It Ain't Necessarily So" (all from the opera "Porgy and Bess"), "S'Wonderful," "I've Got a Crush on You," and "They Can't Take That Away From Me." An a capella version of the groundbreaking 1924 orchestral piece "Rhapsody in Blue," showcasing Wilson's stunning vocal harmonies, opens and closes the album.

Sure to draw passionate interest from music scholars and fans alike are the songs with "The Like in I Love You" and "Nothing But Love." The former is drawn from "Will You Remember Me," a song Gershwin composed in 1924 for the musical "Lady, Be Good!," which never made it into the show. The latter is based on "Say My Say," a 1929 song fragment the Gershwin brothers never completed.

Last year, Warner/Chappell Music and the Gershwin estates made available to Wilson more than 100 piano demos of unfinished or obscure Gershwin songs and melodies untouched since George Gershwin's death in 1937. Wilson narrowed these fragments down to two favorites, then created new music blending both the Wilson and Gershwin styles.

The following is a complete track listing from Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin:
1. "Rhapsody in Blue"/Intro
2. "The Like in I Love You"
3. "Summertime" (from Porgy and Bess)
4. "I Loves You Porgy" (from Porgy and Bess)
5. "I Got Plenty of Nothin" (from Porgy and Bess)
6. "It Ain't Necessarily So" (from Porgy and Bess)
7. "'S Wonderful" (from the Broadway musical "Funny Face," also used in MGM film "An American in Paris")
8. "They Can't Take That Away from Me" (used in the film "Shall We Dance" and nominated for Academy Award)
9. "Our Love is Here to Stay" (from the film "The Goldwyn Follies" and MGM film "An American in Paris")
10. "I've Got a Crush on You" (used in Broadway shows "Treasure Girl" and "Strike Up the Band")
11. "I've Got Rhythm" (from Broadway show "Girl Crazy")
12. "Someone To Watch Over Me" (from Broadway show "Oh Kay!")
13. "Nothing But Love"
14. "Rhapsody in Blue"/Reprise

Like Gershwin, Brian Wilson is one of the great American composers of the last 100 years. The Southern California native, along with his brothers, a cousin and a friend, formed the Beach Boys while still in his teens. With Wilson as chief songwriter and arranger, the band not only enjoyed dozens of hits, but changed music forever thanks to Brian's innovative melodies and harmonies. Songs like "I Get Around," "Help Me, Rhonda," "California Girls," "Wouldn't It Be Nice," and the #1 smash "Good Vibrations" remain indispensable staples in the rock 'n' roll canon. The band's "Pet Sounds" (1966) is regarded as one of the greatest albums of all time.

Wilson continued to make great music after the Beach Boys, with 10 solo albums including his breathtaking "Brian Wilson Presents SMiLE," which he began recording in the 1960s and finally completed in 2004 to thunderous critical acclaim and Top 20 chart success (as well as earning a Grammy). A member of the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame, the Songwriter's Hall of Fame, a Kennedy Center honoree and recipient of multiple Gold and Platinum records, Brian Wilson has earned his well-deserved pop music immortality.

Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin will be available nationwide on August 17, 2010 wherever music is sold. For more information on Walt Disney Records' releases, please visit Disney Records.com, become a fan at Facebook.com/disneymusic or follow us at Twitter.com/disneymusic. For more information on Brian Wilson, please visit www.brianwilson.com.

SOURCE Walt Disney Records

Head to brianwilson.com now to hear a track - 'The Like In I Love You'

Classic Album Review: The Beach Boys - Today!

The Beach Boys Today!
originally released March 1965
Capitol Records

When it comes to The Beach Boys, most fans and critics agree, Pet Sounds was unquestionably their masterpiece. It's landmark sound saw the 23 year old musical prodigy Brian Wilson take the Phil Spector produced pop production that he loved and turn it into something entirely his own. It's timeless, unique, endlessly moving and for some people has never been matched.

But Pet Sounds' direct predeccessor, The Beach Boys Today! is often unfairly overlooked, and rarely discussed. Reissues have been few and far between, and all but the diehard fans seem to have forgotten it's existence.

It's impossible to overestimate how key this album was to the band's development. Today! is the junction where the innocent, fun-in-the-sun Beach Boys of the early days meets the sophisticated and poignant genius of Pet Sounds, and consequently is one of the band's most satisfying albums.

Fittingly, the album is divided into one side of upbeat pop tunes, and a second of the kind of longing, lovelorn ballads that would make the Boys' next album a classic.

But first side one, which opens with a storming version of Bobby Freeman's frequently covered 'Do You Wanna Dance', which gives Dennis Wilson his first ever lead vocal slot. While he may technically not be a great singer, he brings a nervous energy to the song that really brings it to life. Undoubtedly its a great party song, and a killer jolt of energy to kickstart the album.

Brian and Mike feature significantly for the rest of the half. It's almost like the end of an era - it was their songwriting partnership that gave the band it's first taste of success with songs like 'Catch A Wave', 'Fun, Fun, Fun' and 'I Get Around', but as Brian's creativity flourished, he would increasingly look to outside collaborators like Tony Asher and Van Dyke Parks to fulfil his vision.

The always pitch-perfect voice of Al Jardine takes lead on Help Me, Ronda. Unfortunately the titular character's 'h' isn't all that's missing in this version - so is much of the musical sparkle and polish that would make this song's later single release a huge hit. While this early cut has potential, it's hard to argue that the single version isn't vastly superior.

The second half, not surprisingly is where Today! really comes into its own, offering a side of The Beach Boys that had only been hinted at before on songs like 'In My Room', 'The Warmth Of The Sun' and 'Don't Worry Baby'.

Songs like Please Let Me Wonder, She Knows Me Too Well and I'm So Young are simply beautiful, incredibly moving and perhaps represent Brian's peak as a lead vocalist. The harmonies are lush, plaintive and amongst the group's best - and The Beach Boys early 60's lineup always had the best harmonies in all of music available on tap.

Lyrically side 2 of Today! is much more introspective, emotionally invested, and meaningful than much of what had gone before. Musically, it's nothing short of stunning. Brian's arrangements feature session musicians like Steve Douglas, legendary bassist Carol Kaye and even a young Glen Campbell to fill out the sound, which incorporates vibraphones, saxophones, timpani drums and other instruments that had rarely been used in pop music until that point. Listening now leaves you in no doubt of where the group were headed, and that it was this experimental approach that would come to full fruition on Pet Sounds.

Clocking in at under half an hour, as a standalone album or simply listened to as a companion to it's followup, The Beach Boys Today! is a true classic.

- Michael

Brian Wilson signs with Disney Records

BEACH BOYS CO-FOUNDER TO RECORD TWO ALBUMS, INCLUDING COVERS OF GEORGE AND IRA GERSHWIN CLASSICS

WILSON TO CRAFT COLLABORATIVE COMPOSITIONS FROM PREVIOUSLY UNPUBLISHED MUSIC FROM GEORGE GERSHWIN

Burbank, CA – October 8, 2009 - Two giants of popular entertainment have come together as Brian Wilson, the pioneering musical genius who co-founded the Beach Boys and wrote many of the band's greatest hits, has signed with Walt Disney Records.

In the months ahead, Wilson will record two new solo albums for the label's Disney Pearl imprint, including one featuring covers of classic songs by great American songwriters, George and Ira Gershwin. For that recording, the Gershwin estate has given Wilson access to rare, unfinished pieces of music by George Gershwin, with which he will craft collaborative compositions unlike anything the world has seen.

He will follow that with an album of classic Disney songs, which the artist promises to “Brian-ize” with his trademark vocal stacks and unique arrangements. Release dates for each album have yet to be determined.

Said David Agnew, Walt Disney Records president and general manager of the Disney Music Group, “We are honored to be in business with one of the greatest musical artists of all time. It is impossible to overstate the impact Brian has had on contemporary music and culture -- it has been nothing less than profound. We look forward to partnering with Brian on this exciting new voyage in his musical journey.”

“I've always tried to make music that entertained people,” Wilson said. “I also wanted my music to last, to be able to speak to any generation. Thankfully, nearly 50 years since the Beach Boys were born, that seems to have come true. Now, a new musical chapter begins for me, and teaming up with Disney means it's going to be a chapter to remember. I promise.”

Wilson chose to record George and Ira Gershwin songs because he considers the late composers of classics like “Someone to Watch Over Me,” “Rhapsody in Blue” and “Summertime” as a critical influence on him. “I've always loved George Gershwin. The earliest music I remember hearing is 'Rhapsody in Blue,'” says Wilson, referring to Gershwin's groundbreaking 1924 orchestral piece. “Along with Irving Berlin, Gershwin basically invented the popular song, but he did something more. He had a gift for melody that nobody has ever equaled yet his music is timeless and always accessible. This is the most spiritual project I've ever worked on.”

Said Todd Gershwin (George Gershwin estate) and Michael Owen (Ira Gershwin estate): “The Gershwin families are delighted that the legendary musician Brian Wilson has chosen to record a collection of George and Ira Gershwin songs for his next project. In every generation, American music has been pushed forward by visionaries, from the Gershwin brothers to Brian Wilson. This latest interpretation will be a new opportunity to discover the magic of Gershwin music."

Like Gershwin, Brian Wilson is one of the great composers of the last 100 years. The Southern California native, along with his brothers, a cousin and a friend, formed the Beach Boys while still in his teens. With Wilson as chief songwriter and arranger, the band not only enjoyed dozens of hits, but changed music forever thanks to Brian's innovative melodies and harmonies. Songs like “I Get Around,” “Help Me, Rhonda,” “California Girls,” “Wouldn't It Be Nice,” and the #1 smash “Good Vibrations” remain indispensable staples in the rock 'n' roll canon. The band's “Pet Sounds” (1966) is regarded as one of the greatest albums of all time.

Wilson continued to make great music after the Beach Boys, with 10 solo albums including his breathtaking “Brian Wilson Presents SMiLE,” which he began recording in the 1960s and finally completed in 2004 to thunderous critical acclaim and Top 20 chart success (as well as earning a Grammy). A member of the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame, the Songwriter's Hall of Fame, a Kennedy Center honoree and recipient of multiple Gold and Platinum records, Brian Wilson has earned his well-deserved pop music immortality.

New Beach Boys compilation coming soon - new mixes + unreleased music.

THE BEACH BOYS PROVIDE THE PERFECT SOUNDTRACK TO SUN-KISSED ROMANCE WITH SUMMER LOVE SONGS, TO BE RELEASED MAY 19 BY CAPITOL/EMI


New Collection Features 20 Timeless Classics, Including Six New Stereo Mixes and a Previously Unreleased Song


Hollywood, California – April 6, 2009 – The Beach Boys have long been the world’s leading, harmonious voice of summer fun, with an ocean’s swell of universally-loved songs about the beach, surfing, hot rods, and in no small measure, girls and sun-kissed romance. 20 of The Beach Boys’ best love songs, from tender ballads to boisterous romps, have been gathered for Summer Love Songs, a new 20-track CD and digital collection to be released May 19 (May 18 internationally) by Capitol/EMI. Three classic tracks have been mixed in stereo for the first time, exclusively for this release, and three others have received new stereo mixes. Two of the new stereo mixes have been created from long lost, newly-recovered analog multi-track masters. A rare track, previously unreleased in the U.S. and long out-of-print in the U.K., is also included.


The Beach Boys’ romantic ballads, including “God Only Knows,” “Please Let Me Wonder,” and “Don’t Worry, Baby,” and their playful, high-energy love songs, including “California Girls” and “Good To My Baby,” come together as the perfect soundtrack to romantic fun in the sun on Summer Love Songs. Evocative of time and place for all who hear them, these classics continue to warm hearts around the world.

Two of Summer Love Songs’ new stereo mixes, for “Don’t Worry, Baby” and “Why Do Fools Fall In Love,” have been created from newly-recovered analog multi-track masters that went missing from the Western Recorders studio in Los Angeles after they were first recorded in the mid-1960s. These original 3-track analog masters were recently recovered by The Beach Boys and Capitol/EMI for the first time since they were used for the band’s Shut Down, Vol. 2 album in 1964. The collection’s four other tracks with new stereo mixes are “Hushabye,” “I’m So Young,” “Good To My Baby,” and “Time To Get Alone.”


Summer Love Songs also includes “Fallin’ In Love,” a song written and recorded by Dennis Wilson during the Beach Boys’ Sunflower album sessions in 1970. The track has never before been released in the U.S. and has long been out-of-print in the U.K. (where it was released as “Lady”). This track has also been mixed in stereo for the first time.


Summer Love Songs follows the worldwide success of 2003’s Sounds Of Summer: The Very Best Of The Beach Boys, now approaching the triple platinum sales mark in the U.S., and 2007’s The Warmth Of The Sun, a career-spanning collection of deeper album cuts, hand-selected and sequenced by The Beach Boys. Summer Love Songs complements the previous collections as a distinct addition to the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers’ legendary catalog.


THE BEACH BOYS: Summer Love Songs (CD, digital)

1. Why Do Fools Fall In Love [new stereo mix from newly recovered analog multi-track master]

2. Don’t Worry, Baby [new stereo mix from newly recovered analog multi-track master]

3. Wouldn't It Be Nice

4. God Only Knows

5. Surfer Girl

6. California Girls

7. Please Let Me Wonder

8. In The Parkin' Lot

9. Your Summer Dream

10. Kiss Me, Baby

11. Hushabye [new stereo mix]

12. I'm So Young [new stereo mix]

13. Good To My Baby [new stereo mix]

14. Fallin' In Love [previously unreleased track, written and recorded by Dennis Wilson]

15. Time To Get Alone [new stereo mix]

16. Our Sweet Love

17. Help Me, Rhonda

18. Keep An Eye On Summer

19. Don't Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder)

20. Girls On The Beach