Trivia / The Beach Boys Today!

• Follow the Leader: Brian Wilson was heavily inspired by Phil Spector.
• Troubled Production: It was the vocal overdub session for this album's version of "Help Me, Ronda" [sic] that was the source for the legendary, infamous tape (which runs over a half-hour in its unedited state) of Murry Wilson pulling off an incredible It's All About Me gambit and hijacking the session. The full story was that, although the band had officially relieved Murry of his managerial duties, they tried to ease the sting of getting fired by his own sons by inviting both of their parents to watch the session. Murry admits to getting drunk before the session on the tape, and in his impaired state subjects the group to rambling critiques of their vocal performances, plus, as one blogger sums it up, "psychodrama, scat singing and weepy, abusive melodrama." The tape is a Cult Classic because of both Murry's oddball declarations (constantly urging the guys to "sing from your hearts", "loosen up", "go on that kick", "fight for success", plus nitpicking things like flat vocals and going in too close on a mic), and the testy exchange he has with Brian after Brian starts getting fed up, climaxing with Murry mocking Brian's rising reputation in music circles with the cutting, snarky declaration "I'm a genius too." Undoubtedly the whole incident contributed to the rather lackadaisical feel of the final take, and is likely a big reason why Brian was eager to record a more polished version later on. It's also probably not a coincidence that that same album that featured the revamped "Help Me, Rhonda" also included the song "I'm Bugged at My Ol' Man".

---