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Author
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Comment
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BrianChdester
Unregistered User
(12/10/02 1:54:05 am)
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Brian Wilson's Fairy Tale
Hello,
I'm new here, but I was wondering if anyone here is famiiar wth the fairy tale that Brian Wilson (of the Beach Boys) recorded in 1973. It is called "Mt. Vernon & Fairway" and was reeased as a bonus 7" with the Beach Boys' 1973 album, HOLLAND.
The fairy tale is a bizarre story about a child who finds a magic transistor radio and is visited by a Pied Piper, who brings beautiful music only to children, and only when he is believed in. This was recorded during Brian Wilson's notorious reclusive years and is nothing like "Fun, Fun, Fun" or "Surfer Girl." It is more like his own post-Sartrean take on the nothingness of being.
I ask this question here because I am directing a film about this Fairy Tale and am looking for a fairy tale scholar who wouldn't mind doing a interview and discussing Brian's fairy tale, after listening to it... to discuss it's structure and it's possible meanings.
Thanks so much,
Brian
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cpe
Unregistered User
(12/10/02 11:26:44 pm)
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brian wilson
just a small question for first, is brian Wilson collaborating with you on his tale?
thanks,
cpe
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BrianChidester
Registered User
(12/13/02 4:03:29 pm)
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I was not involved..
No, Brian Wilson recorded his fairy tale in 1973. It was a narrated fairy tale written by Brian, with music written by Brian also. It is in six parts, each part about a minute and half long. The music is quirky an surreal and is a great reflection of his state of mind during this period where Wilson was basically a recluse for three years.
I had nothing to do with the writing of the fairy tale or the recording of it. I'm just interested in it and am making a film about the recording. I was two yeas old when it was released.
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BrianChidester
Registered User
(12/13/02 4:08:19 pm)
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Addendum
Sorry, but I just re-read your post, CPE. Were you asking whether Brian Wilson is inolved with this film project? If that is the question, then yes, he will be interviewed. He is not producing the film... he is not a film producer. However, about five documentaries have already been made about Brian and the Beach Boys; each dealing with different eras in his musical career.
If you were aksing what I originally thougt you were asking: whether or not I am collaborating with Brian on the fairy tale, again, that's impossible... the fairy tale was recorded 30 years ago.
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cpe
Unregistered User
(12/13/02 8:42:34 pm)
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intellectual property rights
I think now I would be wondering if a person making a doc about a story another wrote has copyright permission and licensing from that person? with regard to what sounds like Wilson's original story, I think he would have both performance and literary copyrights which reserve all rights to the creator himself, including adaptation, derivitive, film, oral, audio, performance, anthology, etc., rights.
all best
cpe
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BrianChidester
Registered User
(12/15/02 1:13:49 am)
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Answers
****I think now I would be wondering if a person making a doc about a story another wrote has copyright permission and licensing from that person?****
Copyright from Brian for the music/story and publishing/liscensing from Wickson are both taken care of. Wouldn't really start without them, y'know?
****with regard to what sounds like Wilson's original story, I think he would have both performance and literary copyrights****
I'm not performing his fairy tale, nor am I deriving anything from the literary copyrights, such as characters, etc.
****which reserve all rights to the creator himself, including adaptation,****
Not adaptng it in any form.
****derivitive,****
Certainly not deriving any elments or characers from the story.
****film,****
Not making a fictional film, thereby he would have to sign off on how the fairy tale is being portrayed... it is not being dramatized.
****oral,****
No readings, public or private.
****audio,****
Definitely using the audio tracks, and paid a heavy figure for such use.
****performance,****
Again, I'm not perorming it.
****anthology, etc., rights.****
Not releasing a CD (Brother Records retains the rights to release it or liscense it for CD). I'm also not releasing an anthology of lyrics or the narrative story or anything of he like.
I'm making a documentary... which, if you've never seen one before, is a non-fiction film, usually made up of photos and footage of the subject's life and/or interviews about the subject and work(s) being discussed. In the case of Brian Wilson, many documentaries have been made about him and his music already. All of them went he same avenue: contact management and get approval to talk about whatever subject the documentary is covering, plus use of the music. Then, the music must be liscensed from Wilson's publishing company (Wickson) and also the tapes must be liscensed from Brother Records. Then, footage and photos must be liscnesed, interviews must be shot, release forms must be signed, all of the above must be edited together and contracts must be signed for who receives what royalties. The film is then released.
Are you inerested in helping or just asking questons?
Brian
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Jane Yolen
Unregistered User
(12/15/02 5:21:08 am)
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Questions
Brian--I think cpe (who, if you don't know, is a best selling author and therapist) was trying to make certain first that you were a professional and not, as we have often seen on these boards, kids asking homework questions or others not working in a professional capacity who come in, ask a question, then leave. Different answers for them.
So your final question "Are you inerested in helping or just asking questons?" which was misspelled and therefore would have been immediately suspect if it hadn't come along with all the information above it, was a bit off-center.
Now that we have your credentials, we can go about your original question. Thanks.
Jane
www.janeyolen.com
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BrianChidester
Registered User
(12/17/02 10:38:12 pm)
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More Answers...
****Brian--I think cpe (who, if you don't know, is a best selling author and therapist) was trying to make certain first that you were a professional and not, as we have often seen on these boards, kids asking homework questions or others not working in a professional capacity who come in, ask a question, then leave. Different answers for them.****
Jane, that's fine. I have no problem with that. And I clearly pontificated upon what he asked by giving precise answers as to how these issues were/are taken care of in the context of a studio-funded project.
****So your final question "Are you inerested in helping or just asking questons?" which was misspelled and therefore would have been immediately suspect if it hadn't come along with all the information above it, was a bit off-center.****
Intellectual elitism is not needed, honestly. My keys stick together, so as I type, I find that almost every word is missing a letter or two. When I finish with my flow of thought, I go back and try to edit my post before sending it. Alas, I always miss seeing a few letters, but it isn't a book report now, is it? Didn't know our every word here was going to be judged against our character, but thanks. Nice knowing that.
****Now that we have your credentials, we can go about your original question. Thanks.****
Really, is anyone interested? I don't mean to be biting back, maybe I just misread the tone of the above posts. No doubt that Dr. Suess owned all of his own stories and writings, but that didn't mean that other individuals couldn't take his stories and do films about them (provided they had his permission) or documentarians/biographers could write further commentary on Suess's works. That's all I'm doing... it's very common, in both non-fiction books and in documentary filmmaking: take a subject and dive into it more to find out where it came from, what it means and the validity of what it is trying to say. I'm only asking for an expert in Fairy Tale/Mythological structure to expound upon what Brian Wilson was trying to do.
Best,
Brian Chidester
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Jane Yolen
Unregistered User
(12/18/02 3:42:50 am)
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Professionals
Brian--you ask professional help from a bunch of academics and writers and that's what you are going to get. Clearly you aren't a student asking about homework--whom we treat differently.
You are looking for a professional to discuss stuff on camera that might mark them professionally for a long time. The professionals want to be sure you are as professional as they.
Alas, I don't know that song nor does it sound like something I can help you with.
Jane Yolen
www.janeyolen.com
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Jess
Unregistered User
(12/18/02 7:15:19 am)
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Not ignoring you
Brian,
I was surprised to learn of Brian Wilson's fairy tale song (what is its title again?). And I am a rather big Beach Boys fan. Is it fairly obscure? Does he have the lyrics posted somewhere? My guess is that people on the board may not be familiar with this work. I have had several posts where there were few replies or belated replies to questions.
Also, fyi, we do tend to discuss technical things, such as copyright and publishing, on this board quite a bit. I am sorry if you were offended in anyway. Many of the people here are naturally very friendly and try to be helpful. I am afraid you took this the wrong way.
Jess
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Kerrie
Moderator
(12/18/02 7:35:22 am)
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Links to Lyrics...
Sorry it took me so long to post!
For those who are unfamiliar with the lyrics, here is a link to the track titles:
www.cabinessence.com/bria...usic.shtml
and a link to the lyrics:
www.cabinessence.com/bria...non.html#1
Are you interested in discussing the set in it's entirety or a specific song?
Hope this helps get the ball rolling!
Sugarplum dreams,
Kerrie
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Jane Yolen
Unregistered User
(12/18/02 12:57:04 pm)
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So what did you find?
A bit of Pied Piper crossed with 12 Dancing Princesses crossed with a kind of moral r&r story (something the parents want to hide from you.)
And not terribly original after all, at least the plain lyrics. I couldn't listen to the music since I am on my son's computer down in SC and don't have that technology here. I was expecting something much more sophisticated and stunning, though, since brian is doing an entire documetary based on this.
What am I missing?
Jane
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Helen
Registered User
(12/18/02 1:28:26 pm)
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Modern meanings of the fairy tale ...
Well, though I, too, am on an inadequate computer that stubbornly refuses to let me listen to the actual music, I'd say that Jane's pegged the sources correctly, and that Wilson may have been getting at one of the thorny issues that lies at the heart of modern fairy tale retellings - the meaning of ancient stories in modern contexts. I believe that another poster (Lexi?) recently posted a question on the adaptation of traditional tales to contemporary life, and the resulting changes in their morals. Wilson seems to be implying that modern rock and roll is taking the place of folklore for today's youth (or, rather, the youth of the 70's), and that now, and as in other times, belief - in magic, in good, in innovation, in struggling to make ones own place in the world instead of simply accepting the ideas of past generations - makes all the difference between mundanity and wonder, between stagnation and growth.
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cpe
Unregistered User
(12/18/02 10:13:38 pm)
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film consult
anyone here do film consultation as an expert? We've done some for HBO and for WGBH/ PBS and for the American West docus and others. It's a nice paying job and especially nice to work with people who share your own interests.
Hang in there, no doubt you will find someone out there who is simpatico and would like to do this kind of work with you.
all best
cpe
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BrianChidester
Registered User
(12/19/02 2:31:23 am)
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Thank You
Wow! Thank you for all of the responses, I really appreciate them. I was very surprised indeed.
Jane, to answer your question, yes, I think it is a very simlpe story and doesn't veer too far from the basic structure. But, that's what I'm looking to hear.
Brian Wilson only had/has a high school eduation and was not a fairy tale scholar. What makes it interesting is that he named his fairy tale "Mt. Vernon & Fairway," which is a cross-street intersection in Inglewood, CA where his cousin and bandmate in the Beach Boys, Mike Love, grew up. The Wilson kids were just across town in Hawthorne; both were in the South Bay of Los Angeles County.
The fairy tale is about a Prince in a castle on a hill faraway, but there is obvously something reflective and very personal going on there. Mike and Brian used to get together and listen to their radios and sing together at burger joints. Brian would pour over his records, learning how to arrange voices, as a teenger. Perhaps the story is re-telling where his musical muse came from. Intrestingly, though, the "music" of the Pied Piper seems to disappear, almost uneventfully in the end of the fairy tale. The children believe and want the Pied Piper to come back, but for some reason, he does not, leaving a rather open-ended story of inpiration for the Prince and his brothers and sisers.
This was recorded in 1973, and the music itself is very enchanting. Wilson was writing little 20-30 second snippets of music and then splicing them together around the narrative. It all comes together in a strange little six minute tapestry of music, nature and narration. It is also the last time that Wilson seemed to be able to cull his signature complex harmonies out of the Beach Boys. Mostly because he grew more reclusive and just chose not to work in that context any longer, but also because excessive drug use and tobacco smoking caused his voice to deteriorate greatly in the mid-to-late '70s. The music is what makes it really work and many muscians have already done interviews breaking apart the musical compositions and innovative ways that he was splicing sections together to create a larger whole.
I think the need to have someone talk about it as a fairy tale boils down to 1) wanting to get what you just sad on camera: that it is a very basic tale, at its roots, but also 2) that it my be metaphorical of something deeper and more personal in Brian's life at that time. I have biographers and friends who think the latter, but it'd be nice to have an expet who is both familiar with fairy tale structure and Brian's life to draw some possible conclusions, for or against what I think. Either way, the film is going to be open-ended about its meaning.
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