INTRO:
Surf's Up attempts to explain why the Beach Boys' Smile album was not released. Whether the Smile album would have been bigger or more influential than the Beatles Sgt. Pepper is a moot point. The Beach Boys were on top of the world in 1966. They had released the critically acclaimed (although a sales disappointment) Pet Sounds, had the world-wide hit Good Vibrations AND they beat the Beatles in popularity polls on the mop-tops home turf of England (not a feat to be taken lightly in 1966!).The theme of Surf's Up is the past, the present and the future. The play focuses on the private interaction between Brian and David Anderle in the fall of 1966, representing "the future". Murray represents "the past", while Mike Love and Dennis Wilson represent "the present". Each one of these themes was instrumental in the final fate of Smile.
TARGET AUDIENCE:
While trying to appeal to Smile-fanatics, Surf's Up will have a target audience of any music fan with only a basic grasp of rock and roll and the sixties. Not everybody knows about Smile, but just about everybody has heard Good Vibrations (arguably the first track of the Smile period). While being as historically accurate as possible, the timeline of events will be condensed in some instances for expediency of the plot.CAST:
Being a small production with the restraints of time and cost, I have streamlined the last to put across the ideas and facts as basically as possible. Therefore, the cast will consist of just: Brian, David Anderle, Murray Wilson, Mike Love, Dennis Wilson and a fictional groupie. I would have liked to include the other players in the Smile saga (Carl Wilson, Al Jardine, Bruce Johnston, Marilyn Wilson, Van Dyke Parks, etc), but since I don't have a TV budget, I have to grasp reality.THE SET:
The set will be pretty basic, the stage divided into three parts, again representing the three themes. Center stage will be Brian's grand piano, the main focus of his interaction with David Anderle. To the left will be Murray Wilson, sitting on a chair in his living room, either watching Lawrence Welk on TV or listening to his phonograph. To the right will be the Beach Boys dressing room in England immediately after a concert.THE MUSIC:
The music used will be from various bootlegs, TV appearances, etc. As accurate as possible.THE PLAYERS:
Murray Wilson - The overbearing, often abusive (both physically and mentally) father of Brian Wilson and two of the other Beach Boys. Overweight, slicked back hair, dark glasses of the time, always smoking his pipe.
Brian Wilson - The 23 year old creative genius behind the songs of the Beach Boys. Beatle style hair, psychedelic, flowery clothes, beads and often coloured sunglasses indoors.
Mike Love - The cousin of the Wilson's and the lead singer of the Beach Boys. Definitely a type-A personality, cocky, sarcastic and very sure of himself. Short cropped beard that is the style of the times. Always wears a hat because of premature hair loss.
Dennis Wilson - Ruggedly handsome. The youngest brother of the Wilsons. Drummer for the Beach Boys. Has a devil-may-care attitude about life. Also a womanizer. But he is Brian's biggest supporter-it is Dennis who first comes up with the idea of writing songs about surfing.
David Anderle - Music business friend of Brian's. Tall, skinny, dark hair and always immaculately dressed in a dark suit and tie of the period.
Groupie - Typical groupie of the sixties music scene.
SCENE I: (Lights out. Good Vibrations plays. Lights up on Murray in his living room. He is smoking his pipe, watching Lawrence Welk.)
Murray
(Ranting)
Damn unappreciative kids. If it wasn't for me, there wouldn't be a Beach Boys! Who hustled to get them signed to Capitol in the first place? Who make sure that the boys in the family were always included in the family sing-alongs? Hell, I'm the songwriter in the family! I've had one of my songs played on the Lawrence Welk show! And that's real music. I taught Brian everything he knows about music. And how does he show his appreciation? He fires me as the manager of the Beach Boys! I guess he forgets who drove them around the country in a station wagon on their very first tour. Who gave up his full-time job to manage the Beach Boys? If it wasn't for me….(Scene cuts to Brian's posh Los Angeles home. In the middle of Brian's living room is a grand piano…set in a giant sandbox. Scattered around the room are cans of ready-whip, a telescope, a fire hat, a lava lamp, wind chimes and all the typical sixties stuff. On top of Brian's piano is a reel-to-reel tape recorder where he plays back the ideas he has recorded plus the tapes of what he was recorded in the studio that day.)
(Brian is eating a hamburger at the piano. His energy level and attention span is like that of a little kid with too much candy and sodas. David Anderle walks in…)
Brian
Hey David! Did I tell ya, I'm gonna open a health food store?David
(Laughs at Brian eating a hamburger, tries to sound serious, but almost laughs…) Health Food?Brian
Yeah, organic stuff ya know. I even thought of a name for it, the Radiant Radish!David
Sounds interesting…(Brian spots his telescope in the corner)
Brian
Oh, I'm also gonna open up a 24-hour telescope store! That way, if you want to get a telescope at 3 in the morning, you wont have to wait to buy one!David
Umm hmm…(Loud pounding of tools in the background, saws, etc…)
David
What's that Brian?Brian
I'm having a tree house put at the entrance of the house…LISTEN! I might use that sound on the album!David
Speaking of the new Beach Boys album, can I hear some of it? If it's anything like Good Vibrations, you've got a hit! (Brian interrupts…)Brian
It's gonna be better! Good Vibrations was just a start, wait till you hear this…(Clicks the tape on, playing studio tracks for the new album. After a few minutes, David speaks.)
David
Brian, this is fantastic! Light years ahead of anything on the top 40 today! Herman's Hermits and the Monkees. Bubblegum, pure and simple. And to think, you were going to sell Good Vibrations to Wilson Picket!Brian
I didn't know if it was right for the Beach Boys. I knew it was a special song, revolutionary even. Did I tell you how I came up with it? I was talking to my Mom about vibrations. She said that's how a dog can tell if you are scared…its picking up your vibrations. Good Vibrations is my pocket-symphony. It's a whole new bag. I'm recording completely different now. Its all about feels and emotions. I'm recording bits and pieces to the songs and assembling them into finished songs…You saw what I did with Good Vibrations? Well, I'm gonna apply that to a whole album! It will be my teenage symphony to God!Also, I was really inspired by the Beatles. Their Rubber Soul album really blew me away - a whole album of good songs! I wanted to give the Beatles a run for their money. Rubber Soul Inspired me to do Pet Sounds. That album made me really competitive.
(Cut to Murray)
Murray
You've really got to push Brian. I've always tried to instill that gump that his old man has! I think he's done as a writer. His old songs about surfin, cars and teenagers…that's all old-hat now. What are they good for? Are you gonna use them in commercials or something (sings "she's so fine my 409" or "California Girls"). We ought to sell them while we can still get some money for them. They might have fired me as their manager, but I still have control over the songs. Brian will thank me for this later…
SCENE II:
(Cut to the dressing room immediately after a Beach Boys concert in London, England. Mike and Dennis are entering the dressing room. Dennis has a girl on his arm and sends her to get some drinks.)Mike
(Aside) Hey, you're supposed to be married…Dennis
(Shrugs and smiles)(You can still hear the applause of the crowd…)
Mike
You hear that?!Dennis
(Nonchalantly) Yeah, I know. We are great. With Brian's songs, what did you expect?(Mike picks up one of the music papers among the food and drink…the Melody Maker 1966 issue in which the Beach Boys beat the Beatles in the annual popularity poll)
Mike
Well, what do you know?! It says here that we beat the mop tops on their own turf…"the Beach Boys #1, Beatles #2! Where the hell are Carl, Al and Bruce? They gotta see this.Dennis
They went to a taping of Ready Steady Go, you know, it's that British version of American Bandstand?(Groupie comes back with drinks, cigs for Dennis and a recent issue of Billboard. Mike shoots her a dirty look)
Mike
Sweetheart (sarcastically), the dressing rooms are for band members & their family.Dennis
Cool it Mikey…she's my, um, "cultural advisor". We are in a foreign country!Mike
(under his breath) Yeah, right…Groupie
(Hands him the issue of Billboard) Denny, you might want to see this…Dennis
Holy Shit! Good Vibrations is number one! Not bad for a song you hated.Mike
I didn't HATE it. I just don't like playing that "woo woo" machine (sings an imitation of the theremin sound).Dennis
That instrument is called a theramin and its just part of what makes Good Vibrations so ground breaking.Mike Whatever…
Dennis
I'm gonna call Brian and tell him the news. Plus, I bought him a Rolls Royce that John Lennon used to own. He'll get a kick outta that.Mike
Ask him if the new album is ready yet.Dennis
Always thinking with your walletMike
At least I don't think with my…(see's there's a girl present)(Dennis calls Brian via trans-Atlantic phone. Brian answers the phone by the piano.)
Dennis
Brian? Hey, guess whats #1 on the charts in England? Good Vibrations by the Beach Boys!Brian
Wow! David here kept tellin' me how great a song it was.Dennis
Well, he was right! Oh, and guess what else? I picked up a little present for you. Just a little Rolls Royce that once belonged to a certain John Lennon of the Beatles.Mike
(interupts) Ask him about the new album?Dennis
Mike "Moneybags" Love wants to know about the new album.Brian
Well, I'm not done with it quite yet. But, I can play you some tracks. Just you, not Mike! (pause) I don't know if he is ready to hear them. You know all the crap he gave me about the Pet Sounds album being "ego music"? And remember all the hassles he gave me about Good Vibrations?Dennis
Yeah, but looks to me like you were right, Good Vibrations IS number one, world-wide…Brian Well, what do you think of this...
(Brian plays him part of the song, Do You Like Worms, from his studio sessions)
Dennis
Wow Brian! It blows your mind. This is really gonna make the Beatles sound like Frank Sinatra. They've got a new album out, Revolver, but this new stuff definetley leaves it in the dust. (groupie whispers in Dennis' ear) Listen Brian, I've gotta go…important business to attend to, you know.Brian
Yeah right, what's her name? (laughs)Dennis
We'll see you back in the States in a few days. You can play the tapes for Mikey then.
SCENE III:
(A few days later, David enters Brian's "music den")David
What's up Brian? Your call sounded important.Brian
I wanted to play you the follow up to Good Vibrations. It's Heroes and Villains. You heard my rough demo a few months back, but its overgone a lot of changes. My biggest production so far! It's a musical journey through the American west from the landing of the Pilgrims through to the expansion to Hawaii. I've still got some more work to do it it, but here is what I've got so far…(Brian hits the play button, Heroes & Villains plays…after the song finishes, David is silent for a moment…)
David
I'm speechless…that is simply amazing Brian! I think it will be an even bigger hit than Good Vibrations. Is it going to be the opening track of the new Beach Boys album?Brian
Well…I haven't decide on the order of the tracks on the album yet.David
Speaking of which, Capitol records is screaming for a song list. The cover artwork is done and they want a December release. It doesn't have to be the final order, but they need a list of the songs that will be on the album. And they need it TODAY!Brian
O.k., o.k. (scribbles out a quick listing of the songs for David) But, this isn't the final order. It is just all the songs that will be on the Smile album.David
Thanks Brian. Listen, I'm going to take this over to Capitol right now! I'll see you tomorrow.(As David is leaving, Dennis and Mike enter. Dennis says hello, Mike just grumbles at David)
Mike
O.K. Brian, lets hear it!Dennis
Aren't we gonna wait for the other guys?Mike
They can hear it later tonight. I want to hear these so-called hit songs that I'm going to be singing in public…while Brian sits back at home and plays in sandboxes with telescopes (pointing to Brian's telescope).Dennis
Fuck you Mikey! You know the deal we made in 1965. Brian stays at home writing the hits and Bruce takes his place for the live shows.Mike
Whatever…come on Brian, let's hear it. Don't deprive us one more second of hearing these glorius hit songs! (sarcastically)Brian
Umm, o.k. I'll play you a little bit of each song, so you can get an idea of where the album is going…(Plays "Wonderful")
Mike
(aside) Pretty, but we can't do that live…Brian
This is part of my suite called The Elements. You know, fire, air, earth and water?(Plays "Mrs. O'Leary's Cow")
Mike
How in the HELL are we gonna play that one live?Brian
(getting frustrated) O.K. Mike, how about this one. We can do this live…(Plays "Heroes & Villains")
Mike
Well, that's better than the rest. But, I still don't hear a hit.Dennis
(ignoring Mike) Amazing! I want to hear more Brian!(Plays "Cabinessence". When the song gets to the "over and over the crow cries" line, Mike goes ballistic)
Mike
Stop It! What is this crap! "Over and over the crow cries"? I'm supposed to sing this? Are you trying to single handedly destroy the Beach Boys?Brian
I just can't write about little miss cheerleader on the Beach any more.Mike
Brian, don't fuck with the formula! Just wait until Carl, Al and Bruce hear this dribble! (Mike storms out. Silence, then…)Dennis
Don't listen to him Brian. Mike has always been full of shit. I thing the new songs sound great. I think the new album is going to be so good, its gonna make Pet Sounds stink!SCENE IV:
(Brian alone at his piano)
Brian
Damnit…why don't they just let me do the album! I just know it will be bigger than Pet Sounds…(Brian takes a hit of hash…sits back and plays a demo that he just recorded of Surfs Up)
(Brian closes his eyes…everyone enters and stands around him like Brian is dreaming)
Murray
I knew you couldn't cut it. Serves you right for not listening to me!Mike
Come on, Brian. We are family. Are you going to let us down? We all have homes now, bills to pay and families of our own. Just write us the hits like you used to.Dennis
(with the groupie on his arm…holding a drink) Don't worry Brian. (tries to be funny and sings like "Don't Worry Baby") If it is over, we had a good ride didn't we?David
(Reads Derek Taylor's press release) "In truth, every beautifully designed, finely-wrought in- spirationally-welded piece of music made these last few months by Brian and his Beach Boy craftsmen has been SCRAPPED. Not destroyed, but scrapped. For what Wilson seals in a can and destroys is scrapped."(Fade out with either of these two songs playing: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band or Hendrix "You've heard the last of Surf Music" from Monterrey)
