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Beach Boy Wilson to Complete Gershwin Songs

Project a 'weird dream come true' for fans of 2 seminal American composers

By Harry Kimball,  Newser Staff

Posted Oct 8, 2009 11:08 AM CDT

(Newser) – Beach Boys songster Brian Wilson will put a gloss on unfinished tunes by revered Jazz Age composer George Gershwin. Gershwin’s estate tells the Los Angeles Times that dozens of fragments, from “a few bars to some almost finished songs and everything in between,” have been in limbo since Gershwin’s death more than 70 years ago. The estate had been casting about for artists to complete them, but the pick is a surprise.

Wilson says he's "thrilled to death” about the project, which he thinks will produce short pop songs, not the longer pieces Gershwin was known for, like Rhapsody in Blue. “I'm proud to be able to do it,” he says. “Hopefully I'll be able to do them justice.” The idea of a “Gershwin-Wilson” credit on a song it “a weird dream come true,” says an exec at Gershwin’s publisher.

George Gershwin.
George Gershwin.   (Getty Images)
Brian Wilson in 2005.
Brian Wilson in 2005.   (AP Photo)
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George for his time was a visionary. He certainly crossed genres and musical lines, tried things that hadn't been done before and Brian Wilson has done exactly the same thing. - Todd Gershwin, great-nephew and an estate trustee

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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 11 comments
Bambi
Oct 10, 2009 7:16 AM CDT
Well said, gabo, and thank you. I hear you about the chording detail, but again I have to ask, are you talking about a certain era of Brian's work, or has Brian always had 'access' to the chords and 'sounds' that, for example, Neil Young was admiring? For my part, I haven't heard the brilliance return in Brian's solo projects of the last 20 years? Do you hear what you are admiring in the post-Beach Boys work?
gabo
Oct 9, 2009 12:17 PM CDT
Have to disagree. I have often told people that songs like "In my room", " Get together and do it again", "Heroes and Villains", "Darlin"" have chording to them that is Gershwinesque. I can't think of anyone else that can find the chords that Brian can. I think it's a great fit.
johntitor
Oct 9, 2009 12:13 PM CDT
It was his fathers fault, a 2x4 to the head will mess you up..he took Spectors style (wall of sound) to a whole new level and then lost it..hence the wasted time and money just to get smile...I think he's one of the most tragic figures in music..

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