The Beach Boys - Never Learn Not to Love (1968)

In late spring 1968, Dennis Wilson of The Beach Boys was driving through Malibu when he noticed two female hitchhikers. He picked them up and dropped them off at their destination. Later, Wilson noticed the same two girls hitchhiking again. This time he took them to his home on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, California. He told the girls about The Beach Boys recent involvement with the Maharishi and they, in turn, told him about their own guru, a guy named Charlie. Dennis then went to a recording session; when he returned later that night, he was met in his driveway by “Charlie,” who happened to actually be Charles Manson. Wilson then walked into his home and found about a dozen people occupying the premises, most of whom were young women, but all of whom were members of Manson’s cult, the Manson Family.

Unaware of what evil Manson was capable of, Dennis was initially fascinated by Manson and his followers, referring to Manson as "the Wizard" in a Rave magazine article. Wilson and Manson briefly became friends and, over the next few months, members of the Manson Family (mostly women who were treated as servants) were housed at Wilson's household, costing Wilson a small fortune to maintain.

In late 1968, Wilson told Record Mirror magazine that when he met Manson, he found that he had great musical ideas and that they were now writing together. Dennis also introduced Manson to a few friends in the music business, including The Byrds' producer Terry Melcher, whose home at 10050 Cielo Drive would later be rented by director Roman Polanski and his wife, actress Sharon Tate, where less than a year later, Manson family members would murder Tate and several others.

In September 1968, Dennis Wilson reworked (and The Beach Boys recorded) a Manson song, heard below, which was originally titled "Cease to Exist" that you can read more about and listen to here. The song was credited solely to Dennis Wilson. Angered by this, Manson threatened Wilson to murder him and his children. According to one of The Beach Boys collaborators, Van Dyke Parks, Wilson supposedly responded by grabbing Manson by the head, throwing him to the ground, and pummeling him. Wilson then attempted to cut ties with Manson by moving out of his own home, but allowing Manson and his followers to remain.

In August 1969, Manson Family members committed the Tate-LaBianca murders. That November, Manson was apprehended and later convicted for numerous counts of murder and conspiracy to commit murder.

Some attribute Dennis Wilson's subsequent spiral of self-destructive behavior to the guilt he felt for ever having introduced Manson to the Hollywood music scene.



The Beach Boys - Never Learn Not to Love (1968)

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Lyrics:

Cease to resist
Come and say you love me
Give up your world
Come on and be with me
I'm your kind, I'm your kind and I see

Come on, come on
I love you, pretty girl
My life is yours
And you can have my world
I'm your kind, I'm your kind and I see

Never had a lesson I ever learned
I know I could never learn not to love you
Come in, now closer
Come in closer, closer, closer

Submission is a gift, give it to your lover
Love and understandin’ is for one another
I'm your kind, I'm your kind and I see

Never had a lesson I ever learned
I know I could never learn not to love you
Come in now closer
Come in closer
Come in closer

Sagittarius - My World Fell Down (1967)

Born in 1938, Gary Usher made a name for himself as a songwriter in the early ‘60s. Perhaps most notably at that time, he co-wrote songs with Brian Wilson for The Beach Boys such as the popular “In My Room.” In 1967, Usher came across a song called “My World Fell Down,” performed by the British band known as The Ivy League. He attempted to give the song to Chad & Jeremy, whom he had been producing for at the time. They refused, opposed to recording work other than their own. Still convinced that the song could be a hit, Usher called up some session musicians to record the song and, upon completion, when he turned it in to Columbia Records, dubbed the non-existent group “Sagittarius” after his own astrological sign. When the song reached number seventy on the Billboard charts, it was considered a success. Columbia, not knowing that there wasn’t really a band behind it, wanted the non-existent group on tour to support the song. At that point, Usher had to confess that there wasn’t actually a band. Attempting to continue the success of the Sagittarius name, Usher began recording material himself, using the Sagittarius name. What resulted were two albums attributed to Sagittarius, a band that never truly existed.

As stated above, Gary Usher had done a lot of collaboration with Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys. Also mentioned above is that this song was created by a group of session musicians. What combines these two facts into something very interesting is some of the session musicians used were friends Usher had made through Brian Wilson: Glen Campbell, Bruce Johnston, and Terry Melcher. Although never officially a member of The Beach Boys, Glen Campbell was Brian Wilson’s replacement on a Beach Boys tour from December 1964 until March 1965. Bruce Johnston, on the other hand, was an official member of The Beach Boys, having replaced Campbell on the aforementioned tour and later joining the group full-time in the studio. Lastly, Terry Melcher had been associated with The Beach Boys having done record producing for them (as well as for The Byrds).

All three men playing on this song had previously contributed to The Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds, so it should go without saying that when this song was released less than one year later, it carried a heavy influence from those sessions. All having worked so closely with Brian Wilson, some people refer to this song as a reflection of Brian Wilson’s genius, channeled through the playing of his protégés.



Sagittarius - My World Fell Down (1967)

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Lyrics:

Just like the breath of spring
You came my way
I heard a bluebird sing
But not today

‘cause it’s wintertime
And the leaves are brown
Since you went away
My world fell down
(My world fell down)
(My world fell down)
Fell down

I see your suitcase lyin’
Packed up to go
I stop myself from cryin’
How, I don’t know

‘cause it’s wintertime
And the leaves are brown
Since you went away
My world fell down
(My world fell down)
(My world fell down)
Fell down

Wish I didn’t feel like winter
‘cause spring’s a better thing, I know
I know I’d feel so much better
If I could only let her go

‘cause it’s wintertime
And the leaves are brown
Since you went away
My world fell down
(My world fell down)
(My world fell down)
Fell down

‘cause it’s wintertime
And the leaves are brown
Since you went away
My world fell down
(My world fell down)
(My world fell down)
Fell down

The Beach Boys - Forever [Demo] (1969)

Coming out of southern California in 1961, this band transformed themselves from teen surf-style pop-rock to one of the greatest rock bands in the history of popular music. The group’s most popular lineup was composed of brothers Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and their friends Al Jardine and Bruce Johnston. They are often credited as one of the best-selling acts in America and have been honored as “America’s Band”. Their skill as a whole unit is matched by very few.

This song's original version comes from the album, Sunflower (1970), which was tied for the group’s lowest charting album. It was written and sung by Dennis Wilson, who had been working on it (such as in this early a capella version) as early as January 1969. Brian Wilson has stated that it was “the most harmonically beautiful thing” he had ever heard. This version was released on the Hawthorne, CA anthology album in 2001.



The Beach Boys - Forever [Demo] (1969)

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Lyrics:

If every word I said
Could make you laugh
I'd talk forever
(Together my love, baby)

I asked the sky just what we had
Mmm, it shone forever
(Together my love, baby)

If the song I sing to you
Could fill your heart with joy
I'd sing forever
(Together my love, baby)

(Forever, forever)
I've been so happy loving you

(Together my love)

Let the love I have for you
Live in your heart
And beat forever
(Together my love, baby)

(Forever, forever)
I've been so happy loving you

So I'm goin' away
Mmm, but not forever
(Baby)
I gotta love you any old way
Mmm, forever
(Baby)

(Baby)

Nah, man! You know- let me hear somethin’…