Sean Callaghan
Bio
Neurodivergent, Writer, Drummer, Singer, Percussionist, Rock Music Star Wars and Disney Devotee.
Stories (113)
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'20/20'. Top Story - January 2026.
"Do It Again" the track that would ultimately open the Beach Boys final album on Capitol Records which was released on February 10th 1969 had originally been released as a single in August of 1968. The track was the first of many post-Pet Sounds era throwbacks to the early Beach Boys sound which would become continually more cliched and eventually lead the Beach Boys to the level of self-parody they would eventually succumb to in the 1980s while their closest contemporaries The Beatles nearing the end of their run in 1969 would go on to be viewed as the most influential band of all time. However, the song itself is not bad on its surface, and it opens with a futuristic sounding (for 1969) drumbeat captured by then-Beach Boys engineer Stephen Desper using tape delays on the drums performed by Dennis Wilson and John Guerin. The song has been re-recorded numerous times over the years on various Beach Boys-related projects most notably the 2011 re-recording at Capitol studios featuring the five surviving Beach Boys at the time backed instrumentally by various members of both the Brian Wilson Band and Mike Loves touring "Beach Boys" to promote the then upcoming Beach Boys 50th Anniversary reunion tour in 2012. The hammering and power drill sound at the end of the song was an excerpt from a track called "Workshop" that was to be a part of the uncompleted "SMiLE" album.
By Sean Callaghan4 days ago in Beat
'Friends'
The year 1968 was one of the most tumultuous years in both the history of the United States and the world. The Vietnam War continued to rage with no end in sight. Politically motivated assassinations such as that of Democratic Presidential nominee Robert F. Kennedy as well as anti-war protests during the 1968 Democratic National Convention in August made the headlines that year.
By Sean Callaghan2 months ago in Beat
'Wild Honey'
After the collapse of SMiLE and the disappointment of Smiley Smile. Brian Wilson's mental health began to seriously decline. He was developing a deep seeded paranoia thinking his idol, Music Producer (and future murderer) Phil Spector was out to get him. He began to spend more and more time in his bedroom. Meanwhile in the recording studio downstairs in his Bellagio Road mansion the other Beach Boys were hard at work recording their next album, Wild Honey. While the entire band is once again credited as producers on the album, Most of the actual production was done by youngest Wilson brother Carl who was about to turn twenty-one, who also sings lead vocals on most of the albums notable tracks. Thankfully Brian was aware enough at the time to have writing credits on nine of the album's eleven songs.
By Sean Callaghan2 months ago in Beat
'Smiley Smile'. Top Story - October 2025.
After the relatively disappointing sales of Pet Sounds in May of 1966 and the subsequent release of the Best of The Beach Boys compilation a few months later. One would think Brian Wilson would have taken the advice of Capitol Records executives and return to churning out more hits about Surfing, cars and other creatively stifling teenage themed subject matter. Thankfully, That wasn't Brian's way. Instead he followed his muse into even more adventurous and unique sounds. He was at first very successful at this spending most of the summer of 1966 at various Los Angeles Studios recording what he called his "Pocket Symphony". Various sections of music were recorded at many different studios and assembled into a final piece. While Pet Sounds lyricist Tony Asher did attempt an early draft of lyrics for the song ultimately titled "Good Vibrations". Ultimately Brian's most frequent collaborator, Bandmate and cousin Mike Love dictated to his wife while driving to the studio one day the final lyrics. He also added the vocal hook of the song based on the songs bassline (A fact he will never tire of pointing out.) Carl Wilson would sing the ethereal verses of the song. The song featured extensive use of the Electro-Theremin instrument designed and played by Paul Tanner which had briefly appeared on the Pet Sounds track "I Just Wasn't Made For These Times." The outro features a thumping cello part suggested by Carl Wilson. The final song was finally edited together for release in October of 1966. It went on to become The Beach Boys second number one hit and a defining piece of 60s popular culture. At the end of the year a poll in a British music publication saw the Beach Boys top the Beatles in their home country as the biggest vocal band in the world. Unfortunately after this Brian and the Beach Boys winning streak would come to a bitter end following the non-release of their next planned album SMiLE originally slated to be released in January 1967 to follow Good Vibrations. Now the story of the SMiLE album will be featured in a separate future article because it is way more complicated than can be addressed here. Brian had been working with lyricist Van Dyke Parks on the songs for SMiLE during the fall of 1966 and spring of 1967. However due to a combination of the resentment of his fellow bandmates (Mike Love in particular.) and uncertainty about how to finish the final edit along with drug exacerbated mental health problems. Brian would abandon the project in the Spring of 1967. Still contractually obligated to deliver a new album. The band re-grouped at Brian's new house with his wife at the time Marilyn on Bellagio Road in Beverly Hills. The resulting album called Smiley Smile, whose name was suggested by Brian's young cousin Barry Turnbull, was recorded mostly by the band doing all the instrumental and vocal parts themselves as well as sharing the final production credit. This would be the first Beach Boys album since Surfin' USA not to feature Brian Wilsons credit as sole producer. It was released in the fall of 1967 to a world still in thrall from The Beatle's Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band album earlier in the summer and the Monterey Pop Festival which the Beach Boys famously pulled out of at the last minute which would permanently taint their reputation with the burgeoning counterculture.
By Sean Callaghan3 months ago in Beat
Will Walt Disney World's The Hall Of Presidents survive the current political divide?
When Disneyland opened in 1955, Walt Disney was already looking for ways to expand his Magic Kingdom. One concept would be Liberty Street an offshoot of Main Street U.S.A themed to life in colonial times which would feature a Hall Of Presidents. While this idea was never realized at Disneyland. It did lead to the development of the show "Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln for the 1964 New York World's Fair and would subsequently open in Disneyland's Opera House on Main Street the following year. After Walt Disney's death in 1966, His brother and longtime business partner Roy put off his retirement to ensure that Walt's "Florida Project" did not die with him and started planning what would become the Magic Kingdom Park and with the subsequent advancement of Human Audio-Animatronic figures in further Disneyland attractions such as Pirates Of The Caribbean and The Haunted Mansion and realizing that when the Florida park opened in 1971, The Bicentennial of the founding of the United States Of America would only be a few years away in 1976. It was decided Walt's original concept for Liberty Street would evolve into the more ambitious Liberty Square for the new Magic Kingdom. This area would be themed to colonial America around the time of the American Revolution. The land would feature Walt Disney World's version of the Haunted Mansion and a finally realized Hall Of Presidents featuring Audio-Animatronic figures of every United States President up to that time. The original version of The Hall of Presidents was narrated by Lawrence Dobkin. The original version of the attraction opened with a chorus of voices reciting the preamble to the Constitution of the United States of America. Much of the narration early in the show was adapted from James Algar's script for Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln.
By Sean Callaghan3 months ago in The Swamp
Five of the worst songs of all time.
(Kokomo) by the Beach Boys The song that became Kokomo was originally conceived by John Phillips of The Mamas and the Papas and Scott McKenzie of "San Francisco (Be sure to wear flowers in your hair)" fame. Mike Love of the Beach Boys wrote the songs annoyingly catchy chorus which name checks various islands. Former Byrds Producer, Terry Melcher added finishing touches and the final song was released on the soundtrack to the mediocre Tom Cruise film cocktail. Terry Melcher would be the producer on Kokomo. He had already had a long history with the Beach Boys, He had produced the Byrd's version of Bob Dylan's Mr. Tambourine Man using the famous "Wrecking Crew" of musicians favored by Beach Boys leader Brian Wilson to create the instrumental tracks. Melcher and Brian Wilson would become good enough friends that Terry was entrusted on tambourine parts on the songs "That's Not Me" and "God Only Knows" on the classic album Pet Sounds. He would introduce Brian to Van Dyke Parks who would become his lyricist on the infamous SMiLE project. Dennis Wilson would infamously ask Melcher to produce his friend at the time Charles Manson's songs but feeling uncomfortable about Manson, He decided not to produce him leading Manson to a vengeful state which would lead him to send his followers to murder 4 people at the house where Melcher had previously resided. One of the major reasons the song is so despised is that former group leader Brian Wilson was not involved in the writing and recording of the song at all. worse the success of Kokomo overshadowed the success of Brian's first solo album earlier that same year and it's lead single "Love and Mercy". In fairness Mike did apparently try to have Wilson involved in recording the song but was unable to thanks to the interference of Wilson's infamous Psychologist at the time Dr. Eugene Landy who would also probably have unreasonably asked for a songwriting credit.
By Sean Callaghan3 months ago in Beat
'Who Believes In Angels?'
As a teenager in the early 90s, Brandi Carlile discovered the music of Elton John and Bernie Taupin which inspired her to teach herself how to play piano. At 17 She learned to play guitar. After a few successful albums, For the song "Caroline" on her third album, 2009's Give Up The Ghost, She asked Elton John to play piano on the track to which he agreed.
By Sean Callaghan8 months ago in Beat
'Pet Sounds'
What new can one say about Pet Sounds? Entire books have already been written about Brian's master opus; numerous documentaries address it in detail. The May 1966 LP has been mentioned and detailed in almost every list of the greatest albums of the rock era. To me and many others, it is indeed the greatest album of all time, though it typically competes with a number of albums by Bob Dylan and the Beatles, of late often beaten in that category by the Beatles' Revolver album, released later in 1966.
By Sean Callaghan10 months ago in Beat
'Beach Boys' Party!'
Nearing the end of 1965, Brian Wilson was on the brink of creating his masterwork. But the work that would become Pet Sounds was not yet completed, and the Beach Boys were contractually obligated to satisfy the record company with another LP. To appease Capitol Records, Brian and the Beach Boys released the non-album single "The Little Girl I Once Knew" in November 1965. The single did not chart high, unusual for the Beach Boys at that point in their career. It's commonly thought that radio play was the problem, as the record included two full stops into radio silence, perplexing deejays who at that time thought any silence to be an audience killer. Many considered the record to be one of the Boys' best, however, among them John Lennon of The Beatles.
By Sean Callaghan10 months ago in Beat
'Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!)'
After dedicating the second side of The Beach Boys Today! with more mature introspective songs, Summer Days (And Summer Nights) may seem like a step backward for Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys. While the lyric content returned to the themes of earlier Beach Boys albums. Musically, it is just as sophisticated as Today! was. The album opens with "The Girl From New York City" which was written as a response song to The Ad-Libs song "The Boy From New York City". The Beach Boys including new recruit Bruce Johnston on piano contribute instrumentally in addition to a few Wrecking Crew members.
By Sean Callaghan11 months ago in Beat
'The Beach Boys Today!'
After his nervous breakdown in Houston, Brian Wilson decided he would no longer tour with the Beach Boys. He felt that this would give him the artistic freedom to create better music for the group. This also meant that the Beach Boys would contribute less instrumental parts with the bulk of the instruments played by the famous "Wrecking Crew" of studio musicians famous for creating legendary producer Phil Spector's "Wall Of Sound".
By Sean Callaghan11 months ago in Beat
'The Beach Boys' Christmas Album'
In 1963, Brian Wilson attended sessions for Phil Spector's Christmas Album, A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector. He even played a piano track for the song "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" which Spector later removed. To this day Brian claims it as his favorite album. In December of 1963, The Boys released the perennial Christmas favorite "Little Saint Nick" a yuletide re-write of "Little Deuce Coupe" recorded on October 20th of 1963 at United Western Recorders. In June of 1964 Brian decided to record an entire album of Christmas songs. Opening with the aforementioned St. Nick. The version of "Little St. Nick" on the Christmas album removed the notable sleighbell and glockenspiel overdubs from the 63 version to make the sound consistent with the rest of the album.
By Sean Callaghanabout a year ago in Beat
