Thursday, 12 June 2025

Wipeout

I was deeply saddened yesterday to hear that Brian Wilson had hung up his surfboard for the last time. He's written some truly amazing songs and, for a while, really did give Macca a run for his money. I listen to Marty Wheelan every day (7-10am) on RTÉ and was absolutely bowled over by a Dublin barbershop quartet singing live in the studio this morning a breathtaking version of God Only Knows*; goosebumps doesn't even come close. (*Fast forward to 11:51.)

That said, this blog is, essentially, now more than ever, about the living, And someone who definitely falls into that category - even at 92(!) - is Willie Nelson. RTÉ has been playing cuts from Willie's new album, Oh What a World, for a little while now; not least this gorgeous offering which, for me, is already shaping up to be one of my songs of the year. 

Willie Nelson - Forty Miles From Nowhere (2025)

 

  ★ 

And here they both are, in the mid 1990s, joining forces on The Warmth of the Sun, a Beach Boys classic from 1964.

The Beach Boys & Willie Nelson - The Warmth of The Sun (1996)

 

 Brian Wilson (1942-2025) 

Willie Nelson (1933-)

9 comments:

  1. A bit of Willie always goes down well. Thanks.

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    1. Dancing, glancing, Willie drives them silly with his star shoe shimmy shuffle down.

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    2. Way past one and feeling all right
      'Cause with little Willy round
      They can last all night

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    3. https://jukeboxtimemachine.com/tag/little-willy/

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  2. Can't beat a bit of Willie on a Friday evening

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  3. Honestly, the shameless smut in the comments. All detracting from Nelson’s column inches. 92? I wish!

    With apologies to Brian. RIP you genius you.

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  4. But back to the songs in question... loved the little film of Willie and the Boys recording The Warmth of the Sun. Mike Love even tried to put him right on the phrasing - bold move.

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