The strange history behind Brian Wilson's lost rap song ‘Smart Girls'

The world is mourning the loss of music icon Brian Wilson, who died Wednesday at 82. The beloved beating heart of the Beach Boys was one of the most influential and consequential minds and voices in music history. From innovations in recording to profound lyricism to emotive sounds that have become irrevocably intertwined with our memories and the very fabric of Americana, that constant creativity has led his brain and our ears down the road to some … let's say 'daring' and 'provocative' efforts that didn't have quite the same pop culture footprint of 'Pet Sounds.'
Wilson never seemed to encounter a genre, instrument or movement he didn't want to incorporate into his soundscape. That's why it's equally surprising and totally believable that at the very start of the '90s he recorded a rap song, 'Smart Girls.' According to Wilson's first memoir, 'Wouldn't It Be Nice,' a memoir that has been challenged several times in court, the idea came about when Wilson and his camp were watching an episode of hip-hop's cable epicenter 'Yo! MTV Raps' one day and noticed how many rap songs were putting girls down, whereas Wilson wanted to make something that uplifted women. The idea of Wilson watching an episode of 'Raps' may seem unlikely itself, whether the show was in its Fab 5 Freddy or Ed Lover and Doctor Dre incarnations, but back in 1987 the Fat Boys remade Beach Boys' 'Wipeout' that the band appeared in the video for, so hip-hop being in Wilson's orbit isn't entirely far-fetched.
'Smart Girls,' depending on whose mythology you read, was supposed to be the centerpiece and/or big closing number of his Sire Records album 'Sweet Insanity.' Wilson's second memoir, 'I Am Brian Wilson,' mentions that it's an album he didn't want to make and every corner of it was dictated by his onetime therapist Eugene Landy (whom Wilson got a restraining order from in 1992 and who would die in 2006). Wilson states Landy's intention with the title (that Wilson himself hated) and the album's concept was the beautiful things that could come from mental illness — which would half-explain why the production and lyrics of 'Smart Girls' sound like such a pastiche of Wilson's legendary discography and the shared collective memories of him within the American music zeitgeist.
That style of production wasn't too far removed from sample-heavy, Bomb Squad-style hip-hop of the time, and the beats on 'Smart Girls' were handled by legendary hip-hop producer Matt Dike (Beastie Boys' 'Hey Ladies,' Tone Loc's 'Wild Thing,' Young MC's Grammy-winning 'Bust A Move' and eventually Insane Clown Posse's 'Halls of Illusions'). According to Dan Leroy's 2007 book about unreleased albums, 'The Greatest Music Never Sold,' 'health-nut'-era Wilson told Dike that he thought the song was going to make 'millions,' to which Dike (who passed away in 2018) thought 'What are you, f—ing nuts?!'
That contradicts Wilson's public commentary on the song at the time. After the 'Sweet Insanity' album was rejected by Sire, who specifically cited 'Smart Girls' as one of the big reasons for the shelving, Wilson and Landy sent out copies of 'Smart Girls' as a cassette single that Christmas to fans with the note 'read about why he wrote a rap song in his just published Harper Collins autobiography' and 'This is a limited edition cassingle and not for sale. Only 250 will be manufactured as a personal gift from Brian Wilson to you for the holidays.'
One of those cassingles, or perhaps a subsequent bootleg, landed in the hands of novelty comedy radio host Dr. Demento who had Wilson on his show as a guest in January 1992. After a miraculous conversation transition from Wilson discussing the physical abuse he endured from his father, Wilson introduced 'Smart Girls' as 'It's a white rap song, that's all I can say for it … we figured we could do our own brand of rap.'
While other songs from the still-unreleased 'Sweet Insanity' would be rerecorded and eventually released on subsequent Wilson projects, namely 2004's 'Gettin In Over My Head,' 'Smart Girls' never saw an official release. Still, it's been circulated among Beach Boys fans through compilations likes Endless Bummer, a legendary fan curated 'worst of the Beach Boys' bootleg nestled beside drunk performances of 'Good Vibrations' and 'You're So Beautiful,' a Spanish version of 'Kokomo,' a demo written by Charles Manson and the re-written commercial jingles for Hyatt Regency and Budweiser ('Be True to Your Bud').
But for all the things wrong with 'Smart Girls,' there's something to be said for both Wilson's openness to rap at a time when many rock icons were still not even considering it music, as well as humbly enlisting someone like Matt Dike to help instead of the hubris of thinking he could just make a rap song by himself.
Wilson experimented a lot musically; while some of these results were songs about transcendental meditation or lyrics that were just directions to his house and trying to remember a phone number ('Busy Doin' Nothing'), a significant number of these experiments resulted in some of the greatest pieces of music to ever exist. Even if we don't have quite as many personal milestones tied to 'Smart Girls,' Brian Wilson soundtracked our lives, and we're all the better for it.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Associated Press

9 hours ago

• Associated Press

Bassist Carol Kaye tells AP she's declining Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction, 'Permanently'

NEW YORK (AP) — Carol Kaye, a prolific and revered bassist who played on thousands of songs in the 1960s including hits by the Beach Boys, Simon & Garfunkel and Barbra Streisand, told The Associated Press on Friday that she wants no part of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. 'I've declined the rrhof. Permanently,' the 90-year-old Kaye said in an email to the AP. She said she has sent a letter to the Hall saying the same thing. Her remarks come two days after a Facebook post — since deleted — in which she said 'NO I won't be there. I am declining the RRHOF awards show.' Kaye was set to be inducted in November in a class that also includes Joe Cocker, Chubby Checker and Cyndi Lauper. She said in her deleted post that she was 'turning it down because it wasn't something that reflects the work that Studio Musicians do and did in the golden era of the 1960s Recording Hits.' Kaye's credits include the bass lines on Simon & Garfunkel's 'Homeward Bound,' the Beach Boys' 'Good Vibrations' and the Monkees' 'I'm a Believer.' Along with drummer Hal Blaine and guitarist Tommy Tedesco, she was part of a core of heavily used studio musicians that Blaine later dubbed 'The Wrecking Crew.' Kaye hated the name, and suggested in her Facebook post that her association with it was part of the reason for declining induction. 'I was never a 'wrecker' at all,' she wrote, 'that's a terrible insulting name.' Kaye's inductee page on the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame website makes no mention of the moniker. Hall representatives had no immediate comment. Many artists have been inducted in their absence or after their death, and in 2006 the Sex Pistols became Hall of Famers despite rejecting their induction. In 2022, Dolly Parton initially declined her induction, saying someone more associated with rock 'n' roll should get the honor. But she was convinced to change her mind and embrace the honor. ___ Dalton reported from Los Angeles.

Buzz Feed

17 hours ago

• Buzz Feed

The 19 Best Funny Wholesome Posts Online This Week

Happy weekend, BuzzFeeders! I've spent the week compiling the cutest, happiest, and most wholesome posts just for you. Hopefully, they'll cheer you up a bit and remind you that no matter what, there's always something good in the world to appreciate. Enjoy! The makings of an ideal summer: This Father's Day card that made me smile: This person's childhood love of the Beach Boys, because it's kind of profound: This sibling moment: Appreciating the little moments: Little kids: This cute scene: This because a little walk can be seriously life-changing: ...Especially in a place like this: This elven fairy moment: Having hobbies that bring you meaning and joy: This meet-cute: This little cat: This annotation that made me laugh and also love the person who wrote it: Appreciating your summer flowers: This one is sad, but it's wholesome how loving humans are to other animals: This weirdly wholesome moment from Love Island: Becoming the grown-up: And finally, this thing: I hope you loved these as much as I did! Feel free to tell me what you think down below. And if you enjoyed these posts, be sure to go ahead and follow their creators; I think we're all in need of a little more wholesome content. ❤️

USA Today

20 hours ago

• USA Today

Rebel Wilson, Anna Camp reveal wedding fiascos: 'Almost ruined' the day

Rebel Wilson, Anna Camp reveal wedding fiascos: 'Almost ruined' the day Before saying 'I do' to their new action comedy 'Bride Hard,' 'Pitch Perfect' stars Anna Camp and Rebel Wilson witnessed plenty of wedding day drama in real life. When Camp married 'Pitch' actor Skylar Astin in 2016, the bride's friend accidentally struck Camp's "Pitch Perfect" costar Elizabeth Banks in the face while busting a move at the reception. 'Elizabeth Banks froze, and then (Banks) just kept dancing, and I saw the entire thing,' Camp, 42, shares, laughing uncontrollably. 'The marriage didn't last, but that moment will never leave my head.' (Camp and Astin divorced in 2019.) Join our Watch Party! Sign up to receive USA TODAY's movie and TV recommendations right in your inbox Tragically for Wilson, the indoor pyrotechnics she arranged at her sister's wedding 'were fricking massive and started catching the (place) on fire,' Wilson, 45, says. 'It almost ruined the whole wedding … everyone had to be evacuated.' The gas needed to be turned off in the building, Wilson says, which meant they couldn't prepare the food. 'It was kind of a disaster, which I blame myself for.' 'Bride Hard' trailer: Watch Rebel Wilson, Anna Camp in action "Bride Hard" reunites "Pitch Perfect" costars Rebel Wilson and Anna Camp for a wedding-themed action comedy. In 'Bride Hard' (in theaters now), Wilson's character Sam also creates a bit of tension for her bestie, Betsy (Camp), ahead of her big day. Sam is a secret agent and keeps her occupation hidden from Betsy. Unfortunately, Sam's missions keep her from fulfilling her maid of honor duties, so Betsy replaces Sam with her soon-to-be sister-in-law (Anna Chlumsky). Sam still attends the fête and relies on her skills to save the day when the wedding is hijacked by mercenaries. Justin Hartley and Da'Vine Joy also star. Wilson says she brought some martial arts experience to the role and trained for five weeks. 'It was really fun to do the action scenes, until the day when I got hit in the face by a gun and my nose got slashed open,' she says. 'That day was terrible, but the rest were pretty good.' Camp felt a rush riding in a hovercraft with Wilson. 'We get ejected up into the air and we got to shoot that,' Camp says. 'We were really in harnesses, and they yanked us up through the air on a soundstage.' Both Camp and Wilson believe their acting skills would help them be terrific spies. 'I can pretend that I don't really know what's going on, but really, I've like not missed a single thing in the entire room,' Camp says. 'I can clock literally everything, and I have a really good memory, and I feel like I can maybe charm people into telling me important information.' The Australian Intelligence Corps offered Wilson a scholarship, the actress says. 'So they obviously saw something in me. I could have been recruited,' Wilson says with a laugh. 'I could have been good.' She once was integral in bringing down a criminal, she says. 'They tried to hack my phone, and then I gave the information to the FBI, therefore I'm an FBI informant,' says Wilson, referencing the celebrity phone hacking incident of 2014. Edward J. Majerczyk received a nine-month sentence for the invasion of privacy. 'The piece of the information that I gave was the piece that actually cracked it down,' Wilson says. 'I love the FBI. I love the CIA. Don't ever deport me, guys.'