Spoiler Alert: The Real Secret Of The Brian Wilson Secret Handshake Club

Around the turn of the Millennium in 2000 my dear friend, Les Chan, and I decided to form a very personal fan club to show our support for the great Brian Wilson. Brian had overcome some tough times and was on a creative roll again by releasing his first solo album in 1988 simply self-titled, “Brian Wilson.” When I say very personal I really mean it. We printed up a few calling cards pictured below and had two denim shirts embroidered for us.

This concept came to me one day after reading a review of Brian’s first full solo album without The Beach Boys. The reviewer summed up his comments saying “If you were expecting another Fun Fun Fun collection of Summery songs about surfing, cars and girls, then you’ll be disappointed unless you happen to be a card carrying member of The Brian Wilson Secret Handshake Club.” B-O-O-M! That metaphor was a complete bullseye for me. Brian has always been able to take a few chords and sprinkle his magic dust on them to create some of the most memorable music ever. It is not just full of hooks or ear worms that stick in your head. As simple as much of his music appears there are layers of complex changes and harmonies that stay with you forever. Repeated listening over and over again only adds to the joy and it never diminishes.

Really, no I mean REALLY that was the extent of the club. There were no meetings, dues, members, newsletters, officers, merchandise, benefits, events, fundraisers, forums, conventions, applications or registration forms. The purpose of the calling card was simply a cooler way to share my contact information with other Beach Boys fans I would meet at concerts. It certainly beat scribbling my contact info on a napkin or handbill.

Now here’s the really funny part of the story. When the word spread that Les and I had created this “Club” almost everyone we knew and many others in the Beach Boys inner circle wanted to join. Where the fun began then often lead to disappointment and even anger at times because we had to break the news that there was no actual club. Some people didn’t even believe us as if we were being super exclusive. It was hysterical! I found myself trying to convince total strangers that there was no club. The bad news seemed like coming to grips with the reality of Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny or the Tooth Fairy. The good news is anyone can join the club.

The best news is that The Brian Wilson Secret Handshake Club is really just a state of mind. To borrow from one of their most successful compilation of hit songs, it is an “Endless Summer.” Absolutely nobody has created more memorable odes to everybody’s favorite season than the Beach Boys guided by the genius of Brian Wilson. It crosses over generations and spans cultures all over this whole world. It will endure as one of the most revered genres of popular music. It is the essence of inclusive because it can transport you virtually to a sunny beach from anywhere you happen to be. My transistor radio earpiece was like a very primitive VR headset as long as a Brian Wilson tune was playing.

Some common expressions have been in the mainstream vernacular so long they are just considered public domain. One rare example of exceptional artistry is when someone takes such a phrase and turns it into extraordinary. Brian did it twice with the common phrases, “God Only Knows” and “Wouldn’t It Be Nice.” Even though Brian did not coin the original expressions these recordings from the Pet Sounds album were such perfect songs that the phrases will forever be associated with The Beach Boys. Artistry at this level can result in ownership which is far greater than any legal copyright. My son paddles in Southern California harbors and inland waterways. He snapped this photo of a moored sailboat and shared it with me. The reach and influence of Brian Wilson’s music can simply not be overstated.

Here is the backside of our shirts. The bigger picture was that Brian Wilson was actually making folk music and soundtracks for youth in the Sixties. Surfing just happened to be one of so many chords he struck with us. It was an entirely carefree California lifestyle envied and emulated by the young and young at heart. Most of the Beach Boys did not surf especially Brian, but he made it into the perfect metaphor of youthful exuberance and everyone wanted to catch a wave whether or not they lived anywhere near an ocean.

Finally, here are a few photos of Brian over the years. He is most often described as a musical genius and even a modern day Mozart. He wore many hats in music creation including songwriter, performer, singer, arranger, producer and the Maestro of The Beach Boys band. He is credited for inspiring and influencing multiple genres of musicians who came after him. The friendly rivalry between The Beach Boys and The Beatles in the latter 1960’s is legendary as they competed while inspiring each other resulting in the absolute peak of recordings from each band. Thank you Brian Wilson for capturing my heart, soul and spirit from my first listen. Your life and work with endure forever. While you rest in peace the world will never stop listening to your countless gifts of harmonies.

An anonymous tribute to Brian along the major SoCal 605 Freeway.