The favourite song of The Beach Boys legend Brian Wilson was a folk song which infuriated The Stooges frontman Iggy Pop.
While The Beach Boys would go on to cover the song which bemused Alice Cooper and left Iggy Pop tearing through the house looking for an exit, Wilson’s favourite song might be quite the surprise.
Best known for his well-layered sounds and multi-instrumental talents heard on Pet Sounds and Surf’s Up, Wilson, now 82, the music legend had played the song during a reclusive period after his father’s death.
Parties next door which were attended by the likes of John Lennon and Keith Moon would hear Wilson cover Shortnin’ Bread, the James Whitcomb Riley text originally published as a poem.
But the classic folk track was given a new swing from Wilson who would, at some parties, play the song repeatedly on the piano while under the effects of LSD.
Cooper claims Wilson described the song as “the greatest song ever written” and says the God Only Knows songwriter had no wider reason for loving the song so much. Wilson is believed to have said: “I don’t know, it’s just the best song ever written,” when asked by Cooper why he liked it so much.
His love for the Riley poem infuriated Pop, who fled the room when he and Elton John were treated to an extended performance of Shortnin’ Bread, which The Beach Boys later released on their 1979 album L.A. (Light Album).
According to Elton John biographer Peter Ames Carlin, a performance from Wilson infuriated Iggy Pop so much he said: “I gotta get out of here, man. This guy is nuts!”
He is then believed to have fled the room as Shortnin’ Bread continued on. Fellow musician Micky Dolenz of The Monkees claimed Wilson had played the song “over and over again” for John Lennon and Harry Nilsson.
The latter musician had gone on to record unreleased studio versions of Shortnin’ Bread with Wilson. These are yet to be released but some fans remain hopeful of their publishing with the Ding Dang session releases later this year.
Members of Twitter/X were less than impressed by the existing recording and hopes for the Ding Dang sessions remain high. One user wrote: “Given his obsession with Shortenin Bread it’s weird the Beach Boys only recorded it once and it’s not that good.”
Another added: ” He’s right though Shortenin Bread is the best song ever written.”
