Editing Brian Wilson (section)

===Spector and Bacharach===
[[File:Phil Spector.jpg|thumb|upright=0.6|left|Wilson said of [[Phil Spector]], "I really respect him as a producer — so I just copied him."<ref name="Oui" />]]
[[Phil Spector]]'s influence on Wilson is widely acknowledged.{{sfn|Granata|2003|p=36}}{{sfn|Sanchez|2014|pp=52–53}} In 1966, he referred to Spector as "the single most influential producer",<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Grevatt|first=Ron|title=Beach Boys' Blast|magazine=Melody Maker|date=March 19, 1966|url=http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/dd420/kwan_dk/MMMarch191966.jpg}}</ref> and in 2000, "probably the biggest influence of all", noting, "Anybody with a good ear can hear that I was influenced by Spector."{{sfn|Thompson|2004|p=103}} He particularly admired his method of treating "the song as one giant instrument", valuing the enormous, spacious sound, with "the best drums I ever heard".{{sfn|Wilson|Greenman|2016|p=73}} Upon hearing [[the Ronettes]]' 1963 hit "[[Be My Baby]]" on his car radio, he immediately pulled over and declared it the greatest record he had ever heard.{{sfn|Howard|2004|pp=56–57}}{{refn|group=nb|Carlin describes the song as having become "a spiritual touchstone" for Wilson,{{sfn|Carlin|2006|p=44}} while music historian Luis Sanchez states that it formed an enduring part of Wilson's mythology, being the Spector record that "etched itself the deepest into Brian's mind [...] it comes up again and again in interviews and biographies, variably calling up themes of deep admiration, a source of consolation, and a baleful haunting of the spirit."{{sfn|Sanchez|2014|pp=52–53}} Spector acknowledged, "I'd like to have a nickel for every joint he smoked trying to figure out how I got the 'Be My Baby' sound."<ref>{{cite web|date=October 25, 2008|title=First major TV interview with legendary Phil Spector screened on BBC Two|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2008/10_october/25/spector.shtml|website=BBC|access-date=June 2, 2011}}</ref>}} Record producer [[Lou Adler]] personally introduced them only a few days later.{{sfn|Wilson|Greenman|2016|p=77}}{{sfn|Murphy|2015|p=294}} 

Contrary to many accounts,{{sfn|MacLeod|2017|pp=138–139}} Spector's engineer, [[Larry Levine]], recalled that Spector held Wilson in high regard and was openly effusive in his praise.<ref name="Levine1997">{{cite AV media notes|chapter=Musician Comments: Larry Levine|title=The Pet Sounds Sessions|others=The Beach Boys|year=1997|publisher=[[Capitol Records]]|type=Booklet|chapter-url=http://albumlinernotes.com/Larry_Levine.html}}</ref> Levine said that the two producers "had a good rapport", with Wilson often attending Spector's recording sessions and consulting him about his production methods.{{sfn|Granata|2003|p=120}}{{refn|group=nb|Wilson played piano at a recording session for Spector's [[A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector|1963 Christmas album]], often cited as Wilson's favorite album of all time.<ref>{{cite press release |publisher=Legacy Recordings |title=A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector Marks Its 50th Anniversary |url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/a-christmas-gift-for-you-from-phil-spector-marks-its-50th-anniversary-232906421.html |date=November 21, 2013}}</ref> }} After Spector's "[[You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin']]" (1964) became a hit for [[the Righteous Brothers]], Wilson called co-writers [[Barry Mann]] and [[Cynthia Weil]] to laud the record as the greatest ever and expressed his desire to work with them in the future.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702303343404577519042622092010 |title=The Song That Conquered Radio |work=The Wall Street Journal |first=Marc|last=Myers|date=July 12, 2012|url-access=subscription}}</ref> He submitted "[[Don't Worry Baby]]" and "[[Don't Hurt My Little Sister]]", both written with the Ronettes in mind, but Spector declined.{{sfn|Carlin|2006|p=45}}

[[File:Burt Bacharach 1972.JPG|thumb|upright|Wilson cited [[Burt Bacharach]] as "probably the greatest songwriting genius of the 20th century, and that includes...even better than George Gershwin."<ref name="Lester98"/>  ]]
Asked for songs that he wished he had written, Wilson listed three: "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'", "Be My Baby", and [[Burt Bacharach]]'s "[[Here I Am (Dionne Warwick album)|Here I Am]]",<ref name="Sharp09" />{{refn|group=nb|Wilson said that [[Dionne Warwick]]'s singing on "Here I Am" was like "the voice of God".<ref>{{cite book|last=Dominic|first=Serene|title=Burt Bacharach, Song by Song: The Ultimate Burt Bacharach Reference for Fans, Serious Record Collectors, and Music Critics|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cz5bAwAAQBAJ&pg=PT397|year=2003|publisher=Music Sales Group|isbn=978-0-8256-7280-4}}</ref>}} the latter composer being often overlooked by scholars as an influence.{{sfn|Matijas-Mecca|2017|p=37}} Wilson named Bacharach, alongside Spector and Chuck Berry, as his main chordal influences,<ref name="Sharp09">{{cite news |last1=Sharp |first1=Ken |title=Brian Wilson: God's Messenger |url=https://americansongwriter.com/brian-wilson-gods-messenger/2/ |website=[[American Songwriter]] |date=January 2, 2009}}</ref> and said that Bacharach had a "profound" influence that "got me going in a direction."<ref name=BrianWilson1997/>{{refn|group=nb|In 1966, he said, "Burt Bacharach and [[Hal David]] are more like me. They're also the best pop team—per se—today. As a producer, Bacharach has a very fresh, new approach."{{sfn|Priore|2005|p=64}}}} Wilson produced renditions of Bacharach's "[[My Little Red Book]]" and "[[Walk on By (song)|Walk On By]]" in 1967 and 1968, respectively, but left the recordings unreleased.{{sfn|Lambert|2007|pp=284, 352, 354–355}}{{refn|group=nb|Music journalist [[Domenic Priore]] believed that Bacharach's "Walk on By" was possibly as influential to Wilson as "Be My Baby".{{sfn|Priore|2005|p=29}} Wilson said that Bacharach was a direct influence on "[[She Knows Me Too Well]]",<ref name="Benci"/> "[[Let's Go Away for Awhile]]",<ref name=BrianWilson1997>{{cite AV media notes|chapter=Interview with Brian Wilson|title=The Pet Sounds Sessions|others=[[The Beach Boys]]|year=1997|publisher=[[Capitol Records]]|type=Booklet|chapter-url=http://albumlinernotes.com/Interview_w_Brian_Wilson.html}}</ref> and "[[Love and Mercy]]".<ref>{{cite AV media notes |title=Brian Wilson |others=Brian Wilson |year=2000 |first=David |last=Leaf  |author-link=David Leaf|type=[[Liner notes]]|url=http://albumlinernotes.com/Brian_Wilson__Reissue_.html|publisher=[[Rhino Entertainment|Rhino]]/Atlantic}}</ref> Writers have variously attributed Bacharach influence on Wilson's "[[Guess I'm Dumb]]",{{Sfn|Howard|2004|p=59}} "[[Let Him Run Wild]],{{sfn|Hoskyns|2009|p=105}}{{sfn|Kent|2009|p=14}} and "[[The Little Girl I Once Knew]]".<ref>{{cite AV media notes |title=Today/Summer Days |others=[[The Beach Boys]] |year=1990 |first=David |last=Leaf|author-link=David Leaf|publisher=[[Capitol Records]]|type=CD Liner|url=http://albumlinernotes.com/Today_Summer_Days.html}}</ref> }}