Movies

Andy Paley, who produced for Brian Wilson and composed for ‘SpongeBob SquarePants,’ dies at 72

BBG News

Andy Paley, who produced for Brian Wilson and composed for 'SpongeBob SquarePants,' dies at 72

As a music enthusiast who’s been around the block more times than my old vinyl collection, I can confidently say that Andy Paley was a true maestro of the melodic arts. From his groundbreaking work with Brian Wilson and Madonna to his uncanny ability to assemble diverse musical talent for projects like “Dick Tracy,” he was a master at blending genres and pushing boundaries.

Andy Paley, a well-known musician and record producer who contributed to albums by Brian Wilson, Madonna, Jonathan Richman, Jerry Lee Lewis, as well as the music for popular animated shows “The Ren & Stimpy Show” and “SpongeBob SquarePants,” passed away on Wednesday in hospice care in Colchester, VT. He was 72 years old.

His death was announced by a representative, Bob Merlis, who said the cause was cancer.

In the mid-70s, Paley was a bandleader of a power-pop group alongside his younger brother Jonathan. He is often recognized for playing a significant role in bringing Brian Wilson, the Beach Boys founder, back into musical prominence during the late 1980s by producing his debut solo album. This album, titled “Brian Wilson,” was recorded during a period when Wilson was under the controversial care of psychologist Eugene Landy. Released in 1988, this critically acclaimed album started with the song “Love and Mercy,” which served as the title for the 2014 biopic “Love and Mercy” that focused on Brian Wilson, Eugene Landy, and his second wife Melinda (who passed away in January).

Andy Paley, who produced for Brian Wilson and composed for 'SpongeBob SquarePants,' dies at 72 ×

Two years following the release of the Wilson LP, Paley took charge of the soundtrack for Warren Beatty’s Academy Award-winning adaptation of “Dick Tracy.” He composed songs in a style reminiscent of the 1930s and brought together an eclectic group of artists to perform them. Notable acts included Ice-T, Erasure, k.d. lang, Brenda Lee, Darlene Love, Take 6, and Al Jarreau.

Through his connection with Seymour Stein, founder of Sire Records, Paley was recruited as a staff producer at the label. This association led to him creating records with John Wesley Harding and the Mighty Lemon Drops. Additionally, he oversaw the production of Lewis’s “Young Blood” comeback album in 1995.

William Paley was born on November 2, 1952, in the quaint town of Halfmoon, New York, home to approximately 50 residents and around 200 cows according to his own recollection from 1990. His three elder sisters introduced him to rock music, and after leaving high school prematurely, he relocated to Boston where he founded the band, the Sidewinders, which included future Modern Lovers and Talking Heads member Jerry Harrison.

As a cinema enthusiast, let me say this: Although my educational journey didn’t culminate in a diploma, and there were instances where my focus waned during classes, I was always captivated by Darlene Love and Brian Wilson. In essence, that’s what truly held my interest.

In 1976, Andy and Jonathan Paley established their band, Paley Brothers. They performed as opening acts for Shaun Cassidy and Patti Smith, and produced a single with Jimmy Iovine under Sire Records. Their first LP was released in 1978, and they collaborated with the Ramones to cover Ritchie Valens’ “Come on Let’s Go” for the 1979 movie “Rock ’n’ Roll High School”. As per Merlis’ announcement, they also worked with Phil Spector at the famous Gold Star studio in Los Angeles, where the Beach Boys recorded parts of “Pet Sounds” and “Good Vibrations”, and where Spector developed his renowned Wall of Sound technique in the early 1960s.

Following the dissolution of the Paley Brothers, Andy Paley embarked on joining Smith’s touring band and started producing various acts. His work expanded to craft soundtracks for films such as “Shag,” “Wild Orchid” and “A Rage in Harlem”, collaborated with actor Tom Kenny, who voices the main character of “SpongeBob SquarePants”, on songs including the hit single “Best Day Ever” for the SpongeBob musical that premiered on Broadway in 2017. Together, they also formed a band called the Hi-Seas.

In 2017, Paley teamed up with environmental scientist Victoria Meyer from Southern California’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory to create a collection of songs that echoed the ’60s French pop genre called yé-yé. More recently, he was involved in a 50th anniversary celebration of the influential “Nuggets” garage-rock compilation at Glendale’s Alex Theatre.

Among those who survived Paley are his wife, Heather Crist Paley; their two sons, Jackson and Charlie; his three sisters, Sarah, Brewster, and Debby; and a brother of his as well.

In his role as a producer, Paley didn’t possess a specific “trademark technique,” he explained to The Times in 1990. Instead, he aimed for the work to simply sound great, no matter what was required. Essentially, regarding any project, I can say that maintaining a clear vision of the final product in your mind is crucial. This overarching concept permeates everything, even decisions as simple as whether or not they should order lunch now.

Read More

2024-11-21 23:02

Previous post Andrzej Sapkowski’s next Witcher novel gets a title and release date — and it’s even sooner than expected