Time to Get Alone

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"Time to Get Alone" is a song written by Brian Wilson for the American pop band The Beach Boys. It was released on their 1969 album 20/20 and was produced by Carl Wilson.^[1]

[edit] Recording

Brian was originally planning to give the song to Redwood (later to become known as Three Dog Night) as he was friends with Danny Hutton. Redwood actually began recording the song on the October 14 and 15. Brian wanted Redwood to become artists on the Beach Boy's label Brother Records but according to Chuck Negron it was clear that "Mike Love and the other Beach Boys wanted Brian's immense songwriting and producing talents used strictly to enhance their own careers".^[2] Negron explained the time when Brian's career producing Redwood came to a crashing halt:

"It all came to a head...when Mike Love, Carl Wilson and Al Jardine came to the studio and heard our version of 'Time To Get Alone'...They manoeuvred Brian into the control booth and reduced him to tears. It was a cruel and pathetic scene. Danny, Cory and I were in the studio and could see it all happening through the control-booth window. It was as if Brian had turned into a little boy. The conversation appeared quiet and calm, but we could tell it was emotional and intense. The others were doing most of the talking, like overbearing, controlling parents. Brian would move away, and they would block his escape. We couldn't hear what was being said, but I think a good lip-reader would have picked up something like, 'We don't give a shit about these guys, and we want those songs for us.' We could actually feel Brian crumbling, and when he came out of the booth, a tear dropped down his cheek. His head was lowered and his shoulders sagged. It was the body language of a child who had just been scolded and punished. And this brilliant musical icon - whose songs defined one generation and influenced another - weepingly told us, 'We can't do this. I have to give the songs to them. They're family and I have to take care of my family. They want the songs. I'll give you any amount of money you want to finish an album, but I can't produce it. They won't let me.'"^[2]

The song was eventually recorded by The Beach Boys around a year later in 1968 on October 2, October 4 and November 21 at Brian's home studio. The song features Carl Wilson singing lead vocals on the verses and Brian and Alan Jardine singing lead vocals on the chorus.