Love and Mercy

"Love and Mercy" is a song written by Brian Wilson and the opening track to his 1988 debut solo album Brian Wilson. The song was released as a double-sided single on July 1, 1988 backed with "He Couldn't Get His Poor Old Body to Move". It failed to chart in either the United States or the United Kingdom despite earning critical praise.

Composition

The song was originally credited to Brian Wilson, his therapist Eugene Landy, and Alexandra Morgan. On later issues of Brian's debut album and subsequent remakes and live performances of the song, the credit was amended to only include Wilson as the song's sole writer. Wilson has said of the song:

The song features Wilson on lead vocals, as well as a lot of the backing vocals, and is characterized by its pattern of descending chords. The lyrics included an extra verse unused in the final edit: "I was praying to a god who just doesn't seem to hear / Oh, the blessings we need the most are what we all fear".

Release history

The "Love and Mercy" single backed with the rare B-side "He Couldn't Get His Poor Old Body to Move" was released through Sire Records in the United States in July 1988, and in the United Kingdom in August 1988. It failed to make any impact on the charts. "He Couldn't Get His Poor Old Body to Move" was a collaboration recorded during 1986 summer sessions between Wilson and Gary Usher. "Love and Mercy" was first released on an album in 1988 on Wilson's self-titled debut album with production by Wilson and Russ Titelman. On later CD re-issues of Brian's debut album, the song has been released as a bonus track without the lead vocal.

Love & Mercy (film)

Love & Mercy is a 2014 American biographical drama film directed by Bill Pohlad that focuses on musician-songwriter Brian Wilson, co-founder of the Beach Boys. The film, deriving its title from the 1988 song by Wilson, is presented in a parallel narrative covering two specific time periods in Wilson's life: the 1960s and the 1980s. Paul Dano and John Cusack depict the young and middle-aged Wilson, respectively, with Elizabeth Banks as Wilson's second wife Melinda Ledbetter, and Paul Giamatti as Wilson's psychotherapist Dr. Eugene Landy. Love & Mercy was distributed in the United States by Roadside Attractions, beginning June 5, 2015. The soundtrack, Music from Love & Mercy, was released on August 14, 2015.

The film premiered in the Special Presentations section of the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival. It received critical acclaim, with reviewers praising the film for its unorthodox approach to biography, original film score by composer Atticus Ross, Dano's convincing performance as the increasingly unstable Wilson of the 1960s, and scenes which closely recreate Wilson's advanced studio recording methods during the making of the Beach Boys' album Pet Sounds (1966). The real life Wilson – who had little involvement with the film's development – called it "very factual."

Love and Mercy (album)

Love And Mercy is the seventh full-length album by Christian music singer-songwriter Kathy Troccoli. It saw her move back into CCM, with a heavy dose of gospel music.

Track listing

Production

Personnel