Lyricist Stephen Kalinich wrote the lyrics of two songs from the album "Getting' In Over My Head". One of these songs is the duet of Brian Wilson and Paul Mc Cartney: "A Friend Like You". "I was speechless and deeply moved" was Stephen's reaction after he heard the recording. "Tears came up - it's a true symbol of friendship for me. It's an honor, a dream came true, a thought for the world, and I see Brian and Paul together."

And that's how it started: "Brian gave me a melody one night without any others ideas, and I took it and put it in the player of my car." tells Stephen. "I played it again and again. I built words of a poem, which I had in my heart for some months, around the music. Everything came together. I screamed loudly in my car. It was a breathtaking and moving moment ...At home I found out that words and notes almost were the same. That was supernatural. I called Brian immediately and sang it to him. He loved it.

"It was Brian's wife Melinda who suggested the duet with Paul - just what Stephen would have done. He met Paul cause of a mutual friend before."I like Paul much" says the lyricist, "and besides that, I met Heather
some years ago during an 'Adopt-A-Minefield' event."

His friendship with Brian lasts for decades. "I love Brian like a brother. Behind his music his soul is very friendly and good.

"In a recent interview Brian was asked why this song seemed to be so suitable for Paul. "The song has a perfect chorus for Paul 'A friend like you, a friend like you, you mystify me, you lullaby me...'. He sings this simple part three times in a row." "Paul, your voice sounds thin." says the Beach Boy. Paul shall taken this words and puts on a tenor. And the Ex-Beatle plays guitar at the intro.

German BEAT*** tasted a bit of Brian Wilson Unplugged-Solo-Demo of "A Friend Like You". Well, Sir Paul had not bring a better McCartney classic than this one. The fans will love it. And the ones who see in Macca only John Lennon's guitarist will be proved in their prejudices.

---

BRIAN WILSON AND PAUL McCARTNEY SING LYRICS OF STEPHEN KALINICH
May 2004

For his upcoming album, Brian Wilson was able to obtain the services of Paul McCartney for a duet called "A Friend Like You," written by Stephen Kalinich. Perhaps not a well-known known, Stephen Kalinich is a respected poet and lyricist living in Los Angeles, and is the only credited person to have written with all three Wilson brothers, the late Dennis Wilson, the late Carl Wilson, and Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys. Kalinich once noted, "To me the definition of success is how many lives have you touched with a genuine sincere caring."

Kalinich told the Australian Web site, undercover.com, that the song "A Friend Like You" was written in one car ride after Brian gave him a tape of the melody. Kalinich said, "I started playing it over and over and the words to a lyric or poem I had in my heart for a few months started forming around the music. By the time I got to my house, the entire lyric to match almost each note was intact and complete."

Kalinich has also written lyrics for Diana Ross and Mary Wilson of the Supremes, and jazz vocalist Randy Crawford, among others.

It was Brian's wife Melinda who suggested that he ask McCartney to sing the tune with him.

Brian Wilson's new album, titled Getting In Over My Head, is slated for release on June 22nd.

In an interview with musicandfilmnetwork.com, Kalinich was asked "What are some of the highlights of your career?" He answered, "I think one of the greatest highlights is the opportunity to work with Brian Wilson. The most sensitive-Sweetest-Kindest friend I could have. He cares for me like a brother. He believes in me. Soul to soul."
Reprinted by permission © 2004 Global Entertainment Network

---

The McCartney song is titled 'A Friend Like You'. "I was almost speechless and very touched and moved" Stephen tells Undercover News about his reaction when he heard the finished playback of the song. "Tears came gushing out because it is such a dedicated sweet, kind friendship. It is an honor, a dream come true, a thought for the world and I see Brian and Paul together.

"The song started out like this. "Brian gave me a melody one night with no ideas and I put it in my car tape deck" he says. "I started playing it over and over and the words to a lyric or poem I had in my heart for a few months started forming around the music. It all started to come together. I started crying in the car. It was a breath taking moving experience".

The song was completed by the end of his journey. "By the time I got to my house the entire lyric to match almost each note was intact and complete. It was miraculous. I called Brian on the phone and sang it to him. He loved it".

It was Brian's wife Melinda who suggested Paul McCartney for the song. "I think he did a little demo at home and then he and Melinda (probably Melinda) somehow said it is a good song for Brian and Paul".

That worked for Stephen. He had met Paul before through a mutual friend. "Paul I love" he says. "I met Heather a few years back at Adopt a Minefield. Cameron Crowe introduced me".

His friendship with Brian goes back decades. "I love Brian like a brother. Beyond his music his soul is so kind and good. His consciousness is sweet".Stephen's other song on the album is 'You Touched Me'. 'Getting' In Over My Head' will be released in June.

©2004 Undercover Media Pty Ltd, April 30, 2004
Reprinted by permission of Paul Cashmere, Undercover Media

---

Stephen co-wrote the song 'California Feelin' some 30 years ago and the song was recently completed and released on an album of Beach Boys favourites put together by Brain Wilson.

He tells Undercover News the original song and the one released are very different. "6 months or so ago I brought the old bootleg to Brian with Carls voice on it" he says. "We worked on it and then we changed it. It was not planned. It just happened. It was originally inspired by a surfing trip I took to San Onofre with a friend of mine Brian Moss. I came to Brian Wilson with the lyric and we went into a studio and recorded it. He picked out the parts he liked. It was an explosion, almost instantaneous. It was alive, on fire. We were excited. The reason it took so long is after recording it many years back there was supposed to be an Album California Feeling and somehow it got squashed. The idea of my concept was to capture the warmth, the sunshine, the feeling you could do almost anything here. I came from New York where it was cold and icy. It was a new World opening up to me and I wanted to share it with the World. Brian was in sync with me. It was not about being a hit but about a feeling that was vital, alive and wonderful. It got lost for a time in the shuffle. I never gave up on it. I have written a poem with the same title".

It's not the only unreleased song with Brian he has written. Another famous unreleased one is 'American Spring' but mystery now surrounds that one. "It is still in existence" he says. "It never got released. There is a version of Brian singing on it way back there. I gave my only copy to Andy Williams nephews and I have not seen it since. Obviously now I make copies. Those were rapid innocent times and they really rush bye us so fast".

Two other unreleased Wilson-Kalinich productions 'Riding High With The Music' and 'Lucy Jones' however still somewhere in existence but yet to surface. "There is a lead sheet on Lucy Jones and also there is talk of me recording it on an upcoming TV or Movie about Brian and the Beach Boys" Stephen says. "It is a fun song, a lot of good energy. Right now I do not think Brian wants to record it because we are concentrating on new material. It is very exciting to work with Brian again. I love him like a brother. He is an incredible friend and very supportive".

Stephen recalls how his life originally overlapped with The Beach Boys. "I recorded a demo Leaves Of Grass with Mark Buckingham, a different one. Jim Critchfield who worked with Jay Ward the creator of Bullwinkle recommended that I go to see Brian. I went into their office, met all the Beach Boys including Brian. They loved my songs and poems and they signed me up with my partner Mark. Then I started writing with Dennis, Carl and then Brian. It was like a dream come true".

As a poet first and a lyricist second Stephen has an interesting perspective on the creation of the written word. "Sometimes it is different sometimes the same. A song naturally wants to go into discernible rhymes and patterns with a chorus usually jumping out in no set way. The poem stands alone creating its future as it goes. It does not have to rhyme. It strives for a meaning. It is more serious. For a while I thought you could cover more issues with a poem. Now I realize you can do it with a song as well. This is not everyone's process. It is mine. I encourage each person to find their own unique authentic voice".

Last year Stephen and Brian had a release in Japan. "That was California Feelin' Album Classics. The only other album is a poetry album I did with Brian 'A World Of Peace Must Come'. It started over25 years ago. I am the artist. It is mostly spoken word. Brian produced it with me and inspired me very much and sang and played organ on a few cuts".