Remembering Brian Wilson Pt. 2: "What I Really Want for Christmas"

Multi-instrumentalist Probyn Gregory remembers playing and recording with Brian Wilson from 1999 until he retired from live performances in 2022. We talk about the recently reissued Brian Wilson: Live at the Roxy, Brian Wilson presents SMiLE, and his 2005 solo Christmas album, What I Really Want for Christmas. In the process, Gregory provides insight into the later stages of Brian's life and musical career, including perhaps why What I Really Want for Christmas received a lukewarm response (other than following the completed SMiLE, of course). Last week started this look back at Brian's Christmas music with his biographer David Leaf on The Beach Boys' Christmas Album. In the episode, I mentioned my 2005 interview with Brian and story on the remaking of SMiLE, and my review of Brian's 2017 show in New Orleans. I also mentioned Amazon Music's “ Amazon Music Originals- Holiday ” playlist.

You can listen to Remembering Brian Wilson Pt. 2: "What I Really Want for Christmas" online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Remembering Brian Wilson Pt. 2: "What I Really Want for Christmas" is an episode from Twelve Songs of Christmas by Alex Rawls.

This episode is 51:21 long.

This episode was published on Nov 20, 2025.

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