For a band with such a sunny disposition, The Beach Boys have their fair share of dark history. It is far from unusual for musicians to harbor secrets and regrets – the life of a rock star grants access to all sorts of debauchery. That being said, there are some things that are so shocking and life-altering that they can never be hidden away – no matter how badly one may want to. For The Beach Boys, the most terrifying skeleton in their proverbial closet takes the form of an unlikely connection to the most well-known cult in American history.
It is unlikely that any of the band members thought they would record a song written by cult leader and murder convict Charles Manson. In fact, many claimed they had no idea it was he who penned “Never Learn Not To Love,” the B-side for their 1986 single “Bluebirds Over the Mountain.” To be fair, Manson was never given writing credit (more on that later). So, how did the bubbly pop/rock kings of California get involved with Manson?
Charles Manson and The Family
First, a quick refresher on Charles Manson. In 1967, he was released from a twelve-year stint in prison. Soon after, he formed the infamous Manson Family. For a while, the cult lived nomadically, drifting across California in a gutted school bus. Eventually, they established a commune at the abandoned Spahn Movie Ranch: a 55 acre plot formerly used to film Western movies. Most of the people in Manson’s cult were vulnerable young people (predominantly women) who were drawn to the hippie lifestyle. Manson used his charisma to manipulate his followers – they saw him as a magnanimous guru who would lead them to happiness and enlightenment. Unfortunately, the only thing the Family accomplished was at least nine slayings (and potentially many more), most notably the Tate-LaBianca murders.
An Unfortunate Chance Interaction
One fateful afternoon in 1968, The Beach Boys’ drummer Dennis Wilson picked up two women hitchhiking in Malibu. He dropped them off at their destination and continued his drive home. About a week later, Wilson spotted the same two girls and gave them a ride once again. This time, he brought them back to his house. There, the women told him of their guru, a man they affectionately referred to as “Charlie.”
Soon after, Wilson returned home to find a school bus parked in his driveway. A small man was standing beside it. Initially startled by the arrival of this bizarre little stranger, Wilson approached with caution. Eventually, he (incorrectly) decided his uninvited visitor was not a threat to him, and invited him and his bus full of companions into his Sunset Boulevard home. Wilson had no way of knowing he had reached the point of no return.
Dennis Wilson Opens His Home to The Manson Family
Manson and the Family would remain in Dennis Wilson’s home for the better part of five months. While for many it is difficult to imagine welcoming twenty-odd strangers into their home indefinitely, it’s important to remember that these were different times. In the late ’60s — specifically in California and especially within artistic communities — there was a widespread belief in free love and communal living. There was also an increase in spirituality and psychedelic drug use. Pair all that with party boy Dennis Wilson fresh from a divorce, and the situation seems a bit less outrageous.
For a while, things were going fairly well in the commandeered Wilson household (relatively speaking). Manson was generous with his drugs, women, and spiritual knowledge – and Wilson bankrolled the entire operation. The motley crew had reached a delicate equilibrium. It is important to note that this all took place before the Family’s heinous crimes, back when Manson was surely off-putting but not outwardly violent. Had Wilson known what was to come, he likely would have made some very different decisions.
All told, Wilson would spend one hundred thousand dollars on the Manson Family. He bought all of their food, clothing, and medicine throughout their time with him. However, money and housing were not the only things Manson wanted from Dennis Wilson. He had an ulterior motive – Manson dreamed of being a rock star, and he wanted Wilson to use his connections in the industry to make this dream into reality.
Manson’s Failed Attempt at Superstardom
Initially, Wilson obliged. He introduced Manson to a variety of producers and musicians, including Neil Young and Terry Melcher (producer for The Byrds.) Some of these people saw a sort of diamond-in-the-rough quality about Manson and his music, maybe a glimmer of potential beneath his unsettling exterior. Most were just plain freaked out. Manson had a tendency to threaten violence when things weren’t going his way, which (understandably) made many of Wilson’s industry contacts hesitant to work with him. These, shall we say, differences of opinion caused the first cracks in Manson and Wilson’s short-lived friendship.
The unlikely pair would soon part ways, but not before Manson wrote a song specifically for The Beach Boys. It was called “Cease to Exist,” and Wilson immediately saw its potential. Allegedly, he paid Manson “about a hundred thousand dollars worth of stuff” in lieu of crediting him on the song. While this exchange is largely disputed, and it is unclear whether this was in reference to the same hundred thousand he spent on the Family’s cost of living, the outcome was the same: Dennis took the writing credit for himself. He showed the song to the rest of the band, who agreed that it was worth recording after a few alterations. They changed the title to “Never Learn Not to Love” and switched up the lyrics, then recorded the song in their private studio. Manson was present, but he did not contribute to the recording.
The End of an Unlikely Friendship
When Manson heard the changes to his song, he was infuriated. He tasked the Family with destroying some of Wilson’s property and even left a bullet in his bed. It is safe to say this was the end of Dennis Wilson and Charles Manson’s friendship, and it was clear they could no longer all live together harmoniously. Wilson had been growing tired of cohabitating with the cult since long before the fallout from the song. His hospitality had run out. Instead of the Family moving out, Wilson abandoned his own home (it was a rental and the lease was nearly up) and let the landlord deal with Manson and his followers.
In 1970, while on trial for nine murders, Charles Manson released an album called Lie: The Love and Terror Cult. On this album, he included his version of “Cease to Exist.” The album only sold about three hundred copies, most likely purchased by deluded fans of Manson and his family. Once again, Manson’s attempt at becoming a rock star failed spectacularly.
It is important to acknowledge that there are a lot of conflicting accounts of this unbelievable tale. While Charles Manson and Dennis Wilson’s relationship is well-documented, many disagree on the details. The timeline is messy — whether this is due to copious drug use or an affliction to the truth, we may never know. One thing is undeniably true: it was not all surf, sand, and school spirit for Dennis Wilson and the rest of The Beach Boys.
