Never Learn Not to Love

Dennis Wilson, 1966

As a result of a chance encounter in late spring 1968, according to some accounts, drummer Dennis Wilson was driving through Malibu when he picked up two hitchhiking women of the Manson Family, Patricia Krenwinkel and Ella Jo Bailey, and brought them to his house in Pacific Palisades for a few hours. Returning home in the morning of the following day from a night time recording session with the Beach Boys, Wilson was unexpectedly greeted in the driveway of the residence by the Family's leader, Charles Manson.[3][4] The two struck a friendship and, over the next few months, members of the Manson Family – mostly women who were treated as servants – were housed at Wilson's Sunset Boulevard household, reportedly costing him approximately $100,000 (equivalent to $740,000 in 2019).[5][6]

At the time, Manson was an ex-convict seeking a career as a singer-songwriter, and Wilson, convinced of his talents, was interested in signing him as an artist on the band's Brother Records label.[7] Consequence of Sound's Dan Caffrey commented that "it's understandable to see why Wilson felt a musical kinship with Manson", and while using Wilson's recent "Little Bird" and "Be Still" as examples, explained that Manson and Wilson shared a similar unprofessional approach and interest in "fraying the edges of traditional forms".[8]

Manson discussed and presented Wilson some of his self-penned material, and in exchange, Wilson paid for studio time to record songs performed by Manson. Wilson also introduced him to his acquaintances in the music industry, including Gregg Jakobson, Terry Melcher, and Rudi Altobelli.[9] That summer, Manson booked a session at Brian Wilson's home studio for several tracks that were co-produced by Brian and Carl Wilson.[10] Much of the recordings were not demos, but rather polished studio productions of songs that possibly included "Cease to Exist". These recordings remain unheard to the public; music historian Andrew Doe stated that the tapes exist, but that they have "not a hope in hell" of being released.[11]

Manson (pictured 1968) forfeited his credit on the song for a sum of cash and a motorcycle

According to biographer Peter Ames Carlin, Manson penned "Cease to Exist" specifically for the Beach Boys to record,[12] and biographer Steven Gaines said that Manson "reportedly" wrote the song to help ease tensions within the group.[13] Bandmember Mike Love recalled that he was not aware of the song's author, and assumed that Dennis had written it.[14]

In exchange for the publishing rights to "Cease to Exist", Manson received a sum of cash and a BSA motorcycle which he later gave to Family member "Little" Paul Watkins.[15] In 1971, when asked why he did not credit Manson, Wilson answered: "He didn't want that. He wanted money instead. I gave him about a hundred thousand dollars' worth of stuff."[16]

When Wilson acquired the song from Manson, for the most part, he abided Manson's original specifications. However, in an attempt to better accommodate the group's vocal harmonies, Wilson reworked the song's bluesy structure and added another bridge. In addition, "Cease to Exist"'s lyrics were partially altered (the opening lyric "Cease to exist" modified to "Cease to resist"), and the title of the song was changed to "Never Learn Not to Love", much to Manson's indignation.[12][17]

Manson threatened Wilson with murder for changing the lyrics. Beach Boys collaborator Van Dyke Parks recalled "One day, Charles Manson brought a bullet out and showed it to Dennis, who asked, 'What's this?' And Manson replied, 'It's a bullet. Every time you look at it, I want you to think how nice it is your kids are still safe'".[18] Wilson confronted Manson about the incident, realizing Manson's growing erratic behavior, and ended their friendship soon after.[5]

The Beach Boys recorded "Never Learn Not to Love" at their private studio on September 11 and 16–18, 1968.[19] In December 1968, Wilson recorded cymbal sounds, titled "The Gong", that were later reversed and added to the beginning of the 20/20 version of "Never Learn Not to Love". Other parts of the session were dedicated to a spoken-word monologue that went unreleased until the 2018 compilation I Can Hear Music: The 20/20 Sessions.[20] Beach Boy Al Jardine recalled of Wilson and Manson: "it was just irritating 'cause they were always around and it was 'Charlie this, Charlie that.' And then he had this little thing that he and Charlie worked out. It was just a melody, a melody in 'Never Learn Not To Love.' Not the melody, but there was a mantra behind that. Then Dennis wanted to put it in everything. I though, 'Oh boy, this is getting to be too much.'"[21]

"Never Learn Not to Love" was released as the B-side to "Bluebirds over the Mountain" on December 2, 1968.[22] The A-side reached number 61 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 33 on the UK Singles Chart.[2] In February 1969, the song was released as a track on 20/20. In his review of the album, Arthur Schmidt of Rolling Stone, wrote that "'Never Learn Not to Love' is a fine vocal, though the material itself is an uncertain mixture of pop and soul influences."[23] On April 1, the group performed the song during their appearance on The Mike Douglas Show. The episode was broadcast on April 9.[24]

In his retrospective assessment of the song, Richie Unterberger commented "Never Learn Not to Love" is far more notorious for its relation to Manson, not the music itself which he describes as "average".[25] Colin Larkin, in The Encyclopedia of Popular Music, wrote the track "had the ironic distinction of putting Charles Manson in the charts".[26] Journalist Nathan Jolly called the song "softer but still eerie", also noting how fans of the Beach Boys who listened to the song over the years "had no idea of the inherent evil of its actual composer".[27]

During Manson's trial for the murders of seven people, his debut album, Lie: The Love and Terror Cult, was released in March 1970. Consisting of 13 tracks recorded between 1967 and 1968, it included Manson's original arrangement of "Cease to Exist".[28][29]

In an AllMusic review of Manson's album, his rendition of "Cease to Exist" was regarded by Theodor Grenier as "one of Manson's signature performances, and has justifiably invited comparison with Jim Croce and José Feliciano".[28] Critic Michael Little considers Manson's version superior to the Beach Boys', having praise especially for Manson's vocals: "you expect a tattered, raw, and raggedy voice, with a touch of lunatic rage, but what you get is a smooth-voiced folk singer".[30] He also wrote that Manson's raw, stripped-down take "gives the song an impressive lo-fi immediacy that is a million miles away from the Beach Boys' treatment".[30]

• 1994: Sean MacReavy, Dumb Angel

External video
"The Gong (Session Highlights)"

• "Look at Your Game, Girl"

• Eder, Bruce. "Friends/20/20 – Review". AllMusic. Retrieved January 9, 2017.