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keep. So we stopped. Plus, for instance, we did a thing called the “fire track.” We cut a song called “Fire” and we used fire helmets on the musicians and we put a bucket with fire burning in it in the studio so we could smell smoke while we cut. And about a day later a building down the street burned down. We thought maybe it was witchcraft or something, we didn’t know what we were into. So we decided not to finish it.

Plus I got into drugs and I began doing things that were over my head. It was too fancy for the public. I got too fancy and arty and was doing things that were just not Beach Boys at all. They were made for me.

Ever consider doing an album just on your own?

No, I haven’t considered that because I didn’t think it would be commercial if I did.

Well, so what?

Well, maybe I could do that then. I think I might.

What’s this program with Dr. Landy [Wilson’s therapist] and his team designed to do?

Well, it’s basically designed to correct me from taking drugs.

You’ve had a problem with that?

Yeah, I had a problem taking drugs. Up until four months ago I was taking a lot of cocaine. And these doctors came in and showed me a way to stop doing it, which is having bodyguards with you all the time so you can’t get to it.

What do you think of that approach?

That approach works because there’s someone right there all the time—it keeps you on the spot. They catch you when you’re ready to do something you shouldn’t do. It works until you have finally reached the stage where you don’t need it anymore.

Why did you consent to this program?

Because my wife called the doctors and legally she had the right to call them.

In addition to guarding you all the time, what else do Dr. Landy’s people do for you?

They teach me socialization, how to socialize. They’re just teaching me different social graces, like manners.

Didn’t you at one time know those?

I did, but I lost them. Drugs took ’em away.

How could that be?

It just was. Drugs took ’em all away. I got real paranoid, I couldn’t do anything.

Were you unhappy then?

I was unhappy as all heck. I knew I was screwing myself up, and I couldn’t do anything about it. I was a useless little vegetable. I made everybody very angry at me because I wasn’t able to work, to get off my butt. Coke every day. Goin’ over to parties. Just havin’ bags of snow around, just snortin’ it down like crazy.

But aren’t drugs just a symptom? There must be something else. Carl said that at some point you looked at the world and it was so messed up that you just couldn’t take it.

I couldn’t.

But the world is messed up. How do you deal with it?

The way I deal with it is I go jogging in the morning. I goddamn get out of bed and I jog, and I make sure I stay in shape. That’s how I do it. And so far the only way I’ve been keeping from drugs is with those bodyguards, and the only way I’ve been going jogging is those bodyguards have been taking me jogging.

So in one sense you’re not yet fully committed to the idea.

It’s just that once you’ve had a taste of drugs, you like ’em and you want ’em. Do you take drugs yourself?

Yeah, I experiment.

Do ya? Do ya snort?

Sure.

That’s what I thought. Do you have any with ya?

No.

That’s the problem. Do you have any uppers?

I have nothin’ on me.

Nothing? Not a thing, no uppers?

I wouldn’t lie to you. I wish I had ’em, but I don’t.

Do you have any at home? Do you know where you can get some?

See, now I guess you gotta get to the point in the program where you’re not going to ask me questions like that.

That’s right. You just saw my weakness coming out. Which I don’t understand. I just do it anyway. I used to drink my head off too, that’s another thing. They’ve been keeping me from drinkin’, taking pills and taking coke. And I’m jogging every morning.

Had your wife not gone to see Dr. Landy and got him to work on you . . .

I’d have been a goner, I’d have been in the hospital by now.

GEORGE LUCAS

by Paul Scanlon

August