Carl B. Wilson — “Touch Your Skin”
This is the seventh installment for the new compilation California Feeling. Today Stephen Kalinich, Carl B. Wilson, Justyn Wilson and Alan Boyd discuss track #10, “Touch Your Skin.” Originally making its appearance on Endless Summer Quarterly compilation One In A Million back in 2004, “Touch Your Skin” has been reissued on this collection and is available to the public for the first time ever.
Carl B. Wilson: “Touch Your Skin” came from working with Steve; he came up with most of the lyrics. I had some music that I was already working on, but it was still in pieces. He started reciting some of his poetry to me over the phone, and the way he was reading it ... and I somehow felt it connecting with the music I was working on. That’s how it started.
It really didn’t come together until I went over to Alan Boyd’s house when I started recording it. I had verses, a chorus and some ideas, but once I got to Alan’s it came together pretty quickly. It’s very simple and very raw. The feeling comes from just being so raw, speaking and singing about what you [would] feel about another person. That’s what I like about it. I didn’t think about it too much. The pieces were there and I took the right situation to put the pieces together.
The one thing that I didn’t realize is how much feeling the song has until I recorded and listened to it. Most of the lyrics were Stephen’s, and he can go pretty deep. Using that as a motivation was something that was pretty new for me. Dipping into this kind of deep, heavy music and lyrics was interesting, and it feels really good to embrace.
This is the first time that I have laid down a vocal track; it’s my first run at singing. The state of mind that I had going into it was just be as open-minded as possible and just go for it. Everything else will just come as it comes. I want this song to feel right. There’s a lot of feeling involved, and when that happens you can tell its there.
Stephen Kalinich: Carl and I started getting together [to work on music]. There were two songs. He heard the words and started putting words to it. Carl’s so inspired and versatile. I loved his voice and he just kind of fell into it. I came up with the lyrics first and then he came up with the melody. It was a very nice collaboration. He really knows music, he plays from his heart and he’s got the gut-level passion of Dennis. When he did “Forever” at the Carl Wilson Benefit Concert [in 2002] he was able to move a whole audience. It was just a powerful experience. Wendy, Carnie and I were on the back of the stage and we were crying and hugging each other.
I think Carl brings that to “Touch Your Skin.” I think he’s going to keep getting better and better. It’s very exciting, he’s alive with creativity, he’s passionate about his music, he’s kind, funny and I love that guy. I love the kid.
The lyrics were inspired by some of my experiences when I fell in love with a couple women. It’s just the whole feeling that takes over you when you want it to be love and you want it to work, when you want to make love with a girl and it’s tender and loving and caring. It’s almost indescribable the feeling of it; it was inspired by love and touch…not just the physical part of it, but the spiritual dimension too.
Justyn Wilson: Carl is my cousin, but he feels like my brother. I have a bunch of amazing and fun cousins in this life, and I’m really thankful for that. I love Carl so much. There’s so much history with our dads and our family, and we’ve been building our own relationship for the last six or seven years. I think it’s just like chalking up one more experience that does bring us together. I felt that “Touch Your Skin” came out really good. There’s a similarity with Carl and his dad; you can really hear the honesty in their work. That’s one of the things that I love about Dennis’ body of work is that seems to be such a raw honesty. I think it’s similar with Carl; it’s really personal. I am really proud of him for doing it.
Alan Boyd: Carl is quite gifted musically and it’s very instinctive with him. He had a song that he and Stephen Kalinich had played me. “Touch Your Skin” was a song they began work on a while ago when he and Stevie came out to my house to work together [in 2003]. He was really into it. He’s playing about eight or nine guitar parts all layered on top of each other for it. “Touch Your Skin” is his first real song that he’s done in a studio.
© David M. Beard/All Rights Reserved
© 2004 Endless Summer Quarterly/Reprinted by permission
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