Just a few days after releasing an album of piano renditions of his classics, At My Piano, Brian Wilson has released a new song ‘Right Where I Belong,” featuring My Morning Jacket’s Jim James.
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The song was written by Wilson for the soundtrack of the upcoming documentary Long Promised Road, following the Beach Boys co-founder’s life and career.
On “Right Where I Belong,” James offers some lead vocals and backing harmonies with Wilson singing most of the track, a reflection of Wilson’s teen years when he began writing songs with lyrics I love myself, I love my willpower/ Will get me through again/ If you stick with it, baby, things work out/ You’ll find the way to win.
Directed by Brent Wilson, Long Promised Road features an interview with Jason Fine of Rolling Stone. The director and Fine presented Wilson with the idea of recording a song for the documentary.
“I was thrilled when Brent and Jason asked me to compose a song for the film,” said Wilson in a recent interview. “I enjoyed working on the song with Jim. He was the perfect collaborator.”
Featuring additional interviews with James, along with Bruce Springsteen, Elton John, Nick Jonas, Jakob Dylan, Linda Perry, Gustavo Dudamel, Al Jardine and Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins, Long Promised Road is not the first documentary about Wilson and follows the Don Was-helmed I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times in 1995, Alan Boyd’s Endless Harmony (1998), and the 2004 film Beautiful Dreamer, directed by David Leaf.
A longtime Beach Boys fan, James opened for Wilson on tour and has even covered numerous songs by the group in the past. “In my heart and soul, Brian Wilson’s music has always held a place of such divine importance,” said James. “It has always been there with me in celebrating life’s greatest triumphs and has also sustained me through some of my darkest hours. His spirit and life story have taught us all to never give up and to always listen to and honor the spirit of each of our own unique creative souls.”
He added, “So it was truly such an honor to create and collaborate with Brian on brand new music for this incredible upcoming film about his life.”
Photo: “Right Where I Belong” Cover Art / Lakeshore Records
