The Beastie Boys recently uncovered a peculiar mix-up involving their gold plaque for the 1989 album Paul’s Boutique and none other than Barry Manilow. During their appearance on the podcast Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend on August 13, Ad-Rock and Mike D shared the amusing story.
Ad-Rock recounted how he noticed something odd about the gold record included in the plaque. “We had a gold record on the wall for Paul’s Boutique and I was looking at it. I could see that it has like nine songs on the one side, but I was looking at the actual gold record. It only had four songs on it and I was like, ‘Wait….'”
Curiosity led them to play the record, only to discover it contained piano versions of Barry Manilow songs. “Apparently they just take any record – at least for us!” Ad-Rock laughed.
The episode also featured a nostalgic look back at the late Adam Yauch’s ambitious ideas, including an underwater tour. Mike D reminisced, “He was the guy who had the craziest idea that anybody would possibly have in the room, and then show up the next day with the equipment that would make it all possible.”
Ad-Rock added, “He really, really thought about it, had drawings and everything.” Despite the logistical impossibilities, the story highlights Yauch’s creative spirit.
In related news, the Beastie Boys recently filed a lawsuit against Chili’s owner over a commercial using their song “Sabotage,” citing a provision in MCA’s will
