Save this article to read it later.
Find this story in your accountsSaved for Latersection.
This story originally ran in April 2019.
Were republishing it today in light of Daniel Johnstonsreporteddeath at 58.
Beattie had ten Johnston songs that he felt made a cohesive album.
The full-circle poignancy seemed apparent to the then 56-year-old Johnston.
This causes headaches, loss of coordination, incontinence even brain damage and has necessitated surgery.
Ifwas culled from original and cover songs recorded during several wide-ranging sessions that Beattie conducted between 1995 and 2003.
These began when Beattie was commissioned to record Johnston performing the song Casper for Larry Clarks 1995 movieKids.
Johnston distributed his tapes to members in the scene, including Glass Eye front woman Kathy McCarty.
Johnston regardsIfas the third installment of a trilogy with Beattie.
The record shows Johnstons skills as an interpreter of catchy pop music.
On Favorite Valentine, a woozy, churning number, Johnston even plays drums.
Ifalso serves as a document of Johnstons evolution as a troubled artist.
The singular performance sounds like a nervous breakdown.
A few days later, he was hospitalized.
Anytime his music sounds absolutely refined, its not quite right, Beattie said.
Something has to be broken about it for it to make sense.
The exercise might be all for naught.Ifmight never be released.
There is major disconnect between Beattie and Johnstons management team.
Johnston lives alone in a ranch house that his dad built for him in the mid-aughts.
When Beattie arrived, Johnstons sister Marjory answered the door.
Hey, Im Brian.
Did you know I was coming today?
Did Dick tell you?
No, Marjory said.
Oh, Im sorry.
Johnston yelled in the background.
This isnt good because I have to leave in 20 minutes, Marjory said.
Well, Dick set it up, Beattie replied.
Im supposed to do some recording.
Am I not going to be able to do that?
Okay, thats fine.
I can venture to do it quickly.
No, no, we need to call Dick.
He wore sweatpants and a stained T-shirt.
There was a wax-figure glow to his face and one arm shook uncontrollably as the other chain-smoked cigarettes.
Beattie plugged a boom box into the island and began playing songs fromIf.
He skipped over the first couple, looking for one he had recently remixed.
He stopped at Hot Dog Shop.
Yeah, Johnston replied.
That had inspired Beattie to do some tweaking.
Yeah, Johnston concurred.
That was Johnstons standard response: Yeah.
Maybe that song could be eliminated, Johnston offered.
Its not really a favorite of mine.
You got it, Beattie said.
The last song was Youve Got a Friend.
Beattie was left with two fragments that he stitched together.
Daniel cant have any alcohol or drugs, she instructed Beattie.
And he cant give you any of his art.
Daniel does Carole King I like it!
Marjory reminded her brother about his pills.
He filled a plastic highball and washed down his medicine.
Johnston has all but disappeared since theFunalbum, and that is largely because of his management.
In the 80s, Johnston released ten albums.
These came out on Stress Records, a label started by Jeff Tartakov, Johnstons previous co-manager.
Johnston reasoned that Tartakov was in on it, too, and impetuously fired him.
Around that time, Johnston walked into Amazing Records in Austin, to drop off a tape.
After he left, Tom Gimbel, a 20-something who worked there, caught up with him outside.
Gimbel said he tried to get Johnston to reconcile with Tartakov.
He also told Johnston that he was not an experienced manager.
Gimbel has been at the helm, alongside Dick, sinceFun.
In those 25 years, Johnston has released only four original albums.
Of these four albums, two were by produced by Beattie.
(Linkous died in 2010.)
This was a concerted effort by management to streamline Johnstons music.
That sensibility runs counter to Beatties artistic vision for Johnston, where sonic warts and hiccups are glorified.
These differences of opinion have created tension between Beattie and Gimbel, and are at the root ofIf.
In fact, Beattie thinks Johnston is primed for a resurgence.
With the right care, he thinks Johnston could be a star again.
But Dick prefers releasing Johnstons music exclusively on his own label, Eternal Yip Eye.
It might make sense to give it to a label and just accept an advance.
Thats why I said go ahead and talk to them.
Even though Beattie shares the copyright toIfwith Johnston, he wants a happy ending for everyone.
Were Beattie to concede to releaseIfon Eternal Yip Eye, this would probably be a done deal.
But Beattie sees that as a Gammon redux an album released DOA.
With Marjory gone, Beattie began pitching Johnston on the theatrical interlude.
Johnston appeared to pay attention, but at some point he interrupted Beattie.
Yeah, that CD that you brought was just great the other day, Johnston told Beattie.
I listened to it and we loved it.
Johnston was referring to a copy ofIf.
I really do enjoy the music, Johnston continued.
Its some of the best stuff you and I have done.
Johnston eventually agreed to the dialogue.
As Beattie set up his recording operation, Johnstons medication infiltrated his body.
He repeatedly nodded off and jolted himself upright.
He rubbed his eyes and slugged more juice.
He soldiered on through the episode despite sounding like he had four plums stuffed in his mouth.
With our album coming out, Johnston later said, I think we could be a hit.
Johnston reminisced about the two previous albums he and Beattie had done.
Everything was all right back then, Johnston said.
There wasnt any trouble.
And we were carefree, and there was nothing that mattered.
Nowadays, everythings a nightmare.
I know what youre talking about, Beattie said.
You get that feeling?
Yes, Beattie responded, its true.
Everybody needs a Sugar Daddy, I think, Johnston joked.
He meant the candy, a piece of which he picked up from the table.
Beattie had been there an hour.
Johnston was worried about having an unsupervised guest for too long.
It was time to leave.
In the year-and-a-half since Beatties trip to Waller, little progress has been made withIf.
Beattie said he was willing to releaseIfon Eternal Yip Eye if he could have this one concession.
But that negotiation was met unfavorably by Johnstons management.
I emailed Gimbel, whom Dick defers to on business matters, about the albums status.
He offered an off-the-record response that was not positive.
Beattie, who claims he has enough material for another album or two, remains in contact with Johnston.
He says Johnston frequently asks him whyIfhasnt been released.
Beattie doesnt have an answer.
Theres a chanceIfwill fade away.
Perhaps thats not the worst.
A lost album has its benefits.
It creates mystique and makes for future discovery.
Still, it would be a shame to not capitalize on Johnstons mounting Renaissance.
A 2017 tour was met with considerable fanfare.
1 on any Billboard chart.
This past January, the second annual Hi, How Are You Day took place.
People were hoping for Johnston to appear, but he was apparently in the hospital again.
