 goes like this. John Severson wanted to make one last magnum opus surf movie, then tap out. Sell SURFER, train his replacement, pack his boards and family, and move to Maui. And that's just how it happened. Incredible career, profitable as well as creative, not overly long, capped off by flawless exit.

. Now, I love the movie, always have, grim and heavy-handed as it may be. But John evidently was crushed by it. From conception all the way through the final edit, Severson had it fixed in his head that Beatles music would feature on the soundtrack. There may have even been some early communication with Apple Records (the Beatles' company), and the auguries were all good.

The final cut was done. John was exhausted but thrilled. The Beatles songs were all laid into the mix snug and tight, harmonizing perfectly with Severson's sublime camerawork and editing.

Then word came down from the Beatles camp. No go. The music was all snatched off the table. Either that or the price was so high that it didn't matter. John scrambled, and the soundtrack was still great—CSNY, Steve Miller, Ry Cooder, Leo Kottke, even Cream. But no Beatles.

John was devastated. I believe that he kind of lost interest in the whole project. Moved to Hawaii a year or so later and smoothly, artistically got on with his life. But my sense is that 

What I've tried to do here is bring the Beatles and our own Sun King back together. Hope you like it.

JOHN SEVERSON: TRIBUTE TO THE SUN KING

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