Would the remaining BB ever get together to record for the 50th anniversery?

[punkinhead]

I was thinking the remaining guys could offer up their own solo tracks that haven't been released and re-record and have the best of both Brian's and Mike's backup band play backing vocals and intstruments? Hell, find a couple of unreleased Carl/Denny recordings that are definately missing a lot like Carl's Where we Were. Would it be a sing to add the guy's vocals to Taylor Hawkin's version of Holy Man? Throw in a re-recording of Spirit of Rock and Roll and some of Mike's Unleash the Love tracks with Brian/Al/Bruce vocals. I'll come up with an ideal list here in a bit.
Maybe let Brian and Mike add parts to Al's newerr version to Calirfornia. Finish up You're Still a Mystery. Perhaps have the guys add new Soul Searchi ;omgn with Brian and cal.

[Aegir]

new Brian/Mike songs

[Jim V.]

I think maybe they could do like 3 new songs....one new Wilson/Love song, one new Wilson/Bennett song, and maybe a new Wilson/Parks thing in the vein of SMiLE.

But seriously if they only do 1 song, I think they should do a new song of Brian's and if Mike isn't a co-writer he should suck it up and do it anyways. I think Mike overrates the amount of material that him and Brian did together. When was the last time they wrote together....1979? Maybe we could say 1995, for the classic "Baywatch Nights"?

Most importantly though, and maybe I'm being greedy but I hope we get some kind of compilation with unreleased material besides SMiLE, especially stuff from 1969 to 1980. Then cap it off with a sweetened version of "You're Still a Mystery" and maybe 1 or 2 other new songs.

[stack-o-tracks]

God  I think it would horrible if they recorded some new music. Unless it comes out as "The Beach Geezers" it should either be Brian featuring Mike or Mike featuring Brian. Or Al or whatever that guy's name is.  But uh. Yeah. No more Beach Boys, please. To me they died with Dennis. And it really kind of seems like Brian hasn't wanted to be  a Beach Boy since the mid-60s.

[desmondo]

This would be the worse possible thing to happen ever in the history of the Beach Boys

No thanks

[kookadams]

God  I think it would horrible if they recorded some new music. Unless it comes out as "The Beach Geezers" it should either be Brian featuring Mike or Mike featuring Brian. Or Al or whatever that guy's name is.  But uh. Yeah. No more Beach Boys, please. To me they died with Dennis. And it really kind of seems like Brian hasn't wanted to be  a Beach Boy since the mid-60s.

hahahahah Beach Geezers hahahah ; it's just a trippy thing to think about; I mean I think most fans can agree that they haven't recorded anything substantial in decades and if they were to come together and record something "new" I highly doubt it would have any lasting value. The Beach Boys need to be remembered as the greatest American rock band, the epitome of pop perfection and the mythical personification of the California lifestyle etc. Not as an "oldies band" or whatever horseshit they get pigeonholed into a lot nowadays.

[Cliff1000uk]

Funnily enough, I mentioned to a friend last week about Brian's idea of renaming the band, "The Beach Men". Now, my memory is flagging of the exact details but was this mid-70s around Endless Summer? Was it put to the other guys as a serious idea or just laughed off?

Thanks for any info

[The Shift]

Beach Blokes?
Beach Fellas?
Sandmen?
Beach Crusties?

[punkinhead]

i'm thinkin about older songs from their solo stuff & other unreleased songs to finish out like Sweetie, Stevie, I'm Begging You, Ruby Baby, Paley Songs, leftover Sweet Insanity stuff. leftover Carl and Denny stuff.

[Autotune]

New Wilson-Love songs, please. An album full of them. With great vocals from the guys andtheir extended family. If you want to remember the band for their output from their first 5-10 years of career, fine. They don't have any statment to make, they don't have anything to prove. But hey, it would be great to see hear them try some new material one last time.

[smile-holland]

Funnily enough, I mentioned to a friend last week about Brian's idea of renaming the band, "The Beach Men". Now, my memory is flagging of the exact details but was this mid-70s around Endless Summer? Was it put to the other guys as a serious idea or just laughed off?

Thanks for any info

Forgot in which book I read about that, but it was - I think - late 69 early 70 that Brian had suggested in renaming the group in "The Beach". And that idea lasted for maybe a few days at most.

from a topic in 2009: http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,8140.0.html

[The Heartical Don]

I would love another worldwide super hit such as 'Kokomo'. Now that's what I call music! Like no other song it encompasses, and defines, the happy happy sound of the Beach Boys in their prime.

Forget Pet Sounds. Dull, grey, and in boring mono. Forget SMiLE. Unfinished business to be fleshed out into a monstrous Frankensteinian box, to seduce the gullible into saving Capitol from bankruptcy.

I say: Kokomo, that's where it's at! It's the yardstick by which all other BBs achievements must be measured.

[Jim V.]

i'm thinkin about older songs from their solo stuff & other unreleased songs to finish out like Sweetie, Stevie, I'm Begging You, Ruby Baby, Paley Songs, leftover Sweet Insanity stuff. leftover Carl and Denny stuff.

I don't know about the leftovers idea. If Brian is into it then sure. But I don't want them finishing stuff just cuz its the easiest idea. If Brian wants to write a new song for the a new project they should do it. Or if he wants to cover "Be My Baby" they should do that. Or if he wants to cover "Male Ego", well.....maybe don't let him do that. But yeah, you get my idea. We have enough half hearted crap from the group and Brian. I only want something if its for real.

[Cliff1000uk]

Funnily enough, I mentioned to a friend last week about Brian's idea of renaming the band, "The Beach Men". Now, my memory is flagging of the exact details but was this mid-70s around Endless Summer? Was it put to the other guys as a serious idea or just laughed off?

Thanks for any info

Forgot in which book I read about that, but it was - I think - late 69 early 70 that Brian had suggested in renaming the group in "The Beach". And that idea lasted for maybe a few days at most.

from a topic in 2009: http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,8140.0.html

That's the one-knew I'd read it somewhere-many thanks for the link!

[rogerlancelot]

I say: Kokomo, that's where it's at! It's the yardstick by which all other BBs achievements must be measured.

I guess that means "Summer Of Love" is not so terribly bad after all!

[The Heartical Don]

I say: Kokomo, that's where it's at! It's the yardstick by which all other BBs achievements must be measured.

I guess that means "Summer Of Love" is not so terribly bad after all!

  good thinking, Watson... the game's afoot then!

[guitarfool2002]

Has anyone ever witnessed a sports team hosting an "old timers" event, where former players come back to the stadium wearing a uniform top that doesn't fit and where they go through the motions of playing the sport they played professionally as younger versions of themselves, for the benefit of the fans who are there more to grab their autograph instead of see them chuck the ball around the field before the current players take the field for the real game?

It's nostalgia, it's an autograph session, it's older fans telling their kids "I saw him play when I was 9...", but when it's all added up it can be kind of sad. These are people some fans would idolize and try to emulate, while tracking stats and cheering on their favorite players from season to season...now here they are on a field as older men, having lost more than a few steps and having gained enough weight to no longer be able to wear the uniform that you'd imagine yourself wearing one day if fantasy became reality. It's the same uniform with the same name and number on the back, but it's not the same. They're going through the same motions of playing the game, but as you watch them, the idolization and fantasy can be replaced by reality, and if you wanted reality you might read a newspaper or watch the daily news on television instead of going to a ballpark...

It's much like putting on a record and losing yourself in the grooves as you escape reality for those few minutes of your day. Some things are best left as they were with good memories.

[JohnMill]

Has anyone ever witnessed a sports team hosting an "old timers" event, where former players come back to the stadium wearing a uniform top that doesn't fit and where they go through the motions of playing the sport they played professionally as younger versions of themselves, for the benefit of the fans who are there more to grab their autograph instead of see them chuck the ball around the field before the current players take the field for the real game?

It's nostalgia, it's an autograph session, it's older fans telling their kids "I saw him play when I was 9...", but when it's all added up it can be kind of sad. These are people some fans would idolize and try to emulate, while tracking stats and cheering on their favorite players from season to season...now here they are on a field as older men, having lost more than a few steps and having gained enough weight to no longer be able to wear the uniform that you'd imagine yourself wearing one day if fantasy became reality. It's the same uniform with the same name and number on the back, but it's not the same. They're going through the same motions of playing the game, but as you watch them, the idolization and fantasy can be replaced by reality, and if you wanted reality you might read a newspaper or watch the daily news on television instead of going to a ballpark...

It's much like putting on a record and losing yourself in the grooves as you escape reality for those few minutes of your day. Some things are best left as they were with good memories.

Yeah but those events don't necessarily damage the accomplishments of long ago.  Music and sports are also totally different animals as while the body breaks down, musicians in many cases are still able to perform well into their later years and still create compelling music.

As someone already mentioned The Beach Boys accomplishments of long ago will never be adversely affected by anything they choose to do today.  I think as a fanbase we need to mature with the group and realize that there are two separate things going on here.  On one hand you have a group that has provided us with a rich legacy that we can choose to relive any time we want by popping in one of the "hits" cds.  On the other hand we have a group of guys now in their sixties whom if they want to get back together for one final hurrah should not only be allowed to but be celebrated for doing so.

The Beach Boys and their fanbase are in a different place now than we were in 1992 when "Summer In Paradise" was released.  Carl is gone obviously but Brian has managed to restore a great deal of the luster and at the same time managed to cultivate a great deal of appreciation for The Beach Boys catalog beyond what you can find on the "Hits" cds.  I think with the "Pet Sounds" and "SMiLE" tours alongside their respective boxsets (the "SMiLE" one obviously upcoming) the media and casual fans alike are starting to realize what an important band The Beach Boys were in the advancement of pop music in the sixties. 

In fact I'd go so far as to say the amount of respect The Beach Boys have in 2011 from the music industry and music fans alike is something they haven't enjoyed since Leonard Bernstein gave plaudits to Brian for "Surf's Up" in 1967.  Therefore on their 50th anniversary I believe it is the time for the band to be celebrated and not be shuttled to the back of the room as a nostalgia act.

Brian has already proven since his reemergence into the pop music world that he can still write some great music.  There is no reason in my mind that he couldn't craft some new tunes specifically for The Beach Boys which will allow them to end their careers on a note that not only doesn't do the band any disservice but also are highly enjoyable to listen to which is something you can't say for a lot of the material that the band released on say "Summer In Paradise". 

Furthermore I think for the first time since the sixties, The Beach Boys have an audience that sees them as something more than an oldies act and would be receptive to such a release.  I really couldn't think of a better time for the group to come together again and record a couple of new Brian compositions for their fanbase.  I really don't see it doing any harm and in fact probably would be the way I personally would like to see this group bring their professional career together to a close.

[punkinhead]

I'll post a list of tunes that I think would sound great from a BB sound of today in a bit

[punkinhead]

Is it possible to take Mike's lyrics from his collab with Denny of 10,000 YEars and use the backing track of Dennis' production and use Mike's words with Mike/Brian/Al/Bruce singing on top of it?

[guitarfool2002]

I think the line can be drawn pretty close between sports figures and musicians, especially if we consider the era in which the Beach Boys had their hits was also a time when more fans of a certain team heard the games on the radio and had that imagery develop in their minds as opposed to having access to any number of games via digital television and the internet. It's so close in nature to picturing the sun, surf, and California girls as you put the needle down on a 45 in 1965 as it would be to be listening to an announcer describe Sandy Koufax pitching a gem of a game on a beautiful July afternoon in 1965.

The notion of developing an image in your mind of your favorite player if you're a sports fan and developing a mental image as you're listing to a favorite band or record if you're a music fan are variations on the same theme, and I think they are very much related. At the end of the day you have two cases of professionals being paid very well in most cases to provide escapist entertainment for their fans, and the level of art and creative flair each brings to the table are the hallmarks of creating that escapist fantasy for the fans.


Having put that on the table, if the situations were different in the past 20 years perhaps a "reunion" would be in order. But what if anything would give a clue that Brian Wilson wants to do anything beyond what he has been doing with his music in those 20 years? You could argue the semantics but hasn't Brian done very well especially in the past 10 years releasing and performing music on his own terms, both without and maybe in spite of the other band members and their touring groups? Not judging at all, but it is what it is and Brian has had a handful of hugely successful tours, of which I have seen three of them in sold-out venues, he's released more albums in 10 years than the other band members have release combined in 25 years, and some of those albums have been quite successful critically and commercially.

To put it in old-time terms, "he's done quite well for himself", and he also has a core backing band of solid musicians whom he seems to enjoy playing and touring with since he's had the same core group since I saw them nearly 12 years ago on that first tour.

And I'd argue Mike Love and Bruce are happy doing what they do as well - Mike gets to interact with the fans who come to see them and enjoy the hits, Bruce is happy performing, they have a solid band of musicians touring with them - it's a good scene all around. They are still headliners within that circuit, and they are also doing quite well.

So we have Mike and Bruce happy doing what they do and giving their fans the kind of show they'd expect, Brian does what he does and releases new albums, performs concerts, and basically gives his fans what they want as well...and what many of those fans prior to 1997 thought would never happen.

Why try to recapture a spirit and a scene which in reality has not existed since the 60's? Especially since Mike and Bruce are known more as a touring group than a recording group, and Brian has his own schedule and plans for recording albums.

The best move the Beatles ever made was to never perform live as "The Beatles" after they split up. And the issue of the "Threetles" reunion was resolved by their wise decision to use "unfinished" John Lennon songs so it felt different than it would have if George, Paul, and Ringo had simply written and recorded a brand new song as if John wasn't a part of the whole thing.

There lies another crucial point: The legacy of Denny and Carl. The reality is there will never be another "Beach Boys" without them, and how would Mike, Al, and Brian overcome that without looking like they're copying what the Beatles already did in 1994?

[punkinhead]

hell, re-record some of the instrumentals that were un-used back in the day:
-Side Two
-Chopsticks Boogie
-Moni Kani-Brian's band could play it!
-Chain Reaction of Love- The guys could totally make a great cut outta this.
-San Miguel (from Denny's Bambu trial track) and add the original SM lyrics to it.
-Looking Down the Coast (didnt Al do this for Postcard, I don't know because I dont own it), re-record it with Mike and Brian.
-Just Say No- A whole new remake , not an anti drug song, just re-do the song and lyrics, keep Mike on that same bass line that sounds like him from the original 'Just Say No'
-Big Sur, have Mike re-cut the song in the 4/4 and add their current vocals, there's some great harmonies I'd love to hear.
-I'm Broke-I know a great rocker could be re-made into this
-Cool Head, Warm Heart- with Brian and Al's voices added.
-Love Ya/Sweetie---maybe make this into a non-cheesy medley together
-Water Builds Up-Redo with the guys
-Slightly American Music- Redo and have each Beach Boy singing about the different eras, Al at the beginning, Brian singing about "even the Beatles couldn't build the wall (of sound)," then Mike on the last verse.
-Do you Have any Regrets?- redo with the guys
-It's trying to Say-with Denny's vocals and the current guy's vocals
-Carry Me Home- keep Denny's original vocals, have Blondie re-cut his vocals with the remaining Beach Boys
-My Mary Anne and Market Place- Re-done.

[guitarfool2002]

punkinhead's list is interesting and well thought out, but certain suggestions on that list bring up another issue:

Already on the list we have the core group - Mike, Brian, and Al. Then we have Bruce who is as much a part of it as anyone. Then we see a mention of Brian's band recording Mona Kani. Then we see Blondie's name mentioned, even though he was only briefly a member...can we get a Ricky Fataar track too? What about Mike's backing band with some very good players? How about Al's son Matt, he was a Beach Boy on tour for years? What if Al asks if Wendy and Carnie can join in since they were in " BB's Family And Friends"? And what about David Marks, one of the original Beach Boys, I'd say he's more deserving of a spot on the reunion album than some of the names mentioned above. Who engineers the whole thing if we work with old tapes: Mark Linett who has done remarkable work with both the Beach Boys' archives and Brian's solo material, or Stephen Desper who was an integral part of the band's recorded sound for a time, and has recently worked with Al Jardine? Who will remix and rework the old tapes? Where are some of the long-gone touring members, like Daryl Dragon and others?

If the band's history weren't so confusing and filled with so many detours and U-turns, the prospect of a reunion might be an easier project to develop. But seriously, as soon as the name Blondie is mentioned, it opens up a new can of worms. I can't imagine the mass appeal for such a project if we include members who were only short-term members, and dueling backing bands from Brian and Mike (and possibly Al).

[Autotune]

Has anyone ever witnessed a sports team hosting an "old timers" event, where former players come back to the stadium wearing a uniform top that doesn't fit and where they go through the motions of playing the sport they played professionally as younger versions of themselves, for the benefit of the fans who are there more to grab their autograph instead of see them chuck the ball around the field before the current players take the field for the real game?

It's nostalgia, it's an autograph session, it's older fans telling their kids "I saw him play when I was 9...", but when it's all added up it can be kind of sad.

BW tours have been like those events. Brian's the old-time player, going through the motions of what he was so good at 45 years ago. He's surrounded by a group of caring pros that do the real thing, while BW provides the emotional factor to those that cherish the real stuff he did in his 20s.  For a number of fans it's even an event to get an autograph with a concert before it. If he sucks, no one cares; if he does it poorly, then "it's not bad considering it's him", much like the old sports player. At the end of the day, it can be sad indeed. But it is also a compelling oportunity for those who love his music to thank him, show support and be moved by the unrelenting spirit of a man who will do it no matter what.

Let the BBs perform. Let them record. Some people care. Their image has already been taken care of.

[guitarfool2002]

Dr. Lenny, I don't disagree with what you said, as I felt some of those same things myself at the handful of Brian's shows I saw. It was a chance to see the man himself, in person, and connected to the music. But at the same time I felt seeing Brian on that first "new" tour in years in the 90's was a catharsis of sorts, something I'd never imagined would happen given the state of his affairs over the 20 years before that tour. And the Smile tour was simply put an *event* of the highest order - it was material being presented in that way for the first time. I never got the nostalgia feeling watching the Smile set or his first set which in Boston included the most transcendent performance of a song I've ever witnessed in person, when he sang God Only Knows and the entire hall felt like it got a jolt of energy...amazing experience. The audience that night included many of Boston's rock elite, such as Al Kooper when he was teaching in Boston at the time, who wanted to witness Smile in person - and if it were a nostalgia show or an old-timers event, I doubt someone like Kooper would have bothered. Only when Brian came out after Smile holding the bass for the oldies portion did I get the nostalgia vibe. But that was like the desert after the main course anyway.

The music overall at each of those shows was performed at such a high level and much of it felt vibrant and fresh rather than a retread of old songs, it became an overall experience in the moment to witness those shows.

In my mind I haven't been able to find that place where bringing a cadre of past and present Beach Boys and backing musicians together on stage or in the studio at this time, after each member has carved out their own niche and fan base which supports everything they do, would add up to something greater than the individual parts especially when two members are gone. I'd love to be proven wrong, believe me.