Jeff Foskett Interview

[Pretty Funky]

http://www.mydesert.com/article/20121203/LIFESTYLES0111/312030010/Rancho-Mirage-performer-has-Beach-Boys-vibe?odyssey=nav%7Chead&nclick_check=1

Brian Wilson and Al Jardine of the Beach Boys will perform Dec. 13 at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles as part of the Brian Wilson Band.

Mike Love and Bruce Johnston will perform as The Beach Boys on Dec. 28 in Colorado Springs, Colo.

When they’ll all perform as the Beach Boys again is anybody’s guess.

Love, who owns the rights to the Beach Boys name, contracted to perform with his Beach Boys after the recent 50th anniversary tour. So he lightened the payroll and Wilson said he felt like he’d been fired.

The music director of that reunion tour, Jeffrey Foskett of Rancho Mirage, says he thought everybody wanted to keep that tour going in 2013.

“I know everybody wanted to, just in different ways in different times,” he said over lunch after returning home from the tour. “I think that’s what the issue was, probably: The timing.”

The demand is there for more concerts by the unit that incorporated the complex colorings of the Brian Wilson Band and most closely replicated the harmonies of the Beach Boys band with the late Carl and Dennis Wilson. Foskett was integral to those harmonies, singing Carl’s tenor and falsetto parts.

“I think the ‘Beach Boys 50’ configuration has a shelf life,” he said. “I think we could go back and repeat some of the bigger venues we did in certain markets and do some different venues. We barely got into the Midwest. We only did Chicago and Minneapolis and Wisconsin. We didn’t even get to Kansas City, St. Louis, and we didn’t go to Hawaii.

“I know we had offers to play the Honolulu Shell. I know we had offers to play in Phoenix, Ariz., at a festival. So there were definitely offers coming in. I think everybody would have been open to it. I don’t know now.”

Foskett has been touring and recording with the Beach Boys and members of the Beach Boys for more than 30 years. But he said he had the time of his life on this year’s reunion tour.

“I was in the Beach Boys that Carl Wilson said was the best Beach Boys band he ever played in, which was the ’80s band,” he said. “I played with Al and Dean Torrance (of Jan and Dean) and every surf band there is. But I had the most fun with the people (on this tour). I mean the crew guys, the techs, the guys on stage, the band (including) the two guys from Mike’s band that were integrated into Brian’s guys — Scott Totten, the guitar player, and John Cowsill. So I would like to see it happen again.”

Foskett’s favorite tour stops were at the Verizon Theatre in Dallas, where the band “clicked” on its second or third tour date, and the Royal Albert Hall in London and the Hollywood Bowl, which wants these Beach Boys to do two more shows in 2013.

His least favorite show was in a city he has conveniently forgotten, where they had to perform before 5,000 people in an empty swimming pool.

He also loved hanging out with Wilson, who has a home not far from him in Indian Wells.

Wilson was so well recognized around the world that he hated venturing outside. Fans would try to engage him in chitchat, said Foskett, and “that’s not in his makeup.” So Wilson, as is his nature, stayed in his room. At the Hong Kong Grand Hyatt Hotel, he and the other Beach Boys each got a three-bedroom suite with two butlers.

“The two butlers would come and, ‘Mr. Jeffrey, it’s time to wake up,’ and shake you gently,” Foskett recalled. “They wouldn’t have an alarm clock. They got really bummed if you called anybody. ‘Just tell me what you want and I’ll get it for you. Do you want me to have that washed?’ Just unbelievable. They wouldn’t accept a gratuity, so we comped them to the show on a no-comp tour (costing Foskett more than $100). The service was impeccable.”

Wilson doesn’t like to watch television, so he listened to the ’50s and ’60s stations on Foskett’s Sirius XM cell phone app via Bluetooth speakers.

“It was cool because he’ll tell you a story about every song because he knows the people — he recorded with them or was there when they wrote it, or whatever,” said Foskett. “He loves listening to those things and he loves telling those stories.”

Foskett is now working as the music director of a Beatles tribute show that will tour without him, and producing albums for Christopher Cross and Mark Lindsay, formerly of Paul Revere and the Raiders. But he’s looking forward to harmonizing again with those original Beach Boys.

“Al Jardine’s voice is absolutely essential to that blend,” he said. “Brian’s voice — when he’s singing lead with Michael and Alan and, for lack of Carl, me backing him up — it sounds great. When we’re playing with Brian’s band, it sounds really good. But when it has the original voices it just adds that air of authenticity that’s missing in all of the other bands.”

[Andrew G. Doe]

Excuse me, but Jeff was most certainly NOT the MD of the C50 tour. Nothing against him, and he was an integral part, but MD ? No.  Another triumph for crappy research.

[pmb]

One inaccuracy, yep, but not a big deal in the scheme of things....

Thanks for the link Pretty Funky, made interesting reading! Wonder which venue the swimming pool was?!

[EgoHanger1966]

I'd also like to know what venue he was mentioning when referring to "the swimming pool" one.

It kinda sucks that Brian prefers to stay in his room because fans would like to talk to him. I guess we (as fans) should know to leave him the hell alone, but I guess if you saw him on the street, you'd kinda want to at least say hello or something, because Brian Wilson is right in front of you.

[Paulos]

No place for Dave in either band?

[Gohi]

Uh hey Jeff you didn't do Minneapolis, you big jerk. I think I would remember that since I live here.

[gfac22]

Love, who owns the rights to the Beach Boys name, contracted to perform with his Beach Boys after the recent 50th anniversary tour. So he lightened the payroll and Wilson said he felt like he’d been fired.

One more triumph for crappy research.  As if the Mike-haters need any more fuel for their fire.

[halblaineisgood]

.

[the professor]

Bottom line: he does not know what will happen next for the BB.  What's everyone's sense? Is some news brewing about a new album and next-year tour? No one ever ruled anything out. last I heard Brian said for Mike to call him and discuss it.

[gfac22]

Did Carl really consider the 80s band w/ Foskett to be the best?

[HeyJude]

Excuse me, but Jeff was most certainly NOT the MD of the C50 tour. Nothing against him, and he was an integral part, but MD ? No.  Another triumph for crappy research.

This is absolutely true, and a simple check of the tour program, or the credits on the live video of the tour, and likely many other sources, would have made this an easy fact to check. Who knows if the author came away feeling Foskett was the MD, or if Foskett implied it, etc.

However, I don't think that nitpicky bit is the big takeaway from this article. Foskett has been correctly and/or incorrectly referred to as a "musical director" or "band leader" for Brian for years, probably simply because he appears at the front of the band and appears as Brian's right hand man, etc.

The big takeaway is another tiny morsel of information that seems to indicate most parties within this touring operation were into doing more reunion gigs. That continues to be a sad fact, notwithstanding some fans still apparently seeming happy with the idea of no more reunion shows.

[HeyJude]

Did Carl really consider the 80s band w/ Foskett to be the best?

That is an interesting tidbit, seemingly unsubstantiated. There's no way of course to ever know I suppose. It's certainly interesting to note that Foskett's tenure in the touring BB's was 1981-1990, the exact timeframe he's referring to. 

Regardless of the motives in mentioning that in the interview, I think it is a very powerful testament to how great this reunion show that many fans have called it the best since their heyday in the early-mid 70's, considering the later 70's, all of the 80's, and the majority of the 90's featured Carl in the band. That they could put together such an amazing show even without such a huge member of the band is of jawdropping proportions to me.

[Letsgoawayforawhile]

Did Carl really consider the 80s band w/ Foskett to be the best?

If he did say that, he had to have meant live band. There's no way he meant in general.

[HeyJude]

Did Carl really consider the 80s band w/ Foskett to be the best?

If he did say that, he had to have meant live band. There's no way he meant in general.

And even that has to be questionable. Carl certainly felt that the 1981-82 band was lacking, indicated by interviews he did in 1981, including specifically commenting on the infamous Queen Mary show.

[Rocker]

Did Carl really consider the 80s band w/ Foskett to be the best?

Who exactly was part of the band at that time?

[HeyJude]

Did Carl really consider the 80s band w/ Foskett to be the best?

Who exactly was part of the band at that time?

It obviously varied over the course of the decade, but a quick and likely not complete rundown off the top of my head:

1980 - All six BB's (Brian and Dennis not always present), plus Ed Carter, Bobby Figueroa, and Mike Meros (plus Joe Chemay in Europe)
1981 - Mike, Al, Bruce, Brian and Dennis (again sporadically), no Carl, plus Carter, Figueroa, Meros, Adrian Baker, Ernie Knapp, Foskett later in the year
1982 - Same as above until Carl re-joined mid-year, then Knapp was gone and eventually Baker, Billy Hinsche rejoined, and Kowalski was back in around this time
1983 - Same, but Dennis and Brian were even more rarely in attendance, Figueroa was popping in and out for the next few years I believe
1984-1989 - Carl, Mike, Al, Bruce (Brian occasionally), plus Carter, Hinsche, Meros, Kowalski, Foskett, and Figueroa in some cases

I rattled this off in five minutes, so I could be making some big omissions that aren't striking me at the moment.

[gfac22]

Thanks HeyJude, you just saved me a big headache.   Trying to remember who was a part of the touring band for any period of time is enough to make your head spin.

[Doo Dah]

I'm cautiously optimistic they'll put something together for the summer of '13. A couple high profile east coast/west coast gigs, and a dozen or so in the heartland. Doesn't mean it'll be near me, but I just like the thought of them keeping it going.

Hey...someone has to promote the upcoming boxset (apart from Phil). 

[Rocker]

Thanks HeyJude! I guess Jeff was talking about the '84-'89 band. And yes, they had great musicians. If it was Carl's favorite version I don't know. I would guess (just guess) that his favorite lineup included Dennis

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

No love for Historical from Jeff in his praise of the Beach Boys blend 

[Pretty Funky]

I must have missed the thread, but how did the Bruce/ Historical connection start?

[HeyJude]

Thanks HeyJude! I guess Jeff was talking about the '84-'89 band. And yes, they had great musicians. If it was Carl's favorite version I don't know. I would guess (just guess) that his favorite lineup included Dennis

Yep, it was a very solid backing band. I think the only negatives were the general malaise, not the fault of the backing band, regarding the setlist during those years. It's unavoidable that sometimes it was going to go kind of on "autopilot." Listening to the 1993 extended "boxed set tour" shows, which is pretty much the '89 band but with Matt Jardine in place of Foskett, shows that the only real drawbacks (other than not having the huge complement of musicians that they did this year) were some now dated-sounding keyboard parts (Meros and Hinsche were/are great musicians, there was simply only so much that could be done with early 90's keyboards when trying to do stuff like "Pet Sounds" tracks), and Kowalski's increasingly sub-par drumming.

[musicismylife101]

I must have missed the thread, but how did the Bruce/ Historical connection start?

Faulty translation from a Japanese article about the BBs. Bruce was somehow translated to "Historical" Johnston

[Pretty Funky]

Gottcha!

Thanks.

[acedecade75]

Did Carl really consider the 80s band w/ Foskett to be the best?

Mabey I missed something, but I don't recall ever hearing Carl give a statement like that either.  Jeff always has to find a way to praise himself.