Rolling Stone - Beach Boys Play Tour - Jeff replaces Christian Love

[HeyJude]

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/beach-boys-plan-tour-to-celebrate-50-years-of-fun-fun-fun-20140515

WOW. This is shocking.

Christian has a lot going on with his beach volleyball, his own band, and Cal Saga (if they are still working together) and has been  wonderful to watch as he grew in the job.  I will miss his singing very much.  His voice does echo that Wilson-Love quality (Carl, in my opinion) - and there is a lot of vocal voltage on that stage.  He has brought a sort of sublime quality to the Touring Band, with that yearning feel that Carl brought to the work.   I hope it isn't as permanent as it it made to sound, as he has done a great job. Career choices are often tough.  I will miss him, but wish him well in his other endeavors!

But Jeff Foskett doesn't need a road map, either, and worked with the band a long time.  

More falsetto!  A beautiful thing!  

Beach volleyball, a solo career that has yielded few if any actual releases or live shows (has he actually released any music or done any of his own solo live shows?), and a Cal Saga band that has apparently played a small hand full of short opening sets and has sporadically done some recording, those all sound like the textbook definition of "hobby" projects to me.

Kind of sounds like Al saying he has "a lot going on" because he's grooming his horses and working on his new remix of "Loop de Loop."  

Seriously, the fact that, to the small degree we are aware of, Christian Love did *not* have a lot else going on actually potentially gives me more respect for ditching the easy, lucrative paycheck that surely comes along with playing in Mike's band. Or, perhaps he's just *REALLY* bored with the touring.

[donald]

Reading all of this, I wonder which band could offer someone like JF the better salary; The Beach Boys or the Brian Wilson Band.........is it possible with Christian leaving that ML made JF an offer he couldn't refuse? 

[filledeplage]

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/beach-boys-plan-tour-to-celebrate-50-years-of-fun-fun-fun-20140515
WOW. This is shocking.

Christian has a lot going on with his beach volleyball, his own band, and Cal Saga (if they are still working together) and has been  wonderful to watch as he grew in the job.  I will miss his singing very much.  His voice does echo that Wilson-Love quality (Carl, in my opinion) - and there is a lot of vocal voltage on that stage.  He has brought a sort of sublime quality to the Touring Band, with that yearning feel that Carl brought to the work.   I hope it isn't as permanent as it it made to sound, as he has done a great job. Career choices are often tough.  I will miss him, but wish him well in his other endeavors!

But Jeff Foskett doesn't need a road map, either, and worked with the band a long time.  

More falsetto!  A beautiful thing!  

Beach volleyball, a solo career that has yielded few if any actual releases or live shows (has he actually released any music or done any of his own solo live shows?), and a Cal Saga band that has apparently played a small hand full of short opening sets and has sporadically done some recording, those all sound like the textbook definition of "hobby" projects to me.

Kind of sounds like Al saying he has "a lot going on" because he's grooming his horses and working on his new remix of "Loop de Loop."  

Seriously, the fact that, to the small degree we are aware of, Christian Love did *not* have a lot else going on actually potentially gives me more respect for ditching the easy, lucrative paycheck that surely comes along with playing in Mike's band. Or, perhaps he's just *REALLY* bored with the touring.

Just about all that is mentioned is pure speculation.  I wish  this very nice, and talented young man good luck...

We don't know, and I'm not guessing.  Que sera, sera...

[leggo of my ego]

Whatever the reasons may be for Jeff's move - this gives the touring band a huge shot in the arm.

I would seriously consider going to see a performance, if it was close enough. 

[Letsgoawayforawhile]

I keep seeing people post stuff like "Jeff Foskett is not on Brian's new album." Do we know that for sure? All I remember seeing (and admittedly I don't check this board every single day) is that Matt Jardine sang on a session or two because Jeff wasn't available. I don't recall ever seeing it stated categorically that Jeff hasn't been on any sessions whatsoever.

I also have to say it's pretty crazy watching all the raving speculation that occurs here during times like these.

Can you imagine how good Brian's album will sound if Jeff isn't over Brian in every track?

[HeyJude]

It’s a numbers game to the degree we can guess. Even if Brian pays his guys more per show (not that it’s structured on a per-show basis; we don’t know, but it probably involves a payment or payments for the time spent touring), one would make more playing with Mike since he will always be playing more gigs. Even Brian’s most active touring years haven’t usually approached 100 gigs per year, and while I don’t buy that Brian is “retiring” from touring, he surely played fewer shows in 2013 than Mike did and any 2014 tour schedule for Brian will result in far fewer gigs than Mike.

As I mentioned previously, the only way you would be able to make anywhere near as steady of an income working with Brian is if he kept you on a retainer/under contract all year. Considering reports in previous years that alleged Brian’s tour lost money or barely broke even, it seems unlikely he keeps anyone on such a retainer. Also, it’s a bit easier (as we’re seeing now) in the BB universe to get temp or permanent replacements for some of these guys, as there’s a pretty big “pool” of guys who move between all these bands. True, Brian doesn’t work from this pool as much, but even Brian in the past has grabbed guys like Billy Hinsche and Gary Griffin for tours. There are all those ex-Mike guys like Farmer, Bardowell, etc. who play with Dave and Al. Randell Kirsche was doing fill-in gigs with Al before he joined Mike’s band.

Jeff would have always probably made more money touring with Mike. But it seems that only now did the factors converge, namely an opening occurring and Mike feeling comfortable making the offer.

Here’s an interesting, if not terribly likely, scenario to ponder: If Jeff has had some sort of falling out with Brian’s camp, if we do ever see the full group attempt to tour together again, will Jeff be part of that tour?  

[STE]

Well that's how I imagine it:

Riiiing!
Jeff: Hello?
Mike: Hey Jeff, is Mike!
Jeff: Dr.Love! How are you?
Mike: all good, all good! Listen, my son Christian is leaving the band soon. Jackie and I were wondering if you were interested on taking his place?
Jeff: Oh wow, I'd be honored.  But you know, I'm with Brian and.. I'm not sure it would be the right thing to do..
Mike: We tour 200 days per year. It would pay xxxxx$ per year.
Jeff: emh.. let me call Melinda and discuss it ok?
Mike: Ok. I'm going to the beach with my babe now.  Good vibes to you

Riiiing!
Melinda: Hello?
Jeff: Hi Melinda, it's Jeff!
Melinda: Hey Jeffy! Always good to hear from you!
Jeff: Listen.. Mike offered me a permanent place in his touring band.  It pays well. How would you feel if I took the job?
Melinda: well Jeffrey, it's your choice
Jeff: I could still play those few gigs with Brian in the fall, I can ask Mike to replace me
Melinda: well Jeffrey, it's your choice
Jeff: Thank you for understanding Melinda! No hard feelings then?
Melida: It's just business Jeffrey
Jeff: Will you tell Brian?
Melinda: Yes. Goodbye Jeffrey, farewell

Melinda: umh.. I need to remember to tell this to Bri..  hey look a new dog! I forgot we bought this one too


And that's how Jeff got the job and Brian never got to hear about it.
Very simple.

[HeyJude]

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/beach-boys-plan-tour-to-celebrate-50-years-of-fun-fun-fun-20140515
WOW. This is shocking.

Christian has a lot going on with his beach volleyball, his own band, and Cal Saga (if they are still working together) and has been  wonderful to watch as he grew in the job.  I will miss his singing very much.  His voice does echo that Wilson-Love quality (Carl, in my opinion) - and there is a lot of vocal voltage on that stage.  He has brought a sort of sublime quality to the Touring Band, with that yearning feel that Carl brought to the work.   I hope it isn't as permanent as it it made to sound, as he has done a great job. Career choices are often tough.  I will miss him, but wish him well in his other endeavors!

But Jeff Foskett doesn't need a road map, either, and worked with the band a long time.  

More falsetto!  A beautiful thing!  

Beach volleyball, a solo career that has yielded few if any actual releases or live shows (has he actually released any music or done any of his own solo live shows?), and a Cal Saga band that has apparently played a small hand full of short opening sets and has sporadically done some recording, those all sound like the textbook definition of "hobby" projects to me.

Kind of sounds like Al saying he has "a lot going on" because he's grooming his horses and working on his new remix of "Loop de Loop."  

Seriously, the fact that, to the small degree we are aware of, Christian Love did *not* have a lot else going on actually potentially gives me more respect for ditching the easy, lucrative paycheck that surely comes along with playing in Mike's band. Or, perhaps he's just *REALLY* bored with the touring.

Just about all that is mentioned is pure speculation.  I wish  this very nice, and talented young man good luck...

We don't know, and I'm not guessing.  Que sera, sera...

True. "He has a lot going on" is kind of a guess too, though, and the only items mentioned in that list of "things" doesn't measure up to a "lot of things going on" to me. As I said, it speaks more to the potential boldness of leaving the band if a lot else isn't going on.

[HeyJude]

Well that's how I imagine it:

Riiiing!
Jeff: Hello?
Mike: Hey Jeff, is Mike!
Jeff: Dr.Love! How are you?
Mike: all good, all good! Listen, my son Christian is leaving the band soon. Jackie and I were wondering if you were interested on taking his place?
Jeff: Oh wow, I'd be honored.  But you know, I'm with Brian and.. I'm not sure it would be the right thing to do..
Mike: We tour 200 days per year. It would pay xxxxx$ per year.
Jeff: emh.. let me call Melinda and discuss it ok?
Mike: Ok. I'm going to the beach with my babe now.  Good vibes to you

Riiiing!
Melinda: Hello?
Jeff: Hi Melinda, it's Jeff!
Melinda: Hey Jeffy! Always good to hear from you!
Jeff: Listen.. Mike offered me a permanent place in his touring band.  It pays well. How would you feel if I took the job?
Melinda: well Jeffrey, it's your choice
Jeff: I could still play those few gigs with Brian in the fall, I can ask Mike to replace me
Melinda: well Jeffrey, it's your choice
Jeff: Thank you for understanding Melinda! No hard feelings then?
Melida: It's just business Jeffrey
Jeff: Will you tell Brian?
Melinda: Yes. Goodbye Jeffrey, farewell

Melinda: umh.. I need to remember to tell this to Bri..  hey look a new dog! I forgot we bought this one too


And that's how Jeff got the job and Brian never got to hear about it.
Very simple.

You forgot the additional phone call from Al:

-Phone Rings-

Al: Hi Melinda, so what are the touring plans for later this year?

Melinda: Actually Milton, er, Al, we’re going to be moving your desk to the basement. So, umm, yeah, we’re going to ask you to spray for bugs while you’re down there. Oh yeah, and Foskett bailed, so I sure hope you can do the high part on “Papa Oom Mow Mow.”

[HeyJude]

It’s a bit funny, if Brian really did learn about this via a phone call from a friend who read a Rolling Stone article, it is a bit reminiscent of Al learning about Mike’s 1998 Super Bowl gig only when it appeared on TV. I’ve actually always wondered if that meant Al had actually sat down with his chicken wings and chips and dip and truly actually learned of the gig while watching it live on TV.   

[Jon Stebbins]

If I've know about this change for months, and other people I know who aren't in the band or in the family or employed by the group have known about it for months, then is it really possible that Brian didn't know about it? I think Brian probably pulled a Brian on that question.

[drbeachboy]

If I've know about this change for months, and other people I know who aren't in the band or in the family or employed by the group have known about it for months, then is it really possible that Brian didn't know about it? I think Brian probably pulled a Brian on that question.

Absolutely!

[pixletwin]

If I've know about this change for months, and other people I know who aren't in the band or in the family or employed by the group have known about it for months, then is it really possible that Brian didn't know about it? I think Brian probably pulled a Brian on that question.

My thoughts exactly. It struck me as the same as when a friend walks up to you and says "Hey, you got a haircut!" My response is usually "I DID??!!!??"

[donald]

If I've know about this change for months, and other people I know who aren't in the band or in the family or employed by the group have known about it for months, then is it really possible that Brian didn't know about it? I think Brian probably pulled a Brian on that question.

so are you saying you have know about this for months?

[Cam Mott]

Maybe Jeff just wanted a change. People get tired of things and want to do something different.

[Mikie]

If I've known about this change for months, and other people I know who aren't in the band or in the family or employed by the group have known about it for months, then is it really possible that Brian didn't know about it? I think Brian probably pulled a Brian on that question.

That's what I was thinking too.

[smilethebeachboysloveyou]

In a way, this shouldn't be as surprising as it is--we already knew that Jeff wasn't with Brian, and he is certainly a good fit for playing with the M&B Beach Boys.  My guess (and it's only a guess) is that the Beach Boys didn't offer Jeff a job until he had either already parted ways with Brian, or that Jeff had given some sort of indication that he was thinking about doing so; I find it difficult to imagine that Mike and Bruce have just started poaching members of Brian's band for their own amusement.

[HeyJude]

If I've know about this change for months, and other people I know who aren't in the band or in the family or employed by the group have known about it for months, then is it really possible that Brian didn't know about it? I think Brian probably pulled a Brian on that question.

Exactly, I would agree. Either he was being Brian-style coy or non-responsive, or he genuinely in that moment re-forgot about it or something. I've heard interviews with him where he seems to genuinely not remember things that clearly he did know at some point in the past. I'm now having a random memory of a circa 1985 radio interview with Brian where he's asked about the "Surf's Up" album and specifically "Take a Load Off Your Feet", and he seemed to react and respond as if the interviewer is from Mars or speaking another language or something, like he has absolutely zero idea what the hell the interviewer is talking about.

One of the reasons I keep trying to say "Foskett" instead of Jeff is due to the other threads discussing the Jeff Beck tour, so there's no confusion. But now I'm envisioning Brian getting a call asking about "Jeff joining the Beach Boys", so now I'm picturing that Brian thinks Jeff Beck joined the Beach Boys. "Oh great, yeah, Mike Love will love those ten minute jazz fusion instrumentals."  

[HeyJude]

In a way, this shouldn't be as surprising as it is--we already knew that Jeff wasn't with Brian, and he is certainly a good fit for playing with the M&B Beach Boys.  My guess (and it's only a guess) is that the Beach Boys didn't offer Jeff a job until he had either already parted ways with Brian, or that Jeff had given some sort of indication that he was thinking about doing so; I find it difficult to imagine that Mike and Bruce have just started poaching members of Brian's band for their own amusement.

I never got the sense that Mike Love really warmed to anyone in Brian's band other than Foskett, who of course he had recruited and had already worked with. Did Mike ever even literally speak the name of any other band members? He would always introduce Foskett or Totten during their vocal turns, but when Darian sang "Darlin'", it sounded like Foskett always named Darian afterwards, not Mike.

It seemed like Bruce at least attempted to warm up to the other band members, or at least talk about them publically a bit. I recall him plugging Nelson Bragg's album on the BB Britain board I believe.

I still love the piece of trivia that, as I recall, the first Beach Boys concert Darian attended was the opening night of the reunon tour with him in the band! 

To further digress, I wonder how many guys in Brian's band, prior to playing with Brian, had attended a BB concert in the 70's or 80's....

[Lowbacca]

Maybe Jeff just wanted a change. People get tired of things and want to do something different.

Like.. playing the same old BBs catalogue in another band for a change?

[Ray Lawlor]

If I've know about this change for months, and other people I know who aren't in the band or in the family or employed by the group have known about it for months, then is it really possible that Brian didn't know about it? I think Brian probably pulled a Brian on that question.

Jon;
I don't think so.  While it was no secret internally that Jeff was moving on , nobody knew that he was joining up with Mike and Bruce ; I have spent a lot of time with Brian in the last 20 years and I usually can ascertain when he is "pulling a Brian"; there is a subtle nuance to that ; to me he clearly did not know.  I am not sure if what I hear you saying is that you did know that Jeff was joining forces with the touring BB's or that you knew for months that Jeff had departed the BW organization.

 I just saw the following posted at BW.com:

"Yesterday I found out that Jeff has decided to tour with Mike Love's BB's. I think its great since he really loved touring with Mike and the boys back in the day. He made it clear at the end of the JB tour that he would be moving on . I wish him the best and I'm happy for him. As for me , I'm busy in the studio working on my new album. A couple months ago I asked Matt Jardine to tour with my band and he accepted. He's a great guy and I love his voice. He's busy working with Paul and Darian and eager to get started. All good- Brian"

Personally, I think its great for Jeff; he has done a tremendous job singing Brian's music since what ; 1984 ? It now comes full circle and Jeff is back to where he started, as it was Mike who originally brought him in. I am sure the touring band will be better for it. I am also  certain that this didn't all just happen yesterday ;these things don't work that way. I would assume there has been some lengthy negotiations between Mike and Jeff , which , and only my assumption , must have been extremely confidential or somewhere along the line this info would have leaked.

cheers  Ray

[Pretty Funky]

So there we have it. Good luck to Jeff I say. Maybe the guy just wanted to keep busy for awhile and now he has a whole touring season ahead of him. All the best Jeff.

[drbeachboy]

No matter how many bands pop up, it's still the family business. These guys can pop in and out of each other's bands and fit right in. I'm happy for both Jeff & Matt. Now, I wonder who will become Brian's right hand man when they head out on the road.

[Magic Transistor Radio]

Melinda: Hey Brian, Jeff Foskett is joining Mike and Bruce's band.

Brian: Who's Jeff Foskett? And who are Mike and Bruce?

[KittyKat]

It`s interesting that only at the ELLA awards Mike thanked Jeff for being Brian`s `care giver` for the past 16 years. So this is certainly a curious turn of events.

Good point. I could see Jeff getting tired of being Brian's caregiver if he felt underappreciated and underpaid. Foskett was not just another supporting musician to Brian, and that had to be a stressful job.