Scott Totten and John Cowsill depart Beach Boys band

[All Summer Long]

The plot thickens. John Cowsill just posted a photo of him with his arm around his replacement.

[Rocker]

It seems there is no thread for Mike&Bruce's tours of this year, so I post this here:


Your chance to see the Beach Boys like never before

Don't miss a chance to see the Beach Boys perform with the Nashville Symphony. For more information, please visit nashvillesymphony.org/beachboys


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9kjfXIIVqw


There's a promo video on the nashvillesymphony link. Interestingly you obviously see Mike in that video, you never hear him. It's like someone deliberately only used songs that feature Brian clear and front (apart from "Kokomo", but they only use the chorus of that).

Interviews with Mike:


Don’t miss your chance to see The Beach Boys take over Nashville


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COTcfaGU_48



Mike Love - The Beach Boys' Tour - FOX17 Rock & Review


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSlV8PMbokc

[All Summer Long]

It’s official. In a comment on a Facebook post about his website, John Cowsill wrote “I was let go by The Beach Boys.”

[SMiLE Brian]

Awful, Mike's letting Stamos run his touring band. BW needs the BBs name back before we get a stamos run touring act.

[wantsomecorn]

The plot thickens. John Cowsill just posted a photo of him with his arm around his replacement.

Presumably, he bares no ill will toward the new guy, and doesn't want him to face any misguided rage from the fans.

But the level of implied involvement from Uncle Jesse certainly did raise my eyebrows...

[Tony S]

I didn't see that comment anywhere, just curious as to where you saw it on Facebook? Usually when other band members have departed in the past there's supposedly been some sort of gag order in place, so I'd be surprised if JC bluntly stated that he was let go. Would be curious to see that in writing from him.

[HeyJude]

I didn't see that comment anywhere, just curious as to where you saw it on Facebook? Usually when other band members have departed in the past there's supposedly been some sort of gag order in place, so I'd be surprised if JC bluntly stated that he was let go. Would be curious to see that in writing from him.

Cowsill said it in a response to someone's comment under one of his posts (I think the one with simply a link to his website).  You have to dig through them.  It's way down in a chain of posts and responses.  But yes, he writes "I was let go by the Beach Boys."

[Rocker]

Awful, Mike's letting Stamos run his touring band. BW needs the BBs name back before we get a stamos run touring act.

FWIW I don't think Brian is ever gonna tour again.

[parlay]

Does anyone know the real reason  why Scott and John left the Mike Love Beach Boys. 

Thx in advance, for any responses



Parlay

[Tony S]

Knowing Mike it was probably dollar related. However as far as Castle goes it sounds like Stamos had something going on behind the scenes favoring a friend of his and used his influence on mike. It sounds like Stamos and Castle worn on the best of terms from some of the recent commentary though I could be wrong

[Pretty Funky]

Interesting little side note. Jeff Foskett was involved in recruiting John Wedemeyer.

https://www.reviewjournal.com/entertainment/entertainment-columns/kats/its-still-surreal-vegas-musician-backs-beach-boys-after-righteous-brothers-2921358/

[HeyJude]

I don't know if this was covered elsewhere, but I was just listening recently to an episode of the "Surf's Up" podcast with an interview with Christian Love, and they ask Christian about the departure of Totten and Cowsill.

I was surprised that Christian was relatively direct about it. He said Scott Totten had started having trouble singing, and that's why he stepped down. As for Cowsill, Christian said something along the lines of "sometimes he can be a nice guy, and sometimes he can be difficult."

Obviously not firm answers to all the questions one might have, but there's some more context for you. I'm not sure if he was saying Totten had trouble singing and volunteered to step down, or if it was still Mike's decision. I'd still think the latter is more likely, as Totten and Cowsill both played their last show on the same night. Either that, or Totten chose to step down and Mike used that as the moment to also let Cowsill go.

The Christian Love interview was, erm, interesting. The guy has a really particular demeanor, I'll say that. He might be the least enthusiastic interview I've ever heard regarding someone in or around the Beach Boys that *isn't* angry or grumpy or grinding any axe. His answers are all just kind of neutral and matter of fact. He just really doesn't have much to say, and doesn't sound bored, but doesn't really sound like he has a lot of passion for being in the band either. It's just kind of the thing he does, and he's generally content about it.

I appreciate the moments where he's just very straighforward and forthcoming, though. Like, he's asked about Brian, and he just flat out says he's *never* really had a conversation with Brian. He said Brian has been nice to him, but they don't actually really talk.

Does he like the other Beach Boys children? Sure, he's got nothing bad to say about them. He works with some of them, he'd be fine working with any of them. Is he excited to do so? I dunno, not really? Does he have anything else to say about working with Matt Jardine other than he did work with him? Naw, not really. Does he get along with Al? Sure, Al's always been nice to him. Is being friendly with people his Dad doesn't get along with a problem?  No, I guess. He just stays out of it.

One of the most boring, flatline, yet interesting interviews.

I'm sure part of it is just his personality; he's a reserved dude and it's hard to tell sometimes where "reserved" ends and "bored" begins.

[SMiLE Brian]

I think the BBs drama he witnessed as a kid has made him a very detached person.

[Shark]

I've heard the same thing regarding Totten losing his voice and that he wouldn't be able to hold up on the pace that the band tours at.  I heard that it was his decision to leave.  Cowsill is a lot more murky. 

[SMiLE Brian]

Thanks shark…,

[Zenobi]

Whatever the reasons, great losses. They were really a tight band with Scott and John. In fact, Beach Boys fans have been blessed for many years with THREE very good bands.

[El Molé]

I had the same thoughts about that interview, quite strange in tone and perspective. He didn’t sound particularly enthusiastic about his role, which is perhaps understandable if you’ve been in its orbit via family for so long. I think there’s more evident joy and enthusiasm from (for example) Wendy and Carnie playing with Al, or from some of the non-family band members of previous eras.

Perhaps more disturbing was hearing John Cowsill’s comments (from a different podcast) on being let go from the band last year (which I only heard today):

“I got the call that they’re going in a new direction and its basically Stamos’ Beach Boys, and he found a new drummer for the band that he likes”

I know what the touring band is and what Mike values, I think, but it’s pretty disturbing and depressing to hear that phrase (Stamos’ Beach Boys) from someone pretty close to it all. I fear what happens to the license when Mike finally retires!

I don't know if this was covered elsewhere, but I was just listening recently to an episode of the "Surf's Up" podcast with an interview with Christian Love, and they ask Christian about the departure of Totten and Cowsill.

I was surprised that Christian was relatively direct about it. He said Scott Totten had started having trouble singing, and that's why he stepped down. As for Cowsill, Christian said something along the lines of "sometimes he can be a nice guy, and sometimes he can be difficult."

Obviously not firm answers to all the questions one might have, but there's some more context for you. I'm not sure if he was saying Totten had trouble singing and volunteered to step down, or if it was still Mike's decision. I'd still think the latter is more likely, as Totten and Cowsill both played their last show on the same night. Either that, or Totten chose to step down and Mike used that as the moment to also let Cowsill go.

The Christian Love interview was, erm, interesting. The guy has a really particular demeanor, I'll say that. He might be the least enthusiastic interview I've ever heard regarding someone in or around the Beach Boys that *isn't* angry or grumpy or grinding any axe. His answers are all just kind of neutral and matter of fact. He just really doesn't have much to say, and doesn't sound bored, but doesn't really sound like he has a lot of passion for being in the band either. It's just kind the thing he does, and he's generally content about it.

I appreciate the moments where he's just very straighforward and forthcoming, though. Like, he's asked about Brian, and he just flat out says he's *never* really had a conversation with Brian. He said Brian has been nice to him, but they don't actually really talk.

Does he like the other Beach Boys children? Sure, he's got nothing bad to say about them. He works with some of them, he'd be fine working with any of them. Is he excited to do so? I dunno, not really? Does he have anything else to say about working with Matt Jardine other than he did work with him? Naw, not really. Does he get along with Al? Sure, Al's always been nice to him. Is being friendly with people his Dad doesn't get along with a problem?  No, I guess. He just stays out of it.

One of the most boring, flatline, yet interesting interviews.

I'm sure part of it is just his personality; he's a reserved dude and it's hard to tell sometimes where "reserved" ends and "bored" begins.

[Zenobi]

Stamos' Beach Boys, indeed? Sure! DO IT! DO IT!

I  think Scott Totten is being extremely gentlemanly (as usual). Not saying that John is a not a gentleman, but he is surely a more direct guy.

No wonder that that talentless exploiter does not appreciate them. What a travesty.

[HeyJude]

The thing about Totten though is that he was the musical director. As someone put it years ago, he saved Mike's touring reputation when he took over as musical director. Mike's band was sounding pretty dire in the first few years after Carl and Al were gone, and it picked up when Totten joined in 2000/2001, and even more so around 2007 when Totten became musical director and they put Cowsill on drums.

So I'm curious why they couldn't explore keeping Totten as musical director and playing guitar even if he didn't sing at all or as much. Does the new guitarist in the band even sing in the harmony stack?

[HeyJude]

I had the same thoughts about that interview, quite strange in tone and perspective. He didn’t sound particularly enthusiastic about his role, which is perhaps understandable if you’ve been in its orbit via family for so long. I think there’s more evident joy and enthusiasm from (for example) Wendy and Carnie playing with Al, or from some of the non-family band members of previous eras.

Perhaps more disturbing was hearing John Cowsill’s comments (from a different podcast) on being let go from the band last year (which I only heard today):

“I got the call that they’re going in a new direction and its basically Stamos’ Beach Boys, and he found a new drummer for the band that he likes”

I know what the touring band is and what Mike values, I think, but it’s pretty disturbing and depressing to hear that phrase (Stamos’ Beach Boys) from someone pretty close to it all. I fear what happens to the license when Mike finally retires!

I think the kind of unspoken subtext is that Christian Love probably just took the gig because his Dad gave him the job, and it probably pays pretty well.

In the interview they ask about how he joined the touring band, and he talks about how his Dad had wanted him in the band to play bass, but Christian didn't want to play bass, and eventually he was brought in on guitar. But he doesn't say why *he* (Christian) *wanted* to be in the band. He says why his Dad wanted him. But it's kind of just implied that if you're not doing anything else and your Dad is Mike Love and he wants you to join the band, you just do it.

It sounds like either Christian didn't pursue it, and just took the gig because "why not?", or he's leaving out that he pursued the gig at some point or points (which might have, I'm just *guessing*, amounted more to someone asking their parent for a job because they need the paycheck).

He didn't discuss in the interview that he actually left the band before the reunion tour started, and I think it was a couple/few years before he returned again. I think it was after Mike hired Eichenberger away from Brian's band, but then after a year or two Eichenberger left. I'd have to look up the specific timeline.

Somebody at some point said Christian was into tournament beach volleyball (kind of implying he was *more* into that than playing with the Beach Boys), and that's maybe why he left for awhile.

I appreciate the guy's honesty to the degree he's offering it, and I don't expect everybody that comes through the band to be an uber expert, but it was kind of weird that he specifically went out of his way to say he's not familiar with the band's back catalog. He's obviously familiar with some songs. But I think it's VERY strange and disappointing if someone plays in a band for DECADES and has never gotten around to familiarizing themselves with that band's whole catalog?

I dunno. Does Rusty Anderson know all the songs on "Press to Play?" Maybe not.

[SMiLE Brian]

Totten’s impact on the touring band cannot be overstated, made a solid touring unit within Mike’s financial wishes…

[Lonely Summer]

The thing about Totten though is that he was the musical director. As someone put it years ago, he saved Mike's touring reputation when he took over as musical director. Mike's band was sounding pretty dire in the first few years after Carl and Al were gone, and it picked up when Totten joined in 2000/2001, and even more so around 2007 when Totten became musical director and they put Cowsill on drums.

So I'm curious why they couldn't explore keeping Totten as musical director and playing guitar even if he didn't sing at all or as much. Does the new guitarist in the band even sing in the harmony stack?

We can only guess, and my guess is that he was ready for a break.
Or...(cue up dramatic music)
"someone can make you ready"
 

[Jim V.]

I dunno. Does Rusty Anderson know all the songs on "Press to Play?" Maybe not.

I know Rusty Anderson is one of the guys in McCartney's band, can't remember which one though. But funny story...

I vaguely remember reading once something along these lines: Paul and band were rehearsing and broke into a little thing called "Check My Machine" and the guys were excited and wanted Paul to pursue it, not knowing that the song was a b-side in 1980!

[Rocker]

Just saw this on youtube. The current Totton and Cowsill-less band:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t15EB3lL0-k