Reasons to Love Mike Love

[Mr. Cohen]

That's what this topic is for.

1. Wrote the hook for "Good Vibrations". Honestly, without his bass hook, does the song become as big of a hit? No.
2. Beyond even his vocal performance, I'm pretty most of "All I Wanna Do" was written by Mike Love. If you look at the chords, most of the lines just switch between two chords, which is the hallmark of Mike Love songwriting. It looks like Brian took the chords, added some sevenths, and made an arrangement.
3. He inspired "Do It Again".
4. He brought Transcendental Meditation to all of the BBs. You can call Al Jardine a square, but he's been to far out places in his mind where bubbles and ripples float. Have you? And all thanks to Mike Love.
5. Mike Love, for better or worse, has been the bedrock of the BBs. No way would they have made it as a group into the 80s without Mike.
6. Came up with hooks and lyrics for the early hits.
7. Turned "Kokomo" into an insanely catchy song with his additional hooks. What, you don't like "Kokomo"? Brian Wilson thinks it's a great song.

Continue, please...

[LostArt]

He has good taste in turbans.

[Shady]

Nice thread.

I personally love Mike because he stuck it all out. The highs and lows, and he was always there with a pen ready to write.

Oh and "Sumahama"

[Mr. Cohen]

10. He made a serious effort to get Brian to write in the late 70s, early 80s. Some people may not like the results, but he tried.

[hypehat]

11. His name is ripe for punning, which he knows all too well...

[punkinhead]

let the wind blow
his absence on Friends LP  
Big Sur

[Ron]

Mike's great, what's not to Love? 

[willy]

Mike's vocal on 'I Just got My Pay' is sublime.

Another vote for the sumptuous 'Sumahama'.

Another vote for the lyrics to 'Good Vibrations' — the early version is terrible imho, and should've been left off BWPS.

'All I Wanna Do' is either a 2:37 mystical experience or the musical equivalent to sharing a warm chocolate bath with Eva Longoria.


Like him or loathe him he is highly entertaining, and that is what the business is all about.  

[Ron]

Yup, he has character, even though it's often bad character, which is very hard to teach somebody, or for someone to develop.  He's corny, he's cheesy, he's a fucking musical force!!!!

I'll tell you another thing too, when he sang things like the first line to "Little Deuce Coupe" or "409" he was COOL, yet another thing that can't be faked

[Magic Transistor Radio]

I always thought that he had the best look. Clothes, beard, etc. Also, I am glad that he was a Beach Boy because other wise we might have had to put up with him as a stand up comedian.

[shelter]

Imagine a Beach Boys live show without Mike. Would be a bunch of guys behind instruments and mic stands without anyone really moving or saying much. Would be pretty dull. Mike's the only one (maybe apart from Dennis when Ricky played drums) who really acted as a frontman.

[Andrew G. Doe]

He's kissed girls and liked it. 

[Mr. Cohen]

Another reason: he talked about wanting to kill Landy on national TV. And it looked like he had tears in his eyes.

[Don_Zabu]

The jewelled turban, the lame waistcoat... dude's a legend.

[Ron]

I'm particularly fond of his rant at the Hall of Fame.  I never understood why people didn't like that.  That's the epitome of Rock N' Roll.  

Look, they told Mike they were going to induct him and his friends into the ROCK AND ROLL hall of fame.  So he showed up, drunk off his ass like any proper rock star, and proceeded to get beligerant and insult a bunch of people in attendance.  What's the problem?  

"And I think it's wonderful to be here tonight, but I also think it's sad that there are other people who aren't here tonight. And, uh, those are the people who have passed away, those are the obvious ones. But the other not-so-obvious ones are people like Paul McCartney, who couldn't be here tonight because he's in a lawsuit with Ringo and Yoko. That's what he sent a telegram to some, uh, high priced attorney in this room, you know. And that's a bummer, because we're talking about harmony, right, and the world. If we can't get it together in America and in England, and harmony within our groups. I mean, beleive it, you can beleive it the Beach Boys have their own "interstescene" (not sure what Mike is trying to say here, and neither does Mike) or whatever you call it, squabbles. But that's a bummer when Ms. Ross can't make it, you know?" "The Beach Boys have continued to do, about, we did about 180 performances last year. I'd like to see the Mop-Tops match that! I'd like to see Mick Jagger get out on this stage and do I Get Around versus Jumpin' Jack Flash, any day now. And I'd like to see some people kick out the jams, and I challenge the Boss to get up on stage and jam. (during Mike's pause, someone in the house band plays the theremin line of "Good Vibrations" during the crowds tepid response) I wanna see Billy Joel, see if he can still tickle ivories, lemmee see. I know Mick Jagger won't be here tonight, he's gonna have to stay in England. But I'd like to see us in the Coliseum and he at Wembley Stadium because he's always been chickenshit to get on stage with the Beach Boys."

I mean I love Mick Jagger, Paul McCartney, and Diana Ross, and Billy Joel, but that was awesome.  

[Ron]

I'm particularly fond of his rant at the Hall of Fame.  I never understood why people didn't like that.  That's the epitome of Rock N' Roll.  

Look, they told Mike they were going to induct him and his friends into the ROCK AND ROLL hall of fame.  So he showed up, drunk off his ass like any proper rock star, and proceeded to get beligerant and insult a bunch of people not in attendance.  What's the problem?  

"And I think it's wonderful to be here tonight, but I also think it's sad that there are other people who aren't here tonight. And, uh, those are the people who have passed away, those are the obvious ones. But the other not-so-obvious ones are people like Paul McCartney, who couldn't be here tonight because he's in a lawsuit with Ringo and Yoko. That's what he sent a telegram to some, uh, high priced attorney in this room, you know. And that's a bummer, because we're talking about harmony, right, and the world. If we can't get it together in America and in England, and harmony within our groups. I mean, beleive it, you can beleive it the Beach Boys have their own "interstescene" (not sure what Mike is trying to say here, and neither does Mike) or whatever you call it, squabbles. But that's a bummer when Ms. Ross can't make it, you know?" "The Beach Boys have continued to do, about, we did about 180 performances last year. I'd like to see the Mop-Tops match that! I'd like to see Mick Jagger get out on this stage and do I Get Around versus Jumpin' Jack Flash, any day now. And I'd like to see some people kick out the jams, and I challenge the Boss to get up on stage and jam. (during Mike's pause, someone in the house band plays the theremin line of "Good Vibrations" during the crowds tepid response) I wanna see Billy Joel, see if he can still tickle ivories, lemmee see. I know Mick Jagger won't be here tonight, he's gonna have to stay in England. But I'd like to see us in the Coliseum and he at Wembley Stadium because he's always been chickenshit to get on stage with the Beach Boys."

I mean I love Mick Jagger, Paul McCartney, and Diana Ross, and Billy Joel, but that was awesome.  

[oldsurferdude]

I'm particularly fond of his rant at the Hall of Fame.  I never understood why people didn't like that.  That's the epitome of Rock N' Roll.  

Look, they told Mike they were going to induct him and his friends into the ROCK AND ROLL hall of fame.  So he showed up, drunk off his ass like any proper rock star, and proceeded to get beligerant and insult a bunch of people in attendance.  What's the problem?  

"And I think it's wonderful to be here tonight, but I also think it's sad that there are other people who aren't here tonight. And, uh, those are the people who have passed away, those are the obvious ones. But the other not-so-obvious ones are people like Paul McCartney, who couldn't be here tonight because he's in a lawsuit with Ringo and Yoko. That's what he sent a telegram to some, uh, high priced attorney in this room, you know. And that's a bummer, because we're talking about harmony, right, and the world. If we can't get it together in America and in England, and harmony within our groups. I mean, beleive it, you can beleive it the Beach Boys have their own "interstescene" (not sure what Mike is trying to say here, and neither does Mike) or whatever you call it, squabbles. But that's a bummer when Ms. Ross can't make it, you know?" "The Beach Boys have continued to do, about, we did about 180 performances last year. I'd like to see the Mop-Tops match that! I'd like to see Mick Jagger get out on this stage and do I Get Around versus Jumpin' Jack Flash, any day now. And I'd like to see some people kick out the jams, and I challenge the Boss to get up on stage and jam. (during Mike's pause, someone in the house band plays the theremin line of "Good Vibrations" during the crowds tepid response) I wanna see Billy Joel, see if he can still tickle ivories, lemmee see. I know Mick Jagger won't be here tonight, he's gonna have to stay in England. But I'd like to see us in the Coliseum and he at Wembley Stadium because he's always been chickenshit to get on stage with the Beach Boys."

I mean I love Mick Jagger, Paul McCartney, and Diana Ross, and Billy Joel, but that was awesome.  

In your own mind it was.

[Don_Zabu]

I'm particularly fond of his rant at the Hall of Fame.  I never understood why people didn't like that.  That's the epitome of Rock N' Roll.  

Look, they told Mike they were going to induct him and his friends into the ROCK AND ROLL hall of fame.  So he showed up, drunk off his ass like any proper rock star, and proceeded to get beligerant and insult a bunch of people in attendance.  What's the problem?  

"And I think it's wonderful to be here tonight, but I also think it's sad that there are other people who aren't here tonight. And, uh, those are the people who have passed away, those are the obvious ones. But the other not-so-obvious ones are people like Paul McCartney, who couldn't be here tonight because he's in a lawsuit with Ringo and Yoko. That's what he sent a telegram to some, uh, high priced attorney in this room, you know. And that's a bummer, because we're talking about harmony, right, and the world. If we can't get it together in America and in England, and harmony within our groups. I mean, beleive it, you can beleive it the Beach Boys have their own "interstescene" (not sure what Mike is trying to say here, and neither does Mike) or whatever you call it, squabbles. But that's a bummer when Ms. Ross can't make it, you know?" "The Beach Boys have continued to do, about, we did about 180 performances last year. I'd like to see the Mop-Tops match that! I'd like to see Mick Jagger get out on this stage and do I Get Around versus Jumpin' Jack Flash, any day now. And I'd like to see some people kick out the jams, and I challenge the Boss to get up on stage and jam. (during Mike's pause, someone in the house band plays the theremin line of "Good Vibrations" during the crowds tepid response) I wanna see Billy Joel, see if he can still tickle ivories, lemmee see. I know Mick Jagger won't be here tonight, he's gonna have to stay in England. But I'd like to see us in the Coliseum and he at Wembley Stadium because he's always been chickenshit to get on stage with the Beach Boys."

I mean I love Mick Jagger, Paul McCartney, and Diana Ross, and Billy Joel, but that was awesome.  

It wasn't so much "rock-star drunk" as "deadbeat father drunk".

[OGoldin]

All This is That

The last line of Cabinessence -- no one has done it better.

And his anchoring the girls-in-bikinis/fast cars/American flag/love of $$$/Republican politics/clean-living pole of the Beach Boys has made it possible for their story to be epic and powerful, iconic and symbolic of the tensions, aspirations, and struggles of the baby boomers, and, beyond that, of America and the West in general.

[Menace Wilson]

I'm pretty sure Brian wrote the bass line on Good Vibrations.  Mike just put words to it.  I'll give him credit for the lyrics, not the hook.  

I do like the sound of Mike's voice when he used to sing in "pretty" mode.  Somebody already mentioned "All I Wanna Do".  Like him on "Meant For You" and "Airplane" too.  I'm sure there are other good examples I'm forgetting.  

He's also an important part of one of the most amazing vocal blends in the history of pop music.  His bass always sounded great to me (except maybe his goofy voice on live renditions of "Heroes and Villains").

On some levels, I also appreciate his abrasive sense of humor.  

[Alex]

On some levels, I also appreciate his abrasive sense of humor.  

"California Girls are pregnant"!!!!

[Mikie]

Another vote for the lyrics to 'Good Vibrations' — the early version is terrible imho, and should've been left off BWPS.

I respectfully disagree.

[punkinhead]

gotta admit I might act him a bit when I sing Beach Boys karaoke   

[Mikie]

Wrote the hook for "Good Vibrations". Honestly, without his bass hook, does the song become as big of a hit?

Yes. All Mike did was write "I'm pickin' up Good Vibrations, she's givin' me excitations". BFD.

I think Mike got more credit than he deserved for co-writing songs . He walked away from court with no resistance. "Wouldn't It Be Nice" is a good example. Ask Tony Asher.

Mike wrote some real good lyrics for the "Today" and "Wild Honey" albums. I'll give him that. And the two notes he played on the sax on "Shut Down".

There's a list of negative things that Mike Love has been responsible for, along the lines of being a jerk. But the biggest thing he's done to counter that and redeem himself is to spread the word of Brian throughout the world for almost 50 years. He's helped to bring a lot of joy to people over the years and hung in there with the Mike & Bruce show. Now.........if he would let Al Jardine and Dave Marks back in the band where they belong, I'll have a more positive opinion of Mike Love.

[Mike's Beard]

I'd personally like to give thanks to Mike Love because if he hadn't grown that humongous ginger beard back in the day I'd have to think of another online name to use on this site.  Whats that? You thought that was my real name??