The Beach Boys in 1981 - What were they thinking?

[Rocky Raccoon]

I find this most disastrous period for the band highly intriguing.  Carl was gone, Brian and Dennis were prominently featured despite being in no condition to be there and from what I can tell, by this time, the group had completed their transition from one of the most influential and creative of their time to a 60s cover band paying half-assed tribute to themselves.  I've seen some of the Long Beach video and it is depressing.  It's hard to find information about what exactly was happening behind the scenes at that time (a sign of how insignificant the band had become by then).  How did the still tight band who rocked Knebworth not too long before stoop so low?  Was nobody concerned about Brian and Dennis?  Was Carl leaving a reason for the decline or did Carl leave because of the decline?  What the hell were they doing touring then in the first place?

[Jason]

It was just a matter of going on with what they had. Carl was with them in the early months of 1981 and was gone by March. With the lack of Carl in the lineup Brian's inevitable return was required in order to have more Wilsons onstage. Those gigs were their worst.

[phirnis]

Except for the bad mixing I never found the Long Beach concert to be THAT disastrous.

[Rocky Raccoon]

Oh and one thing I forgot to mention.  They played the Sun City resort in South Africa during the height of Apartheid, something highly frowned upon by American entertainers at the time.  I guess the Beach Boys weren't paying much attention to politics.

[Sheriff John Stone]

Except for the bad mixing I never found the Long Beach concert to be THAT disastrous.

I agree. There's something about Brian's voice during that 1981 period that i find, um...fascinating. At least preferable to what it was to become when he resurfaced with Landy.

[Nicko1234]

Oh and one thing I forgot to mention.  They played the Sun City resort in South Africa during the height of Apartheid, something highly frowned upon by American entertainers at the time.  I guess the Beach Boys weren't paying much attention to politics.

An awful lot of acts did the same though...

[mikeddonn]

I watched some of it last night and was thinking the same thing.  It wasn't as bad (apart from the mix) as I remember from the last time I watched it. And I liked Brian's voice.  I always thought he did an admirable job anyway bearing in mind he sang his heart out even though he would have probably much rather have been someplace else.  It's cool when he realises he should probably sing a bit lower on Don't Worry Baby and starts changing the melody slightly to accommodate this.  Same goes for his ad libs on the tag of God Only Knows.  At this point he was troubled but I'd say still in control IMO.

[c-man]

It was just a matter of going on with what they had. Carl was with them in the early months of 1981 and was gone by March. With the lack of Carl in the lineup Brian's inevitable return was required in order to have more Wilsons onstage. Those gigs were their worst.

Brian was with them throughout most of 1980 (with a few exceptions, such as their gig here in Omaha that summer and the Mike Douglas in Hawaii beach-side mini-concert), as well as the early '81 shows when Carl was still in the band.  He did miss their appearance on the televised Cheerleader championship after Carl's departure, but I don't think it's accurate to say they brought Brian back in to offset Carl's absence, as has often been written.  What is true is that Brian had to take on more lead vocals with Carl out.

[Phoenix]

1981 was the only time I ever saw the Beach Boys in concert (tho I've seen Brian several times since then) and at the stop I saw, we didn't get Dennis either.  Press reports at the time said he was out with an "abscessed tooth" which I think was debunked later.  At the time I LOVED it (I was very young) but looking back it was certainly a head scratcher. 

The only albums I had then were Endless Summer, Spirit Of America, and the two live albums so I didn't blink at "Little Old Lady From Pasadena" or "Long Tall Texan" because (having been on their live albums) I assumed they'd released studio versions of them at some point.  I remembered Chuck Berry's "School Days" from the previous year's Independence Day concert and that it was on their last album so I liked its inclusion so they weren't doing ALL oldies (even tho the song itself is still an oldie). 

I've read on Eric's site that the tour featured the usual "Chinese fire drill" on "Help Me Rhonda" but when I saw them, Brian and Bruce switched keyboards (which baffled me then), but Carter stayed on bass and Foskett played the solo. 

[Lowbacca]

Mike Love starring in the 1981 smash hit Hot Tub Time Machine 

ttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bxqX4FuZnA

[phirnis]

Except for the bad mixing I never found the Long Beach concert to be THAT disastrous.

I agree. There's something about Brian's voice during that 1981 period that i find, um...fascinating. At least preferable to what it was to become when he resurfaced with Landy.

Right, his singing I think had lots of personality at the time. While he didn't sound totally brilliant I really like his performance of "God Only Knows". "Don't Worry Baby" is kind of unfortunate of course but it gets better as soon as he decides to sing it in a different way. I also like some of Dennis' drumming from the Long Beach footage. He sounds very energetic on "School Days" and I also kind of like the new look he was sporting at the time.

[SonicVolcano]

I love the way Dennis encourages Brian throughout Don't Worry Baby from that concert. Despite his problems, he would always support his older brother.

[Eric Aniversario]

I've read on Eric's site that the tour featured the usual "Chinese fire drill" on "Help Me Rhonda" but when I saw them, Brian and Bruce switched keyboards (which baffled me then), but Carter stayed on bass and Foskett played the solo. 

One might think that since this is on my own site (where, I'm not sure), I'd know what this is about, but what is the Chinese fire drill? I've only known that as the college prank where everyone gets out of their car and switches seats when stopped at a traffic light.

[zachrwolfe]

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[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

Except for the bad mixing I never found the Long Beach concert to be THAT disastrous.

I agree. There's something about Brian's voice during that 1981 period that i find, um...fascinating. At least preferable to what it was to become when he resurfaced with Landy.

Also, at least drumming-wise, Dennis was pretty on it at that show!

[Sheriff John Stone]

I saw The Beach Boys in Hershey, PA in 1981. I had General Admission tickets, waited in the parking lot for three hours until they let us in, literally sprinted to the front of the stage like a settler staking his land, and made it to the first row! Brian was wearing that same white buttoned shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and those shiny, navy warm-up pants with sneakers. And, he sang lead on those same songs as the televised concert. If I would've heard a bootleg tape or seen a YouTube video (which wasn't around in those days), I might feel differently, but he sounded like he nailed the leads vocals on that night. He actually acted pretty normal. While he wasn't animated at all, he wasn't zombie-like or expressionless. He occasionally smiled and occasionally acknowledged the crowd. I just remember being surprised and ecstatic at the way he was singing. He didn't miss a word, tried to hit the notes, and was actually singing instead of shouting. I also remember Mike walking over to the piano and interacting with Brian a few times, and Mike also introduced him and mentioned him a few times that night; they were obviously trying to highlight or feature Brian. Yes, they missed Carl, but the show rocked and I had a great time.

[Magic Transistor Radio]

Who was the band leader in Carl's absence?

[c-man]

1981 was the only time I ever saw the Beach Boys in concert (tho I've seen Brian several times since then) and at the stop I saw, we didn't get Dennis either.  Press reports at the time said he was out with an "abscessed tooth" which I think was debunked later.  At the time I LOVED it (I was very young) but looking back it was certainly a head scratcher. 

The only albums I had then were Endless Summer, Spirit Of America, and the two live albums so I didn't blink at "Little Old Lady From Pasadena" or "Long Tall Texan" because (having been on their live albums) I assumed they'd released studio versions of them at some point.  I remembered Chuck Berry's "School Days" from the previous year's Independence Day concert and that it was on their last album so I liked its inclusion so they weren't doing ALL oldies (even tho the song itself is still an oldie). 

I've read on Eric's site that the tour featured the usual "Chinese fire drill" on "Help Me Rhonda" but when I saw them, Brian and Bruce switched keyboards (which baffled me then), but Carter stayed on bass and Foskett played the solo. 

Hmmm...are you sure this wasn't early '82?  Foskett didn't start until Sun City at the very end of '81...

[petsite]

I was 22 at that time and got to witness the Beach Boys at close range (backstage). I asked Bruce later why did you guys let Brian sing Dont Worry Baby? Bruce said what do you mean? It's Brian's song!

There was a group of us fans at the time that thought they were trying to shame Brian into straightening up. As I got older, what really upset me about this time is that the group, for the first time, didn't give a damn about there fans. Ohterwise, they would have stopped and regrouped. But they just plowed on. Also, it was around this time Mike declared bankruptcy, so that played a factor I am sure.

[Ian]

yeah-if Jeff was there it was early 82.  Where did you see them?  By the way-not to keep plugging away-but if you are really interested in this period-check out the recent book I co-wrote with Jon Stebbins-The Beach Boys In Concert-we cover this time in a lot of detail. 

[runnersdialzero]

Brian could have sang "Don't Worry, Baby" totally fine if they'd just changed the damn key. Otherwise, yeah, he had (and still has) every right to sing the song and I'd rather listen to that performance than any version with Jeff Foskett or Adrien Baker on vocals.

Dennis' encouragement in that video is indeed a really cool moment, too.

[Rocky Raccoon]

Brian could have sang "Don't Worry, Baby" totally fine if they'd just changed the damn key.

He sounded great singing it in 1998 on the Imagination DVD and in 2000 on the Live at the Roxy album.

[petsite]

Ian, I told Jon that I had some stories about the guys in their stops here in Houston in the late '70s early '80s. I put one up here on this site. I will put it here again:

Reflections of their February 12, 1981 show - The Summit, Houston TX [w/ Randy Meisner & The Silverados]

I always feel like a broken record with this story. But it made a huge impact on me. I spent the first 30 mins in the lobby talking with Sterling Smith (one of their touring keyboardists). He was from Columbus Ohio and knew a friend of my brother's from the Columbus music scene. Al Jardine was friendly. Bruce was good. Dennis was Dennis. A good friend of mine who knoew Dennis told me how to act with him. If he challenges you (throwing the LP across the lobby), you just confront him back. Want to hear something so weird? I was so calm around these guys, like I knew them all my life. Bobby F. was nice too.

I remember Brian coming down in the glass elevator because my girlfriend pulled on my shirt and pointed "Is that him? My God Bob!"

I just shook my head and said hi. Brian ignored me cause he was too busy noticing Dennis being back. "Hey Bri, sign this guy's LP. He's alright." Then I handed Brian the lead sheet for Still I Dream Of It and it stopped him dead in his tracks. "Where did you get this??" I got it from BRI. Alan was like "What is it a lead sheet for? Still I Dream Of It? Man, great tune Bri!" I said you should release it (I had heard it by then from a dub of Adult Child). Brian shook his head and said no, the song sucked. He signed it and left for the bus....in 20 degree weather barefoot. Alan said "Not again...man."

I always got the feeling that Alan Jardine was a man with a broken heart when it came to the group.

[Wirestone]

Brian could have sang "Don't Worry, Baby" totally fine if they'd just changed the damn key.

He sounded great singing it in 1998 on the Imagination DVD and in 2000 on the Live at the Roxy album.

It was in a lower key on both of those instances. And yes, I'd prefer that to Foskett. On the other hand, I have to imagine that Brian wants it done in the original way ...

[Phoenix]

I saw them at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, MD in the summer of 1981 (one of my very first concerts).  As I grew up and started figuring out who was who, I always remembered it as being Foskett.  I recall (which we know doesn't really mean anything with the way our memories can play tricks on us) later recognizing him at the Live Aid performance, where ironically enough, he played the solo on "Help Me Rhonda".  Perusing Eric's site to make sure I wasn't misremembering anything, I saw that most of the concerts listed Adrian Baker as the attending falsettist (not to mention the fact that he's right there in the Long Beach video) so I did some online research because I recalled hearing that Jeff started working with the Boys in 1980. 

Wikipedia (I know...) says "In late 1979, Mike Love stopped by the famous Santa Barbara restaurant 1129 where Reverie was the house band. Love listened to Foskett and hired Reverie as the original incarnation of The Endless Summer Beach Band. The band toured with Love through 1981 when Foskett replaced Carl Wilson who briefly left the Beach Boys to pursue a solo career. When Wilson rejoined the Beach Boys in May 1982, Foskett was asked to stay, which he did until 1991."  Granted it even says that bit needs a citation.   But this show on Eric's site also lists Jeff as being there, along with the "fire drill" ("Bruce on bass" for "Help Me Rhonda").  http://members.tripod.com/~fun_fun_fun/7-1-81.html    As I said, I could be misremembering but I'm pretty sure the show in MD was even in July. 


A couple of other items: As much as I like Foskett now (and boy, do I) I remember thinking (at Live Aid etc, if not at the concert) "Who the Hell is THIS guy taking leads and playing solos???" especially at Live Aid, where Carl Wilson was standing RIGHT THERE!

Apologies for the confusing bit about the Chinese fire drill.  I always thought it weird that they did all that on "Help Me Rhonda".  At its most encompassing, Bruce would play bass, Brian would switch to Bruce's electric piano, Dennis would get on Brian's piano, Bobby or whoever would take over the drums, and Carter would switch from bass to lead guitar.  Things would vary, depending on who was in attendance and I still don't know what the point was. 

At first, I thought it was to put Bruce on bass for a song (the way we now get Brian strapping it on for the encores) and as discussed in the thread about the "new" live version of "Rhonda" (on MIC), Carter apparently is playing the solo (as per the fire drill) but without Bruce there, why?  Furthermore, when I saw them, I'm 90% sure just Brian and Bruce switched, while Carter played bass for the whole show.  Growing up I thought maybe Bruce's (rarely audible) piano was just a prop and Bruce switched to the acoustic one to make some noise on "Rhonda".  At the show when they switched I thought, "Oh. Interesting" but it didn't really sound any different and they switched back right after that song.  Whatever, huh?

And finally, I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to the new book, Ian!  Things have been extremely tight for me lately but it will probably be the next "non-essential" purchase I make.