The Smiley Smile Message Board

From Blondie's Facebook page:


This great news!

That is awesome.  I hope he comes with them to Westbury too though!

I wonder what would happen if Brian invited Mike and Buce along for the tour? Brian and the BAD promotional "team"(if such a thing exists) could cover the expenses, and we could have another real Beach Boys tour since Mike and Bruce wouldn't have to worry about the financial issues. Of course, it's not that simple, but it's a nice thought.

Aw man, am I glad I sprang for decent seats! What an absolute treat! If they do Wild Honey, I'm in danger of transforming into pure energy.

That is fantastic!!

Oh man. I hope there's a chance maybe that he will be added to more dates. I'm going to the St. Augustine show, and I would be floored if I were to see Brian, Al, Blondie, and David all together.

And I know this is gonna upset Stebbins and co., but I'm actually way more excited about Blondie being involved with Brian and Al then I am with Dave. I guess it's because he is the singer of one of my favorite BW tunes.

IIRC, it was Mike who made it clear that Brian wasn't welcome to tour with him. Not sure why it's Brian's job to fix that.

Atlanta, please!

Totally happy my friend Blondie got a gig with the guys. I did all I could to encourage that occurrence... as did Howie. We're both stoked it became a reality. Congrats Blonds.

This Oakland gig is getting better and better!  And have you seen the lady in Jeff's group that will be playing violin and doing background vocals in Brian's band? Ooooooowe!!!  Shades of Taylor Mills!  And Jeff's bass player looks like she's a top shelf player too!

One of the comments on Blondie's page said........."Feel like Leaving This Town to go and see one of those shows."  ;D

Taylor who?  ;)

Yeah, no kidding.  Her presence is missed.

Fabulous news all around.

...

And surely this thickens the plot around the naming rights, no? As someone stated, this now means that Brian's tour will feature twice as many Beach Boys as Mike's.

Sweeeeeeeeet

This is amazing news! I'm going to the one at the Beacon in NYC. It's like another reunion. If we get Ricky, then we have that magic #5. Now invite Carl's kids out

Hope to see him in DC.   

As for the mention of Taylor Mills, I would love to hear her perform with the band again.

As for Beck's bass player, I heard from a friend just the other day, that she is quite the talent.

Boy, this tour really sounds like it's going to be pretty special. It would be a real shame if all of us somehow forget posted policies and we all brought along our best recording devices and hit the big red button by accident while aiming them carefully and not coughing or laughing in a weird way by the mic. A real shame.

Yeah, that would be so awful.

He should have been part of the C50 tour as well. Great news, nonetheless!

Can you convince Blondie to perform October 3 in St Augustine?   Thanks!

All this great news but not even a single date with ANYONE near Seattle!  >:(

M&B are going to have to call the full "full house" cast to keep up with this supergroup. ;D

Will do! ;)

'Supergroup'? Did someone say 'Supergroup'?  That's just what this is!  :thumbsup :woot :rock :thewilsons

AWESOME..!  I also smell a lawsuit building.!  BW + management could be building a strong case to take BB name away from Mike. Look what is happening. You got 4 BB in one band and 2 in another. And who has the rights to use The BEACH  BOYS name.. WHOA.! Im not saying its gonna happen cause im sure they are tired of wasting money on lawyers..And I know they could vote Mike"s rights away also.. Lawsuit anyway from Mike.. So they are setting a precedent if it went to court. it would have to be settled out of court and force all parties to play ball together.. Also isn't this also a way to set rules for the future generations use of the name.. ?  It"s obvious Brian + Al + David were really hurt by breaking up last year and they are striking back the only way they know how.. Recording + touring.. They all seem to think they will live forever and they got plenty of time.. Im sorry they don't.  

 I was and still am among the biggest critics of Mike putting a halt to more reunion gigs. But not much of any of this is realistically particularly possible. Brian can add Ricky Fataar, Bruce Johnston, John Stamos, and anybody else, and it will not result in either Mike losing the license to use the BB name, nor any valid reason for Mike to sue Brian.

I think the demise of the reunion showed a number of things. While one clearly evident thing is that it’s not all roses all of a sudden and they do still have disagreements, it also showed that in terms of the corporate/legal setup, they are all relatively comfortable with how things are, or at least see the uphill battle it would be to drastically change things. That’s not to say that there isn’t possibly some subtle warning shots being fired by Brian’s camp. When he went out with both Al and David, folks wondered if it was a case of trying to send a message to Mike. That was pretty debatable, but ultimately it was a case of three dudes simply continuing on who had toured together last year.

But now, if they are in fact actively seeking out Blondie Chaplin to sit in with the band, one has to wonder if that’s a slightly bigger indication of it being some sort of subtle political move. Not a move to take the BB name, but simply some motivation to get Mike to get the reunion back together, or maybe even a much more general political move to remind Mike that he doesn’t wield as much power as he might thing. But I’m not sure I buy this either. Mike said some complimentary things about Blondie (and Ricky) in a recent ESQ article about “Holland”, but I don’t get the sense that Mike would feel that Blondie touring with the “BAD” is some sort of wake-up call as if that makes the “BAD” (or do we call it “BBAD” for the Blondie shows?) tour a more legitimate “Beach Boys.” I’m pretty sure Brian could resurrect Carl and Dennis and add them to his band and Mike’s feeling of being the torchbearer for the Beach Boys would not change one bit. 

If nothing else, maybe it’s possible we can take it all on face value. Someone suggested having Blondie sing on Brian’s album, and then they all just decided, “Hey, let’s have Blondie play some shows with us!”

I think there's some missing of the forest for the trees here. I doubt there will be some sort of immediate action over the name. But just as BWPS was Brian and his folks asserting his ownership of the Smile story -- and his right to perform the music -- adding three Beach Boys to his touring outfit sends a similarly unmistakable signal. Brian still sees himself as a Beach Boy, and he can still lead a band with them. It reminds me a lot of Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe, where a band of former Yes members managed to tour and record more convincingly than the guys who then were using the Yes name. There was never an attempt to take the term Yes from Chris Squire -- but the very existence of ABWH made his version of Yes seem a little cheap and tacky.

And I'm sure that's all this is here. Nothing more, nothing less.

Fingers crossed for this one.

I agree with Wirestone .. There is a message being sent.. And the comparison to YES is very good.. I just wish BB would grow up... Time is short.. Even if they all live to be 100 yrs old.  How much longer are you all gonna be able to sing like that..  Kiss + make up please..

You really think that having twice as many Beach Boys onstage as Mike's band is like, a total happy accident? Come on.

That may well be true.

As long as Mike is continuing to sell tickets though I'm not sure how bothered he will be.

As do I. Even the least cynical of persons would probably find it a bit of a coincidental stretch that Blondie is now joining the tour for a few dates (and obviously the album). A not-so-subtle message -- whatever the intent -- is most likely being sent.

Though, the exact nature of that intent is still the million dollar question? That long, soap opera saga that we affectionately call the Beach Boys.........carries on. If they call up Ricky next (or Glen Campbell!)...it's game over...lol.

In any event, what a rich time, musically and historically, to be a Beach Boys fan -- whatever one's "poison." So many different flowers in the garden to pick from. Who could've ever imagined any of this 10 years ago? I can't wait for the upcoming "solo" album.....could be something really special. Would I rather have M&B involved as well? Probably. But, at the end of the day, this might be an even better artistic setup. More Al leads, Blondie vocals, etc. That is, the guy with currently the best voice was almost an afterthought on TWGMTR.

I strongly get the feeling that the BW camp is trying to lean on Mike to reconsider his recent stance on working with Brian again. Maybe Melinda has finally woken up to the fact that the name Brian Wilson is never going to sell that many tickets. Going down the legal route to wrestle the Beach Boys name away from Mike would no doubt result in a legal nightmare, getting them to all team together again for joint usage of the name has got to look like the more attractive proposition.

There is certainly that element to it and Jeff Beck's inclusion is testament to that.
 

I don't think it's as simple as the ticket sales angle. If it was just Brian and Jeff Beck, then yes, it would be that simple. Brian has toured like that before (back in 2001 with Paul Simon) and the benefits are clear.

But he's not going to attract more audiences with the addition of Al, Dave and Blondie, three folks who are all more obscure than him. Their addition has a lot more to do, IMO, with 1.) Brian's desire to keep working with a band like the Beach Boys and 2.) putting pressure on Mike in the press and fan circles, with one eye firmly on that band name.

Does the average fan even know or care who Blondie Chaplin is? He guested on one song that's well-liked by hardcore fans, but wasn't a big hit for the band. I don't see it as any indication of bigger things for the Brian/Beach Boys divide, other than that Blondie is making a lot less money now that the Rolling Stones fired him (mostly likely because they wanted to give his part of the budget to rehiring Mick Taylor), so he could use the money right now. I'm glad he got the gig and while I'm sure it pays less, one hopes he'll be paid something. He's also a better singer than Brian for "Sail On."

Easy Mikey, easy boy....

It"s amazing since Carl died Mike has been yappin about writing + recording with Brian.. He gets the chance + walks away.. WELL.. He did some writing with Brian just not the whole album..Brian even recorded one of Mike"s songs on the LP.. He got part of what he wanted anyway. Brian  is the reason the BB exists + he allways  has written with other people.  .At least 6 -8 other writers just off the top of my head.. Is this about money + ego or getting the best songs.?  Mike is not the writer he used to be. His lyrics are not as clever + sound like rehashes of other songs.. Mike doesn't write adult lyrics. That's what Brian is looking for now.. I do agree the C50 band was to big.. But they sure made a orchestra of sound together didn't they.. If Mike likes playing the Pomona fair + Pechanga casino  he is crazy.. Ill take the Hollywood bowl + Irvine meadows + Greek theatre anyday .. Places Brian played on his own that Mike has not + cant play..And the thing about the tour bus issue..Brian + Jeff on one bus + 4 other BB + 9 other musicians  on another bus.. Must have been  awful tight in that bus..And where did the road crew ride.?.There was a total of 2 busses + 2 big rigs In Indio when I was there..Why Mike was mad at Brian for his own bus is a mystery to me.. Brian has ISSUES.... Im sick of  Mikes  complaining  it doesn't ring true.. He just wants to control everything + Brian+ managment  was given control on C50 tour..And look at everything that's been recorded + issued..  Mike has taken his toys and walked away..

Keep preaching Mr. Wilson.

As far as point number 2 goes, I think that unless there is some legal wrangling going on behind the scenes that this will make no difference whatsoever to Mike. It certainly doesn't seem to have affected ticket sales this year for M&B.

I don't think Al, Dave or Blondie would attract that many other audience members. But it doesn't hurt to have the 'Brian with other Beach Boys' selling point. After all, Brian's management have (and this is not a criticism) very often come up with ways to make his tours unique from one another including Pet Sounds, Smile, greatest hits etc. To a degree they probably had run out of other ways to sell tickets so including guests isn't a bad idea.

Ah come on, it's a nice gesture! And he is actually a Beach Boy, as MIC attests.

A cracking post. :lol

WOW. Never thought id get made fun of on my last post.. I was only using info from the Rolling Stone spread from last year..

As far as trying to sell tickets goes...

I had a look at the available seats for one or two of the larger venues and it is scary how many empty seats there are. Now this may well be partly due to the tickets going on sale quite late and they are bound to shift some more. But if they could get some more '4 Beach Boys together' publicity going then it certainly wouldn't hurt.

What do you mean guested? Are you revising the history of The Beach Boys? Whether you like or dislike his time in the band makes no difference. Blondie was a full-fledged Beach Boy.

This has been in the works for a while. Glad it's all out now and the dates have been nailed down.
Spoke with Blondie this morning who's really happy about this.
Talked to Al the other night who's even MORE excited to have reconnected with Blondie, both personally and professionally.
Hopefully, next summer we can buy tickets in many markets with all four on board.

I'd love nothing more than to see David Marks and Blondie Chaplin onstage creating some brilliant NEW chemistry together.
How cool would that be?

I am agreement with ya, its nice to hear some fresh perspective in this debate.

To me, this all seems to be Brian's management constantly scrambling to get more attention for his projects this fall. However, that's hard to do when there isn't even an album title let alone a release date. The tour with Jeff Beck is a very unique Classic Rock experience, but seems to have earned mixed signals from both fan bases.

Where Mike and Bruce have all the publicity they need...THE BEACH BOYS.

why can't we all just get along..... :lol

How anybody can find anything negative over Blondie joining Brian, Al and Dave on stage is completely beyond me.
"Guesting" - that's funny!

I see two reasons behind adding Blondie. Unlike Mike & Bruce touring as The Beach Boys, Brian has had problems in the past selling tickets. Every time he adds a "guest" - Al, David, Jeff Beck, Blondie - he sells more tickets. Sure, taking each guest as an individual attraction isn't going to significantly affect sales, but taken together as a package, it becomes increasingly attractive. There is a large crossover of fans who attend both Mike & Bruce shows and Brian Wilson shows. After seeing both entities for the past few/several years, there is now more of a choice to be made, more so than in the past when Brian touring was new. Brian's just stockpiling attractions to sway the choice(s).

Also, every time brianandhismanagers add a guest, that is one or two or three or four less songs for Brian to sing or carry. I'm not sure Brian can carry a show like he used to. If he's going to continue to tour as a solo artist, and I use that term loosely, we will probably see more guest vocalists/musicians taking a turn.

I still highly doubt these guest additions have anything to do with the name/licensing. It does get people riled up on a message board, though...

If the four come to the Pacific NW summer, I am there! Wondering what else is in the works Howie?
Thanks for the update!!!

As far as Brian trying to "send a message" to Mike, I don't think it's as direct as Brian imminently planning to strike to take the name back. If that were the only motive, then he would be better served lobbying Carl's estate behind the scene or something. I think adding all the extra BB's to his show is a much more subtle, passive shot meant to simply indicate that Brian and his camp are willing in theory/principle to throw more weight around, PR wise as well as perhaps "corporately."

It's worth noting that, in my opinion, adding Al to some shows in 2006/2007 was also a political move meant to send a message. I know I've thrown the following assertion out there several times even though I can't track down the court documents I remember reading, but I recall reading in one of the legal filings from Mike's team during one of the lawsuits with Brian back around 2006/2007 (the free CD giveaway lawsuit I believe?) that at some point Brian (or his team of course) basically threatened to take back the Beach Boys name and tour with Al as The Beach Boys if this or that was not done. I don't recall what the legal filing claimed the "this or that" was, and as with now, I got the feeling that back then Brian didn't really actually want to take the BB name back and tour behind it; it was simply a means to assert some power in the whole situation to get whatever consideration they wanted.

I have to go with Wirestone on this one; I don't know how much of a factor it is, but it can't be a coincidence that Brian is continually and almost comically adding BB's to his show to the point he now has twice as many in his band as Mike's "Beach Boys."

I think it is an added benefit that Brian is now allowed to do less heavy lifting for the show vocally. I thought that was a great aspect of the C50 tour.

I also doubt that Al or Dave or Blondie sell a lot more tickets. Brian may not sell places out all the time, but the fan bases of Brian and Jeff Beck collectively will sell enough tickets for this tour I think. Having two to three more BB's is probably more about comfort for Brian, and maybe a bit about family/friendship/togetherness whatnot, and also a convenient way to send that vague slight salvo over to Mike's camp.

Is Blondies' mini tour with the Brian's Boys the B40 tour?

Yet another thread devolves into Team Mike vs Team Brian.

I think its more Blondie recorded some vocals on Brians new album, they all got on and it was suggested they might all put on a good live show. Nothing more.

...or should I post this under the unpopular opinions thread? ;D

How so? No one has attacked either touring ensemble. No one has criticized Mike for using the name. Just some gossiping among friends.

I just think the C50 made Brian want to be in a band again, and not be just a solo artist. Plus he's known Al and Dave for over 50 years...these are his friends, and I think he needs them around. I do think adding Blondie does sort of make a point, but to most people the point was settled long ago.

I encourage ALL of you to take this at face value. There's no mindfucks or retaliation or anything else going on. Blondie was a Beach Boy for what, 2 years before he became history. If Carl or Dennis were here, it's hard to say who'd they be touring with and maybe then there would be something to talk about. But they're not here so that leaves Blondie and Ricky who were, for a brief period, legit Beach Boys. Surprisingly, some on this board don't even acknowledge that they were real Beach Boys (I guess because of their short tenures and minimal contributions in the studio?).

Anyway, Blondie's signed up for just a FEW DATES, at least so far. Ricky's busy. Rick showed up on stage with Brian and Al back in '07 and I don't think since. Brian and Al obviously loved for him being there as there were smiles all around. Would be cool if Ricky could make a gig, but it's doubtful.

But invariably, there are some who wait in the wings for a thread like this to appear that could remotely be controversial and it's back to the same old nit-picking sh*t-stirring B.S. about Mike Love and the end of the C50 tour. Let it lie people! Isn't it out of your systems yet? Try not to let it bother you! It's history, nothing's gonna be reversed, and the subject has been milked dry on this board for a year now. Let's look forward to the reviews of the upcoming concerts.

Thanks go to Howie and Jon for their involvement and influence in getting Blondie to join Wilson and Beck and their bands for a few gigs. Your assistance is appreciated by us fans!

Was thinking the same thing. It's more fun now for Brian to be in a band. Maybe his wife is trying to make a point but I doubt Brian cares much. Rock on the B40 tour.

Mikie, you befuddle me. No one has attacked Mike at all in this thread. No one. There's been no debate about the end of the C50 tour. None.

There has been discussion about the addition of a fourth Beach Boy to a tour. One that's not under the name Beach Boys. Now, I don't know what you would expect from a Beach Boys forum, but surely this is worthy of some discussion and consideration. About what it means for the respective bands and for the future.

Yep. I think this is a really crucial part of it all, and one of Brian's real personal reasons for doing it.

Posts of the day:

“How anybody can find anything negative over Blondie joining Brian, Al and Dave on stage is completely beyond me. "Guesting" - that's funny!”

“Yet another thread devolves into Team Mike vs Team Brian”.

It can be a soap opera if the media and you want it to be! What I was alluding to before you make me look like a Dufus for exaggerating or B.S.'ing, Wirestone. It’s all here. There’s gotta be a subtle message or something retalitory or sparring or other polarizing thing going on behind the scenes, right?

“I think the demise of the reunion showed a number of things. While one clearly evident thing is that it’s not all roses all of a sudden and they do still have disagreements, it also showed that in terms of the corporate/legal setup, they are all relatively comfortable with how things are, or at least see the uphill battle it would be to drastically change things. That’s not to say that there isn’t possibly some subtle warning shots being fired by Brian’s camp. When he went out with both Al and David, folks wondered if it was a case of trying to send a message to Mike. That was pretty debatable, but ultimately it was a case of three dudes simply continuing on who had toured together last year.”

“AWESOME..! I also smell a lawsuit building.! BW + management could be building a strong case to take BB name away from Mike. Look what is happening. You got 4 BB in one band and 2 in another. And who has the rights to use The BEACH BOYS name.. WHOA.! Im not saying its gonna happen cause im sure they are tired of wasting money on lawyers..And I know they could vote Mike"s rights away also.. Lawsuit anyway from Mike.. So they are setting a precedent if it went to court. it would have to be settled out of court and force all parties to play ball together.. Also isn't this also a way to set rules for the future generations use of the name.. ? It"s obvious Brian + Al + David were really hurt by breaking up last year and they are striking back the only way they know how.. Recording + touring.. They all seem to think they will live forever and they got plenty of time.. Im sorry  they don't. adding three Beach Boys to his touring outfit sends a similarly unmistakable signal. Brian still sees himself as a Beach Boy, and he can still lead a band with them”/


“There is a message being sent.. And the comparison to YES is very good.. I just wish BB would grow up... Time is short.. Even if they all live to be 100 yrs old. How much longer are you all gonna be able to sing like that.. Kiss + make up”. up please..

“You really think that having twice as many Beach Boys onstage as Mike's band is like, a total happy accident? Come on.”

“As do I. Even the least cynical of persons would probably find it a bit of a coincidental stretch that Blondie is now joining the tour for a few dates (and obviously the album). A not-so-subtle message -- whatever the intent -- is most likely being sent.”

”Though, the exact nature of that intent is still the million dollar question?...lol.”

“It"s amazing since Carl died Mike has been yappin about writing + recording with Brian.. He gets the chance + walks away.. WELL.. He did some writing with Brian just not the whole album..Brian even recorded one of Mike"s songs on the LP.. He got part of what he wanted anyway. Why Mike was mad at Brian for his own bus is a mystery to me.. Brian has ISSUES.... Im sick of Mikes complaining it doesn't ring true.. He just wants to control everything + Brian+ managment was given control on C50 tour..And look at everything that's been recorded + issued.. Mike has taken his toys and walked away..”

“I don't know how much of a factor it is, but it can't be a coincidence that Brian is continually and almost comically adding BB's to his show to the point he now has twice as many in his band as Mike's "Beach Boys.”."

I'm not sure what your long string of quotes is supposed to prove, except that there is discussion on a discussion board.

I'm alluding to the fact that some people on this board like to make it a "Mike's Camp" vs. "Brian's Camp" thing.  Like there's something going on beyond the face value of Blondie joining Brian's band for a few gigs.

Well, of course there is.

It's plain as Al Jardine saying onstage that "we're the real Beach Boys."

It's plain as Mike Love accidentally floating a BB poster that had his name far bigger than the band's.

It's plain as the oodles of disgruntled interviews from band members.

It's as plain as the dark hints from AGD and others about what happened as the C50 dates ended.

It's as plain as Brian just happening to rope in three former Beach Boys to appear on his new album that will just happen to be issued by the label that released the last Beach Boys record.

It's as plain as the knowledge that throughout his life, Brian has been a master of passive aggression, managing to ultimately bend those around him into giving him what he wants.

To me -- and perhaps it's just me and I'm a crazy guy running around the woods in a scratchy loincloth -- it's clear there's some wrangling going on. There's some pressure being applied Maybe it's subtle. Maybe it's overt. Maybe Mike doesn't give a fig. Maybe he does. Maybe it's mainly that Brian likes playing in a band, and any irritation to Mike is a pleasant byproduct (that sounds most likely of all to me).

But this is the Beach Boys we're talking about. This is a band whose drummer married the lead singer's illegitimate daughter. Who's his cousin! This is a band whose creative genius wandered around the streets of LA as a homeless bum and played piano in bars for money. They've beaten each other up, taken each other to court, called each other the most terrible things. They could barely make it through a glowingly reviewed 50th anniversary tour that did nothing make them oodles of money. They ooze drama and skulduggery from every pore! And not just the evil-seeming ones, but the clean-cut ones like Al "I'll hold a grudge for 50 years" Jardine.* There is nothing these guys couldn't contemplate and wouldn't do to each other at some point. It's how they show they care.

Sure, on one hand it's kinda sad. But on the other, hey, it's made for some of the most entertaining tabloid fun of any band. So why wouldn't this latest news be seen through any other prism? It's just the guys trying to screw each other over again.




*I'm pretty sure that Dave's all right. But he had the good fortune to be out of the band for awhile and learn how to be sane.

Mikie hasn't identified the OP but never mind. Not merely utter tosh but badly written and misleading tosh. Remember, when Mike tours the other three BRI members all get a nice sum for doing precisely nothing. You really think they're going to give that up for a point of artistic principal ?

Also, consider the reverse scenario of Mike adding former members to his tour, and imagine the screams of outrage and accusations of 'bullying'. Yet when Brian does it, sh*t, he's the best thing since sliced bread. Not that anyone here imagines for a moment it was ever Brian's idea, of course...

How much money did the C50 make?

Even after all the expenses, I think the guys made way more money than the M&B show does.

True, but the C50 was a one-off (sorry, but it was) whereas the terms of the "Love License" are in perpetuity, thus guaranteeing the BRI members an income as long as Mike tours.

Actually, no.  We didn't actually get screams of outrage when David Marks reappeared in 1997, or when Al Jardine did in 2011.


Whoever's idea it was to give Blondie Chaplin some recognition now, after leaving him out on the whole of 2012, deserves praise for fixing the oversight, surely?

Cheers,
Jon Blum

I for one am very glad that Blondie is playing with some of the guys again. I wish he had never left the BB's to begin with! If he's allowed to, Blondie could add some real down an' dirty rock and roll to the BW stage act, which frankly, it's been crying out for.

Love ya, AGD, but that sounds way off base to me. Fans would be beside themselves if Al and Dave and Blondie toured with Mike. There wouldn't even be discussion of names and licenses and whatnot. That group would be the Beach Boys, full stop. I for one would be thrilled to see them, too.

Absolutely. The only part of the announcement that I don't like is the limited dates business. Have him at all the shows!

Anyone who's seen Blondie playing with the Stones will agree, the guy's lost nothing. He can still tear it up like it's 1972!

Brett, Mike, Jeff, Probyn, Scott, Nick, Al, Dave, Blondie and Brian himself… I think this band could usefully employ another guitarist/bassist.

I'd love to think that was the sole motivation.

Wonder what Steve Love thinks of this latest news.   :-D

You always make out that Al, Brian and Carl's estate are swimming in buckets of $ from Mike's tours. Do have any specific information to back that up? For all we know, Brian gets $1000 for every MB show. A fortune to me but chump change for BW.

And was it ML who prevented Blondie from appearing at even one C50 show?

20% goes to B.R.I. for every show. Since 1998 how many shows have M&B done? 1500? Even if it were $1000 then that would still mean that Brian has picked up $1.5m for sitting at home. Not to be sniffed at.

And your source for the 20%? If true, I imagine Brian has scored well over $1.5 million. The terms of the license seem a well kept secret from what I see.

It's been well documented for a long time. Mike pays B.R.I. 20%. Al was asked to pay 17.5% but refused which is why he lost the license. It all came out during the court case at that time.

In a recent thread, these cases were well discussed. In addition, links to the lawsuits, including the rulings, were posted. I read each and every one and not one mention of any fees/% were given. I am not saying you are wrong but your "well documented" is not something one can hang your hat on. Cane you give one single reference for this documentation?

Edit: Here's an article I stumbled upon. http://www.pricingforprofit.com/pricing-strategy-blog/what-s-value-beach-boys-brand.htm

'Here’s what I found: “The Beach Boys” is a registered trademark of Brothers Record Inc (BRI), which is a corporate entity equally owned (25% shares) by Brian Wilson, the estate of Carl Wilson, Mike Love, and Al Jardine. In 1998, after the death of Carl Wilson and amidst dissension in the band, BRI met to decide how “The Beach Boys” trademark should be used. As a result of this meeting, Mike Love agreed to pay a royalty on all of his gross concert revenues for the right to tour as “The Beach Boys.” C’mon, take a guess at how much the royalty rate is…Mr. Love agreed to pay a 20% royalty on the first $1 million in gross receipts and a 17.5% royalty thereafter. WOW…20% right off the top (before expenses)! I was surprised - that’s a lot of money especially since concert touring expenses are so high: managers and agents take percentages, it’s expensive to travel with a large band, and sound/light systems are costly. Of course, since Mike Love owns 25% of BRI, the net royalty he pays is 15%...but still, quite pricey.

Mike Love is a hard worker; at age 66 he performs approximately 150 live concerts per year globally (here’s a sample tour rider). As a result, both he and BRI have profited handsomely. Care to guess how much in total he has paid in royalties to tour as “The Beach Boys?” In a 2005 law suit, Mike contends that between 1998 and 2005, he paid over 11 million dollars in royalties to BRI. This means he has received gross payments of over 55 million dollars to sing “The Beach Boys” classic hits. It’s nice to be Mike Love.'

I think this confirms that Brian makes bucketloads from M&B's touring.

I thought so.

Read the above post. I'm genuinely surprised (and I don't mean this in a patronizing way) that you haven't come across this info before as it is common knowledge.

I am not surprised you cannot give one single reference for your claim. Maybe you missed me saying I recently read all the court rulings. If you have all this time to argue your unsubstantiated claim, you might take a little of it and give us a reference for your claim. I'd enjoy finding reading some facts on the license terms.

I think you need to read the above post as I suggested which DOES have a link in it to the details.

Well, typical you to edit your original post and add a link. Ha, ha. Excellent link and article! Thank you! Consider me edified.

I might not be Mr. Tact & Diplomacy now and then, but do you really think I'd be stupid enough to keep making this claim year after year on a forum I know BRI constantly monitor ? The court documents, as the article states, are easily retrieved. I did a very rough calculation a while back and the annual take for the other three BRI members was comfortably into six figures.

If Mike's comments about paying $11m to BRI between 1998 and 2005 are accurate then presumably Brian, Al and Carl's estate have earned around $5m each by now.

As Mike currently seems fit and healthy and will want to tour for a while to come, they would be killing the golden goose to stop that.

Much less than I thought. Makes sense that Brian's folks are fighting for the license, then.  ;D

Seriously?  :lol

How much exactly were you expecting them to be getting each?

Yeah, and Al too. Al gets paid big time for Mike to sing Brian's songs.

That's pretty good work if you can get it.

According to the article 20% on the fitst million, 17.5% thereafter. Course, that money goes to BRI which Mike owns 25% so, in essense, he gets back 25% net of what he pays in license fees.

Doing some math, for example, on $10 million MB annual gross. Mike pays $200, 000 on the first million and $1,575, 000 on the next $9 million. That totals $1, 775, 000 in fees. Say the net on that is 60% (taxes, expenses).  That's about a million bucks divided 4 ways. So Brian, Mike, Carl's estate and Al get $250, 000 before taxes.  So  that is probably $150, 000 each after taxes. Not chump change but not a fortune. I think Mike has a great deal.

Yeah. So, who are "The Beach Boys" now?  ;D

If no professionally shot video is done of the Blondie shows it will be a crime against humanity (and especially all of us who can not attend in person)

The author of that article felt differently and you can understand why. Mike pays out that 20% before expenses.

And it must be remembered that Al was offered the chance to use the group name for 17.5%. He offered 5%. That's how much of a good deal he thought it was.

Yes it is.

But what if Al, you know, actually wanted to, you know WORK for that and not just have it handed to him for nothing. Some people do want to be able to earn their keep.

Well, that's extra money on top of what Al makes himself touring with Dave and Dean Torrence. Al stays busy.

11 million over a 7 year period? Wow,  that is a lot less than I would have figured. That averages out to $1.57 million paid to BRI per year. After taxes and expenses, that is $235, 500 annually to each of the 4. After state taxes, that is like $125, 000 annually. Not a super cash cow for Brian and Al at all. Great deal for Mike! He does work hard for it, gotta give him that.

Naw, Al's a total slackass. Al "Slackass" Jardine, they'll call him. Take that, Al "Slackass" Jardine.

I highly doubt he plays enough shows with those guys to stay busy. This is a guy who, from 1963 to  early 1998 (except for the brief period when Summer in Paradise was being made) who was a full touring member of the Beach Boys and he had that unceremoniously taken away from him.  If you were in Al's shoes, wouldn't you miss that and be angry that you were kicked out in such a fashion?

It's a fortune to me but I think BAD-BC could make a hella of a lot more with a BB license. Not Al's only income sure. But I bet he makes more on other BRI income that he does on touring.

Really, Mike seems to be the only person keeping Brian and co. from touring as the Beach Boys.  I mean, Brian and Al seem like they'd rather be touring the Beach Boys with the C50 lineup (which they basically are minus Mike, Bruce, Scott Totten, and John Cowsill) but Mike doesn't want to do it under Brian's conditions.  I think it's less than about money and licensing and more about Mike's integrity.  Mike would love if Brian, Al, and Dave joined his touring Beach Boys, otherwise keeping things the way they are but it's not that simple.  Brian needs his band with him and his own posse and maybe Mike feels violated by that in some way, that they become less of a band and more Brian Wilson and his Beach Boys.  After the tour ended, Brian said he felt like he was being fired but maybe Mike felt the same way when the tour started.  That after nearly a decade and a half of leading the group and doing things his way, he was demoted to being Brian's sideman.  It was too much for him and since he had the ability to go back to the way things were, that's the way he went.  It sucks but I think it makes sense.

Would Brian himself consider the band to be The Beach Boys without Mike? Something tells me he wouldn't.

Yeah. I heard Summer In Paradise for the first (last) time on MIC.  ;D
 

I think it is all about the $. If this article is to be n9believed, they grossed about $5 million on 11 dates of the C50, not inluding merchandise.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_50th_Reunion_Tour

Brian and Al were no doubt making tons more $ on the C50 that they were on their own. Mike, not so much more probably. And the lack of control over the C50 vs. running his own thing. I can see why Mike is just touring with Bruce.

Really?

The first issue with that is obviously time. To take the license away from Mike, award it to other band members and then arrange dates wouldn't happen overnight. And these guys don't have that much time let's be honest.

And how many shows would they play? Brian isn't likely to go out playing 100 shows a year. Maybe 30 or so as he has done this year perhaps. But for how long remains to be seen (apologies for being morbid).

And they would have to pay 20% of gross income to BRI presumably (which would mean far less money for Carl's estate btw). When you combine that expense with the very high costs there are with Brian's touring, then lord knows how expensive the ticket prices would be.

I can't see how it would make business sense.

Absolutely. But he did have the chance to use the Beach Boys name and only offered to pay 5%.

Doubtless all their individual lawyers argued about it and this was seen as a fair amount. And (to mention it again) as Al was only willing to pay 5%, I'm not sure how 20% can be seen as a, 'great deal'.

It's a great deal to keep control of such a money-making name that they all gave decades of their lives to help build. Mike is such a hero for working so hard to give them their well earned cuts, it really is a portrait in courage and an inspiration to all of us who start bands.

Professional video crew coverage sounds like a great plan. Live at the Greek Theater, people! Out along with the memoir, an album, and a movie next year... should be a busy year for BW!

I know this take the thread even further off topic, but...
 
Mike's group has the 20% deal and AL was offered 17.5% to use "The Beach Boys Friends & Family" name, is that correct? 

I can sort of see Al's side here.  "The Beach Boys" are always going to outdraw "The Beach Boys Friends & Family." Getting a license for a second tier name at a rate that is only 2.5% less than the rate Mike gets for his top tier name does seem slightly unfair.   I'm not sure 5% is the answer, but I can certainly see that side of it.

I'm not sure it was limited just to that.

But they were not going to license Al as "The Beach Boys". Just as famiky and friends of....And to quote the article you have been using for many of your posts, "Rafi, I know who ‘The Beach Boys’ are but I have no idea who Mike Love is.” He has a good point and Mike Love obviously feels it is worth paying $11 million dollars to tour as “The Beach Boys” as opposed to “Mike Love, former lead singer of ‘The Beach Boys.’”

I'm shocked the members of BRI earn so little. After all the protestations from those "in the know," I would have expected the principals to be raking in more than the low six figures each year. Maybe not millions, but at least a million apiece.

I think that this, frankly, proves most of the discussion about Mike's generosity in touring as the BBs to be bogus. Maybe because BRI monitors this board and has advised certain folks to say certain things. I can't be sure. But I can't help but feel used.

The dollars and cents don't add up. Brian has enough money that Mike's touring revenue wouldn't make the slightest bit of difference to him. It would be a big bump in pay for Al to be able to tour regularly. That leaves Mike and Carl's estate as the beneficiaries of the current state of affairs, and I can't imagine that Carl's former spouse and kids are doing that great after splitting the pittance that Mike flings their way.

Change can't come soon enough to this rotten scenario.

It was. It's all there in the court docs. BRI wasn't gonna license two BBs bands. Their not going to do it now either.

Absolutely. I think that article (you did ask me to dig it out ;) ) is very fair. 20% before expenses is a lot of money but because Mike would struggle to sell tickets under his own name it is fair that he pays that much. The lawyers presumably haggled to get there.

You are joking of course.

Brian and his management voted for Mike to use the name from the start. They obviously thought the financial recompense was worth it.

The part where you suggest that BRI has told certain other posters to say things is both preposterous and pretty low in my opinion.

He wasn't joking. Where Brian was just post Landy is differennt from BRIMEL today. And Al voted no. I don't see where Mike's license is permanent, as AGD posted earlier. Howie mentioned a BAD-BC tour next summer. Gonha be quite interesting to see what happend.

It wasn't exactly just post Landy. It was way after that.

It seems unlikely. And it wouldn't be. Mike and Bruce obviously isn't the real Beach Boys now and Brian, Al, Dave and Blondie (a band missing 4 of the most recognizable members) wouldn't be the Beach Boys either.

The difference is that Mike and Bruce tour with a small band, keep the ticket prices down and so have kept it going as a successful business.

The whole M&B "doing for it for fans in smaller venues" talk rings hollow when they charge $80 dollars for some shows.

I don't think it's about doing it in smaller venues. I think it's about Mike making money, having sex with young lovelies and getting the adulation from the crowd. But they also get to play in out of the way places and most of their shows certainly aren't $80. The county fairs in particular are much cheaper.

That is the problem in a nutshell, Mike uses the BBs name to feed his ego and personal desires.

Brian wishes to have the BBs as a functioning band that makes new music like TWGMTR.

No worse than BAD tickets running higher than the C50 shows.

It is a shame that they aren't working together as I'm sure that's what we would all have liked to happen.

But the BBs aren't going to make new music and if Mike were to have his license revoked then that wouldn't change in a hurry.

I paid more for each of the three Mike and Bruce shows I saw than I did for the C50. The Mike and Bruce shows were in local arts center type settings and concert halls. The C50 was in a large outdoor auditorium. Granted, I had to travel a bit more to see the C50, but smaller venues have not equalled lower tickets, in my experience.  

Mike in reality does not have a say in M&B ticket prices. He charges a fee to the promoter for the band, then the promoter charges what they think the market will pay. That is why there are some big differences in ticket prices over a touring season.

Oh, I know how how it works. I'm just saying that the excuse that Mike plays the small venues to keep ticket prices down doesn't always work out that way to the paying public. In fact, smaller venues may actually have to charge more to cover their costs since they have fewer seats to sell, overall.

But all the members except M&B want to make music and tour as the BBs. Is that hard for Mike to check his ego and accept that the BBs were never about him. The BBs as a functioning band have always been a vehicle for BW's ideas with help from others.

The C50 was an affordable event for such an onstage extravaganza. I would not pay more for a stripped down M&B show since it isn't the full BBs experience anymore. The C50 BBs made M&B obsolete. 

Well apart from last year when was the last time they were about that?

For the majority of the group's 51 years or so they have been about endless touring and playing the hits.

I'm not saying that's a good thing but I'm not at all surprised that after being the leader of a group calling themselves the Beach Boys for 30+ years, that Mike wouldn't cede that forever and agree to do whatever Brian and his management wanted.

Not to the general public though.

It is astonishing to me (and no this is not me praising Mike or Bruce) that the general public just seemed to ignore that the C50 had happened and that M&B went back to playing the exact same venues as they always had and continued to shift tickets.

Last year the C50 missed Vancouver from memory. This year M&B played there and Vancouver Island. No way would Vancouver Island have got a C50 show so those people would have gone to great expense travelling plus hotels to catch a show. What I'm saying is even if the ticket price is the same, other factors can put it out reach to those who live in the smaller markets.

I wouldn't exactly say they're obsolete. There will always be new fans coming into the picture that want to hear Mike singing "Little Deuce Coupe" and "California Girls"...and even "Kokomo".....or maybe not "Kokomo".... :lol

Well, accessibility is another matter, and I understand Mike's point where that's concerned. Playing the smaller venues does allow him to have a greater reach outside of the major markets. That's why, in my Perfect Beach Boys World (patent pending) The Beach Boys name would be reserved for the full C50 line up and would play those high profile gigs like Madison Square Garden and the New York New Years Eve bash while The Beach Boy's Touring Band featuring Mike Love and Bruce Johnston would continue touring the small venues. In my perfect world.

Oh hell. Please.

There's nothing "rotten" in Scenario  ;D

These are exciting times for the fans -- the BRI arrangement seems to be working pretty good to me.  ;D

As a BIG fan of the "Blondie era", I can't say how excited I am about his "return to the band".  And what's funny is tho Mike still holds the touring license, to Brian and company, I think that's actually how they look at this.  Consider these facts:  Al has said in interviews that Mike and Bruce are welcome to "come back" and even wished that they would.  And for all we talk about how many Beach Boys are on stage on these tours's, ask yourself this: How many people from C50 are on stage at these "competing" tours?  "The Beach Boys" have Mike L, Bruce, Scott T, John, and Tim (returning from backstage), while "Brian Wilson" has Brian, Al, Dave, Jeff, Darian, Scott B, Nelson, Probyn, Paul, Mike D, and Nick (who was there for some dates). 

To someone like Al, it's business as usual with the exception of a minority of Beach Boys and VERY small minority of the backing band.   We and they know that Mike went back to the long standing status quo after the temporary situation of C50, but on the inside everything feels the same as it's been since the 2012 Grammy's!  This is why Al is out their extending an open door for Mike and Bruce to "come back".  To him, "BAD" IS the Beach Boys, no matter who has the name.


And for something completely unrelated that no one's brought up:  How ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE is it going to be to hear Brian and company play "Funky Pretty"!?!??!!  Just picture Brian on Carl's part and Dave on Mike's!   :rock  Wow!

I think you're getting smaller markets and smaller venues mixed up there.

Mike's comments (which I don't entirely believe anyway) are about playing the markets where the C50 tour would never go. Not about playing small theatres as some of the county fair shows have surprisingly had stacks of fans.

Absolutely.

100+ gigs from M&B for the casual fans.

30+ gigs from Brian, Al, Dave and Blondie for the hardcore.

It is the best possible situation right now as you can't force them all to tour together. Any other BRI arrangement would lead to fewer opportunities to watch these guys.

And they won't be touring for that much longer either.

Exactly. Having any combination of these guys playing together is great news for fans. Ideally we'd love to have them all together, all the time, but as this isn't going to happen anytime soon it's pointless to bitch about it.

It would be just fantastic is Ricky Fataar decides to join Brian Wilson's band all of a sudden  ;D

I must be dense since everyone on this board feels the need to correct my stupidity these days.  I live in a rural area.  I was part of a feasibility study on getting a professional outdoor theater in our area. I know the demographics.  I know, and have worked in, the venues we're talking about. We don't have large auditoriums or big outdoor venues here. There aren't bazillions of concert ticket buying fans in one concentrated area. When Mike and Bruce play HERE they play college auditoriums or other  smaller settings to necessarily smaller crowds. I realize there are exceptions to the rule with county and state fairs, but IN GENERAL if Mike wants to play the minor markets he will be playing in smaller venues. THOSE are the venues he's played in my state.  And no, the C50 would never play those venues. Which was my point.

However, I don't think Mike is being completely honest, because I don't see how playing smaller markets is exclusive of playing the larger ones. Which was my other point.

That may well be true in your area. But generally speaking the county and state fairs aren't the exceptions to the rule and most M&B shows certainly don't cost as much as the C50 tickets.

Well I thought paying $450 for a front row ticket to a Brian/Beck show was fair, I mean your essentially getting 2 meet and greets, 2 sound checks, 2 signatures, 2 pictures... And they're both artists I'm interested in.

And I highly recommend you grab Truth and Blow by Blow ASAP. Really great stuff.

I paid around that amount for a C50 Meet & Greet ticket last year and thought it a total rip-off. Meet & Greets used to be free. No music ticket should cost $100 or more. Of the 40 plus Beach Boys shows that I attended, none of my most favorite shows cost more than $10.00 for a ticket. A 4000% increase over 30 years is outrageous.

Well, I mean to be fair, the photo signed by the two is probably going to be a fun collectors item considering the circumstances.
It's all about how you view it, the merchandise and things of that nature probably equate to half of the cost, and the $100 front row seat...

I mean if you say...

Brian and Jeff signed picture = about $100-200
T-Shirt = $25
Front Row Ticket = $100
"Special Item" = $25-30
Picture with Them = Whatever you feel it's worth

Looks pretty reasonable honestly, sure it's expensive, but so is an Xbox One :p

It's your entertainment dollar. I like to compare seeing a rock band to a sporting event.

If you're lucky a favorite band may come to your town once a year. There are multiple baseball, football and hockey games all year long. People pay big money to see these events. (food, parking included) You can watch the sporting events on TV but people still spends hundreds of dollars to attend the games. I don't know about football/soccer games in Europe and around the world but Football games in the U.S. are very expensive.


Spending a hundred or two on a single concert that may only happen once a year or every few years doesn't seem that bad to me. Especially if it's one of your favorite bands.    :thumbsup

Paying $475 will be a once in a lifetime event for me. I paid it because I realized it would most likely be the last time that they would be together. Had it been any other band, I would have stayed home. No one night of entertainment is worth that kind of money. Plus, in my case, they herded us like cattle, so no meeting any of them, nor did I greet them or them me. The term is a real misnomer. I went to a free meet & greet with Brian during the Smile Tour, he signed my book, looked me in the eye and thanked me when I told him how great the show was. Now, that was priceless. :)

Your assumption of $10 million is... interesting. As for getting - for the sake of arguement - $150,000 net year in, year out for doing nothing... I don't see Carl's estate ever wanting to change that, thus you have a 2-2 tie at worst. Ergo, the status quo remains exactly that. Brian's income is obviously more impressive than that: Alan's... I have no idea, but I think $150k gratis would be welcomed.

Were I you, I'd give serious thought about rewording that observation. It's pretty close to libelous. Actually, it is libelous, as you've stated that BRI have instructed certain posters to say certain things. Can't speak for the other non-Mike bashers you're pointing the finger at, but I have never been a mouthpiece for any of the 'interested' parties: not Mike, not Brian, not Alan, not BRI.

Just doing simple math  based on the article quoting Mike saying what he had payed in license fees. As Mike is making millions vs. $150, 000, Brian and Al could easily pay Carl's estate much more than they are getting from Mike. Maybe Brian, flush with cast from his movie and book deal, buys out Carl's estate. But what you are admitting in words is that Mike's license is not permanent? A BRI vote majority couod change it?

I have no idea if the 'Love License' is permanent, although past (non) events would seem to suggest it is, which (if true) in turn would imply that there have been revisions and amendments of which we know nothing. My point was that were either Alan or Brian to call an extra-ordinary AGM of BRI in an attempt to force a vote of amending the license, unless they offered Carl's estate a guarantee that their income would not be affected, I don't see the latter siding with them.

This.

Sadly many gigs aren't just marketed at the fans. They're executive packages that one company treats another company to, to try to win their favour (ie, business). It has stuffed prices for fans, with posh pits instead of mosh pits at big outdoor gigs, and air-heads wandering around everywhere with barely a clue as to who they've come to see/hear/etc.

Ignore, me, I'm nearly 50 y'know…

So let me get this straight. You criticize Mr. Wilson for writing poorly while you knowingly make a statement, "Love License" are in perpetuity", that is  factually not true and based on your assumtions of what might or might not happen?  ;D

What makes you say that?

Brian and Al wouldn't play 100+ concerts a year and with 13 band members on stage their costs would be much higher.

Well 'in perpetuity' means for an indefinite period of time.

And as there is no definite end to Mike's touring that is so.

I said the terms of the license, not the license itself.  ;D

You need to sit down with pen, paper and calculator. Brian and Al can make millions biloed as the BB doing 50-70 shows vs. getting $150, 000 from Mike annually.  It's very simple, simple math.

To be honest, $150,000 is chump change for Brian and Al since they are multi-millionaires flush with cash.

If they did 50-70 shows a year, which I seriously doubt on the following grounds:

1 - Brian may not last the course...

2 - it could all fall apart just as it did back in 2007. This is, I feel, more likely.

Anyway, a moot point as the license is staying with Mike & Bruce for the immediate, and likely long-term, future, for the reasons previously outlined.

Brian, of course, is indeed doing nicely, although nothing like as nicely as he should be, had Murry not sold his publishing. Alan... I'm guessing his main income derives from his wife's Arabians. His song portfolio is pretty slim.

Well, let's use some very recent history, the C50. Hell, Brian doesn't even have to sh8w up if there is Al, David and Blondie.  People will just show to see the Beach Boys.

That's not what you said though is it. You said they could pay Carl's estate much more than $150,000 per year.

Now even if they were to play 50-70 concerts next year (and thse would obviously not be on the scale of C50), Carl's estate would surely want guarantees that they would do that for the next several years. How could Brian give those guarantees and why would any fan want Brian to?

Brian has carved out a solo career since 1998 and hasn't had to rely on touring in a fake Beach Boys line-up in the way that Mike has. It baffles me how any fan could want him to stop that and tour in a Beach Boys group without 4 of the most important members.

... and promptly demand their money back. There is only one Beach Boys, and they toured last year between April and September.

I think people might notice if it was just Al, David and Blondie. The one thing Mike has going for him is that he is the frontman and sang lead vocals on most of the hits.

And just because Brian played 70 shows last year doesn't mean he could do it every year.

Means forever,  not indefinite. Legally, these words have significantly different meanings. Mike's license is subject to termination in a number of ways:

1) A BRI vote
2) Violation of the license terms
3) Incapacity


http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/In+Perpetuity

in perpetuity adj. forever, as in one's right to keep the profits from the land in perpetuity.

I seem to recall the US government giving the Indians tracts of land in perpetuity...

in perpetuity

For an indefinite period of time

I point you back again to the article you quoted numerous times yesterday. The public doesn't know Mike Love, they know the Beach Boys.

Lynyrd Skynyrd draw huge crowds with one original, who plays guitar.

Wrong, wrong. And any attorney would tell you so. He would also tell you the meaning of argumentative.

Indeed. But they know that The Beach Boys have a frontman. They may not know or care about his name but they know he exists.

I can understand why you have a grudge against Mike. And I can completely understand why you would like to see him lose the license.

But Al, David and Blondie together? This would still only be 1 BRI voting member and would basically guarantee Brian and Carl's estate getting less money. For as long as Mike is fit, Carl's estate have a golden goose. Why would they kill that and trust Al?

None of us are attorneys including AGD. You know full well what he meant.

And I honestly don't believe that you believe half of the things you post. I'm sure you want Mike to lose the license but not half of the other stuff...

I don't want to interrupt all this pulse-pounding dick measuring, but hey!

 Blondie! Isn't that gonna be neat?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5WDhyPX9XI

2 leads, ya figure? Sail on, Sailor and WHAT. Can he still pull off a screaming, senses-shattering Wild Honey?

It should've happened last year and regardless of who was responsible for making it happen this year, huzzah! This is still great news and is bound to add a little more crazy magic to what'll already by some fairly unique shows. DVD. Live CD. SOOOOMETHING.

Since when does Brian do 50-70 shows a year? People think Brian is Superman instead of a disabled guy who hates touring and could not draw 15,000 people to basketball arenas with or without the Beach Boys name.

Ha Ha Ha Ha!  ;D

Hey, would somebody tell Steve Love that Blondie's back?

Nice.  :lol

Wasn't there some guy claiming to be Steve Love posting in the comments section of websites last year? Or fess up, it was one of you guys!

Reminds me of a poster here not long ago who asked in a reconcillatory tone, "That's it, who here wants to touch dicks?".   ;D

Mike is preparing for life as an ex-Beach Boy as Brian, David, Al and Blondie take up the mantle in 2014

http://www.healthywealthynwise.com/interviews/zrlli-Mike-Love.asp

The ol' "retiring to spend more time with his Bruce Johnston" excuse.

Nope, t'was Steve Love.

are you sure?  I always thought Steve was like Forest Gump:  " I'm not a smart man, but I know what Love is"

Steve made himself look a little foolish if that was him. Steve is the one who was accused of misusing Beach Boys funds; he had a sweet job via nepotism, and he blew it. If Stan can get along with Mike, then why not Steve. They all have the same personality type so it's not like it's likely Steve's the "nice" brother.

Nicko is right on the money. Even the most clueless casual fan would notice if Mike was no longer there.

 Let's try to look at it from an objective viewpoint. You have a (legit) beef with Mike. Hell , I'm not the biggest Bruce mark in the world, you know. Regardless of feelings, it makes more financial sense to keep things the way they are. Let me put it like this : The amount Brian gets may be a 'pittance' to some (more than I'll bring home in the next five years...) but he gets that for DOING ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, which just do happens to be what Brian loves to do best in recent history. Not only that but if he had the license, he'd lose money on account of the added expenses. His own tours were hardly profitable to put it nicely.

I disagree Billy. Yes, they might notice Mike is gone but would they care? Nah. Just look at all the oldies shows touring with no original members. Are people not going to see Yes with Jon Anderson gone? Nope.

Financially,  Al is taking a bath not being in the BBs.

Your doing nothing rationale for money,. Well you can say the same thing for anybody who writes a song, or creates a unique product and licenses it. I invent Liquid Paper and do nothing fir the rest of my life but count my money.
 I am unemployed myself and couldn't afford MIC. But objectively, what Al, Brian and Carl's estate get next to Mike's million ain't much.

True, but the added expenses coupled with the added work would make Brian balk. Al is likely a different story but I'd think Carl's estate would side with Brian (and Mike in this scenario) meaning Al would be outvoted. With the extra expenses and increased workload , coupled with the fact there would likely be less shows than Mike is currently doing... well honestly the take home cash would be about the same (if not less) for more work.
Keep in mind though I'm talking strictly Brian in this case. All certainly could benefit but he'd be outvoted.

Let me clarify also that I don't LIKE the above scenario. I'd rather them be back together. I have no desire to see an M&B show, and the BAD tickets are higher than Tommy Chong on a Tuesday afternoon

He did it last year. And in 04 and 05. It's not like that's a hard load -- it's approximately two months of work out of the year. Many folks who are older and frailer than BW manage far heavier schedules.

Also, the suggestion that Brian is disabled is an insult to anyone with a mental illness. Seriously.

seeing alan is worth around $40 million I don't think he is hurting for money no matter who has the license.

Really? He is 71, still getting record royalties, has a grown up family, he toured for almost 40 years and had a pretty good year last year with the C50. I've never read anywhere he lost money aside from, I guess, his one divorce.

I doubt he needs the money seriously.

None of um need the money for sure. Actually, Brian and Al could be getting more from Mike than we know. Al's last lawsuit against Mike for not letting him tour with the BBs and depriving him of income got a ruling favoring Al. The trial was about to start, Brian was there as a witness for Al. Then Mike settled, terms secret. If I recall correctly.

As for AGD's earlier suggestion that I was libeling people, that was certainly not my intent -- my statement was directed at no one in particular, least of all him. I don't understand why voicing the opinions of BRI corporate on a message board would necessarily be a bad thing anyway. Elliot Lott? You out there?

As I said, compared to what? Mike takes in (millions), Al gets $150, 000? So Mike needs the money more than Al?
If anyone needs more, it Brian who has adopted a boatload of kids. (Row boat)

You're Under Arrest  ;D

It was a silly accusation.

These guys are in their 70s. The immediate is the long-term.

This year and next are likely to be  the last flurry of Beach Boy activity the world will ever see. A Brian movie biography. A new BW solo lp and tour with Al, David, and Blondie. M&B still grinding it out on the road. Are fans just taking all this for granted? Won't last forever, as Mike once sang...

Apart from Jon's comments in 'The Lost Beach Boy' about David modest life style, I have never been convinced that any of them need the money at this stage of the game. They do it because its what they do.

I don't think anyone is taking it for granted. This is legacy time.

agreed which is why I felt if they weren't going to tour any further together they should've retired the name after last year.

With The Beach Boys, it's ALL about the money. Always has been, always will be.

I think its for other reasons nowadays, just like a lot of older artists. Its the VIP treatment and the feeling of feeling important. Seat 1A on an aircraft. Given a suite at a hotel. The limo's. Being asked for autographs. The TV cameras and interviews. People like to feel valued and wanted. A lot of sports people past their prime also come into this category.

The alternative is staying home and the missus telling you to put out the trash!

Alan's royalties won't be anything like close to Brian's, or Mike's, because he has written very, very, very few single hits - in fact the only one that comes to mind at 6.28 in the morning is "Lady Lynda", and that didn't chart in the US... plus there's the cost of the various failed lawsuits with BRI. They're all far better off than I would ever be in seventeen lifetimes, but - like most rock musicians - are probably not as well off as we'd (like to) think.

If they're well-off from songwriting, it's because they saved and invested their past royalty money wisely. There isn't much money being made from writing songs compared to the past; that's why all the classic rockers are still touring and trying to get the highest ticket prices they can. Between illegal downloading and the paltry rates paid out by online streaming sources such as Spotify and Pandora, being able to make live touring money is a much bigger deal and part of musicians' income structure than it was in the past. 

To some extent, yes.

But I think you overestimate how much Brian and Al could make if they were touring as The Beach Boys. If Mike brought in $60m (a rough estimate based on the $11m paid to BRI) between 1998-2005 then that equates to maybe $8.5m per year. Now Brian and Al would play half as many shows and would have much higher expenses. Plus they would still be giving 20% to BRI. Deduct all the tax and they wouldn't be bringing home millions each. That's for sure.

Your idea of Al being the sole BRI member in the touring band could have happened at any time since 1998 but I haven't seen any of the voting members say they would advocate this. It would mean far less money for Brian and Carl's estate and Al himself said he thought the name should be done away with after Carl died.

Would anyone care if Mike wasn't on stage anymore? Well, I would guess that quite a few of the people who watch M&B's shows have seen them before. There would be an issue I think if not 1 single member of that band were on stage next year. And if the new group had no front man. There are loads of bands touring without original members but they normally replace like for like. They don't replace a front man with a guitarist.

And anyway, Brian has a solo album to promote. The best way to do that is by touring as Brian Wilson as he always has. The fact that he may well be doing that with Al, David and Blondie will be a big plus for everyone I would have thought. There shouldn't be the distraction of more bad press about battles for the group's name. The movie should increase Brian's standing next year and he shouldn't be damaging that by touring in a non-authentic Beach Boys band. Mike needs to do that because he isn't a name but Brian doesn't.

You misread what I posted. I said Brian doing select gigs so he is there off and on. Besides, there is only one BRI member touring in the BBs right now. Al would neever get the license himself without Brian. Like Bruce to Mike, Al has to have Brian to be legit.

The casino crowd doesn't care which originals are in the band. You probably have never been to concerts in the US. The oldies/state fair circuit is loaded with bands missing original lead singers bigger than ML and nobody gives a crap. Styx, Journey, Yes, Skynard, Temptations, the list gies on and on. In the US, Brian Wilson is famous.  He was recognized by the Prez on national TV in the Kennedy Center Honors. He is the BB genius. Mike Love, humm, wasn't he in the Beach Boys. ?...

As to the money, we already beat this dead horse. Brian and Al as the BBs could top the $150, 000 they get annually from Mike's license with a few shows.

Anyway, my speculative prattle amounts to nothing unless BRI vote to change. But never say never in the world of the BBs. 2014 is gonna be interesting!

I think we are going into the realms of fantasy now. Al touring with Brian's backing band but with Brian only there for select gigs? Yeah, that'll happen. :)

And no, Brian and Al wouldn't top $150,000 with a few shows. If it were that simple then some of Brian's tours wouldn't have lost hundreds of thousands of dollars in the past.

You are naive about all the tours with 1 or no original members. Al and Dave, two original members as the Beach Boys, no prob. You Brits are just fixated on the Sun, Surf and Mike Love Summer sctik.

Brian wasn't billed as the BBs.

Yeah, that will happen? Already did from 1964 to 2012. Where ya been?

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ARd2tmTNB8s&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DARd2tmTNB8s

Living in a world where Brian's band won't be going on tour with Al while Brian stays at home. :)

You are the master at arguing endlessly with chery picked, out of conrext words. Not once did I mention Brian's band or any band. You just don't get it. If they take the license, it will be to stick it to Mike. This is the end game, legacy time. So over to you my always has to have the last word friend.

But surely as a BRI member he gets royalties for reissues, SMiLE, MIC (to name a few) etc that he recorded on?

Like you say, its more than we will ever see in a lifetime. I still believe its for other reasons certain members of the band still want to tour. Brian its therapy IMO. His wife and managers see it as the best thing to keep him active. Mike and Bruce its for the life style and its associated *benefits*.

Believe me. If these guys had been digging ditches for 50 years they would have given up years ago. They are addicted to 'the business'. Its like a drug. The adulation must be quite a thrill and they lap it up. Mike and Bruce go onstage for a couple of hours and get pretty well paid for it. Why would you want to go fishing as a 71 year old retiree for 2 hours and come home empty handed when you can do a paying gig with your buddies.

Al has had the Big Sur property for what, 40 years? So he had to buy the wife out but he has always seemed the most sensible of the group. If his finances are not sorted at his age then more fool him.

 :lol Cracking stuff.

Stop digging...

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/posts/la-et-ms-brian-wilson-jeff-beck-blondie-chaplin-tour-album-20130906,0,927430.story

Back to Blondie, since that's what this thread was about 8 pages ago...

apparently he sang on a new Brian song called "He Come Down."  That's a pretty interesting title, no?

99% sure it is a cover of the Carl & The Passions song.

Man, I hope this album doesn't suck get ruined by too many hands in the pot and possible covers/outside participation.

I know. I was under the impression BW had lots of new, original tunes to work on. Oh well. I do like that song if that's what it is.

That is interesting news. If it is a cover then it will be tough for them to improve on the original.

A shame that they couldn't interview Brian and had to quote a 'spokesman'.

But the good times never have to end.

I doubt it's the same song.  I certainly hope not. 

Musically it's pretty catchy but lyrically it's another one of Mike's Maharishi love letters that I can't help but cringe at.

I hope it's not a re-recording of the great Beach Boys record. I'm hoping for all new songs.

Would anyone be surprised if it was a remake? Brian's done it pretty consistently over his solo career. My bet is that he came up with a cool alternate approach and decided to ask Blondie to sing on it.

If "He Come Down" is a cover of the C&TP original, I'm sure it's gonna be a good one! I've always liked that song and all they can do is make it better.

I disagree respectfully. Nothing can beat those harmonies!

Well, since you disagreed respectfully........

The song has soul, brotha!! And who better to sing it than Blondie? I think it was a pre-cursor to "That Same Song". You know, a good one that could be sung in a church with a choir backing it up. I really like it!

Unlikely, given Brian's considerably larger overheads, but assuming they did, what about the equal sums due to Mike & Carl's estate ?  As far as I'm aware, no-one in a position to do so has contested the oft-expressed opinion that Brian's tours routinely loose money.

K, I will contest it. His last mini tour with Al and David was almost completely sold out, going by board comments.

The Beach Boys featuring Brian Wilson, Al, David and Blondie would do cracking business. Equal sums? 20% of the gross, which is a business expennse, to BRI and Al and Brian get half the BRI net back.

Anyway, the $ will not be the issue for action. Brian is loaded. He started the Beach Boys and he may well want to finish......  Just my thoughts. Howie mentioned a 2014 summer tour with Blondie. Something's  up.

I was going to say that I would absolutely love to hear a tour that will feature leads from Brian, Al, Dave and Blondie but apparently there is some sort of 'my dad can beat up your dad' thing going on in this thread that means we cannot discuss the topic at hand.

Can I make a genuine comment...

If several pages ago in this thread you had said that $ weren't the issue and that you believe that it will be, 'to stick it to Mike' that they may want to revoke his license then it could have saved a lot of going back and forth. I think everyone can understand the notion that they might be p***ed off due to Mike's actions and that you might want them to take revenge due to you considering Mike to be a dirty old man (because Mike clearly is a dirty old man  :) ).

I agree that it could be a really interesting tour. Hopefully they will come to the U.K. at some point.

Brian tours here a fair amount so it's not beyond the realm of possibilities.

Note, I qualified by stating "no-one in a position to do so", that is, a member of his management team. Are you inferring you're one such ? For Brian et al to match Mike's average gross over the last decade or so, they'd have to play about 100 shows a year. The most he's done since flying solo has been 72 in 2004 while touring BWPS, but that's an exception: in the main Brian's played between 30 and 45 shows a year since 1999 (once as few as three). In 13 years of solo touring, he's played about 460 gigs (upcoming tour included): in the same time frame, Mike & Bruce have played something like 1200, 1300.

And going by board comments, notably the Bloo, the upcoming tour isn't anywhere close to selling out.

Who says anywhere Brian has to do 100 shows? If he guarantees Carl's estate equal revenue.....

You said Brian's last mini tour wasn't selling well and you were wrong. Course, you don't take sides. ;D

Thank you that you would think I am part of Brian's management! I am unemployed and would love a job with them.

Disappointing but not unexpected. Actually, I would not have been surprised if they re-recorded "Sail On Sailor". Is it possible for Brian Wilson to write a new song for Blondie? A NEW song? What a novel idea... ::)

Mmmmmmmmmm... be careful what you wish for.

BLONDIE CHAPLIN TO REUNITE AND PERFORM WITH
BRIAN WILSON & JEFF BECK ON UPCOMING CONCERT TOUR

CHAPLIN CONFIRMED TO PERFORM ON SELECT DATES INCLUDING
 HOLLYWOOD, FL, NEW YORK CITY, LAS VEGAS, LOS ANGELES AND OAKLAND

ALONG WITH WILSON’S FORMER BANDMATES AL JARDINE, AND DAVID MARKS
CONFIRMED TO JOIN FULL TOUR KICKING OFF SEPTEMBER 27

Los Angeles, CA – September 9, 2013 – Acclaimed singer and guitarist Blondie Chaplin will reunite with Brian Wilson after nearly four decades, since Chaplin’s collaboration as a member of The Beach Boys during the early 70s. Chaplin will join the Brian Wilson & Jeff Beck Concert Tour on select dates including New York City and Los Angeles, performing on songs that include his signature tune “Sail On Sailor”, from the 1973 tour de force Holland, as well as other songs during his tenure with the band.
 
Chaplin’s long and storied musical career began as a member of the South African rock group The Flame in the late 60s-early 70s. The Flame would go on to become the first and only music act signed to Brother Records, besides the Beach Boys themselves. Chaplin eventually became a full-fledged member of The Beach Boys and recorded and performed with the band during the ‘71-‘72 sessions for Carl and The Passions – “So Tough” and the ’73 album Holland. Chaplin’s tenure with the band culminated with his live performances being documented during that period for the double album The Beach Boys In Concert. Following his departure from the group he would go on to perform with The Band and more recently The Rolling Stones among others, as well as record several solo albums.
 
“Blondie was one of my favorite singers in the 70s. He blew my mind with ‘Sail on Sailor’ and he also sang on a song called ‘Funky Pretty’, on the Beach Boys’ Holland album,” says Wilson. “Until two weeks ago, I hadn’t seen him since 1974. It was great to see him again. He came into the studio and sang on one of my new tracks called ‘He Come Down’ – and he sang it great. I’m stoked that he’ll be performing at a few of our shows.”
 
“It’s a pleasure to sing ‘Sail on Sailor’ once again with Brian,” says Chaplin.
 
Previously, Brian Wilson and Jeff Beck announced the addition of several new shows to their concert tour kicking off September 27 in Hollywood, FL. Throughout late September and October, the tour will also take the two legends’ historical musical collaboration through 20+ North American cities including Toronto, Washington DC, Philadelphia, Boston and Atlanta. Wilson’s former band mates Al Jardine and David Marks will also be joining Wilson and Beck on all dates.  A complete tour itinerary is listed below.
 
Brian Wilson and Jeff Beck confirmed tour dates:

DATE                       CITY/STATE                     VENUE
September 27         Hollywood, FL                  Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino*
September 28         Tampa, FL                       Eckerd Hall
October 1               Houston, TX                     Bayou Music Center
October 3               St. Augustine, FL              St. Augustine Amphitheatre
October 4               Atlanta, GA                      Chastain Park
October 5               Washington, DC               Warner Theater
October 6               Bethlehem, PA                 Sands Event Center
October 8               Albany, NY                       Palace Theatre
October 9               Boston, MA                       Wang Theater
October 11             Wallingford, CT                 Toyota Presents The Oakdale Theatre
October 12             Westbury, NY                    Theater at Westbury
October 13             Philadelphia, PA                 Tower Theater
October 15             New York, NY                    Beacon Theater*
October 16             Montclair, NJ                     Roberts Wellmont Theatre
October 18             Las Vegas, NV                   The Pearl Theater*
October 20             Los Angeles, CA                 Greek Theater*
October 22             Oakland, CA                      Paramount Theatre*
October 25             Detroit, MI                        Fox Theatre
October 26             Toronto, ON                      Massey Hall
October 27             Akron, OH                         EJ Thomas Performance Arts
October 30             Milwaukee, WI                   Milwaukee Riverside Theatre
 
(*with special guest Blondie Chaplin)
 
Fans can expect a unique experience when they witness these two legends taking the stage together.  Brian Wilson, Jeff Beck, Al Jardine and David Marks will open the show together with both of their respective bands performing a string of hits.  From "Little Deuce Coupe" to "Custom Machine," the show will then focus on eclectic selections from Wilsons’ vast repertoire, covering fifty-years of classics along with music from his rich solo catalogue. Beck will open the second half of the show backed by a four-piece rhythm section to perform selections from his solo career.  Wilson, Jardine and Marks who will add their distinctive harmonies to some of his classics will also join Beck.  All four will once again join together on stage for a massive finale that will bring together both bands again to run through their favorite songs from their youth and for the first time ever, some classic Yardbirds material.
 
Wilson is one of popular music's most deeply revered figures, the main creative force behind some of the most cherished recordings in rock history. Indeed, it is no exaggeration to call Brian Wilson one of the most influential composers of the last century. Wilson was barely out of his teens when he began to create some of the most beloved records ever... nine consecutive gold albums that featured such classics as "Surfer Girl," “In My Room,” “I Get Around,” “Don’t Worry Baby,” "Fun, Fun, Fun," “Help Me, Rhonda” and "California Girls"...just to name a handful of the more than two dozen Top 40 hits Brian co-wrote, arranged, produced and performed on with his family band, The Beach Boys.
 
Known as one of the most influential lead guitarists in rock, Jeff Beck was ranked 5th in Rolling Stone’s list of the “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.”  He has earned wide critical praise and received the Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance six times and Best Pop Instrumental Performance once.  He has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice; as a member of the Yardbirds (1992) and as a solo artist (2009).
  

Thanks for that Howie. Had it really been nearly 40 years since Brian saw Blondie?

Funny enough, I just got off the phone with Howie, and mentioned to him that I wondered if Brian had forgotten all about a benefit show that he played for the Carl Wilson Foundation in Malibu a few years back.  Blondie & Ricky both played that show, too.

Thought it didn't sound likely, just like Brian claiming to have never heard Pacific Ocean Blue or just prior to the C50 tour being announced claiming it had been so long since he saw Bruce that he didn't know what he looked like!

Here's some info on that show:

http://www.carlwilsonfoundation.org/walk00/walk00d.htm

BTW, IIRC that video of Blondie was shot the same day or one day prior to the Beach Boys show in the same city last year. Many people hoped Blondie would make a guest appearance but it didn't happen.

I know. That's what I said it should've happened last year. BOUT TIME, better late than never, etc.

I wonder if that mention of Funky Pretty means it's a possibility. Hmmm.

Maybe. In the booklet for "Classics: Selected by Brian Wilson" Brian also mentions that song and Blondie's voice, yet the song didn't appear on the CD

This from the LA times story today on the same subject.

'Wilson’s new solo album is expected to be released next year.'


...that's a bummer.

Blondie at the Welmont Theater in Montclair? Anyone know......seems like there's conflicting info on it. Some times yes, sometimes no.

Probably for the best...let the MIC hype die first.

Agreed, In The Key Of Disney disappeared very quickly due to the Smile Sessions.

So how does everyone feel about Blondie being on these few dates?

What songs can you imagine him taking lead on that would be in the 'typical' BW setlist?
Think they will add any songs just for him?

Well "Sail On Sailor" is the obvious one, I think it's also very plausible they would add "Wild Honey" and "Funky Pretty" as well.  Oh and maybe he'd duet with Brian on "Marcella," that would be pretty awesome.  And then whatever he did on the new album.

is this Brian's way of getting back at Mike and Bruce for debuting Wild Honey this summer?  :lol

Kidding of course!!!

I thought the point was that they lost money for the venues, and the other people at that end of the promotion chain -- not for the folks taking 20% of the gate...

Cheers,
Jon Blum

IIRC, Brian's tours in the U.S. have often lost money, but his overseas gigs have been profitable. One of the reasons he plays so much in Europe,

Isn't the CATP HCD mostly a Mike tune which Brian had no hand in writing? Highly unlikely he would cover a Mike tune but weird he would do a new song with that title. Got me scratching my head.

  I find this particular point almost laughable. Time and again it's been said that Brian's US tours lose money. Really?  Why then does he do them? I have serious doubts that his managers/melinda/whomever is going to agree to do shows so that Brian can whistle his fortune away. He loves his fans that much? If that's the case, why not simply issue all his unreleased stuff that everyone wants to hear? 
 
 I think it's very similar to many other businesses. They "expect" to make some amount of profit, but they don't get to that level, so , "we're losing money". Not that they really have lost $$, just that they haven't made as much as they want/had hoped.
  If Brian is continually losing money touring, let's see the books; if there's really the loss, I'd venture someone on the inside is helping themselves to some of the gross, reducing the net. 

 :lol of course. The Team Mike Vs. Team Brian Conspiracy!

Team BW has cut costs before -- ask Jim Hines and Bob Lizik and Taylor Mills. Not to mention their attempt to do a summer tour with a cut down backing band.

So money clearly presents challenges to the outfit at times. I've always doubted they lose much money -- but I can imagine that some tours only broke oven and a few fell short. Some did well -- I'd bet the Smile U.S. Dates did well, for example.

Thats the thing. Sure a tour may break even or lose money but as was the case with SMiLE, its raising the album profile which hopefully means more sales.

Brian not only co-wrote it, he also plays and sings on it. I'm not saying this merely to be argumentative: someone I trust implicitly told me a few years ago.

Yeah it does seem like when people are talking about the "Brian songs" from Carl and the Passions, they only think of "Mess Of Help" and "Marcella" but it is indeed true that "He Come Down" was a lot more of a Brian song than people gave it credit.

I would be intrigued if this was actually on Brian's new album. I highly doubt it's gonna be filled with remakes of songs from back in the day, so one wouldn't hurt. Especially if it involves Blondie.

Exactly.

Brian's touring has been about promoting Brian as a solo act and about getting publicity for his albums.

They may also think it's good for him.

I always figured that Mike and Al wrote the TM lyrics while Brian was mostly responsible for the music and the vocal arrangements.

I see it's credited to Mike Love/Chaplin/Al Jardine/C. Wilson. Never realized Blondie co-wrote HCD. Stiil scratching my head on this one for Brian. A leftover from Radio possibly?

Where has it been credited like that?

Wiki. Bad research. Though Blondie has a a little solo thing there I don't know where that credit came from.

Doesn't match the twofer liner notes I see.  Gonna pull out my LP in the am.

EDIT: I looked up Blondie's credits on BMI. He isn't officially credited. I haven't a clue if he came up with his little vocal section.

From my syndicated feed...

'70s BEACH BOY BLONDIE CHAPLIN BACK WITH BRIAN WILSON
By Howie Edelson

Blondie Chaplin -- the legendary voice of the Beach Boys' classic 1973 hit, "Sail On Sailor" -- has signed on as a special guest for five shows on this fall's Brian Wilson tour with fellow Beach Boys co-founders Al Jardine and David Marks, along with guitar legend Jeff Beck.

In the statement announcing his participation on the upcoming tour, Brian Wilson said: "Blondie was one of my favorite singers in the '70s. He blew my mind with 'Sail On Sailor' and he also sang on a song called 'Funky Pretty,' on the Beach Boys' Holland album. Until two weeks ago, I hadn't seen him since 1974. It was great to see him again. He came into the studio and sang on one of my new tracks called 'He Come Down' -- and he sang it great. I'm stoked that he'll be performing at a few of our shows."

Chaplin, who along with his fellow South African bandmate in the Flame, drummer Ricky Fataar, joined the Beach Boys in 1971 after Carl Wilson produced a 1970 cult classic album for the group. Throughout 1972 and 1973, Chaplin and Fataar helped redefine the Beach Boys' live act, which saw the band performing in the arena circuit by the time of Chaplin's late-1973 exit. Chaplin contributed material to 1972's Carl And The Passions - "So Tough" and the groundbreaking 1973 Holland collection. Chaplin is also featured extensively on 1973's The Beach Boys In Concert album. After leaving the group, Chaplin performed with Rick Danko, the Band, Mick Taylor, and was part of the 20th Anniversary Celebration Of The Byrds.

Between 1997 and 2007, he was a part of the Rolling Stones' studio and touring ensemble, singing backup and playing guitar. He's been featured on the Stones' albums, Bridges To Babylon, No Security, Live Licks, A Bigger Bang, Shine A Light, and Light The Fuse. Most recently he's been playing dates with Joe Bonassamo.

On August 23rd, Blondie Chaplin joined Brian Wilson and Al Jardine in the studio to lay down tracks for his first Beach Boys-related session in over 40 years. Chaplin told us it was great to reconnect with Al Jardine: "He was so happy that it almost unnerved me, 'cause I haven't seen him for a long time. But he was in New York, and a friend of mine, who plays bass -- Keith Lentin at the Guitar Center -- and he met him there and he said, 'Hey, give love to Blondie and tell him to give me a call,' and blah, blah, blah. So, he was very excited. When I saw him at the session, he gave me a real big hug and was very, very happy to have me sing. So, they were very, very happy with that."

Although the session was co-produced with Wilson's collaborator, Joe Thomas -- who helped spearhead the Beach Boys' 2012 Top Three album, That's Why God Made The Radio -- Chaplin says that like the old days, he took his direction directly from Wilson: "Brian's the one who was behind the board, telling me, y'know, 'Do this again,' 'This is a little flat,' or whatever. But I'm pretty good with doing that stuff, so it wasn't so much direction. But, yeah, he was behind the board orchestrating, y'know, how many voices I should do on each track."

We asked Blondie to give a bit of detail in what exactly Wilson had him singing on the track: "They were vocal lines and they might be thinking about me doing a lead at some point in the future on this same song, but we'll see. That may be I'm jumping the gun -- at least, that's what Joe (Thomas) keeps talking about."

UPDATED: Brian Wilson, Al Jardine, & David Marks with Jeff Beck tour dates (subject to change):
September 27 - Hollywood, FL - Hard Rock Live (with Blondie Chaplin)
September 28 - Clearwater, FL - Ruth Eckerd Hall
October 1 - Houston, TX - Bayou Music Center
October 3 - Saint Augustine, FL - St. Augustine Amphitheatre
October 4 - Atlanta, GA - Chastain Park Amphitheatre
October 5 - Washington, DC - Warner Theatre
October 6 - Bethlehem, PA - Sands Bethlehem Event Center
October 8 - Albany, NY - Palace Theatre
October 9 - Boston, MA - Wang Theatre - Citi Performing Arts Center
October 11 - Wallingford, CT - Toyota Presents The Oakdale Theatre
October 12 - Westbury, NY - NYCB Theatre At Westbury
October 13 - Upper Darby, PA - Tower Theatre
October 15 - New York, NY - Beacon Theatre (with Blondie Chaplin)
October 16 - Montclair, NJ - The Wellmont Theater
October 18 - Las Vegas, NV - Pearl Concert Theater (with Blondie Chaplin)
October 20 - Los Angeles, CA - Greek Theatre (with Blondie Chaplin)
October 22 - Oakland, CA - Paramount Theatre (with Blondie Chaplin)
October 25 - Detroit, MI - Fox Theatre
October 26 - Toronto, ON - Sony Centre For The Performing Arts
October 27 - Akron, OH - E.J. Thomas Hall
October 30 - Milwaukee, WI - Riverside Theatre

You know, I could imagine that they talked about doing "Wild honey" on last year's Beach Boys tour but it didn't happen (there certainly were other songs discussed that didn't make the list). So maybe that's where the idea came from (if Brian, Al, David and Blondie will do WH that is of course)

It's kinda ironic, because back when Blondie recorded with The Boys, Brian was not in control and nowhere near the board. Now he is. But it sounds like Joe Thomas has his finger on the pulse. Hopefully he's just a middle man expressing Brian's wishes and not calling all the shots (i.e. who's gonna do lead vocals on the next song, etc.)

Brian's been saying for years he wants to make a rock and roll record. With Blondie and Jeff Beck around, now's the time to do so. Of course Brian's definition of rock may differ from mine somewhat. I'd like to hear Brian's sound with a bit more of a heavy groove to it - too much of his stuff from the last decade has been warmed over shite to these ears.

Wikipedia doesn't credit him as a co-writer, it credits him as a lead vocalist.

http://repertoire.bmi.com/title.asp?blnWriter=True&blnPublisher=True&blnArtist=True&keyID=535274&ShowNbr=0&ShowSeqNbr=0&querytype=WorkID

HE COME DOWN (Legal Title)
BMI Work #535274
Songwriter/Composer   Current Affiliation   CAE/IPI #
JARDINE ALAN   BMI   34498175
LOVE MICHAEL EDWARD   BMI   18590772
WILSON BRIAN DOUGLAS   BMI   33029811
 
Publishers
BROTHER PUBLISHING COMPANY   BMI   33957469

Ha, ha. You are right, I didn't.  Seriously, I said I screwed  up. That's what I get for doing a search at 3 am.
But Wirestone, I will say the same thing next time you screw up, or libel somebody. And like you never used Wiki. Which, by the way, wasn't even wrong. I just misread it.

Back  on thread, I am still surprised Brian is redoing a mostly Mike TM song.

So it's definitely the same song as the CATP track ?

Yeah, it does seem a weird move to do a cover of that. Not that our favorite pop floptops aren't known for totally weird moves or anything! But maybe it's just some moany gospel thing with the same title? Or a song about low serotonin levels and the need to relax on the couch watching PBS.

Somebody ask Blondie!

 Maybe it's part of a new suite of songs that includes such new classics as "Good Vibrations," a song about really exceptional forced vibration, as when a time-varying disturbance (load, displacement or velocity) is applied to a mechanical system.

 "Sail On, Sailor" -- which touchingly recounts the voyage of Thor Heyerdahl on the Kon-Tiki... finally demonstrating to all the naysayers that it was possible for a primitive raft to sail the Pacific. Chaplin shines on the verse about the raft smashing into the reef at Raroia in the Tuamotu Islands.

"Don't Back Down" -- a treatise on the time-tested "Mutually Assured Destruction" doctrine. Al Jardine is particularly outstanding on this track, never more youthful sounding that when he squeals about the importance of deterrence in an era of strategic nuclear equivalence.

Yeah. That's the ticket.

Maybe they just do the chorus and rewritten verses? I mean, Jesus - I can't see these lyrics on a Brian Wilson album in 2014:

Maharishi teaches us to meditate
To dive deep within come out and radiate
All of the saints through all creation
Sing the same song of revelation

or

Krishna said a long time ago
To "Let the arrow fly first without the bow"
Guru Dev's wisdom is just the thing...
To save mankind from all this suffering
Maharishi gives a lift to every man's bible
Bringin' us the news of the new revival

I mean... I doubt Al would have that much pull even if he was really keen on it and mentioned doing a new version every single time he went down to the studio. It'd be eyes closed, arm folding time. Not without delousing and deTMing those lyrics.

Brian may not remember it, but he's seen Blondie at least once since 1974. They both performed at the 2000 Carl Wilson Walk Against Cancer.

http://www.carlwilsonfoundation.org/walk00/walk00d.htm
http://www.carlwilsonfoundation.org/walk00/walk00e.htm

Obviously, scratching my head again, I do not know.  Again, it would be weird if it was. It would be weird if it had the same title but different tune.

But you are the self proclaimed BB insider. For once, give us some news we don't know and not your usual veiled excuse for being out of the loop (my sources have told me but I can reveal blah blah). Back off boogaloo. Give us something tasty.  ;D

I did not mean to insult ORR, and have messaged him privately to apologize.

They might have seen each other perform there but it's possible they didn't personally cross paths that day.

I don't know either, which is why I'm not making such definitive statements. As for not passing on news/info/whatever that I've been requested not to pass on... that's why I still have those sources... and I've never claimed to be either an insider or an expert. Just a researcher, historian, author and above all, a fan. For whatever reason, some folk elect to talk to me. You, or anyone else, want to call me an insider or expert, I can't stop you. I like to think I know my stuff, somewhat - and, more importantly, know what I don't know.  :old

 ;DI don't so don't worry youself.

 I would advice that you read posters words more carefully before commenting. Just sayin. I do the same thing though I am just some tool on a message board. For someone who is so careful with his semantics and nuiances, you seem to overblow words as literal to suit your purposes. I do that too often myself. Reading what isn't being said. That libel thing was silly in my opinion.

Props to Howie!!! People talk to Howie and he actually gives us some cool info. Just sayin

Howie is indeed a great guy and makes some hugely interesting posts here... but I get the feeling that, being the excellent journalist he is, he maybe doesn't pass on all he's told.  :)

Yes, you are right on I think. Do you know if that was Brian on piano on HCD? I don't trust my google skills as I would end up on Wiki and F $#k it up again.

Brian plays keyboards on "HCD".

Keyboards? There's a piano and organ on that song. Which did he play, or both?  Just curious.

Me too - not a clue.  ;D

Thank you

Kingston Trio did a song called 'Glorious Kingdom', the chorus of which went :

He come down, he come from the glory
He come down, he come from the glorious Kingdom
He come down, he come from the glory

I dunno, maybe Brian is referencing this song, rather than the previous CATP one, though that seems unlikely.

I'm pretty sure that's Blondie (singing with no instrument) standing between Jeff and Nick in that group shot.  If so, my guess is they're singing "Surfin' USA".

Sure.

And the brothers Wilson use to sing this in their bedroom back in Hawthorne:

Come down, come down from your ivory tower
Let love come into your heart
Don't lock yourself in an ivory tower
Don't keep us so far apart

I think that's actually Darian.  They're also dressed differently.

(http://www.carlwilsonfoundation.org/walk00/pix/blondie-ds.jpg) (http://www.carlwilsonfoundation.org/walk00/pix/Brian-bass3.jpg)

So it is!  I had both pics in my computer but never compared them side by side.  Thanks!  :)

When that first article a while back announced Brian and Jeff were working on a childhood favorite, I immediately called "Come Down From Your Ivory Tower". I wouldn't be surprised if it was actually this instead of the CATP cover (at least....I hope it is!)

Might be on to something! Well, it makes a helluva lot more sense than microwaved Maharishi. It ties in with their "In My Room" harmonies as well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mbGNiJ8wIg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5eIeBt3cgk

It'd be a fun choice to mutate!

How did Blondie wind up back with Brian, exactly? I know it might be in here somewhere among the page of posts, but I'm curious after reading the LA Times article that said Brian hadn't laid eyes on Blondie since 1974 and seemed to have no idea how he wound up seeing or working with him again. I know Blondie gigs around the LA area. Did someone connected with Brian bump into him and play matchmaker or what?

Judging from other stories I've heard about him, I wouldn't be surprised if it was just Brian being randomly like "I think Blondie Chaplin should sing on this" and that was that.

Do It Again > Let's Do it Again
Wouldn't it Be Nice > Wouldn't it Be Nice to Live Again
All I Want to Do > All I Wanna Do
Good Time > Good Timin'

Brian and the other Boys haven't been shy about coming close to recycling song titles -- much more than any other band that I can think of -- but never 2 different songs with the same exact title.

But it seem really odd that Brian, with 3 lps worth of new tunes, would re-cut a so-so song from 1972. My guess is that it's a new song with a re-used title.

Weird. ???

Re: "He Come Down"...

Chatted with Brian tonight. The song that Blondie laid vocal tracks on WAS NOT a remake of CATP's "He Come Down" or a new song titled "He Come Down."

As of now, the song actually has no title.

Danke, sir! Much appreciated... hopefully bits from this chat might turn up in another piece?

They definitely will!

Doesn't even matter what comes after  :)

Wow Howie! U da man! Thanks for the news.

Thanks Howie!

I'm not expecting that much from the Blondie dates on this tour. If he was going to appear on all the dates I would expect a lot more but as it sits, I'd expect Blondie on stage for 3 or 4 songs in a guesting role each night and not as a preforming member of the tour. (ie on stage for the full duration)

Love to be shown wrong though   :)

I'd expect him to do backing vocals and do "Sail On Sailor" and maybe one more song, if he's lucky. With the shorter set due to Jeff Beck  having a role, and Al Jardine getting some leads, his role wouldn't be that large, I'd think. He might be put on guitar.  When he was touring with the Rolling Stones he was a back-up singer and strummed an acoustic guitar. I'm sure he's used to blending.

Sail on Sailor and Wild Honey please.

I really think they'll do those two AND "Funky Pretty".  It's a Brian song from the "cool period" that has yet to be performed by Brian solo.  I also think it's pretty telling that Brian singled it out Blondie's performance on it in that promo piece.

FP live with Blondie. Audio only.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AZ0ccP6LtA

“Until two weeks ago, I hadn’t seen him since 1974,” said Wilson, who reconnected with Chaplin to have him sing on Wilson’s next solo album, currently in the works. “It was great to see him again. He came into the studio and sang on one of my new tracks called ‘He Come Down’ -- he sang it great! It will be fun to have him at a few of our concerts.”



So, who is this spokesman quoted as Wilson? Two statements proven factually incorrect!

Brian probably just said 'He Come Down' to f*** with us!  Just like he said that he wouldn't be reuniting with those 'zany' Beach Boys.

Not sure if you understood what I was saying here.  ???

C-Man mentioned awhile back that Brian plays the piano on that recording (I don't remember if he also mentioned the organ) which astonished me as it sounds like very authentic gospel piano. So much in fact that I thought it was Daryl Dragon or someone of those guys.

Sure. But not finding a solo version by Brian of FP, I posted a live version with Blondie with the BBs. Not really a comment on your post. Maybe gives us a taste of what Blondie would contribute to FP with Brian.

 :thumbsup

I think he should also sing Marcella (with Brian singing his usual part and Blondie doing the "one arm over my shoulder" bit like he did on the album version).

Can anyone tell us who sings what in that song?  I think someone recently said Dennis sang that part.

I though Al did lead on the chorus (i.e. the "One arm over my shoulder" section), not Blondie? Blondie's definitely in the backing vocals, but yeah.

Lead vocals would probably be credited to Carl, Al and Mike (if I'm hearing it correctly).

37!ws said in the Obscure vocals thread that Dennis sang the "One arm...one arm over my shoulder....sandals...that dance, dance at my feet.....her eyes, her eyes knock you right over....Ooh my/Mar....Marcella's so sweet."   Is that right?  Does anyone know?  That song definitely deserves one of those "close ups" in the Definitive Vocal Credits List.

Always sounded like Dennis to me on that delayed/counter part.

I do think Blondie would sound better than Brian does on the main lead or high part of "Marcella." Brian can sing the Mike parts. Brian is getting better at singing the lower parts as he gets older.

So who sings the "She's a fine, fine, fine, fine..." on the original recording?  Is THAT Blondie?  There sure is a lot going on in there.  It makes me wish they'd included an acapella version of IT on MIC.  :-\

I thought it was Carl who sang the "fine fine fine.....part.

I'm positive that part is Carl

^ Thanks, guys!

I always thought it was, "She's a fine girl".

On the live version it definitely sounds like Dennis. I guess he's doing that same part on the studio recording too then.

I really hope they perform Wild Honey at the shows Blondie guests at. Great song that will should really get people up on their feet.

SERIOUS QUESTION:

Is there somebody new working in Brian's management team?  SOMEBODY is making some seriously cool decisions the last year or two.  Beach Boys reunion was awesome.  Touring with Al in a big way is awesome.  Touring with Jeff Beck, who would even think of that?  Inviting Blondie to some shows, Awesome.  

Soemthing's changed.  Maybe Brian's just making more of the decisions himself or something, I don't know.  

Joe Thomas came back into the fold!  :)