The Beach Boys on Saturday Night Live this Fall?

[SloopJohnnyB]

This fall we'll see a new season of Saturday Night live. I predict we'll see the Beach Boys as a musical guest as long as everyone is available.

Promotional reasons: The 50th anniversary LIVE CD/DVD should be available by the end of the year. "Isn't it Time" will be promoted as the second single. The 50th Anniversary celebration rolls on. New box set / archives releases to promote?

Recent and old connections with an extended SNL family:

1) The Beach Boys have some connection with NBC having appeared on The Tonight Show and on Jimmy Fallon. Fallon seemed to be a huge fan having the band open the show and close it. Also, the interview that Jimmy did with Brian and Mike. Jimmy is a popular SNL alumnus.

2) The Al Jardine / Alec Baldwin connection from 'A Postcard from California'. Alec's '30 Rock' is full of SNL alumni. Alec has been a SNL  host many times.

3) SNL Producer Lorne Michaels has a connection with Fallon and 30 Rock. He may an executive producer on both of those shows? The Fallon appearance was fantastic. I'm sure Michaels noticed.

4) Michaels could offer Wilson and Love $500 to reunite one more time. How much did he offer Lennon and McCartney in the 1970's to reunite on SNL? That almost happened by the way. OK, maybe that skit won't happen. It could be funny, though.

5) Just thought of this... Didn't Lorne Michaels produce the 1970's Beach Boy special where Belushi and Aykroyd take Brian surfing? Brain was a musical guest on SNL in the 1970's also.

Another thing. With all of the recent success the Beach Boys are 'cool' again. (not that they ever weren't cool to us BB fans!) They would make a great musical act with the 50th anniversary and all.

I think it will happen.

[mjforever]

Wishful thinking. I don't see the Beach Boys on SNL, ever. They had plenty of opportunities, especially during the late-80's Kokomo phase but nothing.

[Rocky Raccoon]

Wishful thinking. I don't see the Beach Boys on SNL, ever. They had plenty of opportunities, especially during the late-80's Kokomo phase but nothing.

Brian went on SNL solo doing a pretty cool (in my opinion) version of "Good Vibrations" when Jodie Foster hosted in 1976.  It's also the only instance (from my knowledge) that we get to see a simulation of the infamous piano in a sandbox.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ydj86dfm-zA

[Sheriff John Stone]

You need good timin'....

It better happen soon, because the tour will be soon be over, and the album and singles won't be "new" anymore. Doesn't SNL usually feature artists who are "in the moment"?

Frankly, I cringe at the thought of another TV performance, unless it resembles that Rolling Stone laid back set. The song selection(s) and arrangement is crucial.

[Summertime Blooz]

Interesting prediction. I could see it happening, but that gig is some prime real estate for the music biz, and as such, I'm sure it is very heavily politicized who gets on there. Good luck to them if they want that to happen. They'd have a better chance of doing Fallon again in the Fall, but of course not nearly as many people watch that show.

[Kirk]

Could go either way, especially given as much time as SNL has given McCartney in recent years. If it happens, I hope they get 3 songs, though two of them will (inevitably) be oldies. Personally, I'd love to see "From There to Back Again" done live in the second slot since I think it could appeal to the SNL audience. As far as Brian's 76 appearance, it's widely considered one of the more awkward in the show's history---maybe not quite as disastrous as Lana del Rey's this past year, but far from Neil Young finding his fire anew in 1989. I don't believe Brian footage is included in any of the endlessly recycled "Best of..."s SNL puts out. At least, it didn't used to be.

[urbanite]

Yes, Lorne Michaels produced the segment where Brian Wilson is arrested by John Belushi and Dan Akroyd (?) and driven to the beach.  SNL would be a great show for the group, and they would be wise to play classic hits with Mr. Jardine handling the lead.

[dirwuf]

I think if it didn't happen this past spring, it's not happening this time around...but if they put out another new release that's a success, it might happen then.

[EgoHanger1966]

Wishful thinking. I don't see the Beach Boys on SNL, ever.

It would be cool, but I agree.

[Roger Ryan]

The 1970s was a long time ago and SNL was a different kind of show, one that could book cool acts even if they didn't have a new record to promote. These days, the host and bands are scheduled for maximum synergy with movie or TV tie-ins. The latest trend has been to book an act (like One Direction or Lana Del Rey) who are releasing their debut album the following Tuesday, turning the appearance into little more than a commercial for the release. This wouldn't be so bad (presenting unknown artists) if it didn't feel so calculated...or if the performers didn't feel so manufactured.

Mick Jagger was the one exception this past season ( having nothing new to promote) and he was great.

[Pretty Funky]

Never really seen the show but isn't it also skit based? Sure the guys can sing but to be honest they have zero talent when they are given a script.

[LetHimRun]

Never really seen the show but isn't it also skit based? Sure the guys can sing but to be honest they have zero talent when they are given a script.

They would be the musical act, not in the skits. There is a host for each episode and a musical guest. The host is in most of the skits. Very rarely is a musical guest in any of the skits.

[Pretty Funky]

Ok. Thanks for that.

[Bubba Ho-Tep]

Never really seen the show but isn't it also skit based? Sure the guys can sing but to be honest they have zero talent when they are given a script.

Somebody needs to watch some "Full House" reruns ASAP.

SNL is too hip these days to allow The Beach Boys on as musical guest. Too busy showcasing real talent like One Direction and Sleigh Bells.

[Kirk]

Never really seen the show but isn't it also skit based? Sure the guys can sing but to be honest they have zero talent when they are given a script.

Somebody needs to watch some "Full House" reruns ASAP.

SNL is too hip these days to allow The Beach Boys on as musical guest. Too busy showcasing real talent like One Direction and Sleigh Bells.

I was actually thinking SNL could do a killer Full House/Home Improvement skit like the epic Partridge Family Meets the Bradys from way back when Susan Dey hosted (20 yrs ago now)....

[Rocky Raccoon]

Never really seen the show but isn't it also skit based? Sure the guys can sing but to be honest they have zero talent when they are given a script.

Somebody needs to watch some "Full House" reruns ASAP.

SNL is too hip these days to allow The Beach Boys on as musical guest. Too busy showcasing real talent like One Direction and Sleigh Bells.

Not necessarily.  Their last musical guest was Mick Jagger.

[rn57]

It's hard to say if the BBs will make it onto SNL next season.  Frequently, when Lorne Michaels has older acts on the show, he seems to go for those who are either personal friends (Paul Simon being the leading example) or who move in high-echelon Manhattan or Hamptons society (like Sirs Mick, Paul, Elton).  The BBs don't fall into either category....but we'll see.

Alec Baldwin's name being mentioned reminds me of an interview he did where he talked about trying to get Lorne to book his (and Brian's) fave, Rosemary Clooney, onto the show in the 1990s when he was doing a guest-host spot. Lorne was not interested.  There was only one case I can think of where a guest host was able to impose his/her choice of music on SNL.

 This was when Walter Matthau appeared in 1978. He told Lorne beforehand that he would only do the show if the featured music was Mozart instead of rock'n'roll or whatever.  Either Belushi or Aykroyd heard about this, and mentioned to Lorne that Garrett Morris had been trained in opera and had performed Mozart. So Matthau was invited to listen to Morris sing an aria from Don Giovanni. The performance met with his approval and so Morris sang it on the show - I think this the only time that a regular cast member functioned as the main musical guest on the show.

[Aegir]

As far as Brian's 76 appearance, it's widely considered one of the more awkward in the show's history---maybe not quite as disastrous as Lana del Rey's this past year, but far from Neil Young finding his fire anew in 1989. I don't believe Brian footage is included in any of the endlessly recycled "Best of..."s SNL puts out. At least, it didn't used to be.

You know, it's funny. I first saw the clip at least five years ago, and it was my first exposure to "70s Brian". Over the years, every time I would see that clip on the "related videos" sidebar, I would avoid it, because in my memory it was a horrible performance.

But over the years I got used to Brian's voice. and a good percentage of Brian's vocal recorded output is post-74/75, which I've been listening to a lot of these past five years.

So when I saw the Good Vibrations clip again today, I was surprised by how good it was. I actually think it sounds cool! He's hitting most of the notes, going for the falsetto... what's not to like?

[BB Universe]

Just don't see it happening. There would need to be a consistent "buzz' from the age group that consistently watches the show/target audience and then, only as a musical guest. Could be wrong, but likelihood of it ever happening is low.

[Bud Shaver]

Lorne Michaels produces Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, which we all know featured the Beach Boys around the time of the album launch, so it's not outside the realm of possibilities. 

[dirwuf]

You know, it's funny. I first saw the clip at least five years ago, and it was my first exposure to "70s Brian". Over the years, every time I would see that clip on the "related videos" sidebar, I would avoid it, because in my memory it was a horrible performance.

But over the years I got used to Brian's voice. and a good percentage of Brian's vocal recorded output is post-74/75, which I've been listening to a lot of these past five years.

Here's Brian's other song from that ep...

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xa98cb_brian-wilson-sings-love-is-a-woman_music