The Smiley Smile Message Board

From a podcast interview recorded by Iain Lee, for Absolute Radio, available for free download at http://bit.ly/d6XS4G

This interview is interesting cos though Brian's answers are brief he's not shy and answers firmly, if somewhat disinterested. Interviewer's also well informed and an obvious fan.

Extract:

Iain Lee: “I’ve got to ask the question… it’s the kind of question I hate asking but I have to. There are rumours that you are going to play with the Beach Boys again. Is that gonna happen?”

Brian Wilson: “Maybe next year, we might do our 50, 50th anniversary tour.

IL: So it’s a possibility?

BW: Yeah. Very good possibility.

IL: Well, that’s very exciting. Do you get on with the other guys now?

BW: Yeah, I like the guys. Mike’s a little intense to be around but you know… Jardine’s pretty cool.

IL: David Marks is back in the Beach Boys now isn’t…

BW: No, no he’s not.

IL: Is he not in there any more?

BW: No. No.

That's a great interview

Thanks for this. I remember watching Iain Lee when he was presenting a breakfast show about 8 years ago. I think he broke wind and bizarrely started singing "Get a breath of that Country Air" so yes, I reckon he might be a fan!

Edit - just listened to it. Great interview. i think Brian responds well to interviewers that take a more lighthearted approach. I think it helped that he was obviously a fan too.

Christian Love says, regarding 50th anniversary shows "maybe two or three"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7XVWJoRelM

I would hope "the band" for the 50th shows would be Brian's band.

No offence to Mike and Bruce's but Brian's band is just better

well, see, I'd say Different, not better. There are standouts in each band, and throwaways too.

I wouldn't count on it. Brian's band is great, but they don't rock. They are almost too good for their own good. Mike & Bruce's band is pretty, pretty good in concert. I wouldn't be surprised if there is a mixture of both bands, plus a few of the old backup band that plays for Al.

Kinda bothers me a little bit about how Brian's adamant about David not being in the band. Hope he's just telling the interviewer that Dave is not currently in the band, as in the touring Beach Boys. Hopefully, because we need all the original Beach Boys that we can get on that stage for the 50th!

Great Interview By Iain Lee , correct questions from an obvious fan - Good to hear P.O.B. and Sunflower mentioned along with the rather momentous show at the Adelfi Theatre   ;D

In your opinion. In my view, when they're both at full-throttle, and on the same songs, it's a judgement call.

If Wee Helper typed the question correctly, then Brian answered correctly. David is not in the Beach Boys. I'll have to take a listen later, after work.

That's how I read it.  We share hopes.

While of course that's obvious, it certainly doesn't mean David won't be included in any of the 50th Anniversary shows that they might perform; but I think any speculation now is a BIG waste of time. They're obviously not thinking of their anniversary starting until the end of December, which is correct if you go by their first, known, performances.

Let's get SMiLE released, and then move onto the 50th...

I agree. I just think the question was kind of posed incorrectly to Brian. Sounds like he may have answered in the present tense and not in the future.

Since Mike currently holds the license, I bet it will be his band with guests from past bands and maybe other member's bands.

God, here I go  where I didn't want to;
Not a chance. To get Brian,  first choice will have to go to Brian( Melinda) ; Mike won't be calling the shots, license or not. Licenses can be revoked ya know.
 I doubt Al will care, as long as he gets to play/be paid. David won't get a say( but he has to be there)

Not to come off sexist or anything, but the classic male chauvinist line "she belongs in the kitchen" seems quite fitting with regard to the current situation. The Beach Boys are bigger than her getting in between the "factions". I firmly believe this is one she needs to sit out.

I sincerely hope that he doesn't do it - he doesn't owe them anything

It's not about "owing" anybody anything it's about getting together to celebrate a pretty special landmark

Oh, stop with the blueboard propaganda.

What's the beef? I really don't understand this kind of reaction to celebrating a 50th Anniversary.

True dat!

Simply based on the fact they are not up to it based on what I've seen.

Oh and and Brian's band are much better at upholding the legacy - can't remember any French horns during a Love show - of course I may have missed it

I don't know what iteration of the Michael and Bruce band you've seen, but I'm guessing it's the pre-2004 band. The Michael and Bruce band from 2004 to now has been just as good, and in some cases, better than Brian's band in concert.

cheapshot At least Michael and Bruce play Let Him Run Wild! /cheapshot

Hey, The Beach Boys with Dennis & Carl didn't have french horns or any horns for that matter at most of the shows that I attended. Some years they did have a horn section. Point being, is that if horns are desired, they can hire a horn section for the anniversary shows.

And what do you mean that they are not up to it? Another Brianista is out today! ;)

I don't give a damn who plays with them so long as Brian, Mike, Bruce, Al, and Dave are there.

The Beach Boys used horns in 1967-71, 1976-78, and in 1993-95.

That's just one possible scenario. Care to make a small wager on it being the case ?  ;)

I hope Brian is not inferring that David Marks wouldn't be included.

I finds it ironic that David, these days, is the most creative guy of them all.

Creative, or prolific?

Brian is pretty prolific.

David is more creative I think.  "I Think About You Often" was fantastic and his new album sounds very promising.

Right now the three Beach Boys with the best solo music are David, Blondie, and Michael. Al's the honorable mention.

Michael?  :lol

And where would I find this so called 'solo' music?

Joke of the week!
Is there a jokes thread?

I don't know anything but I bet Brian doesn't have near the swing with the Boys that some seem to think. Sure, they'd love to have their cousin/buddy join them and they love and respect him to death but they got very used to him not participating so I imagine plans may procede without.

I think he does. The only way a 50th anniversary will "matter" to the public is if Brian participates. If Mike, Al, and Bruce tour next year it will be greeted with a kind of "ah, um, cool" response probably. If Brian is a major part this will be covered as the return of the REAL Beach Boys. You get coverage in Rolling Stone, may even a cover story, mainstream media, probably a late night talk show appearance and so on. Without Brian, you get none of that. And rightly so, he wrote nearly all of their best material, and sang a great deal of it too (along with Mike and Carl).

Also, any newly recorded material would have to feature Brian and Mike most likely. So if they do a few new tracks or something, you can bet that unless it was written by Brian Wilson with him featured in a prominent role (i.e. producer and/or vocalist).

Absolutely true.  The band has known for decades that including Brian in whatever they're doing is going to generate more interest from the general public.  It would be very shortsighted of them to do anything that might cause Brian to back away from the project.

Even though it's potentially a logistical nightmare, I'm really hoping that they pull this one off, and do it right.  For all of their missteps as a band over the years, it would be great to see them go out with a bang instead of a whimper.

How about a Beach Boy 50th Anniversary Festival Weekend with cover bands playing one day and have a car show and carnival, too. Have a big enough stage so Brian can sit in the middle and on his right is his current band... on his left... the Beach Boys band... you have horns and strings and big screen, all current and past members... and the filming of it should be like a real film... not like some TV thing, but to be released in theatres and DVD with bonus discs containing all the interviews and a bunch of other fun stuff.

Sure they want Brian to do it, he's part of history and their family and buddy, but when he hasn't wanted to in the past they've gone on without him. I want Brian to do it but I will not be surprised if the rest do it without him if he doesn't.

I agree that they will go on without him if he doesn't want to, but it just won't be as big of a deal.

However, I hope he does at least 1 big show with them, possibly with a CD/DVD release, and one new song, just so we can say Stars & Stripes wasn't the final "new" Beach Boys release. Although I guess The SMiLE Sessions could also qualify as that, and that would be a way better way to go out. Although I think an album featuring cool unreleased stuff like "Where is She?", "California Feelin'" '74, and "(Wouldn't It Be Nice) To Live Again)", topped off with like one or two new songs recorded by Brian, Mike, Al, and Bruce (plus maybe Blondie, Ricky, or David) would be great, letting the guys celebrate their 50th anniversary with 2 awesome "new" albums, The SMiLE Sessions and the rarities album.

The only way I can back up this claim is by having you listen to the stuff. I know you won't.

Let's have a link!!

I would certainly buy any new ML albums on iTunes.  Iʻm a completest.

Well, therein lies the problem. Michael's 2004 solo album is unreleased because, just like Al, no record company showed any interest; for some reason Michael has not considered digital distribution or it's merely something not that big for him and he seems happier to have it around as a shoehorn for us hardcores. Therefore you need to do a bit of detective work. Cool Head, Warm Heart ended up on the Hallmark CD, and Glow Crescent Glow (aka Love Like In Fairytales) ended up on a recent ESQ CD. It's generally a good album, about a 7.5 out of 10, and only because it does feature a few re-records in Everyone's In Love With You (its third version!), Glow Crescent Glow, Daybreak, Too Cruel, Brian's Back, and I Don't Wanna Know (all from First Love). The only real cringeworthy song on it is Pisces Brothers, with what are easily the man's most vapid TM lyrics. As far as vocals are concerned it's the best he's sounded since the mid-70s.

I started my own record company and put my band's mediocre album on iTunes and Amazon via CD Baby.  ML could could do the same thing.  As I recall, he put Santa's going to Kokomo on iTunes himself.

Here's the ultimate question, though: if Mike Love were to start his own cheap record label, what would he call it, if not Love Records?

Supportmyexes Records

"“Don’t Fu%K with the Formula Records"

Cousin Records

I would say before the summer is out a announcement will be made for a 50th tour with a grand back-drop such as the White House or the Hollywood sign. The worlds media will click away of course and Michael will step forward to give details while the rest of the band mill about. It will be great!!!

But the problem to me is.....that band is the Rolling Stones!

The Beach Boys 50th Tour 1961-2012.  Do the math!

Better get a move on guys before you are upstaged! :-[

Oh...and the line-up? Emotion aside its pure business. Nothing to do with who is the best or who should be there. It will be the band that has been touring under the name for the last 13 years and the one that will continue after the 50th blows past. No brainer...Mikes. Get over it people.



 

In defense of Mike... the Wilson side of cheap labels isn't any better at all..

Support my current wife label... aka BriMel Records

I'm not so sure I believe that Brian is gonna jump back into working with Mike Love unless he has some buddies like Darian and Foskett up there with him. So maybe it won't be the whole BW band, but I doubt you'll just be plugging BW into the Mike Love band. I am somewhat interested to see in which way Brian would perform with this band. Are they gonna put him next to Mike in the front with Brian sitting at his unplugged keyboard. Or are they gonna put him to the side with grand piano?

You are kidding - right?

I hope he does not do it, i can see one show but not a tour. Mike is not the guy for Brian to be around, it´s like putting him in a session with Murray. I kind of see Brian as a expensive statue that some one dropped and people are finally gluing it back together to resemble something that looks like to old statue.  Its fragile, it needs to be handled with gentle hands.

In a way i sometimes feel that the end of the 90´s has been a big reprise of the Brian is back campaign. You can see the man is not well, he has absolute terror in his eyes every tenth second and he does always take the easy way out. He hates doing interviews, he has severe stage fright and he does not like to travel, his voice is a shred live of what it once was and you can see it bugs him every time live. He forgets his lyrics and sings off key live.

Don´t get me wrong i love all the music we received so far but as Van Dyke says it is at someones expense and who but not Brian? I watched the SMiLE documentary for the millionth time yesterday and cant help but thinking about it. He ended up in a hospital, he didn't enjoy the vocal rehearsal, he was scared to death of the music. The only time you can see him really living up is when talking about pot.

So i guess the question is when are they going to leave the poor guy alone and just let him eat what he wants and smoke pot?

Pleased to be out  :afro

Horns - the trouble is they are not just any old horns - they are Brian Wilson horns and so different to most horn charts you will ever see with other bands

Hire chart reading horn blowers, then. Geez, you act like Brian's band is the only band that can play Brian's music. Professional musicians adapt. They will rehearse before the tour begins. Hey, re-hire the Stockholm Horns & Strings again.

50th Anniversaries Я Us present...

8/61 - first rehearsals

9/15/61 - first audition for Hite Morgan

10/3/61 - first recording session (as Pendletones)

11/61 - first single released, first appearance of words "Beach Boys"

12/23/61 - first live performance

2/17/62 - first appearance on national charts

6/4/62 - first release on major label

7/16/62 - first recording contract signed

9/15/62 - first Top 40 chart entry

10/1/62 - first album released

12/17/62 - first tour

5/4/63 - first Top 10 entry

Take yer pick !  ;D

Andrew, what is the difference between your date of first live performance of 12/23/61 and "official" stated 12/31/61 New Year's Eve show? Paymenrt?

One is eight days earlier then the other.   ;D

12/23 was the first time the band performed in front of an audience that wasn't composed of Morgans, Wilsons, Loves, Marks' & Jardines. Two songs during the interval of a Dick Dale show. 12/31 wasn't even the 2nd live show they did.

Shows & sessions 1961/62 (http://www.esquarterly.com/bellagio/gigs6162.html)

Thanks! Was just wondering why the group has always used that New Year's Eve show as their anniversary date when as you pointed out they did perform 2 times before.

Because we have better memories than they do.  ;D

Let's not forget that during 1980-81 Al would often introduce School Days as a Brian composition. Great compliment for sure, but factually inaccurate. :)