The Smiley Smile Message Board

If Brian Wilson quits touring, and just does an album every couple of years,
What will become of his band?

I don't know if they are on retainer, or just get paid when they work with Brian,
On the road or in the studio. Either way, I imagine they all make a decent living.
Will they be able to hold together as a unit, without a guaranteed paycheck from Wilson?

They are all quite talented,, Scott Bennett, Darian, Jeff Foskett, I imagine they can all make
a living one way or another. It's my impression that the majority of their time and income has
been derived from Brian Wilson for the last decade or so. Will they all go their seperate ways
if Wilson stops touring, and will Wilson be able to, or will he want them to be his studio crew
if he retires from the road?

I want to say it was said that all but two members of Brian's touring group have day jobs.

Also, keep in mind most of these folks were a group before becoming Brian's touring group.

Well, The Wondermints are always a group for Darian to fall back on. I was thinking about what would happen when Brian is gone. I would imagine they would probably get together for a few tribute shows. Or maybe even a Brian Wilson cover band.

I think they'd just go back to being the Wondermints, for sure. I don't know a ton of people who listen to BW, but when he's mentioned I always hear compliments about his band.

And the Chicago faction of his band.... I dunno. They'll probably go back to Chicago and do whatever they do in the midwest.

They were all musicians before Brian hired them, so I assume they'll continue with their music careers and (in some cases) day jobs. Some of them have had projects on the side... with other bands or solo. I'm sure others can get gigs playing in other touring bands or on other artists' recordings.

I wouldn't be surprised when and if the day comes that Brian truly retires that a license for "The Brian Wilson Band" isn't issued out.

I can see that too. It's a logical step from the current situation.

Way before Brian started touring with them - when they burst onto the LA music scene it was fresh power pop. At that time I never really thought "gee, this sounds like Brian Wilson". Hard to believe it's been what, 16 years now since their first proper disk?

Anyway, I've sort of missed them since they started the Brian thing, although with all that Darian has done for Brian - I think the licensing thing is entirely possible. In the meantime I'd love a new Wondermints album if they got it in them!

I asked Probyn at one point about this and what he had to say was this: "Several of us in the band have talked about what might happen should brian decide to not do it anymore, or when he passes away. I for one am happy to perform as a person who played WITH some of the original artists from the 60s -- Brian, Al jardine, Dean torrence, Arthur lee and Love. Some of us believe there will still be enough demand for this type of music that if one is careful, a career can be carved. that would suit me just fine. Darian. among others, not so. "

That last bit makes me wonder: If people -- both within the group as well as the audience -- were willing, would Darian and perhaps a couple others be interested in rearranging some of the BBs tunes (and/or earlier BW material) to make it a little more... fun for them to play, and for us to hear? I mean, as great as it is to hear what is more or less as close an approximation to a studio recording as possible, it must not be so fun for them to do it night after night and, at least for me, is also not as fun to listen to over and over again in a live setting, you know?

There's a pool of players that knows how to do this stuff and has played with the original band, and there's a demand for it still.  I imagine if the originals are not around, there will be that kind of work for those that want to do it, and for those that don't, that's great too!

Just based on what I've read about Darian (having never actually met the man), I don't think that would ever happen - he's the one who felt it was important to stick as close to Brian's original arrangements as possible.  Besides, why fix what ain't broke?

If so that's depressing!

I'm looking forward to seeing Brian (who's still kicking as far as I can tell) in a couple of months - so put a sock in it!

Darian's re-arrangement of "Do You Have Any Regrets?" has long been a favorite. I don't think I'm alone in thinking that there's a lot of Landy-era music that could be "reimagined" to similar success.

Anyone know of the Fab Faux? The are the only Beatles tribute to nail the arrangements and studio stuff perfectly and they play BIG venues.
They don't dress up like the Beatles and it's not remotely cheesy. Look em' up. Amazing stuff.

BW's band should go that route.

Beatles??

Well I'll be damned  :lol

While they are undoubtedly talented I'm not a fan of the Fab Faux, partly because they're American and I suppose I feel a little protective of my favourite English music, but also because it seems such a dull and uncreative thing to do - i.e. we're not going to perform any songs of our own, we're just going to get a guaranteed audience response by playing songs that are always going to be popular.

At least honest imitators like the Bootleg Beatles are prepared to dress up and put some silly wigs on and 'mek show'. The Bootlegs seems to be celebrating the music whereas to me the Faux are just ripping it off.

It's already been announced that when Brian retires members of his band will be fostered by Blooies.

They'll be fed and watered, and cuddled at night, and during the day will have it explained to them how they didn't quite get it right, that they should have done this for Brian and that for Brian, if they'd really known him as well as they ought to have done and had really wanted to get the best of them.

It's not too late, if you want a member of Brian's band to take home and look after as if he* were your very own.  Just register on the BW board "community", post 200 words about how Brian should have gone solo in 1961, and state which band member you'd like to adopt.  As a tie-breaker, construct a sentence of less than 15 words explaining what you'd whisper in Brian's ear if you had the chance to cuddle him.

* I've already got my name down for Taylor Mills.

When I started the thread, what was in my mind was, They
are great players and arrangers. They have devoted a decade or more
to Brian Wilson for I suppose low pay. I'd hope they get a decent
severance package if it all comes to an end. They have gone above
and beyond the call of duty, and I just hope it turns out well for them.
Players of that caliber are not a dime a dozen.

Just by comparison, McCartney has a superb back up band, and I am
sure they are all quite well paid, and don't have to worry.

When I heard the other day the guys in Wilson's band all had to maintain
day jobs just to make a living, I blanched. There is something about that
which doesn't seem right to me.


In this past decade I think most or all of those guys could have made a nice
living playing with someone else. The fact that they did it for peanuts, for a decade
just because they respect Wilson's talent, is what I mean by above and beyond the
call of duty.

I'm pretty sure Brian Wilson pays his band more than slave wages! They have day jobs cos Brian doesn't tour and record all the time!

What's up with the deleted posts in this thread? Nothing offensive that I recall--did I miss something?

I believe only Probyn had a day job (as an editor) unless you count Darian's Disney work. If nothing has changed in the last year or two then that's it. The rest make a living in the music world.

Except only Darian, Nick, Mike D'Amico and Probyn (the "auxiliary 'Mint) have ties to Wondermints. That leaves Scott, Nelson, Jeff, Paul, Mike, Brett, and Taylor(?).

The Chicago faction is now pretty much down to Paul von Mertens - Scott moved to LA, and Bob and Jim are gone; Taylor is in Austin. The Chicago connection is about finished.

I too would love to have Wondermints re-form and pick up again where they left off. But I also hope there's some way to keep the band together. It would have to be musically relevant and artistically worthwhile though, or Darian (and likely others) wouldn't do it. I'm near certain Darian and Paul wouldn't do it just for the money.

All they need to do is stick a cardboard cut-out of Brian behind a keyboard and just carry on as normal.

Personally, I think Brian's touring band and studio band should have been 2 different outfits consisting of a handful of the same members, I am not criticizing the band in any way shape or form, they are fantastic at playing the material, they nail it every night, however, I think in the studio this same thing may sometimes hamper the creative direction that Brian would like to take*, which is why the last 2 albums have sounded like 1963 again, again, not a criticism, they nail it and it sounds superb, but is Brian Douglas Wilson musically wanting to emulate the sound of his old hits?, it's never something he seemed concerned with until after SMiLE where the band started having more say in the studio.


Anyway, that kind of had a point to it, I think since the band are so competent at playing the material, they probably would stay together in some form as a Brian Wilson tribute band, maybe some members would join the touring Beach Boys (I don't know what Jeff Foskett's relationship with Mike is like, but that would make some degree of sense, seeing as he used to be in the touring band)

*This is just pure speculation of course, I have never seen Brian in the studio other than the DVDs, and I suspect some of that material may have been staged.

Something went wrong with the database at some point. The posts I made around 5.30pm and PMs I received have all gone missing, too.

Can we bring him home Mother? Pleeeeeeze?

You know children, keeping a musician isn't all that easy. You'll have to clean up after him every day! Your Father will be angry if there's poopies by his hammock!

Oh, we WILL!

And you'll need to feed him my dears. Musicians love stout with pie and mash!

Oh, yes Mummy! We'll feed him lots of Guinness with yummy pie and mash every day!

And you'll have to go and buy him new strings when he needs them! And help him set up and test all of his equipment so he can play.

Oh, it will be such fun!

And you'll have to go and score drugs for him down in the park when he needs them and fix it up for him. And you'll need to dispose of all the dirty syringes. And when he contracts a sexually transmitted disease you'll have to take him over to the clinic right away. And when you find one of his girlfriends bludgeoned to death in the bathtub you'll have to dispose of the cadaver and...

Can we have a hamster instead?

Of course my little angels.

I hear there's a new sheriff in town

I've read in several topics that posts are gone. I did edit a few Bruce's moustache posts, but that was it, I don't know what happened to other posts that were made. I'm pretty sure it wasn't done by the moderators though. It could be that something's wrong with the settings of the board. I just noticed that the time notation has moved up a few timezones. Very strange...

Yes.....and you just wait till I grow up to be a moderator.

Revenge will be mine.

Ah, in that case, if we're ever in need of a new mod, we'll consider to make use of your competences...  ;D

Well here is my ten cents worth and it is only a personal opinion

I think Brian's band will go back to what they were doing before Brian came calling - they are all musicians in their own right

I hope the Mints do some new stuff - thought their last album was excellent

I wouldn't be keen on them performing regularly as a BW tribute band unless it was a special annual thing where they did a few gigs both sides of the pond

Brian's band will grow older and eventually die, just like the rest of us. I say this with the utmost confidence.

Darian's gonna die someday, but his hair won't.  :afro

(http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1416/1330282275_7f87f8609f.jpg)

Individually, or a group thang?

I don't suppose it will be like the modern equivalent of old big bands playing without their leaders, right? (Y'know, the Les Brown Band of Renown...minus Les. Or...less Les, should I say...)

Which calls into question...if Bruce bites it...will Mike Love tour as "The Beach Boy"?

Nah, he'll be touring as " The Real Beach Boy"

Mike toured for a short period without Bruce in 2004 when Bruce was having his heart bypass surgery. When he'd recuperated sufficiently to go back on the road, the BB website said "Welcome back to the tour, Bruce !" Meaning that Mike sees the touring Beach Boys as a show that must go on ; would the wheels keep rolling without Mike ?

I can see it now...2027...The Beach Boys touring with a holographic Mike!   :p

I recall an interview--couple years ago now, maybe?--when Mike said he could envision a Beach Boyless "Beach Boys" touring. Unless I'm imagining that. (But I don't think I am.) And for my two cents, I see no heresy in such a thing whatsoever. Some people go to see the people themselves, but others go to hear the music and see a great show. If that's the case, once the guys hang it up, why not have an officially sanctioned entity? Again, I realize some people would have no interest in such a thing. But others would.

The Glen Miller Orchestra still tours. Why not the BB when the day comes?

Ugh, with all due respect I personally don't think that's a good idea. You only have to look to The Drifters or the Coasters or one of those groups that tour in splinters now, with different members doing different things, to see how it destroys a group's credibility. A touring BB without any originals destroys, IMHO, the credibility of the group and is just a tarnish of the name. All of this boils down to opinion, but the Be-atles probably had it best when they agreed, I think when they were still formed, that they wouldn't reform without all four members present. In Hari's words: "We aren't going to get Dave Gilmour or Roger Waters and call ourselves the Be-atles."

they probably wouldn't keep touring.  I'm sure they could find other jobs in the music world. 

I've never thought less of a band because of how they toured their live shows. Hell, The Drifters have had multiple lead singers on records, no less as a live act. Most people who see The Beach Boys probably have no idea that there are 4 missing members on stage. Back in the late 70's, I saw the 4 Seasons with the band that did Who Loves You and Oh What A Night. They did old and new stuff. Now, were they legit or not? Though, it was a terrific show either way. How a band is remembered is mostly from their recorded output.

*post removed*

What will become of the rest of Brian's band when Brian no longer tours?

Probably the same thing that has become of them over the years when they were NOT working with Brian's band. Jeff has his own projects. Darian has Disney and tours with other bands as well. Paul, AFAIK, works for some kind of music production company in or around Chicago and has Poi Dog Pondering. Scott has his own projects. Probyn and Nelson both perform with about a billion other bands. Don't know about Brett. And I doubt Wondermints will work as a band; didn't one of 'em say something about Wondermints being a "completed project"?? Nick has had a solo album perpetually in the works for almost as long as Al Jardine did and so far only one tune has come out, but at least he has that going. Taylor obviously has other stuff going on.

So, yeah...they'll do whatever they do when they don't play with Brian as it is now.

Hmmmmm, the idea of being able to go see Brian's band playing a great set of Beach Boys stuff with those guys and gals belting out the leads would be pretty awesome!!

I'm sure in 50 years "The Beach Boys", "KISS" & "Chicago" will still be performing.  :king

The Four Freshmen are still performing and I'm gonna assume all the original passed long ago.

I saw in "Goldmine" that Bob Flanigan of the Four freshmen passed May 15 at 82.  Ross Barbour is the last living member but doesn't perform at 82.  Flanigan last performed in '92 though he was involved with the hiring and such. So the touring group has been without originals for some time it would seem.

I'm no Blooie, but I just have to say how much I love Brian's band.  They've been so major in bringing us a rejuvenated Brian Wilson and inspired, impeccable performances of his music.  They are simply a great *band*.  And an important chapter in the Brian Wilson story.  Staying together regardless of Brian's physical presence (visualizing Brian happily retired!) as mentioned is not without precedence.  I'll add the Ellington Orchestra, Sun Ra's Arkestra.  Oh, and like Beethoven and stuff.

I agree completely! I have a lot of problems with Brian's band when you start comparing them with the Beach Boys, but as their own distinct unit and as a real band that backs up Brian: they're unbeatable!

The Sensational Alex Harvey band still performs, sans the late Mr. Harvey.

You nailed it! :pirate :h5 :happydance :woot :thumbsup :h5

I agree, but to put yourself in the shoes of guys in bands who aren't the main guys: you have to give them some slack in wanting to keep playing and being out there keeping the name of their bands alive! It might be embarrassing sometimes or reek of money-grubbing, but most of the time, guys who backed up the singers/songwriters for decades through thick and thin (even before any sort of success or fame) generally get the crap end of the stick $$$-wise and can very often be dead broke while their former bandmates are sitting on piles of money.... I'm not saying I deny when such a thing frankly sucks and is silly, but it helps to have some respect and compassion for these guys!

BTW, David Gilmour, Nick Mason and Rick Wright did damn well without Roger. Not as good, but damn well.

Oh, and oldsurferdude: you are aware Mike is an original member of The Beach Boys, right?

Whoa!!!!! You are a walking BB encyclopedia-wiki-Man, I never in a million years would have  known   that-you have my eternal gratitude. Any other facts about the band I should know about??? ;)

Yeah, you should know that Mike had talent and is basically one half of what we know as the Beach Boys: there's really just Brian and Mike! There's the melancholy emotion of the Beach boys and there's the outgoing fun side. Brian and Mike represented both of those sides with the other guys tying it all together. Yes Carl and Dennis are awesome, but they basically stepped in and held up Brian's end when he stepped back. You can hate Mike all you want but he is pretty much one entire half of what The Beach Boys are.

Not even.  had you said 1/4 you might have some leeway. But 1/2?  Don't think you'll have too many followers. Mike is nowhere near half the BBs. He definitely has/had talent. He definitely keeps the band on the road, and he's a good front man.( the best one for the BBs) but still, nowhere near half

I just mean half conceptually/sensibility-wise. I don't mean to imply he has even half the talent as Brian, but as far as the yin yang of what The Beach Boys are: Mike is half!

The old "you can lead a jackass to water but you can't make him drink" adage comes to mind with this argument; I wholeheartedly agree with you.

Y'know, the problem I always have with this argument -- eloquently put by Mr. Love himself in the Endless Harmony doc -- is that it ignores the fact that Brian had just as much to do with "Surfin' U.S.A," "Fun, Fun, Fun" and "Little Deuce Coupe" as Mike did. Arguably more in some cases. And it ignores the fact that Mike wrote lyrics to "Warmth of the Sun," and most of "Let the Wind Blow" and "All I Wanna Do."

I won't deny that personality and vocal-wise, Mike and Brian compare and contrast neatly. But they _each_ were tuned into the fun and melancholy, and to say otherwise diminishes both.

Well, as far as the particular Mike quote you speak of: I have to agree with it!

I'm talking about the big picture rather than the fine print! Yes, Mike and Brian overlapped wonderfully. All the guys did. But it's just something about the two distinct personalities/sensibilities of Brian and Mike that, in my opinion, defines what the Beach Boys are as far as what the strongest most visible impression is.

I don't know why this angers so many people. It's funny how anyone can sit there and accuse the frontman, co-lead singer, frequent lyric writer for monster hit songs, of one of the biggest most important bands of all time as being anything less than half of what the band is at it's basic core.

It's not all about who wrote what all the time. The basic DNA of the Beach Boys is Brian's (and the other guy's) emotive falsetto vocals matched with Mike's punkish nasal leads and bass vocals. That's the basic SOUND of the band. That unique contrast defined and carried The Beach Boys into the position they arrived in..... Yes, there was a lot of wonderful overlap, but I'm talking about the basics.... And as far as that goes, Mike is half responsible for what we know as The Beach Boys!

OK, I'm gonna go find a deserted island to swim off to now.

No, no-stay right where you are and keep feeding me more info about the BBs that I already knew before and how Myke is one half of the BBs-you know, interesting stuff like that, More please. :wall :tm :wall :tm :spin :thud :ohyeah

Well, if you know it: embrace it!! Gold lame n all  ^-^