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http://www.billboard.com/news/mike-love-beach-boys-planning-new-album-1005295392.story#/news/mike-love-beach-boys-planning-new-album-1005295392.story

Gosh darn you beat me to it by seconds!

Okay, so they've recorded Do It Again, but I suspect Mike's talking up something for which negotiations have barely begun yet, and might never.

Unless AGD comes along and says different!   ;D

 I wonder who's words are being used here, Mike or the interviewer:
>>Love adds that "other things" are being talked about to commemorate the group's golden anniversary, including a possible live performance -- or more -- that would also feature continuing Beach Boy Bruce Johnston and former member Al Jardine. "I think that there's definitely more than a possibility that will happen," Love says, "but to what degree I don't know. It's a little early to say, but I definitely think it would be more than worthwhile. It would be really special to commemorate that milestone with some personal appearances." << 

 Seems to me, Al is STILL a member, just not TOURING; and why is there still NO mention of DAVE?!?!?!
 

Yeah, Mike NEVER mentions David Marks. (and they just had dinner together).  Carl's gone but part of the original guitar sound is still kicking ass.  Plus, David has that Dennis connection, and his voice has the 'Dennis vibe'.  Maybe these interviewers are just specifically asking about Bruce and Al.

Maybe when David's new album drops (Carrie? ? ?) the interviewers will push the Mark is an original BB/reunion thing.

this will at least be entertaining.

I keep saying we need a suicide emoticon.

(http://th156.photobucket.com/albums/t3/videoguymf1/Emoticons/SMILIES/th_suicide.gif)

keep your negative vibrations off this board!

Because as cool as David is, and as legitimate a member of the band he was in the early years, he is seriously regarded as a beach boy only in a book and in this message board. Revisionism takes time. Ask Mike Love's fans.

It cold be brilliant or it could be a disaster, we just have to wait and see..

I'm excited none the less

Smile
New Album
Reunion Concerts
New Brian album
Brian biopic

Wow, we are spoilt

I'll buy it no matter how bad it is. But I am hoping for the best.  :)

Hoping for something good from the band, not SIP or Kokomo.

Just imagine TLOS with the remaining Beach Boys and with some Mike lyrics sprinkled here and there!!!

Something like that could be great!

Whatever they do, whatever they write, can we at least assume the word "summer" will be in the title?

These guys certainly have the backing band to take into the studio!

or "love"

"summer love"

In that lucky old sun,
We'll have fun fun fun!
With all that oxygen to the brain
Not to surf would be a shame

Midnight's not another day
It's time to party blues away
With good vibrations in our hearts
That good kind of love is ready to start!

They'll probably recycle summer means new love

...eh, No mention of Brian there as well.

Get read to sue Mike when he uses these lyrics  :-X

Best 1, 2 post I've ever seen

possible song choices

Shuffle Board USA
My Old Lady from Pasadena
Republicans and Villains (Lyrics by ML)
Help Me Rhonda, I've Fallen and I Can't Get Up
Add Some Metamucil To Your Day
He Couldn't Get His Poor Old Body to Move
I Went to Sleep
Its Getting Late
Till I Die
Lets Go to Heaven in My Car

Take A Load (Metamucil ad)
This Hoveraound Of Mine

Croakamo

I wonder how Bruce will respond. For years he has said he would be in the audience front row center for any kind of Brian/ Mike BB reunion. Now that it may happen has he been per$uaded?  ;)

I agree.

Brian has a lot of good, maybe even great stuff that he never finished. I already mentioned in the youtube-thread when Smile Brian posted "Thank him" ('63-ish? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sw_DDAC_xKc) that I would have no problem if they even went back that far for material. And also ESQ just showed that there are still some Carl vocals from the '95 sessions that can be used. All in all it could be a interesting record if they get it to sound good and coherent. It doesn't need to be a concept masterpiece. I'd love just to have one of those great pop albums that the Beach Boys did with "Surfer girl" for example. Or Brian with TLOS. It also doesn't need to be complicated. Throw in some good ol' Beach Boys doo-wop with Wilson-chords and harmonies..... Man I'm getting dreamy....

The First Time and This Isn't Love also still wait for a proper studio recording.....

I believe the album title Still Dancin' has been mooted.

I would like it if they finished an unfinished song from each era of the band on the new album.

My preference goes:

New Material
"finished" material
"finished" material that includes previously recorded vocals by Dennis/Carl
Covers
Old Material

Disney Widdows
I Can Hear Nothing
Aren't You Dead
Senior Demonstration Time
Limp, Limp, Limp
Shut Down (kidneys, livers, etc)

Undertaker's Daughter
The Same Old Band
Don't Talk (I Can't Hear You)
Caroline, What?
I Got Around
Be True to Your Rest Home
I'm So Old
Why Do Fools Fall Down Stairs?
Retirement Homes, USA
I'm Bugged At My Teenage Son
I'm Goin' Bald
Please Let Me Wander
Livin' With A Pacemaker
Keepin' The Band Alive
When A Man Needs A Nurse
I Just Wasn't Made For These Times
The Little Girl I Once Knew
Don't You Remember?
Time For Bed
Old Folks At Home/Ol' Man River
You Need A Mess Of Help To Stand Alone
Better Get Back In Bed
Be Still

Insomnia's a bitch, ain't it  ;D

When Ex Wife's Get Together?  ;D

I have to admit, with the combination of hearing Brian looking through some old material, and this, I can't help but feel that ol' Punkinhead maybe was right out about the possibility of a new BB album incorporating old unreleased stuff. Kudos to him.  And I think that would probably be the way to go.

They should find some primo old, unreleased material, freshen some of it up with maybe a bit more instrumentation or harmonies, add the "Do It Again" re-recording to it and you got a pretty sweet way to go out.

I say, maybe pull stuff out of the vault with great Carl and Dennis vocals like "Dancin' the Night Away" and "(Wouldn't It Be Nice) To Live Again", and "Carry Me Home" along with maybe a few others, and that will be a great way to pay tribute to them. I really hope that don't do the "digital reunion" like the Beatles, as there is so much decent stuff featuring Carl and Dennis that is relatively done that they could use.

Also, I'd say maybe that could add some instrumentation or something to Brian's "Where is She?" and "California Feelin''. Actually, I think maybe if they used the '74 version of "CF", added some nice vocals, and closed the album, and thus there recorded career with that, it would really round things out nicely.

Personally, I hope THAT is where Brian is looking in the vaults, for stuff from the 60s and 70s, and not for more lame Landy era stuff, cuz we know how that turned out (GIOMH).

Then we got Mike, and I'm pretty sure we'll probably just end up with a few tracks from the "solo album" he has been working on for the past however many years....which I guess is ok, if they REALLY need solo Mike Love composed tracks.

This record (if it happens) just has so many ways it could be interesting. Hopefully they don't whitewash Dennis and Carl out of the equation, like Mike somewhat seems to as of late, with him not seeming to mention that major parts of the band are no longer here. Actually he just kinda seems to feel that all that is needed for the BB is him and Brian, like Roger and Pete in the Who, and Mick an Keef in the Stones. But hopefully, as I said earlier, they find a respectful and artistic way to include Dennis and Carl. And yes, I hope Al and Bruce get some of the spotlight, but lets not have them more out from then they used to be. Maybe a few leads for Al, and one at most for Brucey.

Then there's Brian of course. If he isn't interested, this could be another GIOMH, with whomever raiding the vaults, finding old tracks which aren't stimulating Brian, and Brian going through the motions, and therefore, not putting something great out.

Anyways, I guess i'll leave it there for now, and I guess I'm the only person that for better or worse is interested to see how this goes.

I Guess I Can't Remember Those Times
She's Got Arrhythmia
Stroked!
Farmer's Widow
Let's Go Trippin And Can't Get-Uppin!
Catch A Bus
The Rocking Snoozer
South Bay Senior
Our Bingo Club
Ballad Of Old Betsy
No-Go Slowpoke
An Old Man Is Gone
Collapsed In The Parking Lot
Our Favorite Backgammon Sessions
Help Me Up Rhonda

can we please avoid turning this into a pun-title thread.  i pray to the almighty brian wilson to save this thread.

Just this one:


Keep an eye intact





Let's be honest, the guys could make a good new album. There is enough very good stuff (just think of the Wilson-Paley songs). But they probably go another way. If there's no way people like us (and I include Alan and Mark) could get some influence on the track selection, it might very well turn out to be lame.

I thought that "Do It Again" re-recording session ended with some kind of terrible dispute over creative direction? What are the chances of this supposed new album actually happening if that is how their last artistic interaction went down?

If they can't come up with one entirely new song, I'd say that's pretty lame. This is one of the most successful songwriting teams of the 60's, gold records and BMI awards too numerous to mention, I'd think they could pull one good new tune together. Sure, there is a backlog of songs from the past 35 years or so to work with, but is that *really* what people want to hear in 2011? All of those phases are over: Wilson-Paley, the Don Was era, the MIU/KTSA 70's sound, etc. Start fresh.

The only idea I'd consider from the past is taking a Dennis Wilson or Carl Wilson song, which is unreleased/unfinished, and doing a "Beatles Anthology" take on it. Those Anthology tunes Free As A Bird and Real Love have gotten better with time, and they hold up as good group songs apart from the novelty which existed in 94-95 around using his cassette demos.

Well, if the music is good, I don't care when it was written. That's why I would like to see some songs from Wilson-Paley. Some of them are just too good to not be released. I also hope they will be able to write something new and good. But to take some of the already exsisting songs would be an easy way and wouldn't cost too much time. It would be at least better to take some (and I say "some") old material instead of new Summer In Paradise's, etc. I think "Do you have any regrets" for example has some hit potential.

Also, I'd say maybe that could add some instrumentation or something to Brian's "Where is She?" and "California Feelin''. Actually, I think maybe if they used the '74 version of "CF", added some nice vocals, and closed the album, and thus there recorded career with that, it would really round things out nicely.


California Feeling.  Definitely.  There are at least 4 versions of that out there;Carl, Brian, Al and Rocky (anymore?).  They all beg for a full BeachBoys treatment.  Get that one done right once and for all.  That could be the closer if done right.  Spiff up the harmonies, stretch it out a bit at the beginning and end......
I'm thinking of something comparable to EH with that soaring harmony near the end.....

The next person that has the chance to talk with Mike at a concert should tell him that they really don't need to make any plans because we have it all done on this message board. They only have to follow our plan.

I'm sure Bruce will be relieved to hear that... ;D

You have to wonder if they peruse/lurk this site.   There ARE some good ideas here.    Well, at least one or two.

Our luck, they'd take the silly off hand comments and go with those.

probably where they got the tracklist for Still Cruisin

Oops, I forgot: Bluebirds Over The Gravemound

Some of these pun titles are a bit morbid - yes the Beach Boys are old, yes they will die. Not that funny IMO.

please...no more title puns...they're painful...

"Summer In Paradise"

"Summer Of Love"

Sorry guys,but for me, no Carl and no Brian falsetto= No Beach Boys. :thewilsons

I'd be inclined to agree, but I wonder what would happen if they really (and I mean REALLY) LET Al and Bruce go all out. Bruce can still nail a killer falsetto, I'd think, and Al's certainly still got the pipes!

When Mike talked about writing new songs, did anybody else get the feeling that he was talking about the "new" songs from his unreleased "Unleash The Love" album?  ;D I wonder if Brian and Mike can still come up with a good song or two. I'm talking about a song that is 100% totally new. No old melodies or lyrics from obscure unreleased or unrecorded songs from the last thirty years. Do you think they can still come up with something totally new and original?

Cool Head, Warm Heart could have made a killer Beach Boys track!

I had a dream that I heard a brand new Beach Boys recording. Actually, it was a video for a new single.  It was a song I had never heard before. Unfortunately, I remember very little of it.  ;D I remember that Brian sounded very good though.

Was it "Leaving This World"?

or "Don't Worry Baby, I've Got Life-Alert"?

dammit erik

It was a cross between Getcha Back and Somewhere Near Japan. With real instruments.  ;D The video was in black and white and showed the group driving around in an old classic car. Jeff Foskett was there too. I remember the video had quick flashes of pictures and footage of Carl throughout the whole video. There were also flashes of the circa 1980 interview of a bearded Dennis on a boat.

Seriously could we stop it with the dumb poking-fun song titles? Please mods? I myself personally don't come to this board for the laughs. I come to have insightful discussion. And honestly if this happens, its a pretty big deal. It is the band that all of us here love really making an attempt to record a new studio album.

I think regardless of quality, that it would be great in a certain way to see REAL Beach Boys back on the charts with new material, written by their leader, Brian Wilson. Yes, Carl and Denny are no longer with us, but once again i think this could be equivalent for the Beach Boys of what BWPS was for Brian. A chance to really prove what made them great.

:lol

Terrible but funny!
_____

Hey, Brian's voice sounds fantastic, as does Mike and Bruce's - and Al still sounds like he's in his early 20s. And I hear David's guitar playing is top notch. Brian is still capable of writing some great melodies. I really can't wait to see what they do!

What a sourpuss.

Is it really that big of a deal that people are poking fun at song titles?

You should definitely stay out of the dirty jokes thread, you'd probably end up washing your eye balls out with soap afterwards.

Ya know what, I really really like the sound of that! The whole idea is just..... nice.....!

Something like this could really really work!

As could "ED Song" or "Moanin"

the only thing wrong with the song title puns is that they're god awful

It is when some people are trying to have a serious discussion. That joke thread is in the Sandbox for a reason.

OK, OK! My sincere apologies!

The Beach Boys are deadly serious business!

And if anyone has any doubts:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBFsJk6PWu0

SmileySmile IS the place for jokes. You want serious Beach Boy discussions head on over to the blueboard :lol

In all seriousness, this is the greatest message board I have ever seen....there is a good balance of intelligent discussion and playful joking around on this board. If it were all jokes I would agree, but come on, a few weeks ago some of you guys were dissecting a photo of western(?) studios - checking clock time, what Brian was wearing, who the musicians and engineers were in the photo - just to see what song they were working on...I find that stuff to be incredible, and it's proof that this place isn't just for kicks, but for serious talk....and why not mellow it out with some jokes here and there?

Now, off to listen to 'When A Man Needs A Pacemaker' ;)

God bless you, rab2591!

And I can't help but suspect that, among anyone, Brian himself would probably find all the puns funny!

"Don't Talk (Put My Hearing Aids In First)"
"I'm Waiting For The Bengay"
"Here Today (Gone Tomorrow)"

Let The Wind Blow me over
Aren't you glad you're retired
The girls on the beach(Are young enough to be my grand daughters)
 

Why only fuss about Marks' absence in these articles?  What about Ricky and Blondie?

And of course we mustn't forget one J Stamos,the real true  force behind the Beach Boys
 :drumroll

Oh, but he'll be there! Rest assured  :p

I can't even imagine a Beach Boys reunion without John Stamos.

How did Stamos get involved with the group anyway? Does anybody know? I wonder if he has been around long enough to have met Dennis.

I'm guessing, but I think the Beach Boys did a guest spot on Full House, possibly at Stamos' instigation: being a huge fan. And it snowballed into Uncle Jesse doing Forever and someone asking "Hey, couldn't we use a new Dennis right about now"?

Actually the Beach Boys appeared on Stamos' short-lived sitcom with Jack Klugman in the mid-80's. Show was called You Again?.  Don't know if this was their first meeting.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCHPlAwBVZE&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Who the hell do you think you are, anyway?

runaways, in case you haven't noticed, they're supposed to be awful  ;D

FYI, I'd be a million, trillion, squillion pounds that nothing further than Do It Again has happened. Mike likes to say that he wants to write with Brian every so often.

They could always go and record:

Keepin An Eye On Our Blood Pressure

Wake The Ward

Chug A Lug That Prune Juice

Island Grandmother

Strange Things Happen When You Can't Remember

I LOVE how Brian rushes in at the last minute: basically the day of the gig with "new arrangements"!!!!  :p

I really hope this "album" doesn't come out - they just don't have enough quality in them these days to record a new album - they need to realise how important their legacy is and not wreck it

ha which legacy?  taking the last 30 years of beach boys legacy, if it sucks, then taking a crap on a crap pile isn't really gonna do anything is it?

Legacy - 61 to 71ish, 20 Golden Greats, BWPS and Kokomo (sadly)

In essence I agree but its still crap compared to the above

Ed Roach remembers Stamos, then a soap actor (I think), hanging around the BB's wanting to meet Dennis, and not exactly getting a warm reception from DW. Maybe Ed can fill in some details...I think the bottom line is Dennis had to be cajoled to give Stamos a few seconds of attention. Which is odd because Dennis was usually very approachable, unless he got some kind of bad vibe from you. Hmmm.

Hmmm ... Manson didn't give DW a bad vibe, but John Stamos did?

Actually, that sounds about right...  ;)

I doubt Stamos approached him with a horde of nubile young, half naked, and willing girls

Excellent point. I withdraw my sarcastic post above...

You Again was 1986.  Stamos was actually with the group onstage (not sure if he guest drummed or not, although I do know that Mr. T DID) on July 4, 1985 in Philadelphia and Washington D.C.  This may have been his first appearance with the BB's, not sure. Also not sure why I know this...

IMHO

regardless of what they do... STOP with the shared lead vocals already....!
worst part of the tracks they did in the latter years was making every single  song (seems like) a
lead vocal share-a-thon...
its ok on occasion but it gets tiring in a hurry ( plus it seemed always someone's vocal lead spoiled the song)

The reason they probably did nonsense like this was that "corporately" they had to please all the egos in the room, because it became more of a corporation than a band, like on Still Crusin', where, as Mike Love mentioned, you have to have Al's song here, and Brian's song there or they wouldn't sign off or whatever. Honestly, chances are that if theres a new BB album, most of the music should be written by one B. Wilson. That's what made them great and that is what they should do.

The whole lead vocal share-a-thon also happened on "Free as a Bird" by that other band. Since when was there a Beatle track where John, Paul, and George all sang lead together? At least they didn't give Ringo a lead. Hah.

Back in the early 80's Stamos was on General Hospital.  He had the same pr firm, Rogers & Cowan, that represented The Boys.  There was a girl that worked there that was close with both Dennis & I, (surprise, surprise!), and she said that all Stamos ever talked about was how much he wanted to meet Dennis.  Well, she threw a party one night, and made me promise that I'd get Dennis there.
Unfortunately, it wasn't one of his better nights...  He had been drinking quite a bit, and was also going through a weird period where he was wearing a knife on his side at all times, which he was constantly practicing throwing.  I knew it wasn't a time for him to attend a party, but heck, I promised...  It wasn't just Stamos that he was rude to that night, either; I don't think anyone was too pleased with him by the time we left.  After that, I think John felt it was safer to gravitate over towards Mike Love.

I seem recall that all the band members started writing songs back on the "20/20" /"Friends" albums.  And did so with great success on "Sunflower" and "Holland".  As far as shared lead vocals, one of my all time favorites is "All This Is That" - superb job of three leads:  Carl, Mike and Al.

A new album isn't gonna sound great unless they let Al sing most of the leads.  Everyone else's voice is shot  (with the exception of David Marks, who we know know has a wonderful, distinctive voice).  Brain certainly no longer sounds like Brian, Mike  has lost his range, who knows about Bruce.  Unless it's Al doing a full lead, better to trade lead vocals.  As the saying goes, "Lost in a crowd".  By trading leads, we won't fixate on how much Mike or Brian no longer sound the same.

By the by, George, John and Paul did the co-lead on "Sun King" from Abbey Road. (but yeah, it was a harmony lead).  And I think "Free as a Bird" is great!  It was a no win situation with John gone anyway.

I mean it's obvious that the other members started writing by '68/'69, but the splitting of writing and lead vocal credits by 20/20 thru Holland was brought about by necessity (Brian retreating) and creativity (Dennis, Bruce, and Carl for the most part). It just seemed more organic a process then it did by the late '80s and early '90s. I think this album's tracklist should be decided by who has the best songs. Therefore, if Brian brings in crap, and Mike brings in 3 emotional masterpieces, then Mike should get those 3 tracks on the album. So I guess I retract that the music should be by Brian. I'd prefer that is was, but the key is good songs. I just don't want there to be essentially 3 "Brian" songs, 3 "Mike" songs, 3 "Al" songs, and 2 "Brucies". I guess what I'm saying is i hope they don't play politics, and just try to get their best music out there that they can.

And as far as "Free as a Bird", personally i love it, but i was just pointing out that shared lead vocal thing was something they didn't really do before (except for harmonies).

And oh yeah, it seems totally insane that  we are really talking about the Beach Boys recording a new album. Yes, Carl and Dennis are no longer with us, but I think its great these guys are still up to doing something like this. I never thought we'd see this, or a release of SMiLE for that matter.

What did you think of Al and Brian trading lead on "Drivin'" from Postcard?  I'm thinking co-leads like this, with Mike. Dave and Bruce thrown in, would work.

I agree the co-leads of the 80's - early 90's "Problem Child", do suck!

I totally agree ! In fact this is the utopian thinking that all my reunion hopes are built on

Of course I can only speak for his voice in concert but Bruce has most definitely still got "it", almost seems a shame his lead vocals nowadays in concert are so limited (though when I saw M&B Bruce nailed "GOK" and "Do You Wanna Dance") and I bet a small amount of cash that some of his studio-sweetened would sound near-top-notch as a lead.

According to Mike Love, that was indeed his first show with the band. Stamos' entree into the group was provided by Jeffrey Foskett, who was then playing with the BBs and had been Stamos' roommate.

Problem is, it's evident, from AGD's recent posts, that Brian hasn't written new material for years.
I doubt Al has anything new or decent otherwise he would have put it on his solo album.

So what are we looking at? Using Mike's "Mike Love Not War" songs with new vocals?   Shoot me now please!  I'm sure Mike wants a Summer in Paradise Part II album.

Hopefully, Brian is looking at old stuff like Honey's and Spring songs never done by the Beach Boys.  As we saw with TLOS, Brian has lots of things he toyed with that never made it into full fledged songs.  That's a much better alternative than forced new songs.

Makes me feel a bit more optimistic!

Kinda related:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWnBBCge5sE&feature=related (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWnBBCge5sE&feature=related)

Thanks Ed! Dennis in a bad mood, drunk, and with a knife that he's keen on throwing...no wonder Stamos turned to Mike.  Worst that could happen is maybe getting grazed by a turban, blinded by a spangle....or hit with a minor lawsuit. Nothing life threatening.

True enough!

I'm not even joking when I say this: but maybe they should just roll up their sleeves and hunker down in Al's barn and transform "A Postcard From California" into a Beach Boys album?

Why not? Al's been working hard and a lot of the tracks/backings/vocals are already even there. All it might take is some spit and polish and maybe running some of the tunes through the Mike Love hit machine to see what happens?

It might just be their best option to embellish/strengthen an existing projnect rather than to endlessly argue/hassle over staring something from scratch.

And I agree 100% that Al should be charged with the lion's share of leads. The man has the pipes!

Otherwise, they can always go record:

Denny's Tums
I'll Bet He's Got Arthritis
Love Is A Widow
Roller Skating Nurse
Ding Dang Depends
Ballad Of Oldsurferdude

terrible idea

Better than arguing over a re-recording of Do It Again

How about no?

"the myke luhv hit machine?"  wtf? :thud :tm :wall

Yes!

As history has proven: like an old soda dispenser: if you kick it right sometimes it works

Priceless, raw unsanitized anecdote, Ed, thanks. I'm not a sensationalist, but that's funny, poignant (in retrospect) stuff that contrasts amusingly with Stamos' unctuous persona. Not the sterile way that he would undoubtedly recount the initial events leading to his BB involvement.

I think it would be cool if they went a entirely different route and produced another band together and maybe did some backing vocals.

one time i got a detention for the teacher overhearing me saying "genital hospital" in art class.

Bruce story with the usual but he does mention a reunion with Brian and Al.

http://www.mercurynews.com/peninsula/ci_18618961?nclick_check=1


Johnston said, "We've talked about it, but I don't think it would be weeks and weeks. It might be minutes, hours, who knows?"

Link doesn't work for me...

A long wave of success
By Paul Freeman


For The Daily News

Posted: 08/04/2011 05:18:14 PM PDT
Updated: 08/04/2011 05:18:15 PM PDT


Click photo to enlarge
Courtesy of the Beach Boys Longtime Beach Boys Bruce Johnston,... ( Courtesy of the Beach Boys )«1»The Beach Boys needed to add a new member in 1965. Brian Wilson didn't want to go on the road anymore, feeling more at home in the studio. Glen Campbell had filled in, but was ready to embark on a solo career.

Fortunately for the band, they found a great new collaborator -- Bruce Johnston. Johnston, with frequent partner Terry Melcher, had produced a lot of appealing surf music, including The Rip Chords' "Hey, Little Cobra."

In addition to being an imaginative songwriter and vocal arranger, skilled with harmonies, Johnston had displayed ample talents as a recording artist.

"Brian asked me to the studio just as the 'Summer Days, Summer Nights' album was being recorded," Johnston told The Daily News. "The biggest new hit in that was 'California Girls.' He had some tracks. He hadn't done any vocals. And he just said, 'Come over. Why don't you try to sing with us?' And he just gave me a part.'

"And I just instantly joined this train that had successfully pulled out of the station. And there I am, from a producer on staff at Columbia Records to being one of The Beach Boys. It was so cool! And the music was so brilliant. It was really great to be a part of that."

Johnston was joining the band at a good time.

"Brian had all this amazing talent inside him that could have worked in any century. It just kept going and getting bigger. As wonderful as the beginning was, it got even more interesting, musically, in the
middle, from my point of view.

"I kind of fell into Brian's world, as he was really starting to use the Wrecking Crew, Phil Spector's guys, for the tracking. I got there just in time to hit the great stuff. It's kind of like the Gershwins wrote all those hits, but I got there in time for 'Rhapsody in Blue.'"

Gradually, Johnston, who had a classical piano background, was asked to involve himself in writing and producing, as well as singing and serving as the band's bassist.

"The only reason there was room to do that was because Brian was kind of withdrawing. If you ever were to go over how many songs I wrote in Beach Boys world, it's not very many. And that's because of a couple of things. I didn't think my songs fit. And I used to kind of think, maybe if I put two or three of my songs in, it just takes up space that Brian won't be able to park his talent in.

"There was a thing we had in those days, called product requirement. So, as Brian pulled back, later on in '60s and the '70s, those albums were still due, based on contracts that you signed. You owed for advance of royalties. As Brian kind of burnt out temporarily, you still had to deliver those albums. So that's why other guys started writing, because we had an obligation."

Johnston came up with possibly The Beach Boys' most beautiful non-Brian song, "Disney Girls."

"I was able to weave the voices into it, oohs and aahs. Not that it was ever a hit, but it sold millions of copies riding around other people's albums. People just loved the lyrical point of view. And the melody. That's just one of those nice accidents."

For Barry Manilow, Johnston penned, "I Write The Songs."

"From then till now, it's sold 22 million albums and three million singles. In Beach Boys world, it might have been a hit. But it would have been so wrong for the band to make that kind of a recording. You know, having a hit song, you have to cast it correctly. Some songs you just have to back away from."

Many listeners assumed Manilow had, in fact, written the song.

"He sat on it for a year, because he thought, 'Oh, my gosh, this is a hit and if I record this, I'm going to have to go through the rest of my life having to explain it.'

"Finally, Clive Davis just said, 'You have to record this song.' So Barry went so over the top production-wise, thinking this would never work. And it's his biggest-selling single. Not necessarily his best. My best song is 'Disney Girls,' not 'I Write The Songs.'"

In 2012, The Beach Boys will celebrate their 50th anniversary. There have been rumors of a reunion, bringing Brian Wilson and Al Jardine back into the fold.

Johnston said, "We've talked about it, but I don't think it would be weeks and weeks. It might be minutes, hours, who knows?"

In the meantime, Johnston still has fun, fun, fun singing with Mike Love and the rest of the current band. They perform at Saratoga's Mountain Winery on Sunday.

Whenever the band finally decides to retire, Johnston, 69, will focus on his songwriting. He hopes to be able to create songs for movie soundtracks.

"I've put my songwriting on Rip Van Winkle hold. I knew I'd wrinkle, but my music wouldn't. It's all about expressing people's feelings in a way that they can recognize the second they hear it. You do something right and they go, 'Oh, this is our song.' That's my job."

Thank you !

I really wish Bruce would do some songwriting again. I like most of his BBs contributions

From the Ventura County Star, Mike speaks at some length about his hopes and plans for the reunion album:

http://www.vcstar.com/news/2011/aug/05/beach-boys-will-play-the-ventura-county-fair-on/?print=1

There is one sentence here that I find interesting.

"It's been shelved for so long and fragments have come up, like the song 'Surf's Up' or 'Heroes and Villains'..."

Bruce and Mike have said repeatedly that Smile was just fragments.  There was another interview with Bruce where he was talking about Smile just being all of these beautiful little bits and pieces, and then the interviewer starts naming songs...Cabinessence, and Heroes and Villains, and Surf's Up...and Bruce just says something like 'well, there you go.  I guess there were some things'.  Or something like that.  Were these guys so far removed from the process that they did not realize what Brian had in mind at all?  Yeah, there were a lot of fragments, but c'mon, didn't they remember putting Cabinessence or Prayer on 20/20?

Surf's Up?  Fragment?   ???

I can sorta see what they mean with Surf's Up - It's a full song, obviously, but only half of it made it into the tracking stage, and the other half is Brian's demo. The tag the band might well see as a purely '71 creation, despite Brian's help.

Again, Mike, Al, Bruce and Brian mentioned but NO David Marks.  Yeah, they let David sit in with the BB once in a while, but he wasn't there at this recent "Do It Again" studio thing. Was he or wan't he invited?

Wish someone would ask Mike in one of these interviews if David would be a part of any new studio album.  After reading "The Lost Beach Boy", the guy has more creed, in my mind, than Bruce (with all due respect to Bruce).

Since it seems readily apparent from Mike's interview that he won't be on the album, ( it features  Brian, Al and Bruce) I can see why he wouldn't want to invite Dave to play on it and also help to upstage him. 

>> Mike Love, the group's original lead singer and frontman for the current touring lineup, said last week a reunion album is in the planning stages and could surface next year. The disc, he said, would feature Beach Boys mastermind Brian Wilson, who records and tours as a solo act now; original singer-guitarist Al Jardine, who also performs solo; and longtime member Bruce Johnston, who tours with Love.<<

That's my question, why would not Mike (or Al, Bruce or Brian) not want David on-board. Couldn't be Al cause they play together all the time. He was on the rooftop; Mike and David just had dinner and David jammed with them.  Carrie says it's all great with David and Mike.  For me, if David is not on-board with everything that goes down reunion wise, I'm a lot less interested!

Me too.  If it's good, I'll walk in, buy it the day it comes out, and Smile at the chick behind the counter.  If it's bad, I'll walk in, buy it the day it comes out, and act like I'm picking it up for my mom or something.  Either way, they're still going to get my money. 

Those two were quite funny. 

Are there unreleased Dennis or Carl songs on the level of those two, though?  I mean "Real Love" is pretty damn good.  Plus you've got to think,  Not only did John write them but they were both "Beatley", they were pretty much in the style of what he wrote in the band.  You can't really get a Denny or Carl ballad and have it sound like the Beach Boys in their hayday.  Or maybe you can, I don't know... I suppose it depends on the arrangement.  What KILLER songs by them are unreleased though, that could flesh out?

Yeah, it was pretty decent even with just Mike & his band.  I think Brian and Mike, together, by themselves, could definately still write great music.  The danger though is Brian might slip into his non-critical, non-confrontational, anything goes let's just get it over with mentality and kill it, or Mike could slip into his my way or the highway mentality and kill it.  If the two of them decided to be friends, and work at it for a few hours I think they could write a killer few songs.  They've been apart for decades, if they sat in a room with a pen and decided to write some pop songs, it could be really, really good.

I don't want to hear them make serious music.  Sorry.  I want to hear pop.  The Beach Boys were pop. 

The dirty little secret is, John Stamos is a nice guy.  Don't hate him because he's beautiful. 

They should do the leads, if they can, like on "Catch a Wave".  That song is fucking incredible.  Start the damn song off from the first beat with a crazy, catchy, everybody singing it hook that just rocks, then have Mike do the lead, then have Brian answer it falsetto.  If Brian can't sing Falsetto, have him do his autotune thing or whatever to get it sounding as good as he does on his new albums, and have it go back and forth like that.  Energetic, exciting, positive music.  I don't want to hear these guys singing about how they miss the old days. 

I was reading your idea, but I have to throw the bullshit flag on this one.  Al has not been working hard.  Al's been working half-assed for 10 years on 1 album.  That is not working hard.  Working hard is recording an album in 1 week.  Al's recorded an album in 1 decade.  If Brian had worked as hard as Al back in the day, we'd all still be waiting for Pet Sounds to be recorded. 

I think the misconception comes from the publics large ignorance, until a few years ago, that the whole point of the album was that it was recorded as 1 big work (or three suites, whatever).  Mike and Bruce were in the know back in the day, and have always thought of the album as 1 piece.  Yes, songs were complete, but they were only fragments of the album.  Remember, until Brian did it on stage, most people didn't realize the album's songs all linked together.  The public saw it as a collection of songs, like most albums, but the band, including Mike and Bruce, saw it as a larger picture that was never done.

I know there's some argument about whether that was the original intent but it's clear to me: Brian Modularly recorded Good Vibrations.  To top it, he modularly recorded THE ENTIRE ALBUM.  Pretty mindblowing, actually.  He strung together 3 minutes of perfection; so he tried (and failed) to string together 40 minutes of perfection.  That was the hill he died on. 

I would strongly doubt it. 

Pretty good point.

This went some way to making me realise that the guy is conscious of how the world sees him. Very well natured!

www.collegehumor.com/video/6582695

John thought he was with Dennis.

Have mercy...

Pardon, I just thought for Al this IS working hard  :lol

Touche!

Everything and anything Dennis Wilson did between 1967 and 1983 is better than Free As A Bird and Real Love combined.  8)

Well, also Dennis had stuff, that wasn't as great. But I'd love to have the boys record some cool backgroundvocals for "California slide"