The Smiley Smile Message Board

Has anything been said about whether or not the Boys will continue their usual touring after this reunion or not? It's supposed to end in August, is this the final hurrah for any of the members or will we see more solo/Mike & Bruce shows next year?

I'd imagine Brian will probably stay off the road for most of next year, though I would love to see his solo show, mostly to see him do some deeper cuts and hear him sans the B-Pain effect he had going on when I saw them. I've also decided to catch the Mike & Bruce shows from now on if they continue them, and I'd love to see an Al Jardine or David Marks gig. As neat as it was to pop my Beach Boys concert cherry with the reunion, now I crave more!

My crystal ball says to ask again in 6 months.

Al said in the Charlie Rose interview that he would like to do a tour every few years or so.

After watch the Charlie Rose interview I think they are getting on very well and are surprised how well the tour is loved by the fans. I just get the impression it has exceeded their own expectations.

Of course they could just be great actors and playing the PR card....but I doubt it.

I remember after the rooftop reunion in 06 Jon Stebbins said they just clicked and had that group dynamic. Or words to that effect.

 I'll make a prediction. This thing will not end somewhere in Australia in 2012.

I think they'll go back to being three separate touring units again, but the most ideal compromise would be for Brian to tour with his band as before, with Al and David permanently joining the Mike & Bruce band.

That's right, but if I remember correctly, the response to him saying that was pretty much nonexistent. Nobody jumped in and said, "Yeah, Al, that sounds great!" Or did they?

Really hope it's not just, "Welp. Reunion's over. Back to Brian's solo career, back to Al working on another album for 15 years, back to Mike releasing a new single every five years." That'd be kinda sad, for some reason I can't really come up with right meow. I'd really like to see these guys stick together recording and touring as long as they can or want to, although obviously I don't expect them to keep up the touring pace they are right now at all.

I don't know what age this happens at these days, but how much time you all think we have left before one of them passes away? I think one of the reasons for the reunion was their ever-increasing awareness of their own mortality. if they go to their solo stuff again after this tour, chances are by the time they get a chance to get back together, at least one of them will be gone.

Precisely why I want to see them stick with it as long as they can/want.

I should look again but I think that everyone was being very much deliberately impassive, with maybe just the slightest touch of a nod from Mike.  More negotiations to come, let's not ruin the good times now.

I think Statistically speaking, if you make it to 60 you've got a high probability of making it to 80.  Of course people die between 60 and 80, but all these guys are in pretty good health.  There's no reason to think any of them are checking out anytime soon. 

With that said though of course, you never know, when your number's up, your number's up. 

My wish (Barring a hypothetical permanent reunion) would be Al and David permanently joining Brian's band. I don't want to grant any more legitimacy to Mike & Bruce's Endless Summer Oldies machine and I would like to keep Al and David on my good side.

I think this tour is meaning more to the group than they perhaps thought it would. What did Bruce say a few years ago. Not interested but would watch from 3rd row centre? On the Charlie Rose interview he now says he would go anywhere for the guys and held his heart when Al said something along the same line. I don't think they are alone.

Mike and Bruce may struggle a little to sell what in effect would be 'Beach Boys - Lite' if and when things return to normal next year.

Who will be the last Beach Boy standing? Mike? Al? Brian? Brian outlived both of his brothers.....but I would say Al looks and sounds the healthiest. but I wouldn't bet against Mike still touring the BB show into his 90's. "The George Burns of Rock 'n' Roll"...still leering at the young girls from his wheelchair.

Could be Mike yeah! Wasn't there a story last year where he mentioned his father is still alive? Must be earlt 90s now. We forget though that Dave is just a pup compared to the rest.

It never ceases to amaze me how Brian is still standing, but for some reason I get the feeling that he might outlive some of the other members.

I can understand Brian wanting to kick back after this tour, but is there anything to indicate that Al and David won't stick around?  Long as they all seem to be getting along, we could still have a proper touring Beach Boys with four originals...

Has David ever said why he didn't stick around after the UK tour a few years back, or indeed after his first post-Al stint?

Cheers,
Jon Blum

I'd be really surprised if Brian continued to tour with the group. But Mike would be a fool not to keep Al and David along for the ride. It gives much more legitimacy to his touring Beach Boys to have some actual Beach Boys onstage besides Bruce and himself.

Like some of you said I also think that it'd be hard for Mike and Bruce to keep touring as the Beach Boys after this big tour with packed houses, a different band, three added original members and lots of media coverage. When people see a sign for a Beach Boys concert next year they might be disappointed if it's only Mike and Bruce - no matter how good they'll be.

But I also think that their happines to be together again - although certainly sincere - comes partly from the knowing that this is just a celebration that lasts some months and after that it's over. Should they stay together it'll soon be business as usual and then the ego's might come back up front.
So I'd rather have them part ways on a happy note and stay in contact (maybe even hang out together from time to time if they'd like to) than have all the bullsh!t once again


Although it certainly would be nice to see this current band again at some point, I don't think Al's idea of them touring every 3 years or so would work. There'd be too much issues with Mike and Bruce's band touring as The Beach Boys and then a whole different band with the same name. This year's tour is under the name "The Beach Boys 50th anniversary tour" or something similar. You can't use that in 3 years, so then it would be "The Beach Boys" and I don't know if enough people would care to realize this is not just the regular Beach Boys show (Mike and Bruce) but the big, real thing

Why is Mike & Bruce's Endless Summer Oldies Machine any less legitimate than Brian's Endless Summer Oldies Machine? Both bands have been doing essentially the same thing for years now -- the odd big tour with a more interesting setlist, followed by two or three years of touring playing just the oldies with a couple of semi-rarities like Heroes & Villains and Sail On Sailor thrown in. And when it comes to those hits tours, Mike & Bruce's band is better than Brian's -- everyone I know who's seen both says that. Brian's band is wonderful at playing stuff off Smile, Friends, Sunflower and so on -- and that's the music I like best -- but when it comes to playing Fun Fun Fun or Don't Worry Baby Mike's band sound much better. (Though both bands can do both. Mike's band don't do Til I Die as well as Brian's used to, but they still do it very well, just as Brian's band do Fun Fun Fun perfectly well, too.)

It's not 2002 any more. Brian hasn't been doing the long, arty shows for years, and Mike & Bruce aren't being hamstrung by Adrian Baker and Mike Kowalski, and staggering through the hits as quickly as possible.

My hope is that they all tour in whichever configurations suit them, but that Al and David tour more with either band, so I can see them play more. But both configurations that we had prior to the reunion were (and are) excellent bands

Isn't that obvious? Because it's not billed as Mike & Bruce's Endless Summer Oldies Machine. They get booked as "The Beach Boys."

If the Brian Wilson Band came out as "The Beach Boys" without Mike Love, there would be similar griping, right? It doesn't seem to have much to do with the setlists during the European tour, etc etc etc. Altho it's certainly legit according to the byzantine deals they have worked out for use of the trademarks, you have to expect a certain segment of a sniffy fanbase to not play along. They aren't being paid 100k a year to grant legitimacy! I think $500 or so will sort me out, tho.

I just hope this longish tour doesn't wear Brian out, or worse. UK tour just got added on.

He already has.

Normal interview but the last question Mike is asked about the future. He said they are not ruling out recording or touring in the future.

http://blogs.abc.net.au/queensland/2012/06/the-beach-boys-are-coming-to-the-south-east-.html

I don't see this working after this year. I think David Marks is going to dissapear into oblivion once more, Brian will go back with his band, or maybe do nothing at all, he is gonna be pretty beat after all this and, Al will probably hitch on with Mike and Bruce's show. Just my guess.

I disagree.  I'm not sure where David Marks fits in but I think Brian Wilson will continue to write music for The Beach Boys although as I believe Bruce Johnston mentioned probably won't tour regularly with them as that would be too much for Brian to handle given that The Beach Boys basically have the endless summer tour going on since practically forever.  I do see another Beach Boys album on the horizon given apparently there is a significant amount of material left off TWGMTR.  Not sure when but I have a feeling we'll see another Beach Boys album sometime in the next five years or so.  

As for another full band tour?  Who knows.  A lot of times this all comes down to money and interest and if the interest is there there will be money to be made.  I guess the best way of ensuring the entire group tours again at some point is to sell this current tour out as much as possible.  Buy merchandise, albums, tickets etc.  On a side note the past few weeks people have noticed that Brian seems a lot more engaged in the performances than he was in April.  I'm sure a lot of us believe that Brian is the lynch pin in all of this as Mike/Bruce are road warriors and Al would probably not give a second thought to rejoining the fold full time.  In my opinion it all hinges on the reception this tour receives and Brian's wishes whether we get another full band tour in the future.

All valid points, but it just crossed my mind, why DIDN'T Al stick around after Carl's passing. I've heard he was fired by Mike, and I've heard he quit. If it boiled down to Brian and David leaving after this tour, wouldn't it essentially be the same lineup, and wouldn't he make the same decision? ???

He didn't have any choice in the matter - he was, in essence, kicked out.

There's something to be said about the lack of grudges held during the course of the Beach Boys.

Jardine quit in the early 60s, asked to come back only a year or so later.
David Marks was kicked out in the early 60s, was asked back in '71, '98, '12.
Bruce was fired/quit in the 70s, came back.
Of course all of Brian's issues, he's back.
Al was kicked out in '98, he's back now.
Even Foskett was kicked out in the 80s and has of course come back.

For a band with so many issues and so many allegiances and drama, everyone should does eventually seem to come back.

I would think the future all depends on the album this week.

Good album, reviews and sales should ensure Capitol offers another recording deal. With luck that may motivate Brian.

As I said a few weeks back, Brian and co seem to have settled into a nice touring rhythm. He seems to be taken care of and in his way is happy! I would be surprised if this line-up had a new album next year followed by a tour but maybe a year later?

Of course, I guess the call of a nice comfortable easy chair may be hard to ignore.

Amusingly, I believe the only member who apparently has never left/ been fired at some point is Mr Love ...

I think you are right Spectre, Mike is the only member who has never quit/been fired from The Beach Boys. Dennis - fired several times, David - left several times, Carl - left temporarily to go solo, Al - left after Surfin', fired after Carl's death, Bruce - fired/left depending on if you believe Bruce or Reilly, Brian - left to go solo, Blondie - fired and Ricky - left.

I think the closest Mike ever came to getting fired is in the early days when Murry wanted him fired for swearing!