The Smiley Smile Message Board

The following is an excerpt from the Beach Boys FAQ book. Thanks to Backbeat Books/Hal Leonard Group for permission to reprint.

With the current controversy surrounding the press driven myth that Mike Love has "fired" Brian Wilson, Alan Jardine and David Marks from the Beach Boys, and the public relations Harikari that the Endless Summer Continues press release has resulted in...I thought it appropriate to go back to my thoughts from the 2011 pre-reunion period and look at why Mike Love hating is an old fire that keeps getting new fuel.


The Fun of Hating Mike Love
By Jon Stebbins

For a singer and lyricist who has had more hits and more success than nearly any living figure from the golden era of rock, Mike Love gets very little respect from many critics, journalists, and from the
majority of Brian Wilson fans. Is it his fault, or is Mike a victim? The general perception of Mike Love as a bad guy might finally be changing a bit as of late. But he’s got a long way to go before he loses the tag of being one of the most reviled figures in show business.

The reasons for the negative perceptions of Mike are many. They are rooted in something that is inherent. His manner, his way, and his outward personality are things that worked very well for the Beach Boys, but also created a backlash for Mike. He developed a playfully smart-aleck stage persona that relied on a somewhat aloof body language countered by stage patter that was purposely silly but rarely funny. As if he were too cool to actually be serious. That semi-c*cky persona is one of the things that balanced Brian’s stage fright. When Brian kicked loose and felt comfortable, he actually was naturally funny and more engaging than Mike, but it was hit-and-miss. Sometimes Brian froze. Mike has never frozen on stage in his life. His stage character inhabits him the minute he steps in front of people. He grins, nods his head, points to someone in the crowd, and from that moment he’s both the frontman and the emcee. None of the Wilsons had the ability to take over the show on a nightly basis like Mike has for 50 years.

But a little bit of Mike goes a long way, and some tired of his act very quickly. Others couldn’t get enough, and still consider him the quintessential frontman. I can see both sides. Beginning in the mid-’60s, Mike started taking some hits from certain quarters about his stage moves, his balding head, and his nasal voice. As the British Invasion types with Liverpool accents, lots of long hair, and mod clothes became the rage, a stripe-shirted, jerk-dancing, follicly challenged Mike looked a bit behind the times. He became something of a joke to many rock fans. And it got worse from there.

In 1967, while Smile was melting down, Mike was named as the culprit who most questioned Brian’s recent creative direction and his approach to making records. Mike’s infamous “don’t f*** with the formula” comment may have been uttered in regard to Pet Sounds, but Smile is when Mike’s crap truly hit the fan. From that point he was looked upon with suspicion and derision from many Brian supporters. Slowly this perception of Mike leaked into the press, and into the minds of fans. Coupled with his stage demeanor, these new rumors of Mike being anti-Smile slowly worked their way through the chain of insiders, press, and casual fans. Mike was beginning to be viewed as the bad guy.

More negative stories about Mike surfaced. He was accused of slapping his wife Suzanne in public, making her wear certain clothes, disallowing her to wear others, and barring her from smoking even if she wanted to. During their divorce proceedings, she was accused of being unstable and promiscuous. Mike also pursued the full custody rights of their children. Again Mike’s image took serious blows, and again it only got worse.

We Gave Him Everything We Own Just to Sit at His Table

In the late 1960s, Mike threw himself into the study of Transcendental Meditation and the teachings of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. He traveled to Rishikesh, India along with the Beatles to study at the Maharishi’s mountain compound. When the Beatles had their fill and publically rejected the Maharishi, Mike went all in, convincing the Beach Boys to tour with the Maharishi as their intermission lecturer. The tour was a disaster. The Maharishi’s public image was in tatters following the Beatles debacle. With their tour partially riding on the allure of the Maharishi, he became a sudden pariah, and the Beach Boys and Mike were left holding the bag. Mike was seen in some quarters as a poseur, trying to be hip, but really just a square in a white robe.

As the Beach Boys’ popularity bottomed out in 1970, and their surf- and-hot-rod material was ridiculed by the acid generation, Mike updated his image, and to some he went too far. He was often seen in flowing robes, and even though the top of his head was relatively bald, he grew the rest as long as he could. He also grew out a Methuselah-esque beard, and looked similar to Robert Crumb’s underground comic character Mr. Natural. At one point Mike went off the deep end from fasting and/or drinking too much fruit juice. There was some kind of institutional intervention causing Mike to miss some Beach Boys concerts. More fuel was added to the fire of Mike’s detractors.

It’s a Gas Gas Gas

By the mid-’70s, the Beach Boys were on the comeback trail, and Mike was a revitalized frontman. He adapted a flamboyant stage persona, borrowing dashes of Mick Jagger but retaining the smartass California attitude. His mode of dress continued to show about as much restraint as a gay pimp’s. Truthfully he was a great entertainer during those days, and the Beach Boys’ live shows certainly benefited from Mike’s flashy ways. But at the same time he was also lobbying for a more retro sound and oldies-heavy song selection. In his mind, he was giving the fans what they wanted. Regardless of his intentions, it ended up hurting the band creatively, and also drove Mike further toward being the guy who was assigned blame for not being cool.

By the ’80s Mike’s battles with Dennis Wilson, on and off the stage, had taken their toll on both Beach Boys. Dennis had been the Beach Boy who took pleasure in standing up to Mike, with words and fists. He constantly needled and challenged Mike, while Mike demanded that Dennis put down the booze and drugs or get lost. Dennis got lost, completely, and died. From that time on there was no one to counter Mike’s strength in band politics. Despite Carl’s importance as a stage leader and as the “normal” Wilson brother, without Dennis around to physically enforce any anti-Mike sentiment, Mike pretty much had his way.
Mike pounded the ultimate nail into his own image coffin with his infamous Rock and Roll Hall of Fame acceptance speech in 1988. In front of an audience that included Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Mick Jagger, and a long list of other rock luminaries and press, Mike shared these words: “The Beach Boys have continued to do, about, we did about 180 performances last year. I’d like to see the Mop Tops match that! I’d like to see Mick Jagger get out on this stage and do “I Get Around” versus “Jumpin’ Jack Flash,” any day now. And I’d like to see some people kick out the jams, and I challenge the Boss to get up on stage and jam.” As the other Beach Boys and the audience grew increasingly uncomfortable, Mike continued. “I wanna see Billy Joel, see if he can still tickle ivories, lemme see. I know Mick Jagger won’t be here tonight, he’s gonna have to stay in England. But I’d like to see us in the Coliseum and he at Wembley Stadium because he’s always been chickensh*t to get on stage with the Beach Boys.”

The room was shocked. Carl Wilson was visibly embarrassed. Bob Dylan was heard saying, “I’m glad he didn’t mention me.” The rock press designated Mike as “Mr. Sour Grapes.” No one could understand why, at the moment the Beach Boys were being honored for a career of making people happy, Mike decided to take potshots at his perceived rivals. It was a bizarre scene, and it had a devastating effect on Mike’s image. Those who were already suspicious of him had public confirmation that he was petty and conceited. For people who barely knew who Mike was, this was their introduction to him. From this point forward, the name Mike Love was ingrained into the general public’s mind as a controversial entity.

Sue City

Just as Mike’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame meltdown was fading from people’s minds, he launched a cascade of high-profile lawsuits. In 1992, Mike sued Brian to recover songwriting credits he had not been given for Beach Boys songs to which he’d contributed lyrics. Later that same year, Mike again sued Brian and the publishers of his autobiography for slander, libel, and defamation of character. Love was awarded millions of dollars and the restoration of more than 30 Beach Boys songwriting credits for the first suit. For his second suit, Mike agreed to an out-of-court settlement that consisted of a large cash payment of an undisclosed amount. Mike got the money, but he also got the bad press for initiating these suits against Brian, who was often described as defenseless and too mentally unstable to fight back. That, of course, was ridiculous. Brian could afford lawyers just as competent as Mike’s. And Mike did deserve the majority of those songwriting credits. Early on, Murry had purposely cut him out of the money loop by making empty promises that Mike would be taken care of later. Later didn’t come until Mike sued Brian.

David Marks spent his last ten dollars on parking to testify in Mike’s behalf, not because he hated Brian or thought Mike was a genius, but because he knew Mike had written lyrics to songs on the first four Beach Boys LPs for which he was not credited. That was the truth. Brian shouldn’t be blamed for this, because those credits were the last thing on his mind. Murry was the businessman. There was a pattern of Murry screwing the guys whose name was not Wilson. Mike was first on that list. Mike did contribute lyrics to a bunch of songs for which he wasn’t credited on albums that sold huge numbers. He tried to negotiate a settlement with Brian’s management and wasn’t taken seriously. Mike was incredibly lucky to have a cousin named Brian Wilson . . . but that doesn’t erase the fact that he should have been credited on the songs for which he wrote lyrics.

Mike’s defensive posture is easier to understand if you go back to 1962 and look at the way he, and any outsider (Gary Usher, Al Jardine, David Marks), were being systematically cut out of the Beach Boys pie by Murry, and in very underhanded ways. Murry was constantly pressuring Brian to not give Mike so many lead vocals, and to not to give him songwriting credits. Brian resisted the advice as best he could. But when it came to business, Murry usually got his way. That Mike would end up with a highly defensive, and even aggressive stance regarding Brian, and his place in the Beach Boys is an easy thing to understand. Instead of bending over and taking his screwing like Al did, or ejecting from the scene like David did, Mike hung in there and formulated an aggressive posture. He defended his ground and even invaded territory that wasn’t rightly his. He’s still doing it.

Mike is constantly calculating, and he’ll never stop. It’s got to be, because he’s convinced on some level that if he shuts it off, he’ll lose. Perhaps this is not something to admire. But it is understandable how Mike got there. There was friction and jealousy between he and the Wilsons from day one. Murry screwed him out of years of songwriting credits, and Mike probably took back more than he deserved. Regardless of whether he just took back what was rightfully his, or was overly greedy and took advantage of Brian, Mike was branded as one of the most litigious figures in show business. Mike’s reaction was to keep suing people. In the late ’90s, he sued Al Jardine for misuse of the Beach Boys name when Al tried to tour under the banner “Beach Boys Family and Friends.” Mike won. Then Mike sued Brian and a British newspaper for misusing the Beach Boys’ name and their image in a promotional CD that was included in the paper to promote Brian Wilson Presents Smile. Finally Mike’s winning streak came to end. The lawsuit was not only thrown out of court on the grounds that it was without merit, but Mike was also charged with being liable for Brian’s court costs.

Wait. You have to ask permission to reprint something you wrote? that's ALL wrong. 
next time ask me, and I'll get Mike to post it without asking...

That is one of the most articulate posts I have ever read on the subject (no surprise) and I entirely agree.

This essay is one of, if not the best, explanations of Michael's behavior I've ever read. Of course, it won't win him any new fans, but hey.

Beautiful stuff!
I've gotta pick this up!

Poor poor pitiful Myke-always the victim. I wish my cousin had set me up like that. Is he unable, because of his ego, to show (just a little bit?) how greatful he should be?? Does he not realize that Brian is the goose who layed the golden egg? Anyway, Jon, incredibly well written account of the bizarre behavior of Myke Luhv.

Well actually...

"Brian is the goose that laid the golden egg." - Mike Love in 1991

 ;D

The upshot of Jon's piece isn't that Mike's behavior is bizarre. The upshot is that his behavior is understandable, if not always likable.

Good luck pitching that one to the anti-Michael crowd...

For those who have not read Jon Stebbins' book (it is available on Kindle too!), it is highly recommended - informative and nicely written.
With respect to the topic of this thread  (and the BB story in general) I've wondered about a couple of things that maybe Jon (or someone in the know) can provide some factual insight (warning: this is not meant to be a defense of anyone and not to be taken in that manner, just trying to get a better understanding of a very complicated [which it is although some others here see it as black and white] inter-relationship of an otherwise great musical group):
 - I believe I've read/heard that the Beach Boys (probably BRI) funded the cost of Landy's treatment of Brian (both times). Is that understanding correct? If so, it had to cost hundred's of thousands of dollars - to Mike and the others. (Note: yes, the seed of that revenue came primarily from Brian as writer/composer/producer that the others should/were thankful for; but at the same time the others were the ones doing the work touring etc.). Seems to me this is an element that is overlooked in the historical context of understanding the interplay of these guys. Also, if done was it done out of true concern for a family member/relative/friend or, cynical view, to "fix the golden goose"?
 - Query how some of us might have acted or felt in a situation where you are a member of a successful group (business?) and a few (2?) members start to act out of control, doing drugs, acting irresponsibly etc., jeopardizing the continued success of the business and your livelihood? Could that explain in part Mike's actions to "take control" of the group - before it self destructed?  Being in the middle of all this  - might it have been frustrating to him? Should he just have sat on the side and done nothing? (Note: I agree that all the actions by Mike as noted in Jon's excerpt above certainly did not help his image and there's no excuse for his R & R rant).
 - As a "family", did these guys try to address issues medical, business etc., in a family manner instead of getting professional assistance (ie. "we can figure it out and don't need any outside assistance")? Did they have good PR representation  when they really needed it; and, did/would they have listened?

The story of this group is extremely complex and  IMO not black and white as some look at it. Plus, interesting as all heck.  Everyone seems to have their share of contributing to the problems and issues that have beset them, no one is innocent (perhaps Carl the least to blame  IMO) and everyone also being a victim to an extent (and in some cases doing something about it)  at some point as well.

In Leaf's book (which I know many of you have your issues with...) isn't there a line about Mike that was uttered by one of the long-suffering BB employees: "Imagine if he didn't meditate??"  :3d

Despite all of it (and kudos to Jon for "walking the line" in terms of poking into one of the band's hoariest "open secrets"), Mike is really, truly a gifted singer, particularly when he decides to push himself a bit. There's a reason why Brian still wants to work with his cousin: he's actually pretty damned good if you figure out a way to live with what comes with that...

Mike is truly gifted. I said that before the reunion, and I'll say it now. But his gifts are almost entirely in the presentation department -- he can add little verbal hooks to songs. He can sing a nifty lead. He knows his stage patter. His bass vocals are irresistible. The thing is, that presentation really needs the central content provided (mostly) by Brian. With that core, Mike shines. And Brian knows it. And true fans know it.

Think about it this way ... how many of Brian's outside productions hit big? How many of his solo albums have really struck a nerve with the buying public? Like it or not, he needs something or someone else to give his beautiful music commercial force. That's part of what makes Brian the fragile genius.

But Mike knows this all too. It's why he tours so hard. He knows that he can't retire to his home and create an astonishing body of new songs. He could record a lot of tunes, sure, but he doesn't need to. He doesn't have the urge to create. That's not his gift or talent or natural inclination. He has the urge to present. And that's why he'll be out on the road in a couple of days. He needs it, and he needs it to an extent that it confuses his less driven bandmates.

...and Brian's behavior, of course, has always been impeccable. Brian's faultless life serves as an exemplary model that makes one wonder how Mike could fail to notice and emulate. Shame on Mike for being a big fat lazy mental case.

At least most of us here realize that there isn't anybody who gets off spotless, nor anyone who should be seen as evil.

Mike and Brian made a great team. And not just the surf stuff - the Wild Honey album is full of great Wilson/Love tunes.

Right on! They were always better together.

Shut up. Mike only wrote about surfing and cars, Wild Honey didn't happen and if it did, those were surely all Brian's lyrics.

Not entirely accurate. Mike was always better with Brian (you could count the number of important songs Mike wrote without Brian on the fingers of one hand), but Brian wasn't always better with Mike - he produced loads of terrfific stuff without him too.

Strictly as a songwriter that's valid. Mike has only done maybe a half dozen really great songs without Brian. I disagree if you mean any sort of participation. Even if it was at times only as a singer, Mike was part of 90 percent of Brian's best work. The only things I think Brian did outside the classic Beach Boys records from 1961-72 that was as good was a fair number of his 1962-73 produtions, but even then Mike helped on Sharon Marie. Mike's performance and input always mattered.

Probably the best Mike Love/Brian Wilson song is Do it Again, well to me anyway lol

What an insightful essay. I was aware of most of the information imparted but not all of it...and to see it presented in a way which perhaps explains why Mike is so defensive.

I never bought the idea that Mike Love was simply an unpleasant ass of a person. There are usually events, reasons behind people's attitudes. And yeah, just imagine if he didn't practice TM!

Mike *is* talented, and having seen the Boys at Wembley I can attest that he is an excellent front man. Yes, his act is pure cheese but it's engaging cheese...sort of a good slightly over-ripe cheddar to Brian's exotic unpasteurised Dorset blue vinny. But it works, at least it did for me.

All who haven't should get Jon's Beach Boys FAQ book asap. It's one of the few I can say jibes with my viewpoint almost completely. Excellent and fun reading!

Great stuff, Mr Stebbins. I have a lot of respect for you being open about Mike deserving the writing credits, and for "telling it like it is" regarding Murry screwing everybody who was an "outsider". The Dennis part was a very interesting point, regarding him being the one to stand up to Mike, and the part about Carl losing his support regarding "creative differences" with Mike. I hadn't really given that much thought, but it makes a lot of sense.  :)

Thank you for posting this, Jon.
...
Regarding the "imagine if he didn't meditate" quote, Mike himself says so regularly. He acknowledges, even today, that he'd be irritated or violent if he didn't. To me, he comes accross as an honest guy, if probably hard to deal with when you disagree.

I think he took the heat to a degree most of us would not stand. And he is a sinner, like his bandmates. And like us.

From Psychology Today.... (http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200105/love-connection)



......Do they, Mike?

I am super thrilled that someone just used different cheeses to describe the individual Beach Boys. I would start an entire thread about it if not for the likely backlash.

Al Jardine is a nice goat cheese, possibly Humboldt Fog. Carl is a fresh buffalo mozzarella. Bruce is processed Kraft American cheese slices (yellow).

Dennis is tough! Any suggestions?

Said this already: after reading that quote, "Wrinkles" seems like an entirely different song.

Well… ever had yak's milk cheese?  Had some in Nepal donkey's years ago. Was like a giant's toenail clippings in texture and a tough bite, though the taste was good (we were told it was yak; suspect it might have been buffalo or dzopkyo).

Haha perfect. Thanks John  :-D

Nope, Myke Luhv's act reeks of stale, moldy Limburger cheeze that was discarded, say, roughly 45 years ago. Or it could be s type of disgusting "frontman" blend with it's origins in so-cal.

And Elton John was heard even louder...

Al going over to George Harrison & Ringo to apologise, only to be stopped with 'Nah, don't mention it, we love you guys' is the sweetest part of that iirc.

The R&R Hall of Fame appearance was one of the most punk rock things ever! Brian, his usual self, loves to be praised and put on his best "oh gosh, gee!" humble act, soaking up the adulation like a pleased 3 year old.

But you know who didn't give a f***? Mike Love! He knows the R&R Hall of Fame is a sham. First of all, who cares about crap like a R&R Hall of Fame except nerds who buy albums like Pet Sounds? Secondly, we all know it's the biggest self-indulgent circle jerk around. Old rich as hell over the hill rockers gettin' together to celebrate their celebrity... please! Mike doesn't get off on that. He's happy when he sees a family enjoying a Beach Boys show. That's a true reward, not a lame trophy and applause from Bon Jovi's wife.

I'm glad he basically told everyone to shove it. The BBs are above garbage like that and Mike knew it all along.

Jon's analysis is great, as usual. 

Yes, I know that there are fanatically anti Mike Love people.  And yes, I know that they can be very annoying.  But unfortunately, there are also a lot of people on this board that, if you say anything vaguely negative about Mike, they accuse you of being "anti-Mike" a "Brianista," or start randomly attacking other band members.  Seeing that most people on this board realize that Mike is an important part of the Beach Boys, YET realize that he bears a fair bit of the blame for his public image, isn't all of the hysterical defending of Mike getting just as old as the hysterical attacking?  Save the hysterical defending for when you get a true Mike Love hater.  The rest of us want to discuss the band, and the fact that Mike can be a jackass at times is kind of hard to avoid.  But hey, the guy has written lyrics for many BBs songs, is very underrated as a singer (especially that bass voice), and is THE frontman for the BBs.  Acknowledging his importance shouldn't mean that we can't acknowledge that while there are understandable reasons why his public image is about as good as Axl Rose's, the man who has created this public image is primarily Mike Love himself.   

Well said, Mabewa!!
The "anti-Mike Love" elements can be extremely annoying (sometimes its best that if you don't have anything good to say about someone, don't say anyhting); and the Brianista's seem to ignore the negative side of his history and share of the group's past problems (perhaps because his is a more sympathetic case).
Most (but not all) of this board does recognize your good characterization of the matter.

Things are rarely black & white.

Yes, on balance of probability Mike is a less pleasant person than Brian but neither man is perfect nor a total ass. It's nice to see a reasoned argument explaining why Mike is reviled and the background behind many of his more publicised litigation proceedings. If there really is a villain in the piece it is Murry...who probably had his own reasons for acting the way he did. His actions are more reprehensible than Mike's.

Yea every fan tends to look at Mikes behavior and tend to annoy or be in denial of the other members behavior, Yea Mikes probably the worst, his reputation has been pretty much ruined, I think people forgot about his attitude while the 50th anniversary tour was going on. I think fans knew that him and Bruce were going to tour even after this, yet even the press said it, but when someone wrote Al, David and Brian (which I think set a lot of people) were "fired", then people began hating on him. Mike Love is really one of those people you just love to hate, and mostly cause of his reputation. And the others werent any angels either, but who isnt? yes Mikes attitude has caused so many people to hate him, but I think this time, he shouldn't be hated for this, I kind of think the fans are looking for some excuse as well as the press.

Some fans also refuse to acknowledge Brian's role in putting Mike in the position that he's in, by siding with Mike in the fight to be holder of the Beach Boys name touring rights.  If Brian regrets that now, he should have thought it through back when it was an issue, since he had firsthand knowledge of Mike's sometimes combative and stubborn nature.  The only person resembling a victim in all this is Al Jardine.  He's the one who lost a touring career and a large chunk out of his assets from paying legal fees (and he has less assets to begin with than either Brian or Mike).

This whole situation is only aggravated by Mike Love's ability to actually throw fireballs when enraged, which puts the other Beach Boys at a distinct disadvantage.

If anyone's to be hated on at the moment, shouldn't it be Bruce???

I mean, if Bruce was to tell Mike something like "Sorry, Dr. Love, but I have enough money and this reunion tour was so great, I'd rather not sully the memory" and declined to tour: wouldn't this seriously affect Mike's motivation and ability to do so? It's hard enough to sell the Mike and Bruce show as "The Beach Boys" so how would a Mike and Mike and Mike show come off to bookers or even the least discerning neighborhood rollar-rink concert attendee.

Good point.

Although if anything, Bruce would earn less money than Mike from the reunion gigs - he's not a BRI member, yadda yadda. If finance is motivating them (it's one of Mikes gripes, as we know), it's a bigger motivation for Bruce.

However, Bruce has also said he would have watched the reunion from the fifth row. And he is the reigning SoCal Pistolwhipping champion, so what can we say? Some of his best performances have been in interviews, so it's hard to get a handle on what motivates him sometimes. Probably money. Simplest answer.

I think that one of the reasons that Mike has such an negative public image also has to do with his treatment of the fans and other people who have encountered him off-stage. While I always read very positive things about people's interactions with Carl, and for the most part, Brian and Al, no one seems to have had any positive experiences with Mike (except attractive women!) From just reading this board, for example, it seems that most of the comments about people meeting Mike are that he was unfriendly or aloof. And this is from both casual fans and those who are more involved with the band. It is well documented that Mike's stage antics have long rubbed many the wrong way, and if you combine that with the fact that many people's one on one interactions have also been unpleasant, you are left with a man who does not engender much good will. Most of us were pleasantly surprised that he acted so well on the anniversary tour, as if bad behavior were the expected norm with Mike.

I also wonder if the media have had similar negative interactions with Mike, and if after he gives his canned answers about everything sounding like 1965, he is friendly towards members of the press off the record.

Isn't Bruce the richest of all of the principals since he has some kinda investments- or marriage-gained fortune in addition to his music, both with and without The Beach Boys?

I imagine those Barry Manilow cheques help a lot, too.

I wonder if he gets residuals for that song of if he just sold the song outright like a song hawker.

Yepp... Everytime Barry sings that song, Bruce is rolling around in the money, in his cheap house somewhere in Cali lol xD

Bruce is neither here nor there-equivalent of a non entity in the band. Performancewise, his attendance would not have mattered in the C50 tour and quite honestly, he's nothing more than a sideman in the Myke & Bruce band. In other words he's most likely disposable. If Myke can get along without Al(Really?) then Bruce is in deep ca ca.

Except, Mike and Bruce enjoy each others' company.

According to whom?

I suspect Bruce kisses Mike's behind and Mike likes that.  Mike was the person who called Bruce and asked him if he could recommend someone to replace Glen Campbell, and Bruce just happened to volunteer himself after claiming the two people he thought of were not available.  So, Bruce may think fondly of Mike for that reason and think that he perpetually owes him something.

Bruce invited himself into the band. ;)

Since Mike's Hall of Fame speech has been discussed in this thread, I thought I would add Neil Young's thoughts from his new book.
 "Mike Love of the Beach Boys, and several others have made long speeches that covered things they needed to say, and they exercised that right.  It was amazing to hear their takes on life, how they had been done right or wrong, who they blamed for their problems and thanked for their victories on the way to the Hall.  It was an honour to hear them talking to their peers..."

As much as I dislike Bruce's politics, and as much I think he's a bit of a flake, his participation in the reunion shows was needed. Not only was his performance on Disney Girls usually a highlight, he was an important part of the harmony blend. Now, on the M&B shows, though, he seems somewhat superfluous.

Neil Young is awesome like that, he loves to hear honest opinions and defends that right.

Neil Young sounds like a pretty cool dude.

Mike Love's speech that night is the best thing to ever happen to the R&R Hall of Fame.

Exactly, along with Johnny Rotten's letter.

Anyone who talks trash on that ridiculous institution is a true rock 'n roller.

Dylan's response later that night was better.

Bruce adjusts the microphones. No Bruce, no proper sound balance. The harmonies are ruined.

He has a lot more to do in the M& B shows though. Singing the lead on half dozen songs.

I've met Mike twice. The first time, after a show, he was very friendly indeed. The second time, at the train station in Milan this year, he was very polite, though he made it clear he didn't want to stick around and chat for long as he had a train to catch (which is absolutely reasonable). I know plenty of other people who have had very good experiences meeting Mike too. Of the five surviving band members, he's probably the friendliest other than Al in my limited experience.

No he doesn't. Taking this set as an example -- http://members.tripod.com/~fun_fun_fun/9-25-09.html -- it's a set of about the same length as some of the shorter reunion shows, and he sings lead on three of them out of thirty-nine (Do You Wanna Dance, God Only Knows and Disney Girls), although Christian sometimes takes the lead on GOK. When I saw them last year he sang lead on two songs out of 25 (GOK and Do You Wanna Dance), and on the UK tour in 2008, when they did 52-song sets, he sang lead on Wendy, God Only Knows, Disney Girls and two lines of Here Today.

Surfer Girl, In My Room, Please Let Me Wonder.  His vocals are prominent on these songs. Kiss Me Baby was done as a duet with Mike I believe.

Please Let Me Wonder wasn't on the setlist I was using as an example, and I don't think they've done it in quite some time. Surfer Girl and In My Room don't really have lead singers, and Bruce doesn't do any more on those in Mike & Bruce shows than in the reunion shows. Kiss Me Baby is, I believe, shared between Mike and Randell.

It would've been more funnier if Mike punched Jann Wenner in the face on that day to :lol

Bruce sings the 'We could ride... ' section of SurferGirl. Obviously Brian sang it this summer.

He also sings the first line of in my room and is much more prominent

It was a thing of beauty

Mike's speech was awesome. He didn't do it for the same reasons as I would like, but the end result is still highly entertaining. He seemed to be doing it more in an egotistical, whiney, slightly out-of-it way, as opposed to a really hardline fashion meant to just tell the R&R HOF that they suck. He was telling some of the artists they suck more than saying the R&R HOF sucks.

I wonder what he would've done if "The Boss" actually did come up on stage and jam. Hold a tambourine? Point at random audience members? When does Mike Love participate in jams?

Once Billy Joel started "tickling the ivories" in this hypothetical scenario, he'd be in deep trouble.

Maybe, but the people he singled out are all kind of lame showbiz types, so I'm on board for the whole speech.

Sing?

Over the top of a guitar solo? Sing what? Awkward. I bet Paul Shaffer would've dug it tho. You can picture his head nodding as he plays some goofy organ riff.

I suppose he could've had Ali carrying his sax case for him that night. Might've come in handy.

The Beach Boys were/are too good for that room full of bloated over-praised jack-offs and Mike knew it!

"Well you knew all along that your dad was getting wise to you now..."

Come on, don't you know the Beach Boys' songs? "Fun, Fun, Fun", one of the greatest songs in the history of rock & roll, and a song that Mike Love wrote the lyrics for. Well, it has this instrumental bridge which features an organ and guitar; after that bridge Mike could sing the song.

Didn't you ever see the post-ceremony jam session from that night? That's basically what went down. People played instruments and people sang....

Oh. I didn't know hypothetical Mike Love's idea of a hypothetical celebrity jam session was to sing a Beach Boys song he has decades worth of practice playing with accompanying pantomime gestures ingrained deeply into muscle memory. I wanted him to blow nuts on the saxophone, man! (snap snap)

Or at least rest his hand gently on a guitar.

Of course I don't know any of the Beach Boys' songs, sir! I do know that Mike Love wrote the hook to "Good Vibrations," whatever that is.

It was always amusing because Mike did not lie. Good for Neil Young.  And rock treated the Beach Boys with less respect than they merited, those awards were many years overdue at that point.  

Exactly! All those jackoffs blowing semen wads into their latest copy of Rolling Stone where Jan Wener ripped into the Boys yet again had created a whole culture of B.S that the Beach Boys were no part of, thank God, so why should any of them have stood there and humbly accepted such a ridiculous honor while pretending to be members of the club.

Also, those "jams" are just a bunch of ego-swollen backslappers singing over each other while gazing into each other's eyes: each guy mirroring the others own ego/self-worship. The Beach Boys had no place in that crowd.

Even when Neil Young got his award he told everyone there that he's had it good for along long time so, there was no need to get emotional over him.

What TRBB said times a bajillion.

Mike's RNR HOF comments may have been a tad over the top, but so what?  Ya gotta love the Lovester!
Plus, people are STILL talking about his comments!
He was right, by the way, the Beach Boys can kick the Rolling Stones a$$es all around the block.

He's a member of one of the greatest songwriting partnerships IN HISTORY, freakin' lead singer of the Freakin' Beach Boys.

He's MIKE LOVE, O.G. representing the mean streets of Santa Barbara, CA! Ain't nothin' but a LOVE THANG!

So... let me get this straight: Mike should be grateful for being screwed out of song writing royalties?

Unclear on the concept.......

To me, in this matter, Love was completely justified in suing Brian.  I say this as a former Brianista, by the way.

According to OSD Michael should worship the rainbows that emanate from Brian's asshole on a daily basis... :lol

As if Mike (along with Carl, Dave, Al, Dennis and Murray) didn't have anything to do with getting Brian off his ass and out of the house and off of his trek to be the next Burt Bacharach! Yeah, rock n roll history could have used another Burt rather than THE BEACH BOYS!

Brian laid golden eggs alright, but he didn't supply all the chicken feed, nor the chicken coop.

But he created heaven and earth, the sun, the moon and the stars...and HARMONY!

Seriously...the personality cult that fans have built up around Brian would sicken Kim Jong-il.

Yeah, it's always a lohving jesture to sue someone who's mentally unstable not to mention your first cousin that you luhv to quote to others how much you luhv him. The faux tear drops are cute, too. Let's see, how much loot was he trying to squeeze outta Al-couple mil? I guess when youve got an apparant life style that Myke Luhv does you gotta do what a scumbag's gotta do. That justifies everything. ::)

So, Murray was mentally unstable too? That was his excuse for screwing Mike over???

A personality cult is brewing for Mike as well. :p

Good! It's about time :)

Too bad Landy is gone-you need his care  more than Brian did.

He hated his f*cking face for starters.

I wanted one for Al! :lol

Awwwwww, did I strike a nerve?

Al wanted the innocence. He was just the guy waiting for the bus.

Well he did have  that video of him performing at that cult event in California a few months ago. ;)

And on that note, it's time for me to meditate.

Don't forget to press Myke Luhv's trousers and shine his sandals as well. Try a little Pledge on the dome, too.

 :lol :lol :lol

No bullshit...that really made me laugh.

Why not hand-wash Bruce's shorts while you're at it?  :lol

Yikes!!!!

 :lol
 :smokin

I didn't know Mike's head was made of wood, though.


Oh...sh*t...that left it open for jokes as well

Wait, what head are you talking about?!

:lol


That ain't Pledge...

OH WOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

Fruit of the Looms? Skid marks, dingleberrys, various stains? No way buddy. :p

 :lol 

 :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol

Luhv stains!  >:D

ERMAHGERD! LUHRVE STEHRNS!

(Yes, it's about time we get together and have some ERMAHGERD references on here)

I'm sorry I don't have the time to do it, but if I did, this is what I would post. Ever since that startling photo of Mike at the Dodgers home opener, I  showed that picture alongside a photo of Terry Bradshaw to a few folks. They agreed.  Both big guys, balded out with long of what ever is left.....you could fool the authorities at a checkpoint. Bradshaw is younger by ten years I believe. Doesn't change the amazing resemblance they have though.

(http://i47.tinypic.com/imihiq.jpg)

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My photo editing skills are unmatched!
(Please forgive the half missing finger)

Jann Wenner's a pretentious dirty ball-licking, heartless, mindless, d*ckless, a*se-hole, Smeg head  T.W.A.T with a capital T!

Hey, I've heard of someone else portrayed exactly like that-he calls himself the lead singer of the Beach Boys and says he's written most of the songs-even Pet Sounds! Really! ;)