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http://www.mydesert.com/article/20121203/LIFESTYLES0111/312030010/Rancho-Mirage-performer-has-Beach-Boys-vibe?odyssey=nav%7Chead&nclick_check=1

Brian Wilson and Al Jardine of the Beach Boys will perform Dec. 13 at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles as part of the Brian Wilson Band.

Mike Love and Bruce Johnston will perform as The Beach Boys on Dec. 28 in Colorado Springs, Colo.

When they’ll all perform as the Beach Boys again is anybody’s guess.

Love, who owns the rights to the Beach Boys name, contracted to perform with his Beach Boys after the recent 50th anniversary tour. So he lightened the payroll and Wilson said he felt like he’d been fired.

The music director of that reunion tour, Jeffrey Foskett of Rancho Mirage, says he thought everybody wanted to keep that tour going in 2013.

“I know everybody wanted to, just in different ways in different times,” he said over lunch after returning home from the tour. “I think that’s what the issue was, probably: The timing.”

The demand is there for more concerts by the unit that incorporated the complex colorings of the Brian Wilson Band and most closely replicated the harmonies of the Beach Boys band with the late Carl and Dennis Wilson. Foskett was integral to those harmonies, singing Carl’s tenor and falsetto parts.

“I think the ‘Beach Boys 50’ configuration has a shelf life,” he said. “I think we could go back and repeat some of the bigger venues we did in certain markets and do some different venues. We barely got into the Midwest. We only did Chicago and Minneapolis and Wisconsin. We didn’t even get to Kansas City, St. Louis, and we didn’t go to Hawaii.

“I know we had offers to play the Honolulu Shell. I know we had offers to play in Phoenix, Ariz., at a festival. So there were definitely offers coming in. I think everybody would have been open to it. I don’t know now.”

Foskett has been touring and recording with the Beach Boys and members of the Beach Boys for more than 30 years. But he said he had the time of his life on this year’s reunion tour.

“I was in the Beach Boys that Carl Wilson said was the best Beach Boys band he ever played in, which was the ’80s band,” he said. “I played with Al and Dean Torrance (of Jan and Dean) and every surf band there is. But I had the most fun with the people (on this tour). I mean the crew guys, the techs, the guys on stage, the band (including) the two guys from Mike’s band that were integrated into Brian’s guys — Scott Totten, the guitar player, and John Cowsill. So I would like to see it happen again.”

Foskett’s favorite tour stops were at the Verizon Theatre in Dallas, where the band “clicked” on its second or third tour date, and the Royal Albert Hall in London and the Hollywood Bowl, which wants these Beach Boys to do two more shows in 2013.

His least favorite show was in a city he has conveniently forgotten, where they had to perform before 5,000 people in an empty swimming pool.

He also loved hanging out with Wilson, who has a home not far from him in Indian Wells.

Wilson was so well recognized around the world that he hated venturing outside. Fans would try to engage him in chitchat, said Foskett, and “that’s not in his makeup.” So Wilson, as is his nature, stayed in his room. At the Hong Kong Grand Hyatt Hotel, he and the other Beach Boys each got a three-bedroom suite with two butlers.

“The two butlers would come and, ‘Mr. Jeffrey, it’s time to wake up,’ and shake you gently,” Foskett recalled. “They wouldn’t have an alarm clock. They got really bummed if you called anybody. ‘Just tell me what you want and I’ll get it for you. Do you want me to have that washed?’ Just unbelievable. They wouldn’t accept a gratuity, so we comped them to the show on a no-comp tour (costing Foskett more than $100). The service was impeccable.”

Wilson doesn’t like to watch television, so he listened to the ’50s and ’60s stations on Foskett’s Sirius XM cell phone app via Bluetooth speakers.

“It was cool because he’ll tell you a story about every song because he knows the people — he recorded with them or was there when they wrote it, or whatever,” said Foskett. “He loves listening to those things and he loves telling those stories.”

Foskett is now working as the music director of a Beatles tribute show that will tour without him, and producing albums for Christopher Cross and Mark Lindsay, formerly of Paul Revere and the Raiders. But he’s looking forward to harmonizing again with those original Beach Boys.

“Al Jardine’s voice is absolutely essential to that blend,” he said. “Brian’s voice — when he’s singing lead with Michael and Alan and, for lack of Carl, me backing him up — it sounds great. When we’re playing with Brian’s band, it sounds really good. But when it has the original voices it just adds that air of authenticity that’s missing in all of the other bands.”

Excuse me, but Jeff was most certainly NOT the MD of the C50 tour. Nothing against him, and he was an integral part, but MD ? No.  Another triumph for crappy research.

One inaccuracy, yep, but not a big deal in the scheme of things....

Thanks for the link Pretty Funky, made interesting reading! Wonder which venue the swimming pool was?!

I'd also like to know what venue he was mentioning when referring to "the swimming pool" one.

It kinda sucks that Brian prefers to stay in his room because fans would like to talk to him. I guess we (as fans) should know to leave him the hell alone, but I guess if you saw him on the street, you'd kinda want to at least say hello or something, because Brian Wilson is right in front of you.

No place for Dave in either band?

Uh hey Jeff you didn't do Minneapolis, you big jerk. I think I would remember that since I live here. :police:

One more triumph for crappy research.  As if the Mike-haters need any more fuel for their fire.

.

Bottom line: he does not know what will happen next for the BB.  What's everyone's sense? Is some news brewing about a new album and next-year tour? No one ever ruled anything out. last I heard Brian said for Mike to call him and discuss it.

Did Carl really consider the 80s band w/ Foskett to be the best?

This is absolutely true, and a simple check of the tour program, or the credits on the live video of the tour, and likely many other sources, would have made this an easy fact to check. Who knows if the author came away feeling Foskett was the MD, or if Foskett implied it, etc.

However, I don't think that nitpicky bit is the big takeaway from this article. Foskett has been correctly and/or incorrectly referred to as a "musical director" or "band leader" for Brian for years, probably simply because he appears at the front of the band and appears as Brian's right hand man, etc.

The big takeaway is another tiny morsel of information that seems to indicate most parties within this touring operation were into doing more reunion gigs. That continues to be a sad fact, notwithstanding some fans still apparently seeming happy with the idea of no more reunion shows.

That is an interesting tidbit, seemingly unsubstantiated. There's no way of course to ever know I suppose. It's certainly interesting to note that Foskett's tenure in the touring BB's was 1981-1990, the exact timeframe he's referring to.  :lol

Regardless of the motives in mentioning that in the interview, I think it is a very powerful testament to how great this reunion show that many fans have called it the best since their heyday in the early-mid 70's, considering the later 70's, all of the 80's, and the majority of the 90's featured Carl in the band. That they could put together such an amazing show even without such a huge member of the band is of jawdropping proportions to me.

If he did say that, he had to have meant live band. There's no way he meant in general.

And even that has to be questionable. Carl certainly felt that the 1981-82 band was lacking, indicated by interviews he did in 1981, including specifically commenting on the infamous Queen Mary show.

Who exactly was part of the band at that time?

It obviously varied over the course of the decade, but a quick and likely not complete rundown off the top of my head:

1980 - All six BB's (Brian and Dennis not always present), plus Ed Carter, Bobby Figueroa, and Mike Meros (plus Joe Chemay in Europe)
1981 - Mike, Al, Bruce, Brian and Dennis (again sporadically), no Carl, plus Carter, Figueroa, Meros, Adrian Baker, Ernie Knapp, Foskett later in the year
1982 - Same as above until Carl re-joined mid-year, then Knapp was gone and eventually Baker, Billy Hinsche rejoined, and Kowalski was back in around this time
1983 - Same, but Dennis and Brian were even more rarely in attendance, Figueroa was popping in and out for the next few years I believe
1984-1989 - Carl, Mike, Al, Bruce (Brian occasionally), plus Carter, Hinsche, Meros, Kowalski, Foskett, and Figueroa in some cases

I rattled this off in five minutes, so I could be making some big omissions that aren't striking me at the moment.

Thanks HeyJude, you just saved me a big headache. :-D  Trying to remember who was a part of the touring band for any period of time is enough to make your head spin.

I'm cautiously optimistic they'll put something together for the summer of '13. A couple high profile east coast/west coast gigs, and a dozen or so in the heartland. Doesn't mean it'll be near me, but I just like the thought of them keeping it going.

Hey...someone has to promote the upcoming boxset (apart from Phil).  >:D

Thanks HeyJude! I guess Jeff was talking about the '84-'89 band. And yes, they had great musicians. If it was Carl's favorite version I don't know. I would guess (just guess) that his favorite lineup included Dennis

No love for Historical from Jeff in his praise of the Beach Boys blend  ???

I must have missed the thread, but how did the Bruce/ Historical connection start? ???

Yep, it was a very solid backing band. I think the only negatives were the general malaise, not the fault of the backing band, regarding the setlist during those years. It's unavoidable that sometimes it was going to go kind of on "autopilot." Listening to the 1993 extended "boxed set tour" shows, which is pretty much the '89 band but with Matt Jardine in place of Foskett, shows that the only real drawbacks (other than not having the huge complement of musicians that they did this year) were some now dated-sounding keyboard parts (Meros and Hinsche were/are great musicians, there was simply only so much that could be done with early 90's keyboards when trying to do stuff like "Pet Sounds" tracks), and Kowalski's increasingly sub-par drumming.

Faulty translation from a Japanese article about the BBs. Bruce was somehow translated to "Historical" Johnston

Gottcha! ;D

Thanks.

Mabey I missed something, but I don't recall ever hearing Carl give a statement like that either.  Jeff always has to find a way to praise himself. 

Now does my memory fail me, but didn't Jeff tell the audience at a Jeff & Billy gig in the basement of an Edinburgh hotel back in 2003 that he had been asked by Brian to start sifting through the vaults for SMiLE sessions material for a live performance?  Turned out to be Darian who had that job.  Someone will have taped the night, I'm sure, and will be able to confirm/correct my memory.

Jeff may well do this, I dunno; I have seen hype that was kind of overblown (I remember reading on his website that he was going to appear "on stage" with Paul McCartney in San Jose back in 2005 I believe; that seemed inplausible at the time and I attended the show and, as is the case 99% of the time, there were no "on stage" guests).

But it's certainly at least possible/plausible that Carl said this to Jeff in person rather than in an interview. I would imagine any time the BB's would have been asked what they think of their current live band, that band at that time is always going to be touted. It is interesting that the only outright negative comments I've seen from Carl about a specific era or grouping of their live show was the 1981/82 timeframe. Carl leaving obviously is a strong indicator of how he felt, but also, as I mentioned before, he specifically cited in that era the lack of rehearsals and stale setlist.

 Mabey this is reading too much into things, but when asked to leave the band in the late 80's, it didn't seem that Carl fought to keep him around.  I wouldn't expect that Carl would have allowed his departure if Jeff were really that valuable to the band, and Carl though that highly of him.  Honestly, Jeff is a hired backing musician who could be relaced by any number of people.  His voice is not that special.  He's a legend in his own mind.

I read a interview by Jeff on the reason for his departure which I can't find now. It had nothing to do with his music ability. Without going into specifics, Jeff said it was a period when the band travelled with wives and family and preferred to show life on the road in a good light to them.

I'll let you read between the lines.

 

Although it doesn't correlate with Jeff's tenure in the band, Al mentioned on American Bandstand that the group were going to have a party in an empty Olympic-sized swimming pool after their concert at The Forum, Los Angeles, Dec. 31, 1980.

For any old BBFUN members out there, the newsletter at the time had a picture of that party. :lol

The venue was here I understand.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollywood_Athletic_Club

He did, but it was the gig in Lutterworth, not one in Edinburgh, and I think he said Melinda, rather than Brian had asked him. (I was there, but it was nine years ago so my own memory is a bit shaky).
He did, however, say that he'd only spoken to Melinda about it that day, so he may well have either got the wrong end of the stick at the time, or possibly Melinda did ask him to do it before it was decided that Darian would be better for it.

Wow Jeff is producing the new Christopher Cross album  :o

I've got a recording of Lutterworth somewhere, but I thought the original plan was just to work out a presentable form of what they already had to play live and only later it took on far greater proportions and Darian got alot more involved.

What's with the Jeff hate?

I saw Jeff at the Stanley Theater in Pittsburgh back in 1981-1982. It was his first tour with the Beach Boys. He replaced Carl at the time. He was great! I think he dressed in a suit which was reminiscent of suits the Boys wore in the early 1960's. Carl had left and Jeff was able to fill the void.

His solo albums are great. He's also a good friend to Brian. If anyone deserves to be called a 'Beach Boy' other than the current and original line up, Jeff deserves to be in the discussion. My opinion.  ::) :o :)

I don't remember them performing in a empty swimming pool? I believe we followed every show in detail  :lol

That was an interesting interview. I see something happening in 2013, till then, It's good to see Al and Brian getting some dates together

Thanks for that. He repeated the Smile news at the Edinburgh bash which I think was the following night - we were primed thanks to the BBB board! - but the detail of what be said completely escapes me!

We were also treated that night to a stunning solo rendition of Surf's Up by a fellow can from Glasgow, whose name has long since also slipped from memory. Jeff and billy were rightly gobsmacked but soon started to provide backing vox.

No hatred in this house! Just looking for help to restore the details of a nice evening almost a decade ago.

Shared a ciggie and a chat with Billy on the hotel doorstep during an interlude; very nice guy indeed, very personable and down to earth with no airs and graces. Very pleased we've both quit the weed in the years since!

I think the swimming pool quote is more a sh!tty venue rather than an actual pool.

Daniel McGeever, perhaps?

Yeah, that's pretty clear.

I just wonder which venue Jeff was alluding to.

Such a sly boots! lol

I think it's quite possible Carl may have considered the 80's band (live) to be the best.  They had some pretty big crowds in the 80's, the band was pretty good, even had a #1 when Kokomo came out, etc.  Looking back to a fan, it looks like the live bands in the 70's were much better but to Carl maybe he enjoyed the camaraderie better in the 80's. 

In 1989 I saw them play the Hollywood Bowl with Chicago (plus Brian doing a solo mini-set - I well remember he was not at a keyboard but was somewhat awkwardly walking around). The guys seemed quite relaxed and it was a pretty good show all round. But I have to admit I get more of a thrill from seeing old '70s footage of them wowing shaggy stoned festival crowds.

One thing about the mid/late 1980's band performances that was an improvement was the way they were presenting the songs. It doesn't necessarily have much to do with the musicianship, but they started to do the car medley, the surf medley, they started to connect "Sloop John B" with "Wouldn't It Be Nice", and they mastered that classic 1,2,3 closing of "Good Vibrations" into "Barbara Ann" into "Fun, Fun, Fun".

These changes avoided those extended, tedious song endings of the 1970's, there weren't as many stops and starts of two minute songs, and, they created a nice flow. Some might consider that flow as being on auto-pilot or a traveling jukebox, but the overall presentation was good, IMO.

Not to argue too much Sheriff-but is a medley ever a good thing?  Personally-I feel that if a song is worth doing-than its worth doing the full song.  Doing a medley is really Vegas cheesy...Just my opinion of course

"Al Jardines voice is absolutely essential to that blend"

Well said and I have said the same throughout the C50 tour.   

I've always liked JF.  Seems some begrudge his success and influence in the BB organization.

Not me.  How many of you recall the early 80's with Carl, Mike, Al, Bruce, and Jeff fronting the band and those sweet harmonies that were made possible without the benefit of a young Brian Wilson?

Well, they do play the entire songs in the medleys, don't they? I think the main reason the medleys work is because of the relatively short length of BB songs. The way they connect them is IMO better than playing two minutes, stopping, starting a new two minute song, stopping, etc. Plus, the condensing of the subject matter (cars and surfing) allows them to address it and move on, instead of coming back to it sporadically throughout the shows. It kinda allows them to coordinate the setlist better if you will.

I know there are several people here who don't like the medleys (mainly because they don't like Mike Love), but at every Beach Boys' concert I've ever attended (about 30), judging by the audience applause, they've been highlights.

The Old Master Painter/You Are My Sunshine is a pretty good one.

“I know we had offers to play the Honolulu Shell... I think everybody would have been open to it. I don’t know now.”

Aw, man.  See, now, yes, these guys are pros who are making their own decisions and living their lives quite successfully at this point, and yes, they've given so much as a unit over the years (especially the past couple), so who am I to quibble, right?  But this is the kind of thing that just kills me.

My mother and I went to Darien Lake this summer and we loved it.  I mean we loved it.  Wouldn't trade a moment of that night for almost anything and I wasn't sure that I could ask for anything more and still look myself in the mirror.  That said, as word of the reunion filtered down to us, I was stumping from the start for this tour to include a stop in Hawaii.  I had romantic visions of the C50 tour culminating in the 50th state.  You'd have the surfing connection, the beach and for the later material, there's a natural paradise surrounding you to enhance the performance.  The story would've written itself.  I mean, we've already heard the rumors of Madison Square Garden, New Year's Eve, etc., but for my money, this is the single missed opportunity which may just top them all. 

So now, with feet planted firmly upon my soapbox, I hereby decree that at some point next year, the Beach Boys (Brian, Mike, Al, Bruce, David, et al.) should get it back together, rehearse like dogs, (like freaking dogs), hire top-notch film and multi-track crews and then take to the stage of the Waikiki Shell and top even the Albert Hall.  Offer us a nice spruced-up blu ray and I'll never ask for another gig from the fellas as long as they live.

Good post.  I like the hot rod/surf format since it allows so many songs to be played, and those are some of my top favorites.

I don't know, man, unless your idea of camaraderie involves your drummer dying and Adrian Baker singing.

Thats as I recall it too.  I think it went on the lines that Melinda had called him and said brian wanted him/wanted to help him sift through the smile material for a live performace.  I also recall the totally jaw dropping moment when he announced that.  It was like a huge crowd gasp of air.

Talking of that gig, what was that 'new' track that Jeff played of Brians?  I cannot recall for the life of me what it was. 

A personal highlight was sining Sloop John B with Jeff, Billy and the backing group.  Heaps of fun and both Jeff and Billy were great guests that day and very friendly to fans. 

Another memory highlight was Jeffs rendition of Warmth of the Sun...and is great nasel impression of Mike on Fun Fun Fun.

I'm pretty sure the track was "Desert Drive" - the version that turned up on GIOMH.

He played three 'new' tracks that he thought we wouldn't have heard -- Desert Drive, Rodney On The ROQ, and Brian's solo (and already-released) version of California Feeling.

He don't know we very well, do he ?  ;D

I will just say one thing about Jeff Foskett and that is: he is 100% totally a class act.

And a damn fine musician.

Okay that was two things.

I would say my preference is that  medleys are much more problematic when the songs are truncated. Those types of medleys are really frustrating. If the songs are strung together but played in full, it's less annoying most definitely. I think a car songs medley wasn't too bad of an idea. I've never been a fan of the Sloop/WIBN medley. I like hearing that ending to "Sloop" that they did earlier in the 80's (e.g. Knebworth and DC in 1980), it gives the song more finality. I suppose technically the medley version does truncate the very ending of "Sloop."

No :) -- although when I mentioned it at the time on a (now-defunct) mailing list devoted to unofficial releases, and said "it's all stuff we've already heard", it turned out that almost none of them had heard Rodney.

I once fabricated - entirely with the pause key on my tape deck - a 'medley' of "Fun, Fun, Fun": 1st line of 1st verse, 2nd line of 2nd verse... you get the idea. It was pretty damn good, if acutely truncated.  :old

Must help that so many lines begins with "Well…" and ends with "… Now". Solves any problem with rhyming!

Bill Medley was pretty good.

Whenever I hear Beach Boys and medley in the same sentence, I think of this depressing sight.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbX3rKMHYy4

Holy sh*t, it's so weird seeing Brian mime to his younger voice.

Errrrr.....Carl's voice.

Well that too, but as I learned a few weeks ago, Brian sings the "I hear the sound of a" lyric.

Bizarre. Would rather see them mime to 79 HCTN!

I'd rather see them attempt 79 HCTN LIVE! 

What was Jeff doing in the 80s that would upset a family ambiance?

If you are referring to my post earlier in the thread, lets just say Jeff said he was married at the time and his wife was not on the tour.

Hmmm....I wonder what it could be? ;)

I didn't expect the Spanish Inquisition! :-D

No-one expects the Spanish Inquisition !

We've all witnessed the band's low points over the past 5 decades, and there have been many, but this probably ranks among the "top" ten low points in their career.  No shame at all!

Brian opens his mouth way too early on the "I hear.." part, like a dog anticipating a treat.

The show I remember was 'Solid Gold' about the same time. Song unknown but Dennis soooo far back and out of shot he may as well have been in the car park!  He was that out of time with the beat shall we say:(

Anyone recall which Edinburgh (Leith) hotel it was in 2003 where Jeff & Billy played please?

I'll never know.  It was there long before his recent "defection to the other side".