The Smiley Smile Message Board

Hope this wasn't posted before. I didn't see it.

By Ed Masley
The Republic | azcentral.com
Sat Apr 20, 2013 1:53 PM
Last year, the Beach Boys staged their highest-profile tour in ages, reuniting all surviving members who played on their earliest hits for a 50th anniversary celebration that even included the recording of a new album, “That’s Why God Made the Radio.” Of special note was the return of Brian Wilson, the musical genius behind those hits, who prior to that tour had made very few appearances with the band since 1989.

In June, “That’s Why God Made the Radio” debuted at No. 3, their highest-charting studio release since 1965. Rolling Stone did a seven-page spread declaring it “rock’s unlikeliest, uneasiest — and most joyful — reunion.” Life was good.

A year later, the Beach Boys are back playing smaller venues without Wilson, Al Jardine or David Marks. And Mike Love, who’s kept some version of the Beach Boys on the road through the years, is fine with that.

Checking in from his home overlooking the lake in Lake Tahoe, he says of last year’s tour, “It was pretty spectacular, I guess. I think a lot of people enjoyed seeing us in that configuration. We were originally going to do 50 shows for 50 years, but it expanded to 73. Now, we’re back to how we’ve been doing it for many years now.”

Question: Did you give any thought to continuing with that configuration as you called it?

Answer: Actually, a couple of different major promoters said, “You know, guys, this is great. But what if you give it a year rest and maybe we’ll see you in 2014?” At that level, with the amount of people and production costs, it’s not the kind of thing you can do every year. We had a limited time where we were gonna do these shows and then we’d go back to the way we do things ordinarily. So the answer is “No” (laughs). Except for whatever the future may bring. Doris Day said it best. “Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be).”

Q: But is the door open to that?

A: There’s nothing closed. It’s just that we’re doing our shows how we’ve done them for many years now. My cousin Carl (Wilson) passed away in I think it was 1998 of lung cancer. And ever since that time, we’ve been touring with this configuration with Bruce (Johnston) and myself, John Cowsill being the drummer. My son Christian sings Carl’s lead parts on “Good Vibrations” and “Kokomo,” and he sounds remarkably similar.

And, of course, me being the lead singer on a ton of songs of ours helps (laughs). My obsession is to replicate those songs so you can close your eyes and it could be 1965 (laughs). And we see a lot of people with caps and T-shirts that say Beach Boys 50th on them. So people like it either way. I think they just want to hear the songs and have a fun night out.

Q: What do you think of the album that came out last year?

A: Well, I wasn’t consulted very much with that album. Brian and I had spoken about a year before we even got started with that album. He wanted to do some re-records of some of our favorite songs. And I was up for that. We mentioned a couple of songs to each other. But that never happened. Nor was I able to actually get in a room and write with Brian like I did back in the ’60s. So that was, to me, unfortunate.

On the other hand, he had some songs he had been working on for several years. Brian has done a lot of things as a solo artist over the past 10 or 15 years, but it was nice to get together and do something in the studio together for the first time in many years. It sounded great, reminded me of 1965 again. And Brian said that, too.

Q: So you would like to get together with Brian and work on new material?

A: If that could be done. Just Brian. Yeah. I would be open to that.

Q: “That’s Why God Made the Radio” sounds more like a Beach Boys album than a Brian solo album.

A: That’s because Alan is singing and I’m singing, and Bruce came up with his parts. So yeah, it does. Because it is (laughs). Anyway, it sounds like you’re hung up on that album. Or that tour.

Q: Well, it’s recent history.

A: Well, it debuted at No. 3. That’s not bad. But it didn’t stay up there very long. To have sustained success, like we’ve been known to do, you need a single that will chart and stay in the Top 20 or the Top 10 for three months. And that didn’t happen with this album.

Q: Do you have a favorite era of the Beach Boys?

A: Well, yeah. I mean, “California Girls,” I wrote the words in the hallway while Brian was working on the track with the Wrecking Crew, this really great group of musicians in LA. I wrote the words to “Good Vibrations” on the way to the studio when he finally decided what was going to be the track for the single. So, yeah, I had a really good time back in the ’60s co-writing a bunch of great songs.



Source: http://www.azcentral.com/thingstodo/music/articles/20130415beach-boys-mike-love-interview-arizona.html?nclick_check=1

So to recap, his obsession is to replicate those songs so you can close your eyes and it could be 1965. But the studio work is unfortunate because he wasn't more closely involved in the songwriting, despite it sounding like 1965 with Brian in charge putting the tracks together while he was touring. Like 1965. Glad that's sorted out.

Poor Mike, wakes up every morning and each day is a new stuggle to establish some glory for him as the lyricist for Beach Boys songs.

My heart stopped for a while when I read this:

He wanted to do some re-records of some of our favorite songs. And I was up for that.


The more one gets to know about the road leading to C50 the more it's a wonder just how great it turned out and what a great album we got. Looks like they were well on their way to blew it once again.

Your hear that, people of this board? ;D

Those are ridiculously unrealistic expectations for a band like the Beach Boys at this point in time.  YOU DON'T GET IT, MIKE.

He seems bitter

They sort of did blow it...I'm sure I'm not the only one who finds the album unlistenable due to the awful production

You're not, but... when was the last time there was a competently-produced Beach Boys album? I'd say Keeping The Summer Alive, at the absolute latest. Everything since has sounded horrible as they've chased production trends that were already dated before they started recording.

At least this time, the material itself was competent (the first time that's been the case since LA) and the arrangements were for the most part pretty good. It's 'only' the actual sound of the recordings that's horrible.

Keeping the Summer Alive? I think you are being a little kind to Bruce there. Paul Fauerso (or many other producers) would have been a better choice for the album. Bruce's efforts weren't good enough, although admittedly the material didn't help him.

Yeah, I agree with all of this...in a way, the fact the material was good makes it tougher to swallow though. Such a lot of wasted potential

Yeah, but why should people be made to feel defensive about it, espsecially in an interview? I really hate when interviewees get pissy with the type of questions they are asked in an interview - just do press releases if you only want to respond to certain things.

Poor Mike...has to still answer C50 related questions--must be tiresome.  Glad he's still willing to talk about it.

Mike definitely knows the recipe for a chart topping hit single but is that recipe out dated?  Could Mike and Brian honestly write a top charting single in 2013 that could be #1 for for 3 months?   

No.

Oh dear God....Thank you, Capitol Records. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Jesus Christ..

These guys have a few screws loose don't they

I kind of see what you mean but I actually think it's surprising with Mike that he doesn't seem to issue interviewees with a list of questions he won't answer (as so many famous people do). I presume he did this interview to publicize the touring group a little and the questions about last year's tour must already be tiresome to him.

Look at the context in which it was spoken. He laughed right before he said it. I think this was an example of the (in)famous Love humor at work

Funny how Mr. Positivity always seems to finds his way to the negative.

Fun analysis here of the latest interview:

http://beachboysopinion.blogspot.com/

It honestly seems on a personal level Mike can't let go of the glory years of 1961-1965. He thinks its never his fault that tracks aren't hits and if he can convince Brian to do things his way, another number one hit is just around the corner.

Does anyone today ever dominate any form of the newfangled musical charts for three months? Not that Mike actually mentioned that length of time, mind you. Andrew's US chart data shows Beach Boys Today! in the top 10 from May 24-July 17, 1965 and SDSN from August 7-October 9, but those are top 10, not #1.

It looks like Beach Boys Concert was the all-time top chart performer for the BBs, in the Top Ten for 20 weeks (November 21, 1964-April 3, 1965), including four consecutive weeks at #1. All Summer Long was next, in the Top Ten from August 15-November 28, 1964 (16 weeks).
--
(Data, of course, courtesy of Mr. Doe's fabulous treasure trove of BB information.)

What about "Endless summer"?

can't blame him for believing that after Kokomo went to #1. That song is crucial in understanding the mindset of ML (something I can't claim I do) as it certainly proved to everyone he was capable of writing 'hits' without BW and thus removed him from that huge shadow. He can forever point to that song in the same way BJ can point to 'I Write The Songs' as pathetic excuse for an otherwise rather fruitless musical career. [Yikes that was ugly and came across as horribly rude but I'm not changing and after all I'm just another moron/troll of the internet].

I'm sure most musicians would kill to have Bruce's musical career. Even if he had only written I Write the Songs then that would be achievement enough for most people. Not just a multi-million seller but also a song recorded by Frank Sinatra. Even Brian must have been jealous...

If you add on all of his other work with Sandy Nelson, The Ripchords, Bruce and Terry and another band whose name escapes me now then he has not done too bad.

I don't know. Songs don't stay that long up there anymore. But I think they could have had another hit with all the promotion and publicity last year. TWGMTR definitely deserved a Top 30 chart placement imo but the song with the most potential is/was "Isn't it time". That one could've made it big I think. But there was no promotion whatsoever. Nothing. Zero. Plus the single version was too much over the top, but it had the better bridge than the album version.

I would say that Spring Vacation is the catchiest and most commercial song. If that had been given some lyrical revisions and released in the spring then it would have stood the best chance.

I think if Isn't It Time had been the first single off the album, with the Mike middle section but otherwise the album mix, it could have been a genuinely big hit.

I'm not sure about that but I think they would have to have re-recorded Brian's vocals to have stood any chance. They are too slurry at the start of the song.

Hopefully the single version will appear on the box set though.

Endless Summer stayed on the charts forever, but not in the top 10...that portion of its chart reign was six weeks from August 31-October 5, 1974. Spirit of America was in top ten for four weeks from June 14-July 5, 1975 and it seemed to drive Endless Summer back up the charts, with it peaking again at #20 for two weeks at...well, at the end of summer (August 30-September 6, 1975). All in all, it was on the top 200 for 71 consecutive weeks.
--
Again, data courtesy of the bounty at AGD's Bellagio 10452 site.

AGD's site is certainly invaluable when it comes to chart info.

It is still unbelievable that in the U.K. 20 Golden Greats was at number 1 for 10 weeks in 1976. What with that and Endless Summer it really should be no surprise that they put naff all effort into their new material.

I'm no Mike apologist, but I do feel like it must be incredibly frustrating to him that even when discussing the mid-sixties output, it's always sort of framed as "So Brian Wilson sure is great, huh? Did you do anything on those songs? I don't remember." It's like Mike is Salieri in Amadeus or something. He DID contribute to those classic tracks, and his voice and lyrics are an indelible part of them. But there will never come a day in which he'll be regarded by the public as being able to contribute anything remotely comparable to what Brian did, whether that's a fair assessment of the band's greatness or not. So he's just naturally always on the defensive when it comes to that topic. Has there ever been a period in the band's history where he's been able to give an interview in which Brian wasn't mentioned? It's always the only thing anyone wants to discuss. "Marcia, Marcia, MARCIA!"

Yes.
Adele's "21" was number one for 24 weeks.

all it takes is listening to any cover of a song with a Mike lead, to know that Mike added so much to those songs.

So what?  He should accept that.  The Who would not been The Who without Roger Daltrey on vocals but if you read any interview with Daltrey, he always praises Pete Townshend and acknowledges him as the backbone of the group.  He doesn't feel undermined by that, he knows his part and he plays it.  Sure he contributed a lot to the group but Mike Love wants the public to see him as something he wasn't.  He's a decent singer with stage presence and a great personality, he helped write some great songs in the sixties but by no means was he an essential part of the writing of those songs.  Mike in addition to Al, Carl, Dennis, Dave Marks... they all played a great role in the Beach Boys but they still owe everything to Brian Wilson.

But Pete never blamed the demise of the Lifehouse Project on Roger, John and Keith. Respect is a two-way street.

It wouldn't bother me one bit if Mike Love gave an interview and trashed Brian for all the shenanigans he put the group through since the mid-60's.  I've got problems with Mike and some of the poor choices he's made over the years, but he's more than earned the right to set the record straight on the decades of shoot the group went through with Brian.  Might be therapeutic for him.

Sorry but how can writing the lyrics and hooks to those songs not be considered to be 'an essential part'?

From Surfin' onwards Mike did play an essential part as Brian couldn't have written the songs on his own any more than he could have written the car songs without Roger Christian, Pet Sounds without Tony Asher or Smile without Van Dyke Parks. Brian has tended to write around 1 song alone on each album and has needed collaborators for the rest.

That doesn't in any way diminish Brian's qualities in terms of production, writing music, vocal arrangement etc.

derp

For the last 40 years or so, it has pretty much been Mike Love's full time job to sing songs from 1962-1966, and to talk about those years. And yet, he gets annoyed because in April 2013 someone is still "hung up" on something that happened in Summer 2012.

And isn't it sad that he can't just enjoy that his group made a really good, well-received, in parts very moving and relatively successful album last year? Just because it didn't have a hit single and because his own imput was somewhat limited?

Well, Mike hasn't been diminishing Brian's dominant role in interviews either...

Have people forgotten "Do It Again" already?  I know the scars of Summer In Paradise run deep, but it really wasn't that spine-chilling this time around...

Cheers,
Jon Blum

I think so too. I once dreamt I saw a video to the album version of "Isn't it time" that was set in an old people's home. They were sitting in rocking chairs at first and got livelier during the video. They redid those dancing steps from the 1962 "Surfin' Safari" live video and danced with middle-aged ladies in the end. Jeff and Darian played male-nurses...

The dream, however, gave no clue if the video had an influence on the chart position... :wink

I disagree. I totally love Brian's vocals on "Isn't it time". I just think that the slowing down of the single version wasn't a very good idea.

I'm not sure it would have necessarily been a big hit, BUT if it were produced properly, it, and the album could certainly have had a shot at 'restoring credibility' in the same way the Jack Riely era stuff did. Isn't it time is a fun song...makes me think of 'our team'...just classic easy Beach Boys feel good silliness. The production of both versions is criminal.

I wonder if it's about their own songs or just covers of other tunes.. either way, terrible terrible idea, thank god they just came up with a new album.


But seriously, what kind of comment is that?

Good question, Mike seems not happy that his band is being compared to C50 line-up.

What do you call it when you suggest that you were the one responsible for the success of the band?

Honesty, wrapped in a lie?

I need the exact quote to properly answer your question. If Mike has claimed so multiple times, please provide me with as many interviews with that suggestion as possible.

It's a fairly infamous quote by now:

"Ultimately I think the Beach Boys meant so much to so many people because of the positivity and that was me." - Endless Harmony doc

Probably true.

Mike is correct in the respect that people do take notice to the lyrics. From all of us, right down to the first time listener, we know that The Beach Boys music has a positive affect on us. Even a song like The Warmth Of The Sun, while melancholy musically, the lyric and title has a positive spin to it. We have been through this before with this quote of Mike's. It came down to, if no one gives you kudos for what you have done, then just heap it upon thyself.

So you're basing it on one comment 15 years ago?

The way that Endless Harmony documentary was set up was to have a section dedicated to Carl, Dennis and Mike (with the entire documentary mainly focused on Brian). I presume the producers asked, 'what do you think you brought to the group?' and he gave his answer.

Mike has spoken on numerous occasions about Brian and the massive contribution he made. At the rooftop awards do didn't Mike say, 'Thank you to Brian for giving us all a great life'?

How many comments does one have to make and what is the length of time that is appropriate for you?


I'm not sure what that has to do with what I said.


Yes, he's said plenty of things like that but that quotation explains a hell of a lot of Mike's behaviour. When the chips are down and Mike is at his most vulnerable, he shows himself to be remarkably arrogant and self-serving.

The quote is spot on in my opinion! As Blondie Chaplin states, Mike thinks he is the only original Beach Boy.

Sorry but I'm genuinely bemused that you think that any person's beliefs and opinions could be judged on one comment made 15 years ago. If someone brought up something that I said 15 years ago and took me to task for it then I'd laugh in their face.

Me too. However, 15 years ago I was 17 not 57. I wasn't an adult who had many years to perfect my thoughts, particularly on issues that had occurred over thirty years in the past and that I had had some time to think about. I hope that now, as an adult, I would, under the circumstance that my thoughts were being committed to posterity in a documentary meant for public consumption, try to say something that I could actually commit to. In fact, I think that's kind of what being an adult is about. I admire the people who spout far more controversial statements than that but at least have the passion of their convictions. Not that I really think that Mike has really distanced himself from those comments anyway...

And like I said, the quotation is represenative of years of Mike's behaviour.

That depends what you mean doesn't it. Obviously Mike has an ego the size of New Mexico but at numerous gigs that I have seen/heard he has praised Brian's genius in terms of his vocal arrangements and I've seen countless interviews where he has praised Brian as a producer/songwriter. Murry not crediting Mike with those lyrics obviously left a lot of resentment with Mike though which makes sense and I'm not really surprised that he has felt the need to blow his own trumpet so often.

Yeah, he has done those things but the fact that he believes himself responsible for the enduring success of The Beach Boys (in spite of Brian, if you read the whole quote) is, in my view, absurd and does diminish Brian, even if Mike praises his arrangements and his production. Mike is a really difficult guy to read but from what I can glean, there is little that I admire. So, yes, he can praise Brian's work but in the next minute he's pretending to blow his brains out because of the music at the end of That's Why God Made the Radio, which is hardly a flattering bit of criticism and not justified despite the other nice things Mike has said about Brian.

Sorry but I think you are obsessing far too much over that quote. :lol

I don't think you're obsessing over it enough.  :lol

Sorry, just to clarify, do you mean the quote from 15 years ago when he takes credit for The Beach Boys success or the quote from last year when he suggested that Brian's music makes him want to commit suicide?

Maybe not.  :lol

I actually think they should issue a new book of Beach Boys quotes as it would be hilarious.

Bruce: 'You will never see Alan and I on the same stage again'.

Al: 'I wish Dennis were still around to beat Mike up'.

Brian: 'My favourite dinosaur is a brontosaurus'.

It could be a million seller.  :)

Mike's tone in that interview is dead serious about being the "positivity" of the BBs.

The thing that really gets to me is that Mike doesn't embrace the great success he has already achieved.  He's so obsessed with his own ego that it seems like he's determined to prove himself as this great musical force which he really isn't.  That's what I don't understand.  How many musical acts get to achieve the same success that a band like the Beach Boys has?  Mike doesn't need a number one hit single in 2013.  He doesn't need to keep the Beach Boys name on the road as much as possible to keep momentum.  So why does he do it?  Is there anyone in the world who would rather see Mike Love's Beach Boys rather than the 2012 lineup?  I'm going to say no.  Mike doesn't accept that reality, he lives in his own world and that's frustrating.

I don't think that's part of Mike's thinking at all and in terms of touring I think Mike accepts reality very well (in a way that Al couldn't post-1998). He knows what the market is for the current touring act and he knows that he will be playing to a different audience than the one that saw the C50 tour. I don't think anyone would choose a band without Brian and Al but I think plenty of people would choose the cheaper ticket prices of the M&B shows and have since 1998.

I'll check that and tell you what I think about it. I have that DVD.

Anyone here who knows offhand at what time in the documentary he says that?

The availablity of alcolohic beverages and the near proxmity of slots and keno tables are integral to
the attendance of the M&B shows.  :p

Probably not. But from Mike's point of view I kind of understand it. I can see how it's just more fun to keep touring than to stay at home for the rest of your life. And I can see how it's more practical and more profitable to tour without Brian, Al and David and their entourages than with them.

Not everyone looks into the youtube thread so I thought I'd post these links in the main section as well. But rather than starting another thread I'll just use this one.


Mike Love of The Beach Boys Visits 94.5 KOOL FM- Part One
http://kool.cbslocal.com/video/8792461-mike-love-of-the-beach-boys-visits-94-5-kool-fm-part-one/


Mike Love of The Beach Boys Visits 94.5 KOOL FM- Part Two
http://kool.cbslocal.com/video/8792473-mike-love-of-the-beach-boys-visits-94-5-kool-fm-part-two/


Mike Love of The Beach Boys Visits 94.5 KOOL FM- Part Three
http://kool.cbslocal.com/video/8792497-mike-love-of-the-beach-boys-visits-94-5-kool-fm-part-three/

:woot :woot :woot :woot :woot :woot :woot :woot :woot :thumbsup :thumbsup :thumbsup :woot :woot

Mike is no Roger Daltrey when it comes to...well, anything really, but humility and gratitude especially. The bottom line is I don't think Mike really cares for Brian much. He certainly doesn't have the dedication to Brian that Roger has to Pete.

Well, Daltrey's also punched Townsend out on at least one occasion. So there are other ways to arrive at such humility in the world of rock n roll, it seems.

Thanks for posting.

It must be easy to be Mike Love.  Not only does he sing the same songs on stage he also uses the same exact lines in every single damn interview. 

More than once, and he beat up John and Keith as well. But The Who were rooted in violence. They ended up kicking him out of the band over how violent he was with the others, actually. He had to back off it to come back.