The Smiley Smile Message Board

Was just pondering if they are actually friends as I've never heard/seen any interaction between them touring or otherwise outside of interviews and they don't really have that much in common:

Bruce - Spends time in Montesito, not a vegetarian (that I'm aware of), enjoys his Pacifico, not a particularly large family, right-wing leanings
Mike - Spends time in Lake Tahoe, vegetarian, practices TM, supposedly not given to  temptations of alcohol/drugs, large family, environmentalist (arguable)

Of course I don't expect them to spend their time off together for obvious reasons, they are both men in their 70's but I wonder how much interaction/friendship they have when touring. We've seen Brian and Al interact at dinners and such and seem to appreciate each other but what about M&B????

Employer/employee relationship. If he doesn't clap enough, screws up the myKe stand, or wears dirty shorts, he gets a warning notice placed in his personnel file. Three warnings and he files for unemployment compensation. 

I think Bruce is one of those guys that gets along with about everybody.  I know he's said some caustic political stuff so people who disagree with that probably think he's a hard-ass, but certain people who are vocal about their politics/etc. actually are pretty open minded and not easily offended... they have a different opinion and don't see what the big deal is.  So they tend to get along well with people even if they don't agree about things... which is why they feel it's o.k. to just say whatever they want out loud.   

Bruce strikes me that way.  Mike probably does stuff that pisses him off all the time, but he just lets it slide, because ultimately, what's it matter?  Mike rubs lots of people the wrong way, no need to get all uptight about it. 

Mike kind of needs him because it adds a small sliver or legitimacy to the band, so Mike probably treats him decent in the first place. 

I have to say I laughed very audibly at this  :lol

Interesting take. definitely sounds the most plausible too

Are Bruce and Jeff friends is also an interesting question..... >:D

I wonder if Mike is friends with anyone in the band or is it more of an employer / employee relationship ? By friend, I mean someone who he can confide in, who he can turn to for advice and someone who he enjoys spending "off duty" time with.

Having seen them interact backstage, and from conversations with Bruce over the years, I'd say they're on pretty good terms: not drinking buddies, but they've worked together for, what, 44 years ? I'm guessing any problems were ironed out many years ago.

As for Bruce (and David too, when he's on board) adding "a small sliver of legitimacy to the band", yup, there's that to be considered too. Mike doesn't have the exclusive on that, of course.

Although Mike is the only member of the group touring under the Beach Boys name, Andrew.

Al and Blondie are with Brian, but he still tours as Brian Wilson.

This is, of course, a fairly basic distinction between how the two groups operate, and one that folks who try to equate them too often gloss over.

Of course a cynic could argue that the only reason Brian is suddenly returning Al's calls again could be to send a message to Mike.  ;)

Two points: Bruce is a vegetarian and yes, he is from a good-sized family if you count both birth and adoptive families.

Just about tied at the hip I believe.

Bruce is a vegetarian? Huh, that surprises me :P I understand Mike with the whole TM thing but I figured Bruce was like Brian and might enjoy a steak now and then

Nothing sudden about it.

Didn't Bruce have bypass surgery? That would make me think about becoming a vegetarian.

As a wise friend once informed me when I posited this same question: it's a job.

Bruce has said that to Peter Carlin while PC was writing his book, and told me as much when I asked him online circa 1999.

Yeah, about ten years ago.

This was in 2004. I remember because while he was recovering and admitted he was in extreme pain he took the trouble to post on the BBB board telling people to support Brian by buying BWPS.

Whenever I read a catty comment about him on here I am reminded of that classy piece of behaviour...

Bruce is a class act in many ways. He's one of Brian's biggest cheerleaders and clearly hugely appreciative of Brian's talents and grateful for the opportunity to work with him. Bruce as a Beach Boy doesn't quite work for my after his return and he sometimes appears not to be making the most of his talents but he clearly loves the music and manages to keep out of the politics pretty well considering. Bruce has been there for Brian when he's needed him on many occasions over the years. He was there in the sixties when they needed someone to tour, there in the studio when Brian needed a reliable voice, there as a PR guy when Pet Sounds was coming out, there in the late 70's when Brian needed someone he could trust to come in, there when Brian began his return to live performances in the late 90's etc etc. In my book he's a true supporter of Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys and appears to be as big an admirer of them as many of us are.

We can joke about shorts and mic stands but to me he seems like a solid guy who enjoys what he does and doesn't pretend to be something he's not. He's pretty self-deprecating for a guy with his CV. I don't know about Mike and Bruce being friends but to me it looks like Bruce has been a true friend to Brian over the years.

His voice "blends" in the four part.  Many have come and gone, and often their voices can be heard "outside" of the blend. 

It's been said before but Bruce is the Forrest Gump of the rock scene. Take just about any mover/player in the California 60's scene and you'll more often then not find a connection to Bruce through them.

I like that analogy. Bruce is the man; just an awesome dude and a talented musician.

Quite a bit of the '70s as well, as a producer, session guy and working in the industry.  He was the go-to if someone wanted a Beach Boys sound on their records, and IIRC he had hits producing for David Cassidy (in the UK), Hudson Brothers, and Art Garfunkel.  And of course, that Grammy.  He did alright.

He could write a fascinating book about the music biz if he was of the mind.

I would buy that in an instant. I like Bruce a lot.

I'm not fond of Bruce, but I'd buy the book too.

I met Bruce outside the group's Manchester hotel when I was 19 in 1993.  He spent time talking to me and a could of other young fans who like me had travelled down from Scotland.  He signed, posed for pictures chatted and was a really nice, cool guy.  I met him years later and he was the same (as was Mike). As Dennis said on his album sleeve notes, "God Bless you Bruce".