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Smiley Smile Stuff => General On Topic Discussions => Topic started by: NateRuvin on January 08, 2018, 09:26:50 AM



Title: Mike's band playing covers
Post by: NateRuvin on January 08, 2018, 09:26:50 AM
I've been looking at a lot of setlists on setlist.fm recently, and  I find it pretty shocking the variety of covers that Mike's band has played over the years. I understand Why Do Fools Fall In Love, Rock N Roll Music, I'm So Young - even Barbara Ann, because those are covers that The Beach Boys made their own, recorded, etc... But...

Day Tripper (Claremont Gardens, Surbiton, England 2003) ???

Dancing In The Street (Niswonger Performing Arts Center, Van Wert, OH, USA 2015) ???

I Saw Her Standing There (Niswonger Performing Arts Center, Van Wert, OH, USA 2015) ???

I Can't Get No Satisfaction (Claremont Gardens, Surbiton, England 2003) ???


I am not the type to call Mike & Bruce's group a tribute band. I see them as the current incarnation of The Beach Boys. But playing those songs (and there are wayyy more bizarre covers) does make them seem like some sort of oldies/60's tribute band.


Title: Re: Mike's band playing covers
Post by: Rob Dean on January 08, 2018, 10:54:59 AM
Claremont Gardens, Esher 2003 - Good gig (in awful wet conditions) but certainly did not have the cover songs mentioned in the set-list


Title: Re: Mike's band playing covers
Post by: southbay on January 08, 2018, 10:58:24 AM
the Beach Boys played Dancin in the Street on the 1991 tour with Carl singing lead


Title: Re: Mike's band playing covers
Post by: KDS on January 08, 2018, 11:13:35 AM
I've been looking at a lot of setlists on setlist.fm recently, and  I find it pretty shocking the variety of covers that Mike's band has played over the years. I understand Why Do Fools Fall In Love, Rock N Roll Music, I'm So Young - even Barbara Ann, because those are covers that The Beach Boys made their own, recorded, etc... But...

Day Tripper (Claremont Gardens, Surbiton, England 2003) ???

Dancing In The Street (Niswonger Performing Arts Center, Van Wert, OH, USA 2015) ???

I Saw Her Standing There (Niswonger Performing Arts Center, Van Wert, OH, USA 2015) ???

I Can't Get No Satisfaction (Claremont Gardens, Surbiton, England 2003) ???


I am not the type to call Mike & Bruce's group a tribute band. I see them as the current incarnation of The Beach Boys. But playing those songs (and there are wayyy more bizarre covers) does make them seem like some sort of oldies/60's tribute band.


In general, Im not a fan of when bands with huge catalogs cover songs not in their canon.  But, to be fair, The Beach Boys have been doing this since the early 60s.  The BB Concert album includes The Monster Mash, The Wanderer, etc.  And thats back when they did 30 minute sets.

I do agree with the main point though. 


Title: Re: Mike's band playing covers
Post by: Rob Dean on January 08, 2018, 12:30:52 PM
the Beach Boys played Dancin in the Street on the 1991 tour with Carl singing lead

Yep, I have a rather good (umm not so legal) recording at Wembley from that year.
Super vocal from CW, there was mention at the time that the BB's and Chicago were cutting a cover of the song together


Title: Re: Mike's band playing covers
Post by: tpesky on January 10, 2018, 06:25:00 PM
Saw CW sing Dancing On The Street on that tour in the US. Highlight of the show. He nailed it.


Title: Re: Mike's band playing covers
Post by: Needleinthehay on January 10, 2018, 06:56:57 PM
They even did jumpin jack flash back in the 70s.


Title: Re: Mike's band playing covers
Post by: HeyJude on January 11, 2018, 06:32:01 AM
There are valid criticisms of Mike's touring band, but one-off or random covers isn't really near the top of the list.

I think the big one that deserved criticism was, in the first few years after licensing the name for his own tour, Mike kept doing "Duke of Earl." That was the one that made it look like he was heading down the path of true multi-purpose oldies show. I think especially once Totten got in the band, that got turned around and at least there was a movement towards some deeper BB cuts.

But these one-off covers aren't a big deal. The BBs did those now and then over the years. Most were either one-offs or added for maybe one tour and then gone. "Buzz Buzz Buzz" in 1984. They did "Come Softly to Me" a bit in 1981/82. They supposedly performed "Love Me Tender" as a tribute to Elvis.

Some were more heinous. Nobody was asking to hear Mike sing "Imagine", which folks on the 1983 tour had to suffer through.

I think when it's backing guys singing *and* it's a non-BB related cover, that does veer into "Duke of Earl" territory. I recall, in the mid-90s the band occasionally doing "Oh, Pretty Woman" with Chris Farmer singing. That seemed pretty useless and pointless.


Title: Re: Mike's band playing covers
Post by: rab2591 on January 11, 2018, 06:35:16 AM
Some were more heinous. Nobody was asking to hear Mike sing "Imagine", which folks on the 1983 tour had to suffer through.

I remember hearing that on a “worst of” bootleg and I think I laughed for 5 minutes afterward. Some songs you just shouldn’t even attempt to cover.


Title: Re: Mike's band playing covers
Post by: NateRuvin on January 11, 2018, 06:50:35 AM
Yeah, I  think M&B band has always been good (and have done justice to the BBs name), but they were really just good.

But Scott Totten has been the saving grace of Mike's band. Once he took over as musical director, Mike's band became great!

The harmonies are perfect, drumming by Cowsill is awesome, diverse setlists, Mike's band is great right now. And I'd say that's largely due to Scott Totten.


Title: Re: Mike's band playing covers
Post by: KDS on January 11, 2018, 06:53:05 AM
Yeah, I  think M&B band has always been good (and have done justice to the BBs name), but they were really just good.

But Scott Totten has been the saving grace of Mike's band. Once he took over as musical director, Mike's band became great!

The harmonies are perfect, drumming by Cowsill is awesome, diverse setlists, Mike's band is great right now. And I'd say that's largely due to Scott Totten.

I've seen them a couple times in recent years.   And I think they give Brian's band a run for their money. 


Title: Re: Mike's band playing covers
Post by: NateRuvin on January 11, 2018, 07:23:00 AM
I see Mike's band as "The Beach Boys experience". Dancing, singing, lots of surf/car songs (even though they've been throwing in a lot of deep cuts in the last few years). They're a good old rock n roll show, that's a blast to see!

I see Brian's band like going to a symphony. You remain quiet (to Brian's request sometimes) and absorb, analyze, and enjoy the beauty of his music.

Both shows are great.

I also think Surf City Allstars (with Dean Torrence, Al Jardine, David Marks, or all of them) is a great show too. Good mix of J&D and Beach Boys music and they really rock too! And Dean Torrence still does a lot of the falsetto parts!  8)

I got off track, but any all of The BBs related shows I mentioned above, put on great shows!


Title: Re: Mike's band playing covers
Post by: KDS on January 11, 2018, 07:25:01 AM
I see Mike's band as "The Beach Boys experience". Dancing, singing, lots of surf/car songs (even though they've been throwing in a lot of deep cuts in the last few years). They're a good old rock n roll show, that's a blast to see!

I see Brian's band like going to a symphony. You remain quiet (to Brian's request sometimes) and absorb, analyze, and enjoy the beauty of his music.

Both shows are great.

I also think Surf City Allstars (with Dean Torrence, Al Jardine, David Marks, or all of them) is a great show too. Good mix of J&D and Beach Boys music and they really rock too! And Dean Torrence still does a lot of the falsetto parts!  8)

I got off track, but any all of The BBs related shows I mentioned above, put on great shows!

To add to that, Mike's band also has the multi media touch with the video boards with the archive footage, as well as singing to Dennis and Carl vocal tracks as tribute. 


Title: Re: Mike's band playing covers
Post by: NateRuvin on January 11, 2018, 07:28:39 AM
KDS, having Denny and Carl sing their songs with the Mike Love Beach Boys is a very nice touch. I get choked up everytime they do that


Title: Re: Mike's band playing covers
Post by: KDS on January 11, 2018, 07:33:32 AM
KDS, having Denny and Carl sing their songs with the Mike Love Beach Boys is a very nice touch. I get choked up everytime they do that

Agreed, it's very cool.  Especially at the C50 show with all surviving members onstage. 

Though, I think I'd prefer them to do a song Dennis actually wrote instead of Do You Wanna Dance.


Title: Re: Mike's band playing covers
Post by: HeyJude on January 11, 2018, 07:38:55 AM
I thought Mike using the Dennis and Carl vocal tracks post-C50 was ridiculous. The sentiment is fine. But the idea that, by Mike Love's choice, you could go to a "Beach Boys" show and hear Carl and Dennis but not the still-living and willing and ready Brian and Al amounted to almost Spinal Tap levels of irony.

What the use of those old vocal tracks indicated to me was that Mike clearly gets along better with dead people that no longer have opinions or any control over the tour.

I half expected Mike to start having the band sing along to an archival Brian vocal too; he talks about Brian sometimes during his shows as if Brian's dead. As in, I've literally heard stories of non-fans going to Mike's shows coming away thinking Brian's dead.


Title: Re: Mike's band playing covers
Post by: acedecade75 on January 11, 2018, 08:01:47 AM
KDS, having Denny and Carl sing their songs with the Mike Love Beach Boys is a very nice touch. I get choked up everytime they do that

Agreed, it's very cool.  Especially at the C50 show with all surviving members onstage. 

Though, I think I'd prefer them to do a song Dennis actually wrote instead of Do You Wanna Dance.

I was sitting in the front row at a C50 show.  I'll never forget the look on Brian's face as he sat there watching his dead brothers sing on the screen.  It was very emotional.  I also remember Al looking a bit choked up as he watched Carl singing "God Only Know" on the screen. Sad, but beautiful.


Title: Re: Mike's band playing covers
Post by: KDS on January 11, 2018, 08:06:18 AM
KDS, having Denny and Carl sing their songs with the Mike Love Beach Boys is a very nice touch. I get choked up everytime they do that

Agreed, it's very cool.  Especially at the C50 show with all surviving members onstage. 

Though, I think I'd prefer them to do a song Dennis actually wrote instead of Do You Wanna Dance.

I was sitting in the front row at a C50 show.  I'll never forget the look on Brian's face as he sat there watching his dead brothers sing on the screen.  It was very emotional.  I also remember Al looking a bit choked up as he watched Carl singing "God Only Know" on the screen. Sad, but beautiful.

There's a concert from Japan in circulation from the C50 show that shows Brian staring at the video board during Forever.   Unfortunately, at the show I was at, I was too far away to see any expressions. 

I do remember seeing The Who in 2012, and they had video of John Entwistle's bass solo during 5.15 and Keith Moon's vocals during Bell Boy, and I remember Roger Daltrey attentively looking at the screen both times. 


Title: Re: Mike's band playing covers
Post by: MyDrKnowsItKeepsMeCalm on January 11, 2018, 08:51:27 AM
I half expected Mike to start having the band sing along to an archival Brian vocal too; he talks about Brian sometimes during his shows as if Brian's dead. As in, I've literally heard stories of non-fans going to Mike's shows coming away thinking Brian's dead.
I definitely know what you mean. I enjoy the Mike&Bruce shows I've seen in recent years, but there's something downright eerie about Brian being shown in 60s archival footage but minimally if at all talked about onstage. It somehow feels like Mike should briefly say *something* referencing Brian as he is today, not just that they cowrote a song together in 1963 or something. I sometimes wonder how many fans at these shows know that he's alive and well.



Title: Re: Mike's band playing covers
Post by: Tony S on January 11, 2018, 09:37:29 AM
I was also at one of the 1991 shows when Carl sang Dancin in the Streets....at the old Garden State Arts Center in NJ. Southside Johnny opened for them as I remember....great show, and Carl rocked it!


Title: Re: Mike's band playing covers
Post by: ♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇 on January 11, 2018, 09:52:32 AM
Yeah, I  think M&B band has always been good (and have done justice to the BBs name), but they were really just good.

But Scott Totten has been the saving grace of Mike's band. Once he took over as musical director, Mike's band became great!

The harmonies are perfect, drumming by Cowsill is awesome, diverse setlists, Mike's band is great right now. And I'd say that's largely due to Scott Totten.

I would agree. Him and John .


Title: Re: Mike's band playing covers
Post by: Lee Marshall on January 11, 2018, 11:51:40 AM
OK...Now this'll come as a real shocker to MOST here...but I really am not not much of a Mike fan.  Surprised?  No...really...I think he's a' bit of a dink.  AND I wouldn't really/honestly call it "Mike's Band"...ever...as they don't really play his songs...but more Brian's songs of which Mike had some part...depending on which realities and law-suits you 'buy' into.

Back in the glory days of touring...it might have been called Carl's band...and I believe it was part of the contract that Carl be there...because when he was the band and the show was 'together'.  When he wasn't?  Ker-splat.  Now Scott fills that key and important role admirably and it makes a HUGE difference.  AND John drums like ... well almost like he's Dennis...the way he pounds those 'rude bwoys'.

It used to be that when it was 'Mike's band' they were pretty damned pissy.  These days they are really, Really, REALLY good.  They are, IN FACT, worth every penny of the price of admission thanks mostly to Scott and an honest effort to listen to what he suggests and to practice.  It's KEY.  What they aren't, though, is Brian's band.  They are not in THAT specific league.  To say they are is to liberally bend the truth.  KDS!!!  YOU'RE not a liberal are you?   ;)  [and they don't have Brian...and they don't have Al.  Or Blondie for that matter.]  They just have the guy who's nose is...and always has been..."on the critical list"...I mean REALLY!!!  :lol


Title: Re: Mike's band playing covers
Post by: KDS on January 11, 2018, 11:56:20 AM


It used to be that when it was 'Mike's band' they were pretty damned pissy.  These days they are really, Really, REALLY good.  They are, IN FACT, worth every penny of the price of admission thanks mostly to Scott and an honest effort to listen to what he suggests and to practice.  It's KEY.  What they aren't, though, is Brian's band.  They are not in THAT specific league.  To say they are is to liberally bend the truth.  KDS!!!  YOU'RE not a liberal are you?   ;)  [and they don't have Brian...and they don't have Al.  Or Blondie for that matter.]  They just have the guy who's nose is...and always has been..."on the critical list"...I mean REALLY!!!  :lol

Good lord, Lee, I am not.   That's like me calling you a Mike Love fan.

Having attended six shows in about an 16 month period (Four Brian / Two Mike), I just personally don't think the divide between the two acts is as big as its made out to be.   

I do think Mike's band does a bit of a better job with the earlier hits, while Brian's band excels at the Pet Sounds - Holland era. 


Title: Re: Mike's band playing covers
Post by: NateRuvin on January 11, 2018, 12:06:32 PM
I'd agree that The Beach Boys band does 61-65 better and BW band does better 66-73 era (plus Brian's solo stuff always sounds great when they play those)


Title: Re: Mike's band playing covers
Post by: KDS on January 11, 2018, 12:14:27 PM
I'd agree that The Beach Boys band does 61-65 better and BW band does better 66-73 era (plus Brian's solo stuff always sounds great when they play those)

I wouldn't mind a 10th anniversary TLOS Tour from Brian.   But, it looks like he's going the 2nd Anniversary of the 50th Anniversary of Pet Sounds. 


Title: Re: Mike's band playing covers
Post by: Lee Marshall on January 11, 2018, 12:20:56 PM
I suppose so.  I'll give 'em a break on the early songs as Mike 'sang' so many of 'em to begin with.  BUT...O V E R A L L...I'm not budging.  So there ya have it...conservative ol' Lee goes with the band of WAY more accomplished musicians.  Versatility and talent gets the nod.  Both shows are good.  One, though, gets weighed down some by undesirable baggage and I HAVE to be mindful of it.  They might still be one unit today...carrying on in successful bliss...and greater success an even stronger sum of all the best parts...IF...greed, jealousy, nourishment and revenge hadn't ugly'd up what might have been on a stupid technicality.  But I digress.  I much prefer covers...especially of tunes the BB's covered on vinyl to 'turds' like Pieces Brother.

Anyway...the touring Beached Boys...do a mighty fine job...except for the shutting the f*** up during interviews part.


Title: Re: Mike's band playing covers
Post by: KDS on January 11, 2018, 12:25:47 PM
I suppose so.  I'll give 'em a break on the early songs as Mike 'sang' so many of 'em to begin with.  BUT...O V E R A L L...I'm not budging.  So there ya have it...conservative ol' Lee goes with the band of WAY more accomplished musicians.  Versatility and talent gets the nod.  Both shows are good.  One, though, gets weighed down some by undesirable baggage and I HAVE to be mindful of it.  They might still be one unit today...carrying on in successful bliss...and greater success an even stronger sum of all the best parts...IF...greed, jealousy, nourishment and revenge hadn't ugly'd up what might have been on a stupid technicality.  But I digress.  I much prefer covers...especially of tunes the BB's covered on vinyl to 'turds' like Pieces Brother.

Anyway...the touring Beached Boys...do a mighty fine job...except for the shutting the f*** up during interviews part.

Fair enough.  Though, personally, I don't think the "baggage" you mention hampers the show in any way at a Mike and Bruce (and sometime David) concert.   But, I've heard worse excuses for not being able to fully enjoy one of their concerts. 

I will agree with you about Pisces Brother.   I'm not a fan of that song.   And, at the last show I attended, they still played it.....but All I Wanna Do was scratched!!!!!!


Title: Re: Mike's band playing covers
Post by: NateRuvin on January 11, 2018, 12:27:52 PM
I like Pisces Brothers. I like the harmonies and Scott's guitar solo. So I never mind hearing it live.


Title: Re: Mike's band playing covers
Post by: KDS on January 11, 2018, 12:47:40 PM
I like Pisces Brothers. I like the harmonies and Scott's guitar solo. So I never mind hearing it live.

I do like Scott's solo, especially since most of the songs they perform don't really allow Scott to play like that.   I just don't think there's much of a song there. 


Title: Re: Mike's band playing covers
Post by: Matt H on January 12, 2018, 03:40:48 PM
There are valid criticisms of Mike's touring band, but one-off or random covers isn't really near the top of the list.

I think the big one that deserved criticism was, in the first few years after licensing the name for his own tour, Mike kept doing "Duke of Earl." That was the one that made it look like he was heading down the path of true multi-purpose oldies show. I think especially once Totten got in the band, that got turned around and at least there was a movement towards some deeper BB cuts.

But these one-off covers aren't a big deal. The BBs did those now and then over the years. Most were either one-offs or added for maybe one tour and then gone. "Buzz Buzz Buzz" in 1984. They did "Come Softly to Me" a bit in 1981/82. They supposedly performed "Love Me Tender" as a tribute to Elvis.

Some were more heinous. Nobody was asking to hear Mike sing "Imagine", which folks on the 1983 tour had to suffer through.

I think when it's backing guys singing *and* it's a non-BB related cover, that does veer into "Duke of Earl" territory. I recall, in the mid-90s the band occasionally doing "Oh, Pretty Woman" with Chris Farmer singing. That seemed pretty useless and pointless.

Do you mean this:

https://youtu.be/Vz3LhcpMGQs?t=1224


Title: Re: Mike's band playing covers
Post by: The LEGENDARY OSD on January 12, 2018, 05:58:56 PM

OK, now everybody squeeze your nose and sing along with myKe luHv on "Imagine" so we can all sound like he does. Now, wasn't that fun???


Title: Re: Mike's band playing covers
Post by: Rick5150 on January 13, 2018, 03:14:53 AM
Eemagine that.