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https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/beach-boys-add-some-music-1132591/?fbclid=IwAR2-V_tO9PJg0XnrltKmfzyB_ObhPhUVasVBRwlZ5yKKVknnLOzRYsaE7aQ

Mike Love, Al Jardine, Bruce Johnston, and David Marks have come together to re-record the Beach Boys classic "Add Some Music To Your Day."

"Beach Boys Mike Love, Al Jardine, Bruce Johnston, and David Marks have come together to re-record the band’s 1970 classic “Add Some Music to Your Day.” It’s the lead-off single of the new LP California Music Presents Add Some Music, which arrives on April 23rd.

The album is the brainchild of David Beard, the editor and publisher of the long-running Beach Boys fanzine Endless Summer Quarterly. He brought the various factions of the Beach Boys, minus Brian Wilson, back together for the new version of “Add Some Music to Your Day,” which also includes contributions from Brian Wilson’s daughters Wendy and Carnie Wilson; Al Jardine’s son Matt Jardine; and Mike Love’s children Christian, Hayleigh, and Ambha Love. It was produced by Rob Bonfiglio, who is married to Carnie Wilson and plays guitar in Brian Wilson’s touring band. A portion of the profits will benefit Feeding America."

Nice to see them all together on a project! This is lovely.

liked it... well done  :-D

It sounds lovely. I think we all wish Brian had been involved, but his absence doesn't have to detract from the music itself. I noticed he (rightfully) is in the "With Great Appreciation" section in the music video's credits.

Very nicely done -- and for a good cause! Here's the direct link to the video:
https://youtu.be/90JFsfj4LRU

And the link to the Rolling Stone story without all the FB tracking junk:
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/beach-boys-add-some-music-1132591/

Great to see these people together and for such a lovely cause. Of course too bad Brian was not involved.

If you watch the video and especially if you wait until the end credits you'll get a good idea of everyone's involvement. Rob Bonfiglio co-produced the recording (with ESQ's David Beard) and plays most of the instruments. Additional guitars by David Marks and Jeffrey Foskett plus cello and violin by guest musicians Austin Hoke and Kristin Weber.

Lead vocals are by Mike, Al and Bruce with Matt  Jardine reproducing Carl's original lead part. Additional vocals by Carnie, Wendy and Lola (Carnie and Rob's daughter), Rob Bonfiglio, Justyn Wilson, Christian, Ambha and Hayleigh Love.

Lovely to see Carl and Dennis in the video too. John Stamos however... ;-)

Nice to see a lot of people getting together for this....it sounds great! Mike sounds really good on this - if the reunion album happens then Rob Bonfiglio needs to mix it...Keep Joe Thomas (and whoever mixes Mike's albums) lightyears away from that mixing board. \

Anyone remember when a bunch of Smiley Smilers got together to cover 'Add Some Music' (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaZNgwmLuRI)? So many of us from different countries and states sent in their parts and they were all compiled together. One of the best collaborations I was ever a part of.

It's amazing how this music can bring so many people together. Especially this song in particular.

Very nice to see!
Just two things that I noted:

The Dennis footage is longer and probably from a different part of the interview than what has been used on documentaries before, if I'm not mistaken.
A "Brian Wilson" is mentioned in the acknowledgements. I don't know if this is Brian or maybe someone of the children/grandchildren.


Interesting to see that not a single person from these families doesn't look awkward in front of a camera without an instrument  :lol
Yes, we could criticize some things of this project (why the h!ll is Stamos there?) but that's really not needed. It's too much of a nice gesture and from the little I can say (I've only listened with laptop loudspeakers) a good recording. Thanks guys'n'gals!



p.s. Good to see Jeff Foskett there!

Very nice, sad to see Brian wasn't there

Oh, undoubtedly the idea there was to thank THE Brian Wilson, not some other random dude.  The folks on that list (also including Melinda, Darian, Leaf, Linett, Boyd etc.) are luminaries of varying degrees in the BB universe but had no direct involvement in this project.

IIRC, David Beard was talking up this project like 9 months ago.  This was the big news he was promising.

It's nicely done.  And, once again, I gotta say, I have some admiration for Mike Love's taste in real estate.  His view of Lake Tahoe is nothing short of spectacular.

I was thinking the same thing.

Do we know why Brian wasn’t involved?

Isn't it obvious?

If it was obvious to me, I wouldn’t have asked.  He’s posted a few videos of him singing at home (at least he did earlier in the quarantine) so I’m not sure why there wouldn’t be a snippet of him here. 

several takeaways:

-Mike sounds really good, and this proves he doesn't need to rely on autotune

-I would be surprised if Mike's antics from 2020 didn't play into the reasons why Brian was MIA here. Brian is certainly missed.

-it's heartwarming to see the kids involved, and I very much applaud them for trying to move past the baggage of their parents' generation.

-it's incredible how much legitimacy Al brings to the entire project. This just goes to prove what a bad mistake it was for Mike to fire Al in 1998. The version of the band that Mike has been peddling since then would have doubtlessly been taken far more seriously if Al had been part of the equation.

-really great to see David involved too.

-props to everyone involved, it's totally rad to finally see this.

Gee, that was really lovely and touching. A favourite song from my favourite BB album, it's just perfect for this kind of family project, isn't it?

Went down great too on the 50th anniversary tour, with Brian singing most of Mike's parts.

Just a lovely video and recording by all involved. Wouldn't it be great if there was a CD of classic Beach Boy tunes re-recorded by this group including the boys family and friends! How awesome would that be

Well - yeah - I'm just assuming, but I dare say Brian has "checked out" when it comes to "group" projects. Maybe he'll continue to do the odd thing with Al's involvement, but I don't see him ever showing up for a group project again. Probably a good part of the reason that the rights have been sold off. And who's to say that someone who has worked as hard as Brian and acheived what he has should have to do anything he doesn't want to do.

Unless I'm confusing my sound processing, I believe he is autotuned here.

Admittedly I only listened to this once on my phone speakers, will have to relisten. But whatever processing happening here upon first listen seemed less egregious and more tasteful than other recent Mike vocals.

It's hard to reconcile your analysis with what are purportedly the man's own words, like, uh, a week ago...  ::)

Most exciting to Brian is the idea of touring and possibly recording with the group he founded in his parents’ living room six decades ago. “It’d be a great trip, a big thrill,” he says. “When we went on tour for the 50th anniversary we had so much fun. It’d be such a joy to be singing with the boys again.”
https://www.rollingstone.com/pro/features/beach-boys-rights-sale-azoff-1129316/

Just listened with headphones. Really a very, very good performance by all. Mike sounds great, Al sounds great, Bruce sounds great! Interesting to hear some of the "unknown" harmonies like Matt Jardine and Christian Love together.
It's also touching to see some of the youngest members (for example Carnie's daughter) starting to embrace their musical heritage.





Oh God, please no! This recording and video is a winner. But a whole album would take away a lot of the beauty of it. If it would be just the children and none of the Beach Boys, ok, but otherwise it wouldn't mean anything to me. Just like Fogerty's new recordings with his children. Of course I understand that it must be special to the individuals to make music with their children, but as an album release, as I said above, it would take away the beauty of this singular event. New songs, though, would possibly be a different thing.

I loved it.

But there are two persons missing in this video (apart from Brian, of course) that I'd like to see more involved in any new Beach Boys projects / possible reunions : Blondie and Ricky ! Blondie's voice is always a welcome addition to anything.

Most of them are heavily dunked in autotune on the whole track.

I'll listen to it again on proper speakers.  Even if there's some autotune assistance here, it ain't anywhere near stuff like the Mike UTL Help Me Rhonda, which I guess means the bar was set so robotic that it's a breath of fresh air to have stuff sound less robo than that, relatively speaking.

Lovely video, even though the autotune is fairly obvious even when played on my laptop speakers.

Definitely. UTL's "Help Me Rhonda" was more autotune than vocal.

And yet . . he's not there on a project where he didn't even have to be in the same room with the other participants.

Surely it’s not ‘he was invited’ Kokomo being repeated?  :(

 Surely he was invited. How could he not have been?  His son-in-law produced the thing. Two daughters and a granddaughter are on there.  Who the heck knows why Brian isn't on there?   It's unknowable at this point, but I think it's mistake to assume that he boycotted it or that he never wants to work with the BBs again... especially when he's quoted in print saying just the opposite a few days ago.  

I think it's worth keeping in mind that this project or at least some parts of it were likely done quite a while ago.  ESQ started hyping this as "big news" in June 2020.

Meanwhile Brian was laying low.  If you review his instagram feed between June 8, 2020 when he sang Happy Birthday to Nancy Sinatra and Feb 1, 2021 when he surfaced at Dodger Stadium for a covid19 vax, you find a total of zero new photos or videos.  During that period, at least once Mike Love obliquely referred to Brian having "health issues."  Who knows what if anything that meant.

My point is that there's a lot that we don't know about what goes on behind the scenes, and it's a mistake to assume anyone is, or will be, boycotting anything.

I never used the word boycott - I just don't think Brian gets out of it what the others do, and it's now over 50 years since the others started making him do stuff for their benefit (I'm thinking signing the Warner's contract, although there are earlier examples).

The guy is old and not in particularly great health - heck he's probably consumed more recreational drugs than just about anyone his age and alive today - all I'm saying is the time has possibly come when no-one's telling him what he has to do anymore, except perhaps doctors!

It's nice. Nothing more but certainly nothing less either. The best part for me is hearing Al sing. I really hope Brian's doing well. Last we heard was he was getting his vaccine, right?

Story coming up in ESQ.

https://esquarterly.com/2021/02/26/california-music-the-making-of-add-some-music/

A question. I recognise everyone on the cover except the woman to the left of Al, wearing the hat? It will probably be a ‘duh’ moment...but hit me with it someone. 👩‍🦳

By process of elimination... Hayleigh Love?

Agree though I don't recall seeing either her or Ambah Love in the video. Must have missed them both if they were in it. Also not sure why Justin Wilson wasn't mentioned in the credits assuming it's true hat some others have said that he wasn't.

You're right.  I re-watched the video, and I don't see Hayleigh or Ambha on camera.

Thanks. I guess the video is busy enough as it is and some just had to be cut. Just thinking that everyone shown has been onstage either with The Beach Boys, Brian, or both except Carnies daughter?

Really glad though that Matt Jardine got to sing Carl's part, and so well too. If there's anyone in the Beach Boys extended family that deserves more of the spot light, it's Matt. First, he meant so much to the sound of the Beach Boys touring group in the 90's taking Brian's high parts on stage. And obviously, he's such a talented singer. Bravo Matt....great job on the video and vocals.....and a great job by all for that matter!

I've often pointed out when we have these "near reunion" projects that one reason one person might sit it out is to avoid it actually being a full *REUNION*. Sometimes some members don't want the added pressure of it actually being a real "Beach Boys" product/release, and/or they want to save an actual real reunion for a bigger event.

No offense to this latest project, but doing the first full BB reunion on record in a decade for a one-song, low-key, home brewed project is a bit like those that lobby for Brian, Al, and Dave to like show up at some random Mike/Bruce casino gig.

There's still a lot of selling power in a "first reunion in ten years" (or whatever) sort or project, so I think it makes sense to save this for when/if they do a real, full-blown group project (e.g. an album, a show/tour, etc.)

Obviously, in this case, the fact that this *isn't* a BB reunion didn't stop some headlines for calling it that. But I'd certainly prefer to save an actual reunion for something more substantive and high-profile.

All good points.

Ironically and oddly, the fact that this near-reunion does in fact reunite David and Al along with Mike and Bruce, which in and of itself is still somewhat significant in my view, it's stilll close to a reunion considering how Brian was so often absent from any number of Beach Boys related appearances in the 1960s and 1970s. Obviously the circumstances are different this time. But there's a weird "BBs history repeating itself" kind of vibe the more I think about it.

That said, it is a shame Brian isn't part of it, regardless of the reasons. I still contend that the many antics that Mike did last year couldn't exactly have *helped* bridge the gaps and fractures between the Brian and Mike camps. Time will tell if there's any full reunion activity that happens, but if Brian was asked to do this song during a soured time in their relationship, that could have contributed to the decision of whether he'd participate or not.

There's just so much more involved in a Brian-Mike reunion, even a recorded/virtual one. It's not a coincidence that Al and especially Dave have made more appearances with both "sides." Al appeared with Dave, Mike, and Bruce at that Ella thing in 2014. I don't think Al did that simply to cheer Mike on (a long back story is involved in that gig), but even with the politics and acrimony, it's *relatively* easier to get Al and Mike together. It doesn't always work (cut to later in 2014 for the infamous Jones Beach gig) of course.

Also, while I don't want to take away from the altruistic nature of this recording/project, it can't be ignored that, even though all band members including Brian have maintained a mutually beneficial friendly relationship with ESQ, that "Is he brain damaged? Yes." article from several years ago is something that conceivably is not always completely forgotten by Brian and his folks. Sure, they'll still pitch in autographed items for auctions, etc. But with all these factors at play, I'm not surprised one member isn't on this.

A real deal reunion, if it happens, should be a much bigger, more high profile event for many, many reasons.

Again, let me stress that any altruistic, charity-informed project is a good and admirable thing, I suspect the Beatles were never going to let Beatlefest's Mark Lapidos or Beatlefan's Bill King be the kingmaker in a Beatles reunion either.

A Beach Boys reunion should be a major label event with refined musical choices, and a major show and/or tour event if a live component happens.

Ouch. I totally forgot that one. I don't think David Beard is a bad dude at all, but that...man, I have to imagine he'd prefer he never wrote that (or so I'd hope).

Wasn't expecting to read about this in AMP Capital Market Update. Nonetheless:

https://www.ampcapital.com/au/en/insights-hub/articles/2021/march/market-update-050321

I don't remember what made the 2014 Jones Beach show infamous. Did Al and Dave end up joining M&B?

It's a lovely video and I was saddened that Brian wasn't there; I missed seeing him. Still, I respect his decision, and just wanted to add that we cannot underestimate Brian's issues with mental health, especially with this quarantine. I think I might have have shared on this board before that I have a long-time friend with schizoaffective disorder and is also bipolar (he was misdiagnosed/mistreated for a very long time and is nearly Brian's age) and when he is physically sick or under intense or long-term stress, he has a relapse. He is lucky in that the jobs he had after adequate treatment and diagnosis always worked with him when he relapsed, but the recovery can take a while, and only happens after adjustments in medication and lifestyle, which won't really begin to happen for those over 65 until they are safe to break quarantine, as is probably the case with Brian.

No

http://abcnewsradioonline.com/music-news/2014/6/23/al-jardine-says-he-wont-appear-at-july-5-beach-boys-concert.html

Incroyable! ::)

Some rainy day, give this thread a read for coverage of the 'Al joining Mike and Bruce at Jones Beach' debacle. Some hilarious lines and some rather insightful ones re the BB 'brand' as well; I still return to it every year or so.

http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,17563.0.html

HeyJude, could you go a little more into that? I thought that because of the Mike-Al acrimony, nothing would come out of that unless there was a third party involved (C50, this project, a possible 60th reunion). I always assumed Al attended the Ella thing because it was an award with a lot of guests honored and in attendance (Bill Medley, etc), and Jeff Foskett went too (but that could have been because he was moving over to Mike’s camp at that post). And didn’t Al only (almost) do Jones Beach because the promoters asked him to? That’s why I was surprised when Al mentioned in the RS interview recently talking to Mike.

Al and Mike have a complicated, and less studied, relationship, no question. It just isn't as complicated as the Brian-Mike situation.

I've never thought that Al-Mike projects post-1998 were particularly likely. Rather, if forced to place a bet on whether Al and Mike or Brian and Mike might both end up on some sort of project together, I'd bet on Al and Mike simply because there is somewhat less politics and complications involved.

Al doing that Ella show in 2014, and almost doing the Jones Beach gig, were both events and decisions informed by politics and attempts at mutually-beneficial sort of back-scratching situations. Without going into too much detail, the fact that Al did the Ella show and then a few months later clearly was almost going to do, but then *didn't* do the Jones Beach gig, should tell you how many promises or offers to Al were kept, and should tell you how Al felt the situation was being handled.

I don't think Al's decision to do the Ella show had anything to do with Foskett. Remember that several months later it was announced that Foskett was already gone from Brian's band and had jumped to Mike's band, and in interviews Foskett mentioned that he did some things with Mike prior to joining to sort of defrost his relationship with Mike; I'd guess the Ella show was one such event. 

I think the thing with the promoter rather than Mike offering Al to play that Jones Beach gig was that that particular detail wasn't really the *cause* of anything, but rather was simply cited as an indication of the quality and circumstances of the offer.

I think evidence suggests ticket sales were slow at Jones Beach and somebody hatched a plan to invite Al back into his own band for one night to sell more tickets for a near/pseudo-reunion. I think that reasoning probably wasn't a great reason to begin with; it wasn't exactly a heart-warming event for Al. It didn't seem like Mike just deciding to start to warm to working with Al again. Then, it appears the promoter made the offer rather than Mike, which Al may have felt was an additional slight (and may have been even stronger indication that this was simply a plan being hatched to make up flaccid ticket sales). I think Al was wary that some unfulfilled promises concerning doing the Ella show could occur again with Jones Beach. Then, how the show was being promoted/handled clearly wasn't to his liking. Remember that Al never signed anything agreeing to do the show (nobody ever disputed this), yet Al's name was put on advertisements anyway to sell tickets. I'm guessing an already wary/skeptical Al saw this and balked.

There's more to it, but that's just stuff based on deductions from public information that tells enough of the story I think.

I think since the lawsuits are over, Mike and Al are pretty comfortable around each other. I remember around 2002 when the Beach Boys got their lifetime achievement award and were photographed backstage (Brian was there but didn't attend the shooting) someone said that you needed all those other people that were pictured with them, because left alone, Mike and Al would probably kill each other - or something to that effect. They have definitely come a long way since then, and that's a good thing.

Story on the recording including this on Brian...

But one thing was missing: Brian Wilson.

‘THEY JUST SAID, HE’S NOT AVAILABLE’

The original version of “Add Some Music to Your Day” was mainly written by Wilson (the Beach Boys’ founding songwriter, co-lead vocalist and former bandleader) and Love.

Vocals on the song were sung by Wilson, Love, Johnston, Jardine and Wilson’s brothers Carl and Dennis. Dennis Wilson died in 1983; Carl Wilson died in 1998. Beard wanted Brian Wilson to be involved in the new version of the song. Badly.

It wasn’t meant to be, however.

“I was told Brian wasn’t available. I asked twice. Just was told he wasn’t available,” Beard says.

“I’m assuming because of the pandemic. I’m assuming that. I don’t know. I’m not going to pry. It’s not my business. If it’s my business then they would say, ‘He’s not available because of this.’ They didn’t say that to me. They just said, ‘He’s not available.’ ... I just — you hear no twice ... you don’t want to upset anybody, because if you’re either upsetting somebody or manipulating somebody, you’ve lost your intention.”

https://www.charlotteobserver.com/entertainment/article250435401.html

It has often been noted - quite rightly - how well Al’s voice has held up over the years, but it has to be said that Bruce sounds in fine fettle on this recording. Just a shame his vocals seem a bit too buried into the mix to really hear them clearly. He’s always had a kind of reassuring voice, like his original vocals on God Only Knows, California Girls, At My Window, Tears In The Morning and Disney Girls, and I am liking his 2020/21 sound very much.