It`s interesting that only at the ELLA awards Mike thanked Jeff for being Brian`s `care giver` for the past 16 years. So this is certainly a curious turn of events.

Good point. I could see Jeff getting tired of being Brian's caregiver if he felt underappreciated and underpaid. Foskett was not just another supporting musician to Brian, and that had to be a stressful job.

It may be a fine point, but I’d like to clarify (and, yes, defend Mike in a sense) in that he didn’t refer to Foskett as Brian’s “caregiver”, but rather:

“I am most grateful to Jeff for having taken such wonderful care of my cousin Brian for so many years…”

It would, to me, be potentially a bit more pejorative towards Brian to refer to someone around him as a “caregiver”, as opposed to “taking care” of Brian, sort of like telling your son-in-law to make sure he takes good care of your daughter, as opposed to acting as a “caregiver” as if it’s a live-in nurse situation or something.

In a way, this shouldn't be as surprising as it is--we already knew that Jeff wasn't with Brian, and he is certainly a good fit for playing with the M&B Beach Boys.  My guess (and it's only a guess) is that the Beach Boys didn't offer Jeff a job until he had either already parted ways with Brian, or that Jeff had given some sort of indication that he was thinking about doing so; I find it difficult to imagine that Mike and Bruce have just started poaching members of Brian's band for their own amusement.

I never got the sense that Mike Love really warmed to anyone in Brian's band other than Foskett, who of course he had recruited and had already worked with. Did Mike ever even literally speak the name of any other band members? He would always introduce Foskett or Totten during their vocal turns, but when Darian sang "Darlin'", it sounded like Foskett always named Darian afterwards, not Mike.

It seemed like Bruce at least attempted to warm up to the other band members, or at least talk about them publically a bit. I recall him plugging Nelson Bragg's album on the BB Britain board I believe.

I still love the piece of trivia that, as I recall, the first Beach Boys concert Darian attended was the opening night of the reunon tour with him in the band! 

To further digress, I wonder how many guys in Brian's band, prior to playing with Brian, had attended a BB concert in the 70's or 80's....

If I've know about this change for months, and other people I know who aren't in the band or in the family or employed by the group have known about it for months, then is it really possible that Brian didn't know about it? I think Brian probably pulled a Brian on that question.

Exactly, I would agree. Either he was being Brian-style coy or non-responsive, or he genuinely in that moment re-forgot about it or something. I've heard interviews with him where he seems to genuinely not remember things that clearly he did know at some point in the past. I'm now having a random memory of a circa 1985 radio interview with Brian where he's asked about the "Surf's Up" album and specifically "Take a Load Off Your Feet", and he seemed to react and respond as if the interviewer is from Mars or speaking another language or something, like he has absolutely zero idea what the hell the interviewer is talking about.

One of the reasons I keep trying to say "Foskett" instead of Jeff is due to the other threads discussing the Jeff Beck tour, so there's no confusion. But now I'm envisioning Brian getting a call asking about "Jeff joining the Beach Boys", so now I'm picturing that Brian thinks Jeff Beck joined the Beach Boys. "Oh great, yeah, Mike Love will love those ten minute jazz fusion instrumentals."  

It’s a bit funny, if Brian really did learn about this via a phone call from a friend who read a Rolling Stone article, it is a bit reminiscent of Al learning about Mike’s 1998 Super Bowl gig only when it appeared on TV. I’ve actually always wondered if that meant Al had actually sat down with his chicken wings and chips and dip and truly actually learned of the gig while watching it live on TV.   

[Jeff:]

Well that's how I imagine it:

Riiiing!
Jeff: Hello?
Mike: Hey Jeff, is Mike!
Jeff: Dr.Love! How are you?
Mike: all good, all good! Listen, my son Christian is leaving the band soon. Jackie and I were wondering if you were interested on taking his place?
Jeff: Oh wow, I'd be honored.  But you know, I'm with Brian and.. I'm not sure it would be the right thing to do..
Mike: We tour 200 days per year. It would pay xxxxx$ per year.
Jeff: emh.. let me call Melinda and discuss it ok?
Mike: Ok. I'm going to the beach with my babe now.  Good vibes to you

Riiiing!
Melinda: Hello?
Jeff: Hi Melinda, it's Jeff!
Melinda: Hey Jeffy! Always good to hear from you!
Jeff: Listen.. Mike offered me a permanent place in his touring band.  It pays well. How would you feel if I took the job?
Melinda: well Jeffrey, it's your choice
Jeff: I could still play those few gigs with Brian in the fall, I can ask Mike to replace me
Melinda: well Jeffrey, it's your choice
Jeff: Thank you for understanding Melinda! No hard feelings then?
Melida: It's just business Jeffrey
Jeff: Will you tell Brian?
Melinda: Yes. Goodbye Jeffrey, farewell

Melinda: umh.. I need to remember to tell this to Bri..  hey look a new dog! I forgot we bought this one too


And that's how Jeff got the job and Brian never got to hear about it.
Very simple.

You forgot the additional phone call from Al:

-Phone Rings-

Al: Hi Melinda, so what are the touring plans for later this year?

Melinda: Actually Milton, er, Al, we’re going to be moving your desk to the basement. So, umm, yeah, we’re going to ask you to spray for bugs while you’re down there. Oh yeah, and Foskett bailed, so I sure hope you can do the high part on “Papa Oom Mow Mow.”

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/beach-boys-plan-tour-to-celebrate-50-years-of-fun-fun-fun-20140515
WOW. This is shocking.

Christian has a lot going on with his beach volleyball, his own band, and Cal Saga (if they are still working together) and has been  wonderful to watch as he grew in the job.  I will miss his singing very much.  His voice does echo that Wilson-Love quality (Carl, in my opinion) - and there is a lot of vocal voltage on that stage.  He has brought a sort of sublime quality to the Touring Band, with that yearning feel that Carl brought to the work.   I hope it isn't as permanent as it it made to sound, as he has done a great job. Career choices are often tough.  I will miss him, but wish him well in his other endeavors!

But Jeff Foskett doesn't need a road map, either, and worked with the band a long time.  

More falsetto!  A beautiful thing!  

Beach volleyball, a solo career that has yielded few if any actual releases or live shows (has he actually released any music or done any of his own solo live shows?), and a Cal Saga band that has apparently played a small hand full of short opening sets and has sporadically done some recording, those all sound like the textbook definition of "hobby" projects to me.

Kind of sounds like Al saying he has "a lot going on" because he's grooming his horses and working on his new remix of "Loop de Loop."  

Seriously, the fact that, to the small degree we are aware of, Christian Love did *not* have a lot else going on actually potentially gives me more respect for ditching the easy, lucrative paycheck that surely comes along with playing in Mike's band. Or, perhaps he's just *REALLY* bored with the touring.

Just about all that is mentioned is pure speculation.  I wish  this very nice, and talented young man good luck...

We don't know, and I'm not guessing.  Que sera, sera...

True. "He has a lot going on" is kind of a guess too, though, and the only items mentioned in that list of "things" doesn't measure up to a "lot of things going on" to me. As I said, it speaks more to the potential boldness of leaving the band if a lot else isn't going on.

It’s a numbers game to the degree we can guess. Even if Brian pays his guys more per show (not that it’s structured on a per-show basis; we don’t know, but it probably involves a payment or payments for the time spent touring), one would make more playing with Mike since he will always be playing more gigs. Even Brian’s most active touring years haven’t usually approached 100 gigs per year, and while I don’t buy that Brian is “retiring” from touring, he surely played fewer shows in 2013 than Mike did and any 2014 tour schedule for Brian will result in far fewer gigs than Mike.

As I mentioned previously, the only way you would be able to make anywhere near as steady of an income working with Brian is if he kept you on a retainer/under contract all year. Considering reports in previous years that alleged Brian’s tour lost money or barely broke even, it seems unlikely he keeps anyone on such a retainer. Also, it’s a bit easier (as we’re seeing now) in the BB universe to get temp or permanent replacements for some of these guys, as there’s a pretty big “pool” of guys who move between all these bands. True, Brian doesn’t work from this pool as much, but even Brian in the past has grabbed guys like Billy Hinsche and Gary Griffin for tours. There are all those ex-Mike guys like Farmer, Bardowell, etc. who play with Dave and Al. Randell Kirsche was doing fill-in gigs with Al before he joined Mike’s band.

Jeff would have always probably made more money touring with Mike. But it seems that only now did the factors converge, namely an opening occurring and Mike feeling comfortable making the offer.

Here’s an interesting, if not terribly likely, scenario to ponder: If Jeff has had some sort of falling out with Brian’s camp, if we do ever see the full group attempt to tour together again, will Jeff be part of that tour?  

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/beach-boys-plan-tour-to-celebrate-50-years-of-fun-fun-fun-20140515

WOW. This is shocking.

Christian has a lot going on with his beach volleyball, his own band, and Cal Saga (if they are still working together) and has been  wonderful to watch as he grew in the job.  I will miss his singing very much.  His voice does echo that Wilson-Love quality (Carl, in my opinion) - and there is a lot of vocal voltage on that stage.  He has brought a sort of sublime quality to the Touring Band, with that yearning feel that Carl brought to the work.   I hope it isn't as permanent as it it made to sound, as he has done a great job. Career choices are often tough.  I will miss him, but wish him well in his other endeavors!

But Jeff Foskett doesn't need a road map, either, and worked with the band a long time.  

More falsetto!  A beautiful thing!  

Beach volleyball, a solo career that has yielded few if any actual releases or live shows (has he actually released any music or done any of his own solo live shows?), and a Cal Saga band that has apparently played a small hand full of short opening sets and has sporadically done some recording, those all sound like the textbook definition of "hobby" projects to me.

Kind of sounds like Al saying he has "a lot going on" because he's grooming his horses and working on his new remix of "Loop de Loop."  

Seriously, the fact that, to the small degree we are aware of, Christian Love did *not* have a lot else going on actually potentially gives me more respect for ditching the easy, lucrative paycheck that surely comes along with playing in Mike's band. Or, perhaps he's just *REALLY* bored with the touring.

In some ways, this looks like an intervention. One of those events where family and friends gather around to tell someone they need to change. Maybe Brian does need to stop touring for his own good. Al and David were there for C50 and the Beck tour. They could have been seeing things they didn't like. Jeff, of course, would know better than anyone if Brian didn't seem up to touring anymore. It could be their way of giving Brian and his organization some tough love.

While this is an interesting theory to briefly consider, I don’t think this could possibly be the case. More than anything, as I’ve often said about Brian’s touring, any legitimate concern over whether he should be touring could have just as easily been voiced in 1999. Other than being older and a bit more brittle and moving a bit slower, there is nothing drastically different about the question of whether Brian should be “out there.” If Foskett has made it through 15 years of all the weirdness associated with Brian and Brian touring, I can’t see what would have happened on that 2013 tour that would all of a sudden require an “intervention.” If an intervention is required in 2014, it was kind of required in 1999.

Additionally, Al Jardine has commented about the tour after it happened, and most tellingly, has appeared in the studio with Brian mere weeks ago apparently.

Another theory to chew on: Could Joe Thomas be the impetus in any way for Foskett leaving? There may not have been any huge blow-up or falling out, but even if Thomas doesn’t wield all the power in Brian’s projects, he may be asserting enough control on the proceedings (both in-studio and touring; if Thomas is indeed involved in the business side of Brian’s tours now, which I’m not sure) and simply voicing a preference that doesn’t include Foskett in the mix. Maybe it’s a scenario where, even though Foskett hasn’t always been at every Brian session, he has noticed less and less invites to the sessions, maybe also saw an indicator of less touring, maybe also some business-related indications that pay and/or number of shows might be lessened, and maybe then he fortuitously was offered a rare opening in Mike’s band, and weighed all the options and took the gig. So we may have a scenario where there wasn’t some huge falling out, but more of a case of slowly being marginalized to the point of seeing both creative and financial benefits to taking a new job offer.

From the petoskey article:

How do you think the Beach Boys would “go over” in today’s music industry?

I think we’d be OK if we had the right producer. Country music is an area of landscape music these days that provides a great opportunity for great song value and that’s what is important. As long as there is an outlet for great songs, we would do well. As long as you have a subject matter to relate to and an audience that enjoys it, we’d be all right.




Stars & stripes vol. 2?

Great, Mike recruits Foskett, Jardine, and Marks for..... "Stars and Stripes Vol. 2." The one scenario where I would probably vote against another reunion.

I have a theory. Mike first recruited Foskett in 1981 for a few gigs to promote "Looking Back with Love." So there you have it folks, I'm calling it, Foskett is coming back for the "Looking Back With Love - 33rd Anniversary Tour" project!

If Mike grows the full beard back and wears a Dodgers cap, and does every song including the Abba cover song, I'll actually buy a ticket....   

Yes, but as pointed out, Jeff had been absent from the session for Brian's new album, as well. Union scale for sessions is pretty lucrative, so I can't see Jeff turning that down for a handful of gigs with Papa Doo Run Run. I do think there has been some type of personal falling out. Maybe something to do with the Beck tour? Al and David were on that tour, too.  Maybe no one was happy on it, in spite of some fans enjoying it. Or perhaps Jeff did something to fall out of favor with the Brian or his people. Who knows what. I was joking about them not wanting him to be at the Ella Awards, but maybe they really didn't want him at the Ella Awards. Or Jeff asked for more money and they didn't want to give it to him. Considering what he did for Brian, he should have been put on a financial retainer.

Setting aside totally subjective guessing about how any of those folks felt/feel about the tour last year (I feel a few somewhat negative comments from Beck are being overblown by some), we at the very least know that Al is not on the outs with Brian, as just weeks or a month or two ago Al was pictured working with Brian in the studio.

In lieu of either a reunion or Al getting off his ass and doing another album or solo tour, the next best thing to happen would be for both Brian and Mike to use Al's voice as much as they can in any form they can, touring or recording.

I keep seeing people post stuff like "Jeff Foskett is not on Brian's new album." Do we know that for sure? All I remember seeing (and admittedly I don't check this board every single day) is that Matt Jardine sang on a session or two because Jeff wasn't available. I don't recall ever seeing it stated categorically that Jeff hasn't been on any sessions whatsoever.

I also have to say it's pretty crazy watching all the raving speculation that occurs here during times like these.

This is an important point. For all the facebook photos and whatnot, we have no idea who has or hasn't been to all or any of the sessions.

We do know that sessions last year included Jeff Foskett, because the first shots from early-mid 2013 in the studio with Al working on Brian's session also included Al next to Foskett.

All speculation as always, but I'm also curious about the theory that Foskett took the gig simply because it was steady work. It's interesting only because Brian has had downtime in past years where he did little touring.

One piece of evidence that weighs against the idea that this indicates a falling out with Brian is that, presumably, Foskett did not seek this out. It appears the only reason this position was offered is because Christian Love left (or is leaving) Mike's band, and they need to fill the spot. Foskett may have had a falling out, but if he did, then it may have been coincidence that soon after, he's offered a position with Mike? Is any of it connected?

I'm waiting for someone to posit the crazy conspiracy theory under which Mike wants to poach Foskett, so he fires Christian Love to make it happen.  

I missed that.

It's good to hear Brian's ok with it, I was genuinely feeling bad for him for a while.

All the best to jeff then, he'll make a great addition to the touring beac boys

Not that it necessarily matters, but I'm not sure of who's okay with what. Mike seemed "okay" with the 50th tour while it was happening, then afterwards we got a litany of reasons he had issues with it.

I don't think we'll ever hear Brian say much if anything negative about Foskett, but that may have little to do with how he (or his "team") actually feel about the situation with Foskett.

Let's not forget that Mike was the first to meet Jeff- he played in Mike's first solo group back in 1981 before he joined The Beach Boys.

This was/is being discussed in the other thread. I think perhaps we do need to merge. As I mentioned there, Mike also allegedly attempted to recruit Foskett again around 1998/99.

As I mentioned before, and AGD also alluded to, Foskett playing with Mike is not a surprise. But Foskett *not* playing with Brian as a result is surprising.

Sad. I really expected any "turncoat" cracks to be on the Bloo.

Here's a question. We know the who, and the when. The bigger query is, the why ?

How else to put it

At a time where there is obvious friction between brian and mike, Brian's best friend decides to join mike.

Until we hear some confirmation that brian was ok with this I see it as a stab in the back

Check Ray Lawlor's post in the Jones Beach thread, Brian seemed cool with it as of a few hours ago.

I dunno, I really don't picture many famous musicians, and certainly Brian, responding with some sort of intense rant. I don't doubt the account of that phone call where Brian said he didn't know, but I'm not necessarily believing that Brian, nor anybody in his "camp", knew about this whatsoever. If Foskett truly engineered, or let happen, a scenario where a Rolling Stone interview with Mike was what led to a phone call from a friend who informed Brian of Foskett playing with Mike, then that would certainly up the odds even further of some sort of not-amicable-on-someone's-part situation.

Yes, but as pointed out, Jeff had been absent from the session for Brian's new album, as well. Union scale for sessions is pretty lucrative, so I can't see Jeff turning that down for a handful of gigs with Papa Doo Run Run. I do think there has been some type of personal falling out. Maybe something to do with the Beck tour? Al and David were on that tour, too.  Maybe no one was happy on it, in spite of some fans enjoying it. Or perhaps Jeff did something to fall out of favor with the Brian or his people. Who knows what. I was joking about them not wanting him to be at the Ella Awards, but maybe they really didn't want him at the Ella Awards. Or Jeff asked for more money and they didn't want to give it to him. Considering what he did for Brian, he should have been put on a financial retainer.

It hasn't been super clear, but hasn't Foskett been a full member of "Papa Doo Run Run" the whole time he has been with Brian, essentially doing gigs with them whenever it didn't conflict with Brian? If he's now full-time with Mike, would Papa Doo Run Run eventually make any mention of this? Maybe some of those guys have some sort of insight.

[permanently]

Most folk here seem to be missing the salient point: the article says Jeff is permanently joining Mike & Bruce. He's not playing with Brian any more.

Yes, that is the main point. But that are also two very important issues that are no doubt going to be hard to get clarification on.

First, Jeff Foskett was more than Brian's on-stage guitar player. He was Brian's adviser, confidant, bodyguard, and friend. For several years. Other than Melinda, was there an individual closer to Brian Wilson than Jeff Foskett? So, Jeff decides to leave Brian to become a PERMANENT member of The Beach Boys - with Mike Love - and Brian isn't even aware of it? Brian's reaction is "Really?"

Second, Mike Love's son leaves the band. So now Mike needs a rhythm guitar player, somebody to sing a few lead vocals, some Beach Boys' harmoniess, somebody who will be accepted by the fans, and that replacement is not Al Jardine, but Jeff Foskett.

Huh?

It's true, whether Al takes a cut off the top (as he used to presumably, pre-1998), or is salaried, he would likely come at a higher premium than a "sideman", unless Al chose to basically work for free (as he allegedly did playing those few shows with Brian in 06/07). I can't of course see Al doing a full year touring schedule for free.

As for Jeff's role with Brian, it was by all accounts (including the other Beach Boys among others) much more than just a band member. At the same time, it appears Jeff filled this role mostly in recording and touring settings. If Brian was off for months and didn't tour or record, I don't think Jeff was there. I could be wrong, I'm just guessing. So this may not be quite as huge of a deal to Brian's *life* as some may believe, but it is certainly a huge deal when it comes to Brian performing live, and to a lesser extent, perhaps recording. (While some have noted Foskett's lack of appearance at recent Brian sessions, I don't think Jeff has *always* been at every Brian session in the past).

[Jeff will be touring with BBs for a while]

So, Brian is taking a little break, Jeff will be touring with BBs for a while,   Dave and Al are playing one show with the Mike led Band. 
What's so gawrsh darn exciting about that?   

In the English language - and possibly in 'Murrican too - "permanently" means longer than "for a while".

I don't think "permanently" means forever either. I think the terminology of "permanently" would be used to make it clear that Foskett isn't filling in for one show or a few shows. He's not a "temp." It also clarifies that, by virtue of, if nothing else, Mike's tour schedule, this would be to the exclusion of playing with Brian.

Some artists or bands don’t need all of the musicians to “stay” or “leave”; they simply grab their band members if available when they go out on tour. Brian has had some members come and go, either temporarily or permanently. I would imagine, unlike someone like McCartney who probably puts his band under a contract/retainer for periods of time, Brian’s band is probably employed tour-by-tour. To keep a full band on retainer/contract requires either a lot of money, and/or a large enough tour schedule to warrant paying the band members for large blocks of time (e.g. most likely the case with Mike’s band).

I would imagine, though, that Foskett signing on “full time” with Mike’s band indicates a strong possibility of either a falling out/parting of the ways with Brian’s camp, or Brian informing band members that there is no substantial, full-length touring happening for the foreseeable future. Despite the apparent/perceived delays in Brian’s new album, I would say that his continued recording, as well as the couple of European dates, and a possibly forthcoming biopic and/or album that would include potential touring, indicates a stronger possibility of the former being true rather than the latter.

This scenario also leads to Matt Jardine’s brief appearance in the studio to do “guide vocals” for Brian making a lot more sense.

We need an insider to let us know what's going on.  Scott Totten, are you reading this?  Somebody?

Confirm what's going on in Beach Boys camp? Confirm what's going on in Brian's camp?

There's some Beach Boys gigs coming up in the Bay Area and Tahoe.  Doubt that Al (and Foskett) or David will be there, but if they are, I might spring for tickets.

Based on the information we have, if Foskett is joining permanently coming up soon here, then you should get Foskett at the bay area dates. The big question would indeed be regarding Dave and Al. One would think that while it wouldn’t goose the ticket sales a ton, they would capitalize on doubling the amount of “actual” Beach Boys in the band by announcing any substantial tour featuring Al and Dave before tickets go on sale. That could only help ticket sales, or help book more/better/bigger venues.

I'm gonna find it and buy it.  I know what store it's in - I called 'em and they confirmed it.   

Excellent!

I've hidden that CD that I didn't buy in the store. To find it, you'll have to decipher a series of clues, each more fiendish than that last......   

While stepping away from Brian’s operation is an interesting and relatively surprise move, Foskett working with Mike is not surprising. As I’m sure we all know, Mike got Foskett in the band in 1981 the first time. But also, a fan told me once that Foskett told them that when the whole BB universe splintered in 1998, Mike tried to get Foskett in his band back then, in the 98/99 timeframe (this fan claimed he also said Al tried to recruit him for his band as well at that time).

A bit odd that Mike is filling Christian Love’s spot with another falsetto guy. Don’t Kirsche (and in come cases Totten) do most of the falsetto parts in Mike’s band?

Another question: Can anyone else in Brian’s band do the falsettos, or will he have to bring in Matt Jardine or another falsetto guy? Taylor Mills could be brought back, but her doing all of the falsetto parts would sound weird.

I can’t imagine Brian is simply quitting touring. He has a couple European shows booked, and he’s supposedly touring later this year behind a new album and/or the biopic.

Also kind of sad that Foskett is now “permanently” in Mike’s band, but Al and Dave get an apparent (for now) one-shot appearance? I’m more interested in whether Al and Dave figure into more future plans than Foskett joining. Some of the shows already booked and on sale may be sold out before fans (e.g. myself) could scramble to get tickets if Al and Dave were on board for more Mike/Bruce shows. I’m not sure I would go, but it would be pretty hard to pass up seeing Al and Dave.

Whatever happens from here, note to Brian, Melinda, and Joe Thomas: Do not call Adrian Baker!

Wonder if Matt Jardine will get the call for Brian's tour.... We could have bizarro land where Foskett is with Mike, Matt Jardine is with Brian, and Al with Mike, or Mike and Brian, or neither.

Is it too desperate to hope, rather than having a falling out with Brian, Foskett is brokering another reunion?