If the Beach Boys permanently broke up in 1977 at that airport, I think this would have happened:

Brian would release Adult/Child as a solo album, and his physical health would decline. After that I guess it would be the same as what actually happened, with Landy and his solo albums.

Dennis would be successful in releasing Bambu, to critical acclaim. He would never marry Shawn Love, and would most likely have been with someone else. In 1983, there's an intervention by Carl and Dennis's close friends to get Dennis to go to rehab. It was a success and Dennis would continue to release great solo albums, often with the collaboration of Carl.

Carl would release a few solo albums, but would mainly focus on helping other artists, including Dennis. He would still get cancer in 1996 - that is unavoidable - and sadly dies in 1998. As a result, Brian and Dennis collaborate on a tour in the memory of Carl.

Mike would release one solo album, and then would join Bruce and Dean Torrence in the oldies circut, where he continues to tour today. He successfully reconciled with Carl shortly before Carl died.

Al would tour on his own, and make the occasional solo album, but would mainly focus on working with Brian occasionally.

David would re-unite with Dennis in the early-2000's, and are still working together to this day.

Blondie and Ricky continue working with other artists to this day, with Blondie occasionally performing Sail On, Sailor.

As for the Beach Boys image, it would remain for the most part untainted, and would most likely have been held in high regard to the general public similar to the Beatles.

Let's face it: It's far more important that BB songs like "Going to The Beach" and "Problem Child" came to exist, as opposed to the alternate reality hypothesized above. 

But seriously, I think you're probably about 65-70% accurate with what might have actually happened.

He's an awesome singer, an awesome frontman and sometimes a great lyricist. He should write more songs because he's more than capable. But just as a singer-the guy is ace. Best nasal singer ever, IMO, and his bass parts are great too.

People wouldn't be so bitchy about Mike and Brian not playing together if they didn't know deep down that Mike is great.

IMO, Mike has been very, very underutilized in terms of his "Meant For You"-type voice. The few examples we have of his leads on songs like that tell me that he had a lot of wasted potential as a more sensitive vocalist. I'm guessing it's because there were powerhouse vocalists like BW + CW in the band which made Mike's more sensitive side as a vocalist less of an avenue he wanted to keep exploring, and that's a bummer, because instead we got a lot of later-period retreads of mid 30s (and beyond) Mike trying very consciously to sound like early 20s Mike, often with mediocre/annoying results.

I hope with whatever recordings Mike still may have in him, he goes more the "Cool Head, Warm Heart" and "Kokomo" route with how he sings. (And I'm serious, I really love Mike's smooth vox on "Kokomo" - I like that vocal styling, but I just don't want anymore "Kokomo"-ish lyrics/retreads anymore.)

"Wilson driven negativity"

Such ideas aren't generally created in a vaccuum...may give some insight into how her spouse feels about the Wilsons...

Safe to say that Mike and his camp feel that the Beautiful Dreamer DVD where Brian calls out Mike specifically as being a culprit for SMiLE’s demise would constitute Exhibit A of “Wilson-driven negativity”.

I for one think conflating "anti-Mike" with "Wilson" or "Brianista" or "pro-Brian" is a dangerous leap, and those making it are, in my mind, showing their own bias.

If one feels that Mike Love is being unfairly maligned in any way, how difficult is it to call that behavior out by characterizing it correctly as unfair towards Mike Love. Why would they need to charcterize it as "Wilson driven?" First of all, that implies it is driven by the actual "Wilsons" rather than "Wilson fans", and if it is actually meant only to refer to "Wilson fans", then it paints such a broad stroke about Wilson fans that there's no way to tell which "Wilson fans" they are talking about. Pretty much any Mike fan or BB fan is probably usually a Wilson fan too, right?

The wingnuts saying the truly nasty things online about Mike Love are doing so because they are unfairly (if we're talking about those going past fair criticism) biased against Mike Love, or simply because they are nuts. They clearly have more going on than simply being devout Wilson fans, because most devout Wilson fans are not perpetrating whatever it is that has elicited this recent response.

This facebook crap on the one hand clearly shows they are frustrated with the anti-Mike comments and sentiment. That's fair enough (I haven't seen what they're specifically referring to, so I don't know whether these supposed anti-Mike comments are fair criticism or not). But immediately dialing in on "Wilson driven" tells me they are overly-sensitive specifically about Brian Wilson getting all of the accolades. After all this time, it really is still an ego thing relating to Brian. To me, that's extremely telling of what's still going on after 53 freaking years.

To me, there's still no true objective self-awareness in that Mike Love camp. There's no perspective. Like with the reunion tour mess, not once did Love seem to step back and comment objectively that he clearly looked like a d**k even if he wasn't actually being one neccesarily. The guy refuses to acknowledge why people don't like him, and why he has the awful reputation he has. I think I've occasionally seen him acknowledge that his sarcastic sense of humor doesn't translate.

I'd have a lot more sympathy for his or his camp's jumping to his defense if some humility was involved more often. I don't mean just saying Mike is humble, but actually admitting mistakes or trying to understand why people may not like some of the things he does. If just once in awhile he would say "yeah, I can see why people might be pissed off that I continue to use the Beach Boys name to tour" or "yeah, I can understand some people might be frustrated that "Kokomo" appeals to me more than "Smile", and so on.

Does Brian or Al or anybody offer these sorts of humble moments? I don't know, but they aren't attacked in the same fashion and don't have anywhere near the level or criticism lobbed at them. Maybe that's one of those things that is telling in and of itself.

+1.

To the public at large, I think that Mike has become the most hated musician in the history rock and roll – am I off base by saying that?

And it freaking sucks that this is the case, but that’s what I think the polls would say if they were conducted. And the guy’s lack of self-awareness has to be the main culprit for this reputation.    

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again. ALL that Mike has to do is to open up a conversation or an interview where he addresses stuff like this a little bit. Where he expresses some self awareness, and a digs beyond the simple “I have a sarcastic sense of humor” thing.  

Mike needs to talk about some past regrets of his own actions, and show that he can grasp the concept that his personality clashed with Brian’s personality over the years, in specific ways that wound up with Brian feeling deeply hurt, and that he is sincerely sorry if he ever caused anybody any pain. I think Mike is afraid to do that, because it would open up the conversation to Mike having to take even a tiny, tiny portion of responsibility for having been a piece of the puzzle that led to Brian’s subsequent decline.  

Seriously, a single sincere interview like, where he’d answer some tough questions without blaming everything on the Wilsons’ drug use and Murry (two huge culprits, but not the entire picture), would help diffuse a great deal of “Pro-Wilson” fan anger that’s been directed against Mike for decades. I think that’s the giant bug up every Wilsonista’s butt – it’s not simply the fans dwelling on bad things that went down between these guys decades ago, but what REALLY gets peoples’ goats, IMO, is Mike’s continued current-day refusal (at least in terms of public acknowledgement) to address ways in which his own behavior/actions in the past could have profoundly negatively affected others around him.

It’s painful to see Mike’s family deeply hurt by reading purely hateful, mindless ranting online… but I would think Mike's wife and daughter would realize that Mike letting his guard down, and approaching difficult territory like this would ultimately help the situation in a significant way.  I'd love to think that his family could get him to realize this. But maybe they've drank the Kool Aid too.

If the end result isn't a box set in my hands I will be sorely disappointed. 

My guess is they're gonna try to milk as many miles outta these tapes as possible. Much like the stereo remixes we were getting piecemeal for a decade, then all out at once. I think they'll put out a few here and there, and then a big box set down the road. Sucks, but I'd be surprised if it were any other way.

A release like 'The Big Beat 1963' gives me hope that a full fledged rarity package is a realistic prospect. I'm doubtful we'll get a boxset full of rarities, but I'd be happy with even a downloadable album full of the stuff we want.

Crossing fingers. I think 'The Big Beat 1963' had much more limited appeal in terms of what it could be marketed as containing. Not much "legend" among music hipsters/elite could be built up from that stuff, even though the set ultimately contains some pretty cool stuff.

I'll speculate that these Bedroom Tapes are being viewed as an ace up their sleeve by the BBs/BW's people, something they could eventually get some real attention/accolades/$$ for as a full-on box set, much like TSS, if they play their cards right. I think it will be a physical release, too. But the band and their people, for product like this, have a history of showing that they're not usually ones to blow their load too soon, which is why I speculate the full set (sans a few tracks here and there) won't be released for some time.  I'd LOVE to be proven wrong though.

If the end result isn't a box set in my hands I will be sorely disappointed. 

My guess is they're gonna try to milk as many miles outta these tapes as possible. Much like the stereo remixes we were getting piecemeal for a decade, then all out at once. I think they'll put out a few here and there, and then a big box set down the road. Sucks, but I'd be surprised if it were any other way.

Two quick questions: Who was responsible for granting this access and, more importantly, why (now) was this access granted?

I assume it has to do with building up public interest in BW. If more people are curious about the bedroom years, more people will get interested in his story and that will help sell the movie.

For all the boneheaded business moves the BBs have done throughout the last half century, this seems to be one of the smarter marketing maneuvers by them.

Seems like they're trying to cultivate another SMiLE-esque legend with these tapes in anticipation of the BW Biopic and book, and I hope they succeed in stirring up all kinds of interest.

[Among the sea of award shows and galas in these first months of 2014, the Society of Singers much beloved ELLA will, once again, be a most memorable evening as it has been since honoring Ella herself back in 1989.Hosted by Actor/Singer/Musician John Stamos, the 21st ELLA will be presented to legendary singer, Mike Love, founding member of the Beach Boys. The 3rd VOICE Award will be presented to the dynamic Waters Family whose voices can be heard on hundreds of gold & platinum recordings for the last 50 years! And, the 1st ever, INDUSTRY LEADERSHIP AWARD, will be presented to Nigel Lythgoe, Executive Producer of American Idol & So You Think You Can Dance Executive Producer and Creator.Paying tribute to this evenings honorees include performances by: America, Darren Criss of Glee, Ariana Grande of Victorious, Micky Dolenz, Lucy Lawless of Xena, John Stamos, Rita Wilson, and CALIFORNIA SAGA — The Beach Boys Children: Wendy Wilson, Carney Wilson (both of Wilson Phillips), and the children of Carl, Brian, Dennis, and Mike!]

Has California Saga performed since the reunion tour? They're going to be on hand to give an Ella Award to Mike Love next month. I find it weird that Mike is getting an award for his singing, considering past recipients have included people such as Tony Bennett and Smokey Robinson. Herb Alpert received the award, as well, and he's not that great of a singer.  In any case, this is the blurb for the award (hosted by John Stamos, naturally):

Among the sea of award shows and galas in these first months of 2014, the Society of Singers much beloved ELLA will, once again, be a most memorable evening as it has been since honoring Ella herself back in 1989.


Hosted by Actor/Singer/Musician John Stamos, the 21st ELLA will be presented to legendary singer, Mike Love, founding member of the Beach Boys. The 3rd VOICE Award will be presented to the dynamic Waters Family whose voices can be heard on hundreds of gold & platinum recordings for the last 50 years! And, the 1st ever, INDUSTRY LEADERSHIP AWARD, will be presented to Nigel Lythgoe, Executive Producer of American Idol & So You Think You Can Dance Executive Producer and Creator.


Paying tribute to this evenings honorees include performances by:  America, Darren Criss of Glee, Ariana Grande of Victorious, Micky Dolenz, Lucy Lawless of Xena, John Stamos, Rita Wilson, and CALIFORNIA SAGA — The Beach Boys Children: Wendy Wilson, Carney Wilson (both of Wilson Phillips), and the children of Carl, Brian, Dennis, and Mike!

I wonder how the evening will handle the post-reunion political situation? It might be interesting.

I'd love to see Cal Saga perform again, but tix are $250 minimum. Ouch.

http://www.singers.org/event/21st-ella-honoring-mike-love-co-founder-of-the-beach-boys/

On that website, it actually states "Live Performances by The Beach Boys". I'm assuming M&B.

I don't dispute what you have written Jon but I think there is a rather wide mark between personality problems and full blown mental illness. Dennis had a shitty childhood but was also lucky enough to have a genius for a brother who made music that in time whisked him far away from the root cause and enabled him to live the kind of life most people only get to dream about. Most old school music stars had drug/drink problems in the 70's and 80's; Dennis was hardly unique in that respect - in fact it's probably quicker to list rock stars of that era who didn't succumb to addiction of some sort. Do they all blame it on some unresolved childhood trauma or do most of them just admit that they were too stupid/wasted to notice when the party was over? Dennis needed to take a good look in the mirror, admit that he was the problem and deal with it or reach out to those that could help him. He did neither and to constantly paint him as some kind of martyr I find is rather grandiose and a disservice to people that have made the effort to overcome obstacles in their lives.

IMHO... I truly, sincerely applaud those who have gone through hellish childhoods and have come out on top in the end. People who have done so deserve to be lauded and respected for triumphing over adversity. Absolutely. But is it really necessary to put down others (who also had hellish childhoods, and unfortunately later succumbed to demons) in order to make those who have triumphed feel better about what they themselves have achieved? Yes, sadly, Dennis did squander significant amount of good fortune that he came across in his life. But it’s not as simple as just viewing his eventual plight in solely that way.

I think it’s important to have sincere empathy and a deep understanding of the fact that neither you, I or anyone else will ever know the true stories of what other people (like Dennis, and countless others who were victims of abuse) experienced in their lives which could effect them in different ways. No matter how much research or stories we can hear about his life, only Dennis knew the true story. Everyone's story is unique. The eventual negative effects of abuse can differ from person to person, and some people aren’t able to pick up the pieces and overcome the resulting trauma in their lifetimes.

A person like Dennis’ emotional support system (or lack thereof) from family, friends, etc, as it pertained to the specific abuse (and acknowledgement of his feelings, or lack thereof) is an important factor to consider. Some people are more sensitive, scar deeply on an emotional level more easier than others, and these factors are related to both environment and their own predetermined chemical makeup of their brains. Ultimately, I don’t think anyone should be putting Dennis down by judgmentally proclaiming “He should’ve done this” to have cleaned up… it’s far more complicated (in ways that could only be understood by Dennis himself) than something which can be summed up in a sweeping statement about what he woulda/shoulda/coulda done.

Utterly flabbergasted, since I work on the exact same street, probably a block away, from where the article states these tapes are currently being stored.  

I think Brian Wilson has been and is more than capable of being a good lyricist. I actually think this aspect of his songwriting gets unfairly overlooked sometimes! He probably could not do Van Dyke Parks's complex, densely poetic lyrics... but that's fine since I don't think that's his inclination anyway. (And if you can, my man, I'm sorry to assume otherwise!) He's more than capable of matching any of his other collaborators, however, and I think he has a very good idea of how to express everyday sentiments in ways that are off-kilter and a little weird but not jarringly unfamiliar. I think that is some of why he gets compared to those considered to be a part of the "Great American Songbook": He takes seriously the ubiquitous and commonplace yet unlike, say, Porter or the Gershwins (and closer to Foster), Brian Wilson did not make poetic his feelings or observations -- they're very folk, in the sense of being unrefined. (Naturally, this dovetails very nicely with the musical emphasis on rock'n'roll, and is given an interesting twist with the glaringly sophisticated vocal arrangements.) This is why I think Brian Wilson is heralded, quite rightly, as a brilliant pop songwriter.

I happen to like a good deal of Brian’s lyrics, though he’s had his share of really bad ones too. I agree that this aspect gets often overlooked.

I recently came across this article (linking childhood abuse and a later decline in vocabulary) and couldn’t help wondering if both Brian (and Dennis)’s abuse at the hands of Murry could have helped deflate both their confidence and competence as lyricists.

http://articles.latimes.com/2013/oct/21/science/la-sci-sn-spanking-study-20131021

Obviously as we have witnessed for years, Brian’s ability to create has largely hinged on his self-confidence level (or lack thereof). It stands to reason, IMO, that if he’d been encouraged more or had more confidence in his writing abilities, that he’d have written more lyrics himself. That being said, most of both Brian’s and Dennis’ collaborators often brought interesting outside angles to their songs.

One question I've never really considered, is: in the early (pre Pet Sounds days), what did Brian's bandmates think of Brian's own lyrics? Did they encourage/discourage him from writing the band's lyrics?

[2/16/69]

By the way: someone (in the Youtube comments section) states that the video is from 1968, but that date can't be correct, right?  

Try looking at the post two below yours... which is a polite way of saying, try reading the entire thread before making such a statement.

Alternatively, I could just shrug, say "f*** it" and stop posting accurate dates, as patently no-one takes any notice of them.  

One more time - Kraft Music Hall, NBC TV

2/16/69

Thanks for the info, AGD   I missed your previous posting of the date, I didn't realize what it was in reference to since it didn't have my original question quoted.  But wow... while I guess the early 1969 date does make sense (based on the BBs' hairstyles/clothes), it is pretty odd for them to be performing a 4-year old single with that much elaborate stage setup for it (the likes of which I would think would be normally reserved for a new single a band would be promoting). I guess it makes even more sense considering that "new" BB  material at the time wasn't stirring up tons of interest.

Their appearance wasn't just reserved for performing a single from '65, as they also performed their then new single "I Can Hear Music" during the show (Rusten, 2009, p. 32).


References

Rusten, I. (2009). The Beach Boys: Television and film. Endless Summer Quarterly, 21(4), 14-41.

I just looked up this performance on IMDB, and awesome that this same show also included a segment Don Adams (Maxwell Smart); too bad the BBs never did a skit with him. Has anyone seen the "I Can Hear Music" performance? (I didn't see it on Youtube). I can't imagine it would have the same "California Girls" setup with the giant staircases.
Does

[2/16/69]

By the way: someone (in the Youtube comments section) states that the video is from 1968, but that date can't be correct, right?  

Try looking at the post two below yours... which is a polite way of saying, try reading the entire thread before making such a statement.

Alternatively, I could just shrug, say "f*** it" and stop posting accurate dates, as patently no-one takes any notice of them.  

One more time - Kraft Music Hall, NBC TV

2/16/69

Thanks for the info, AGD   I missed your previous posting of the date, I didn't realize what it was in reference to since it didn't have my original question quoted.  But wow... while I guess the early 1969 date does make sense (based on the BBs' hairstyles/clothes), it is pretty odd for them to be performing a 4-year old single with that much elaborate stage setup for it (the likes of which I would think would be normally reserved for a new single a band would be promoting). I guess it makes even more sense considering that "new" BB  material at the time wasn't stirring up tons of interest.

Here's one more Denny pic apparently from this show, which was wasn't attached in Ovi's post above (I couldn't get the pic to upload to this Smiley Smile site).

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10201708347336489&set=a.1107140244760.2017400.1414435703&type=1&theater

Selfie!

Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but the look on Denny's face in that selfie pic makes me seriously sad.

Here's one more Denny pic apparently from this show, which was wasn't attached in Ovi's post above (I couldn't get the pic to upload to this Smiley Smile site).

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10201708347336489&set=a.1107140244760.2017400.1414435703&type=1&theater

Me too. 

Me three.

Some new 1983 pics of Denny (taken and posted by a fan) are surfacing on the "Dennis Wilson and the beach boys" Facebook page.

Some of these are tough to look at, and they might make you feel emotional to see him rough like this. But it's ultimately very fortunate for us that they are being posted.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.398005880336665.1073741876.108901685913754&type=1

As to who's still around from the Vosse Posse, someone mentioned Mark Volman - he was in the LAX photo but I don't recall ever reading about him hanging with Brian at the house or in the studio with Michael, Van Dyke, Jules, and David (the Smile party tapes) during the Smile sessions.  What was his link with Brian that he was called to LAX for the "graduation" or "moving on" photo?

Volman definitely hung out at the house, he remembered Brian playing him acetates and rough mixes which they'd listen to through headphones at Brian's place. He's referenced it in at least two places. They lived very close to each other, but Volman at that time was also riding high with the Turtles' success, who were getting a lot of success and fame from Happy Together and the hits just before that. He most likely wasn't home in LA as much during the Smile era because it coincided with the Turtles' run of hits too, which called for appearances and travel and all of that PR.

But he was definitely in Brian's "inner circle" in the fall of 66 and beyond.

I tried to interview Volman a long time ago about his experiences, he said he was saving it for his book. Does he have a book yet?

I think its stored in the Scranton landfill

Somebody needs to do a documentary about searching landfills for SMiLE LP covers that were tossed. I guess we're probably a few decades late for that, but maybe not...

After all, there's a movie in the works about the search for the Atari E.T. videogames that were allegedly buried at a New Mexico landfill. Maybe the landfill movie craze is just starting.

http://kotaku.com/someones-going-to-dig-up-ataris-infamous-new-mexico-l-510830049

Why was this video made? It is so cheesy. What "look" was Mike going for - and he revisited it on the 1974 New Year's Rockin' Eve! Do you think Dennis could've made a better attempt at keeping up with Hal Blaine? Not a keyboard in sight for a keyboard-driven song. With all those quasi-go go dancers in those cubicles doing these exotic "moves".... it reminds me of some kind of brothel and the guys anticipating some action. Embarrassing.

http://youtu.be/DJ1UqDnY7as

As corny as that California Girls video is, I simply LOVE it. It may be dated, but IMO it's dated in a good way. It just screams mid-1960s, just leaning into the edge of proto-psychedelia.  It's one of my fave Beach Boys live clips ever, actually.

By the way: someone (in the Youtube comments section) states that the video is from 1968, but that date can't be correct, right? 

Anything from 'Full House'.

Kokomo, Landy influenced Brian, Mullets, Stamos and Forever, Barbara Ann, The Beach Boys Huddle....the list is endless!

Yes - I almost forgot about the Al Jardine football huddle + Mike Love walking down the beach and awkwardly talking to the camera - both corny gems from "An American Band".

This recently-uploaded (new to Youtube) live lip-synced version of "Looking Back With Love" deserves a mention.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lknTlS4R56s

Brian says San Miguel is his favorite Dennis song. Interesting.

All the more puzzling why this track wasn't on Made in California...

Not to mention Brian and Mike's vocal interplay on the tag is a seriously great moment - no foolin'.

I've been saying exactly the same thing in various topics; that tag is one of the unforgettable moments in the whole BBs canon. Most notably Brian's achingly beautiful wailing.

+1

A Mike Love book would be incredible, maybe better than the up coming Brian once since we know Mike will actually be involved in his

The first "Mike Love's New Book" thread will crash this damn site all by itself, and perhaps even the entire internet! 

Imagine the photos.  All the photos we have of Mike are the ones he allowed to be releaseed, think of all the photos he's kept locked up. 

for instance, did you know that he used to wear wigs?  Yeah.  There's a ten year period where he wore wigs.  Nobody was allowed to take photos, they'll be in the book, you'll see. 

Ron - roughly, what years in question are you referring to?

From Mike's Facebook:

A photo from the backlot of Warner Bros in 1971. We took this photo while signed to Warner Bros for a few albums. This photo also appeared in the hit parader magazine…50 cents a copy back in the day...thanks Bruce Johnston for sharing this with me, brought back some memories.. ML



Anybody knows the date of this one? And what albums they signed for? This is a different signing from the July 27, 1970.
I think it must be early 1971...

The font for this and the leafy background almost makes it look like the BBs were guests on Gilligan's Island. There was in fact a Gilligan's Island episode where a Beatles-esque band came to the island, and The Beatles were mentioned several times in dialog within other episodes. Too bad they never made a Beach Boys reference! </thread topic tangent>