I think there's an interview from C50 where each member is asked while all together. I remember Brian saying "California Girls" and Bruce saying "The Warmth of The Sun". I don't remember if every member actually got to answer the question.

To anyone still thinking ahead to any sort of 60th Anniversary tour, between both touring bands' schedules, March- July 2022 are already booked up. I think it's safe to say that anything pertaining to a 60th ann. reunion will most likely just be a one-off affair.

I can't cite a source or the validity of this notion, but I've always heard it purported that in that era, Dennis would often not have a shirt at all and would literally just grab one from that evening's merch.

The long answer is already above, detailing all of them and why...the short "gun to my head" answer is

Lead Vocals: Mike Love
Harmony Vocals: Carl Wilson

They are the two most irreplaceable figures in the foreground and background of the overall "signature sound" of The Beach Boys.

It is also worth noting that Mike and Bruce have rescheduled dates scattered from May 2021 - April 2022, which would make things interesting.....

Someone's going to have to make a difficult call to the Webster County Fair...

 

My point being, I've been getting emails as recently as today about shows that "The Beach Boys" have just rescheduled for April of 2022. On the same day that Al is talking reunion, Mike is announcing shows with his band.

I read that as if to simply point out that the anniversary is at the conclusion of 2021. Based on other interviews, it sounds like this would be in 2022.

Also worth noting, and of course I've no idea where the article is, but I remember reading in Early 2011, an interview with Al where he said nearly the same exact thing about just a few "tribute" concerts (I think back then he said LA, DC, and NYC) and maybe a tour (and album) after. This is essentially the same response. The "tribute" came to fruition on Grammy Night in 2012. It is also worth noting that Mike and Bruce have rescheduled dates scattered from May 2021 - April 2022, which would make things interesting.....

several takeaways:

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

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

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.

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

several takeaways:

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

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

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

Any explanation as to Brian's absence?

Maybe we’ll finally get Record Store Day vinyl releases of Lei’d in Hawaii and Adult Child.

Bring. It!!! 

I looked it up out of curiosity. FWIW- Hot Topic has had this same shirt on and off for at least six years now, since I first saw it. They've also carried a black one with a "worn" looking KTSA album cover snow globe image on it.

All very interesting and exciting. As for the future, I think ten more years of seeing original Beach Boys is being generous. I'd like to think that Alan and David could still hold their own on stage here and there in their late 80's...but I see no possible way at all that Mike, Brian, and Bruce could be performing by then. I say go big on the 60th Anniversary, and hang it up. Have the original guys designate a group of young guys to be the touring band, and maybe once in awhile an original member pops in on the encore to give their blessing and hum along to "Barbara Ann" every now and then.

My Uncle that introduced me to the band saw them in Baltimore on this tour. He actually just passed in September and of course, I used "Till I Die" in the limited gathering we could have. It was his second time seeing them. From stories he re-told me, he was a bit more than inebriated that evening, but recalled the band playing great and then everyone just talking and some even booing during the Maharishi. He also said that even though the band was in good shape what he remembered most was, Dennis completely stole the show over anything else that night with girls STILL screaming in a "Beatlemania" kind of way any time there was any attention towards him!

Mike can't even resist literally touching the crowd. He's still bumping fists from the stage.

Of course the music surrounding smile has its moments...as does "Friends" and "2020"...I guess I'd say that's about it? None of them are psychedelic albums by any means, though.

I would expect anything like this to take place in 2022 since the 50th was in 2012, and because I'd imagine at the bare minimum, at least the first quarter of 2021 will still be pretty f'ed up by COVID, if not the first half of the year...

On the original topic, there are quite a few, actually a laundry list of bad career moves that could fill a long list.

But for me, in my opinion, there is one that stands out above the rest.

When Carl died, the Beach Boys name should have been retired and not offered as a license to a sole original member. That decision alone has done more to divide the fans and followers than perhaps any other single decision in the band's history. If there cannot be a Wilson and a Love and a Jardine on stage performing and being billed as The Beach Boys, there should have been no Beach Boys. Is it any indication of the seriousness of the arrangement in general that the name can be used for live shows but NOT new recordings unless the aforementioned original members are involved? Why is that even a stipulation if it's all and only about generating revenue for the parent company BRI? When you ponder that question, the situation overall starts taking shape and realization sets in that there is more at stake with that name than a franchise to be licensed.

Some issues are about more than making money or appeasement. That's my take and it's been my take since 1998. No Wilsons, no Beach Boys. There were other ways to handle this after Carl's passing.

I was very late to finally accepting Mike's Beach Boys. Finally saw them September of 2019, and it was a great show; all the hits, a few "deep cuts", and a few new songs; but I agree, the name should have been retired when Carl died.
The Beach Boys sure had a strange touring operation for many years. The first was having their leader, Brian, not part of the touring band from 66 onwards. Can you imagine going to see the Kinks in 1966 and Ray Davies is not there? (note: this did happen on one European tour that year - I'm sure someone else remembers the name of his replacement) The Beatles without John Lennon? (and there was that one tour where Jimmy Nicol subbed for Ringo - a situation none of the guys were happy about)
If the bandleader needs some time off to focus on making records, then why can't the band take a break from live shows?
This created a situation where it was seemingly okay for various members to pull a disappearing act - even Mike has done it a couple times - 1970 when Brian filled in for him, and 1990, when Gerry Beckley toured with them. Did Al ever miss a show, or an entire tour? I saw the  Beach Boys at the Puyallup Fair in 1985, and Carl was absent - Brian took his spot, if you can call it that. I think everybody knew back in 1981 when Carl took an extended break from the band to do his solo stuff, but what happened in 1985? They had a new album out, and the highlights of it were mostly Carl's. I was disappointed I never got to hear "It's Gettin' Late" sung live.

Amen. This is exactly why I placed the second on my list:

2. Rapidly Replacing Brian Wilson with Glen Campbell, Bruce Johnston etc.

It set a precedent that is STILL snowballing. It's been a couple years since I've seen Mike and Bruce now, but between 2010-2018 I saw them ten times. Every one of those concerts, I made a point to listen to the folks talking around me, and even talk with some of them about their knowledge of just exactly what and who they are saying. Usually, everyone knows Mike Love is there and Brian Wilson is not...but beyond that, it's hysterically sad. I've had folks after telling me how they grew up with the band, soundtrack to their life blah de blah de blah...ask if any of the Wilsons were on stage that night? Most of the time, no one in their crowd cares - and this is something that has been growing as a result of Brian's rapid replacement in 1965.

On the otherhand, I've seen Brian's band five times between 2013-2018, and everyone was always very in the know of who and what they were seeing. Totally different crowd. I'd bet Brian, Alan, David, and Blondie could all walk clear through the center of a Mike & Bruce concert and not get recognized by one person. Hell, I bet if Mike and Bruce took their ball caps off, they could walk through the crowd and not get recognized either.

As for not appearing at Monterey, well, that can be argued. Bruce concluded that it turned them into surfing Doris Days in the minds of the public. They had already long since put the candy-stripes behind them and had enough mature material to take on the best.

I'm not trying to split hairs, but they most certainly were still wearing stripes in '67.

1. Abandoning Smile
2. Rapidly Replacing Brian Wilson with Glen Campbell, Bruce Johnston etc.
3. Rapidly returning to NEVER-ENDING touring after Dennis Wilson's death.
4. Rapidly returning to NEVER-ENDING touring in the current arrangement after Carl Wilson's death.
5. Kokomo

Each of these things continue to cheapen their existence (well, except number one.)

I would argue that not appearing at Monterey was actually a smart move. What were they going to do? Pop on stage in their stripes and rip through Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow for the likes of Hendrix?

That was better than expected...but my expectations were pretty low.

I know we're talking about America's summertime band, but I think this is one exception where a non-summer release could have done the record good. Autumn of '66, with "Good Vibrations" and so on from SMiLE, probably would've gone further...or maybe it would've been lost in the explosion of "Good Vibrations"? 

Isn't that like saying Do It Again doesn't have a chorus, they just go dit dit dit a bit

I'd stress more the lack of a "hook" than a formal chorus section of the musical form. "Do it Again" has that hook in several variants throughout the ends of phrases "let's get back together and do it again" etc. But if you really want to get right down to it, "Do it Again" is just a slightly better "It's OK", right? The function of both tunes is to be derivative of their own past and beginnings.

It's OK is indeed, just that. 

In addition to all the flaws in marketing you mentioned, the song is missing a signature Mike Love lyrical hook. There is no chorus. Just a hand full of verses, then like this pre-chorus type thing with "gotta go to it...YEAH" and then it never really goes to a chorus. The "find a ride" line from Dennis is more of a tag than anything.

It was a recipe for success, but it's missing one of the key ingredients. Just one of many missed opportunities by Mike Love.

They've added a drive-in Christmas show in CA...it popped up on Facebook today...if anyone cares. The comments were overwhelming with folks calling out Mike for his recent associations with No. 45 ...

Aside from Bruce, NONE of them are versatile...and we haven't seen proof of Bruce's chops in DECADES. If you don't use it, you do indeed lose it. This is NOT like riding a bike...

However, in their "Beach Boys" idiom of music, they were all delightfully competent at what they do. Drop another group's chart in front of them or God-forbid, REAL sheet music? I'm not sure how long that would last. Brian and Carl had to have learned to read to some degree over the years, maybe Alan too.