The Beach Boys in 1981 - What were they thinking?

[Rocky Raccoon]

The lawsuits, divorces, and Mike's extravagant life-style toppled him financially. In 1983 he filed for a Chapter 11
bankruptcy in the Central District Court of California. Among other debts Mike claimed $48,000 in taxes owed to the California
State Franchise Tax Board; a $100,000 loan secured against his properties in Santa Barbara and Incline Village; and at least
fifteen loans from various banks. Total debt to creditors holding security was $2,854,767. In all there were over a hundred
unsecured creditors, including exterminators, his answering service, his dentist (to whom he owed $28), and a telephone
bill for $1.16 from Nevada Bell. With the addition of several hundred thousand dollars in legal fees owed for divorces and
sundry lawsuits, the grand total came to $2,462,737.80 for unsecured debts to creditors.

In court papers Mike claimed immediate debts payable totaling $163,671.77. In a declaration by Pamela Ann Caughill,
his bookkeeper since August 1983, she stated, "Mr. Love has financed his lifestyle by extensive borrowing. All of the
properties he owns are fully mortgaged, and as a result, he has substantial monthly obligations. His monthly loan obligations
presently total $22,765.59... and his total monthly obligations are in excess of $50,000." Pamela Caughill said, "Mr.
Love's present financial circumstances are, to say the very least, desperate."

And this is why Mike doesn't want to "f*** with the formula," take artistic risks, and jeopardize his income.

Wow... I think you just stumbled on the answer to a perpetual Mike Love mystery around these parts.

How could he go from his artistic high of the early 1970s (Holland) to the crass commercialism of Summer in Paradise? And why is he so obsessed with commerciality at the expense of art? Because he almost lost everything in the early 80s.

Commercialism of Summer in Paradise? Not so much. Perhaps if this was the album that came out in 89 with Kokomo? Hmmm, that might have been a hit album come to think of it.

Still Cruisin' is the very definition of crass commercialism when it comes to The Beach Boys.  They had a huge hit with Kokomo, so they had to quickly assemble an album despite being creatively bankrupt.  Brian and Al each contributed a song while Mike and Bruce did another John Phillips composition (again, cashing in on Kokomo), rounded it out with two songs that were on film soundtracks that year, and then their Fat Boys cover of Wipe Out which was a minor hit two years before which alone would cry of desperation but to finish the album off at a reasonable length, just put some of the old hits from the 60s.  What's a good excuse to put them there?  Well, they were in movies.  I Get Around was in Good Morning Vietnam...which came out two years before.  Wouldn't It Be Nice was in The Big Chill...three years before that.  Any other notable movies that came out with one of our hits?  Nope, but California Girls was in a movie that nobody liked from three years ago called Soul Man so let's put that in there.  And there's an album.  What a mess.

[adamghost]

Except for the bad mixing I never found the Long Beach concert to be THAT disastrous.

It's a pretty bad performance all 'round, but having said that, the soundguy should be shot.  Although the point could also be made that doing that complicated of a set up on a live national hookup with a fixed start and end time was asking for trouble.

[Nicko1234]

Still Cruisin' is the very definition of crass commercialism when it comes to The Beach Boys.  They had a huge hit with Kokomo, so they had to quickly assemble an album despite being creatively bankrupt.  Brian and Al each contributed a song while Mike and Bruce did another John Phillips composition (again, cashing in on Kokomo), rounded it out with two songs that were on film soundtracks that year, and then their Fat Boys cover of Wipe Out which was a minor hit two years before which alone would cry of desperation but to finish the album off at a reasonable length, just put some of the old hits from the 60s.  What's a good excuse to put them there?  Well, they were in movies.  I Get Around was in Good Morning Vietnam...which came out two years before.  Wouldn't It Be Nice was in The Big Chill...three years before that.  Any other notable movies that came out with one of our hits?  Nope, but California Girls was in a movie that nobody liked from three years ago called Soul Man so let's put that in there.  And there's an album.  What a mess.

Massive hit.

[Jay]

The lawsuits, divorces, and Mike's extravagant life-style toppled him financially. In 1983 he filed for a Chapter 11
bankruptcy in the Central District Court of California. Among other debts Mike claimed $48,000 in taxes owed to the California
State Franchise Tax Board; a $100,000 loan secured against his properties in Santa Barbara and Incline Village; and at least
fifteen loans from various banks. Total debt to creditors holding security was $2,854,767. In all there were over a hundred
unsecured creditors, including exterminators, his answering service, his dentist (to whom he owed $28), and a telephone
bill for $1.16 from Nevada Bell. With the addition of several hundred thousand dollars in legal fees owed for divorces and
sundry lawsuits, the grand total came to $2,462,737.80 for unsecured debts to creditors.

In court papers Mike claimed immediate debts payable totaling $163,671.77. In a declaration by Pamela Ann Caughill,
his bookkeeper since August 1983, she stated, "Mr. Love has financed his lifestyle by extensive borrowing. All of the
properties he owns are fully mortgaged, and as a result, he has substantial monthly obligations. His monthly loan obligations
presently total $22,765.59... and his total monthly obligations are in excess of $50,000." Pamela Caughill said, "Mr.
Love's present financial circumstances are, to say the very least, desperate."

And this is why Mike doesn't want to "f*** with the formula," take artistic risks, and jeopardize his income.

Wow... I think you just stumbled on the answer to a perpetual Mike Love mystery around these parts.

How could he go from his artistic high of the early 1970s (Holland) to the crass commercialism of Summer in Paradise? And why is he so obsessed with commerciality at the expense of art? Because he almost lost everything in the early 80s.

Commercialism of Summer in Paradise? Not so much. Perhaps if this was the album that came out in 89 with Kokomo? Hmmm, that might have been a hit album come to think of it.

Still Cruisin' is the very definition of crass commercialism when it comes to The Beach Boys.  They had a huge hit with Kokomo, so they had to quickly assemble an album despite being creatively bankrupt.  Brian and Al each contributed a song while Mike and Bruce did another John Phillips composition (again, cashing in on Kokomo), rounded it out with two songs that were on film soundtracks that year, and then their Fat Boys cover of Wipe Out which was a minor hit two years before which alone would cry of desperation but to finish the album off at a reasonable length, just put some of the old hits from the 60s.  What's a good excuse to put them there?  Well, they were in movies.  I Get Around was in Good Morning Vietnam...which came out two years before.  Wouldn't It Be Nice was in The Big Chill...three years before that.  Any other notable movies that came out with one of our hits?  Nope, but California Girls was in a movie that nobody liked from three years ago called Soul Man so let's put that in there.  And there's an album.  What a mess.

The difference with Somewhere Near Japan is that it's actually a damn good song, and more "artistically viable" Than "Aruba, Jamaica ooo I wanna take ya, Bermuda, Bahama, come on pretty mama".

[Rocky Raccoon]

Oh, definitely.  But I'm also sure that the decision to finish another John Phillips demo was directly based on Kokomo's success, hoping it would get them another #1 hit.

[Nicko1234]

Oh, definitely.  But I'm also sure that the decision to finish another John Phillips demo was directly based on Kokomo's success, hoping it would get them another #1 hit.

I don't think that can be said to be 'cashing in on Kokomo' though.

[Lonely Summer]

Capitol actually wanted the compilation that became SC as opposed to an album of entirely new music. So not entirely the BB's fault.

[Andrew G. Doe]

The original gameplan was for an album composed entirely of BB songs featured in movies, but Capitol wanted it out fast to ride the "Kokomo" wave, hence the concept was diluted (OK, further diluted). Brian's track was a very, very late addition.