New Mike Love and Bruce Interview Video

[SurfRiderHawaii]

ML and Bruce interviewed down under.

Click the little 'video' button to the right of ML's picture.

http://www.tv3.co.nz/News/CampbellLivespeakswithTheBeachBoys/tabid/209/articleID/38680/Default.aspx

ML is so full of himself.  Pretending to be a surfer.  Bashing Brian over cheating him out of his songwriting royalties.  The guy just doesn't do humble.
Just another example of why people don't like Mike Love.

[XY]

Bashing Brian over cheating him out of his songwriting royalties.  The guy just doesn't do humble.
Just another example of why people don't like Mike Love.

Well, the reporter asked him about it. Anyone with a brain would have done the same. I just wonder why he waited so long 'til he went to court.

[mikeyj]

I just wonder why he waited so long 'til he went to court.

That is the thing that has bugged me for ages and I am sure a lot of people are the same. I guess we will never know the real answer.

[Sheriff John Stone]

I just wonder why he waited so long 'til he went to court.

That is the thing that has bugged me for ages and I am sure a lot of people are the same. I guess we will never know the real answer.

Is it possible that Mike valued his relationship with his cousin, Brian, and was trying to salvage that relationship for many years? Also, is it possible that after trying to settle out of court for a lesser amount - and being refuted by Brian's handlers - that Mike took an alternate route to get what was due to him, as rendered by a judge in a court of law?

[mikeyj]

Is it possible that Mike valued his relationship with his cousin, Brian, and was trying to salvage that relationship for many years? Also, is it possible that after trying to settle out of court for a lesser amount - and being refuted by Brian's handlers - that Mike took an alternate route to get what was due to him, as rendered by a judge in a court of law?

Of course the second point is possible. But just because a judge favoured Mike Love's side of the story doesn't mean it's true...because how is Brian supposed to rememeber who wrote what down to things like "good night my baby, sleep tight my baby" and "giddy giddy up 409"? Brian has written hundreds of songs some of which have pretty complex arrangements as well as his fair share of lyrics so it's impossible to remember writing EVERY single word/note. So is it possible that Mike knew that Brian wouldn't be able to remember if he wrote the lyrics etc.. and defend himself? I doubt it, but it's still possible...

I've always wondered as well, how is it Brian's fault (since Mike Love sued only Brian as far as I know - please correct me if I'm wrong) that Mike didn't get credit on a song like 409.. Gary Usher wrote the lyrics (or according to Love the majority of the lyrics), so isn't it possible that Brian didn't realise that Mike never got credit and that he should have.. but isn't that Mike's fault for not telling Brian (or whoever does the copyrights) that he had a hand in writing the song? And Gary Usher had died by this point so it's not like he could say "hey, I wrote all the words" or "yeh Mike wrote such and such".

I still have doubts about some of Love's claims as well. I mean I believe Tony Asher when he says that Mike wrote nothing in terms of lyrics on Wouldn't It Be Nice. It is strange too that most of the songs he sued for are hit singles

The fact that Mike has sued Brian so many times beforehand/since (eg: for that free cd with the newspaper, for releasing SMiLE, for Brian's book).. it sort of gives me doubts that Mike was ever trying to salvage a relationship with Brian. I believe that beforehand Mike wanted Brian in the band because he knew that Brian could bring them success (due to the name "Brian Wilson" - not necessarily because he would write good songs).. but by the time the lawsuit happened Brian was already embarking on a solo career so he was of no use to The Beach Boys by that stage, or atleast very little use.

We will never know the truth, but it's still fun to debate on the issue.

[Sheriff John Stone]

But just because a judge favoured Mike Love's side of the story doesn't mean it's true...

I'm not defending Mike or saying his story is "true". I was just addressing the question WHY IT TOOK SO LONG.

Suing your cousin, your songwriting partner, or someone you've known for 50 years isn't something to be taken lightly, even for Mike Love. I imagine the lyrics/credit thing bugged him for many, many years.

Also, I do believe that maintaining the relationship was a factor. Oh, it might've had something to do with working together again and being successful ($$$$) again, but I've never doubted Mike's caring for Brian, and worrying about his welfare. Do you?

Anyway, the lawsuit wasn't against Brian personally; Murry was the one who was responsible. Would you like to receive credit for work that you did, and be awarded a couple of million dollars for it? I would.

[Dancing Bear]

Is it possible that Mike valued his relationship with his cousin, Brian, and was trying to salvage that relationship for many years? Also, is it possible that after trying to settle out of court for a lesser amount - and being refuted by Brian's handlers - that Mike took an alternate route to get what was due to him, as rendered by a judge in a court of law?

Of course the second point is possible.

Not only possible, but a fact. Mike did try to settle out of court for a lesser amount. I suspect Mike's deserved royalties for California Girls alone - between the 60s and 90s - was worth more than that.

[mikeyj]

I'm not defending Mike or saying his story is "true". I was just addressing the question WHY IT TOOK SO LONG.

Suing your cousin, your songwriting partner, or someone you've known for 50 years isn't something to be taken lightly, even for Mike Love. I imagine the lyrics/credit thing bugged him for many, many years.

Also, I do believe that maintaining the relationship was a factor. Oh, it might've had something to do with working together again and being successful ($$$$) again, but I've never doubted Mike's caring for Brian, and worrying about his welfare. Do you?

Anyway, the lawsuit wasn't against Brian personally; Murry was the one who was responsible. Would you like to receive credit for work that you did, and be awarded a couple of million dollars for it? I would.

Oh I understand and I was just pointing out that I don't think it was a case of trying to salvage the relationship.

It's true that it isn't to be taken lightly, but I still don't understand why he didn't sue earlier if he clearly felt that he wasn't getting credit for those songs or atleast order Brian to give him credit... Mike Love has always gone on about "I wrote 'I'm pickin up good vibrations' etc.." and "I helped Paul McCartney with Back In The USSR"... he has always taken pride in the songs he has written (nothing wrong with that) and it appears to me that he has always felt that he has never been given enough credit for his role in the band (probably fair enough) so why didn't he seek credit for the songs to increase his reputation in the band and indeed even the music industry?

It may have been a factor, who knows? But if it was I dont think it was a major factor. I mean Brian was nowhere near his old self. Sure, if Brian hadn't taken drugs then I can understand that Mike would have wanted to rekindle their relationship because he seemed like a pretty amazing person but I think due to the drugs and as the years went on, it wasn't as fun to hang around Brian anymore. I'm not saying that it means that Mike wouldn't want to have any sort of relationship with Brian, but I don't think that Mike wanted to hang around Brian as much any more because he was a totally different person to who he knew back in 62 etc.. Plus Mike has always gone on about how he hated drugs.. another reason why he probably would have felt distanced from Brian.

I don't doubt that Mike didn't care about Brian, of course he does, but at the same time I think he was frustrated what Brian had done to himself (I don't blame him) but that doesn't mean that he would want to be close friends with Brian again.

Yeh, Murry (although I respect what he did for the band in the early years) clearly made a REALLY bad and unfair decision on the band by doing that. And of course I would want royalties if I didn't receive credit for something I did but I still have doubts whether Mike wrote some of the lyrics (eg: especially on WIBN as I mentioned before). I don't doubt songs like California Girls but I believe Tony Asher, because I reckon he would remember what lyrics he wrote (considering he has only written a few major songs in his life - and no doubt Pet Sounds would possibly be THE achievement of his life or atleast one of the best achievements of his life)

[mikeyj]

Is it possible that Mike valued his relationship with his cousin, Brian, and was trying to salvage that relationship for many years? Also, is it possible that after trying to settle out of court for a lesser amount - and being refuted by Brian's handlers - that Mike took an alternate route to get what was due to him, as rendered by a judge in a court of law?

Of course the second point is possible.

Not only possible, but a fact. Mike did try to settle out of court for a lesser amount. I suspect Mike's deserved royalties for California Girls alone - between the 60s and 90s - was worth more than that.

How much was the lawsuit for?

[Dancing Bear]

Is it possible that Mike valued his relationship with his cousin, Brian, and was trying to salvage that relationship for many years? Also, is it possible that after trying to settle out of court for a lesser amount - and being refuted by Brian's handlers - that Mike took an alternate route to get what was due to him, as rendered by a judge in a court of law?

Of course the second point is possible.

Not only possible, but a fact. Mike did try to settle out of court for a lesser amount. I suspect Mike's deserved royalties for California Girls alone - between the 60s and 90s - was worth more than that.

How much was the lawsuit for?

http://surfermoon.com/essays/lovevwilson1.html

[MBE]

Mike came off fine, he waited to sue because he thought when Brian got his A&M settlement in 1990 he would give Mike his share. As I have said many times most of Mike's suits are bogus but he deserved the credit on those songs. Man even Brian says so and nobody beileves him.

BTW was anyone able to download this?

[mikeyj]

Mike came off fine, he waited to sue because he thought when Brian got his A&M settlement in 1990 he would give Mike his share. As I have said many times most of Mike's suits are bogus but he deserved the credit on those songs. Man even Brian says so and nobody beileves him.

BTW was anyone able to download this?

I wish I could somehow download it. I tried using one of those YouTube video downloaders but it wouldn't work for me.

[SurfRiderHawaii]

ML may very well have been justified to sue and all that.  But he continues to be 'over the top' about it - sooooo bitter.

I'll give Mike his due.  He looks in great shape, he still sings pretty well and I love that shirt!

[Mark H.]

I thought Mike was just Mike.  Bruce has become quite the suck-up though. 

[MBE]

Sadly I have seen anger in Brian too over Mike. Probably more (though the clip I saw of him asking his wife about not working with Mike again tells me where he is getting that anger fed to him).

I tried Orbit which is usually good about anything but it didn't work.