Mike Love Talks to Rolling Stone about the Reunion

[Shady]

I'm sure it's been posted but it deserves it's on thread

Pretty interesting, most of Brian's band will be used and dates are booked in Japan already

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/exclusive-mike-love-talks-beach-boys-50th-anniversary-tour-20111219

[Wirestone]

Of note:

Brian Wilson has an incredible band. We're using most of his band. And we've got [current Beach Boys touring] drummer John Cowsill and our guitarist, Scott Totten. We're kind of blending things together.  I think, musically, it's going to be incredible.

How's the album coming so far?

We have not done much on that. There have been some songs written and we have recorded on a few things, just a handful of things. The next couple months are going to be, that's going to be our to-do list. There's a lot of creativity coming from myself, coming from Brian. David Marks has a title I really like, so I'm going to work with him on that.

[Ron]

I'm LOVING Mike Love lately.  This guy is awesome right now.  Hope he keeps it together, and Brian keeps it together.  Great interview, fantastic stuff.  I like the "voices in his head" comment at the end, essentially saying in his opinion when Brian lays out harmonies he thinks about the 'boys. 

[The Shift]

Nice interview, all seems sweet, relaxed, no-one gets dissed.

Good times.

[Zach95]

Very nice interview, glad to hear about the inclusion of Pet Sounds and Smile material in the set list.

[Wirestone]

Well, performing Sloop, God Only Knows, Wouldn't It Be Nice and Good Vibrations (all of which Mike's band already does) counts as performing PS and Smile material.

Let's see if they do a full-on performance of Fire!

[Rocker]

Ha ! Fire !!!   


I wonder if they will still hold Sounds Of Summer up when there will be a new best of. They just should stick to SOS imo. But then maybe they'll have a new hit in the summer.....

[bgas]

Nice interview, all seems sweet, relaxed, no-one gets dissed.

Except Dave

[PongHit]

the "voices in his head" comment at the end, essentially saying in his opinion when Brian lays out harmonies he thinks about the 'boys. 

BW himself said that — he said he still thinks in terms of their voices when writing vocal parts.

[JohnMill]

Very nice interview, glad to hear about the inclusion of Pet Sounds and Smile material in the set list.

I'm not surprised, "Pet Sounds" is arguably their most popular album and "SMiLE" is obviously not as obscure as it once was.  Material from both albums should be staples of any Beach Boys show at this point their career.

[Ron]

Mike will be down with doing "Wonderful", he MikeLoves that song.  Really though if it's a career spanning concert, you can't expect them to do too much obscure Smile stuff, mainly just hit the high points because there's so many other tracks to do.  They're going to have to NOT PLAY some #1's likely to get everything included.

[18thofMay]

Mike will be down with doing "Wonderful", he MikeLoves that song.  Really though if it's a career spanning concert, you can't expect them to do too much obscure Smile stuff, mainly just hit the high points because there's so many other tracks to do.  They're going to have to NOT PLAY some #1's likely to get everything included.

I doubt that

[Chris Brown]

Mike will be down with doing "Wonderful", he MikeLoves that song.  Really though if it's a career spanning concert, you can't expect them to do too much obscure Smile stuff, mainly just hit the high points because there's so many other tracks to do.  They're going to have to NOT PLAY some #1's likely to get everything included.

In the US they only had 4 of them, so I wouldn't worry about that, although there will definitely have to be some of the more "minor" hits glossed over in order to make room for some hidden gems.  So far everything we're reading about this suggests that they're doing it right this time - new music from Mike and Brian (hopefully up to their mid-60's standards), Brian arranging vocals, everyone getting along.  I'm as much of a cynic as anyone, but, knock on wood, I'm really getting excited for this.  More than I thought I would be, actually.

[Pretty Funky]

I would suggest Mike could give a big 'up you' to all his critic's if he pushed for 'Cabin Essence' in the set. Him singing 'over and over.....' would cause a few of us to eat...er....crow!

[Runaways]

i would say he'd be the one eating crow

[b00ts]

Mike will be down with doing "Wonderful", he MikeLoves that song.  Really though if it's a career spanning concert, you can't expect them to do too much obscure Smile stuff, mainly just hit the high points because there's so many other tracks to do.  They're going to have to NOT PLAY some #1's likely to get everything included.

The Beach Boys actually didn't have too many #1 hits, believe it or not. Still, you are right that they will have to make a choice between "art for art's sake and money for God's sake," as 10cc put it so eloquently. Here's hoping that they play some deep cuts.

Imagine "Funky Pretty" played live with Blondie Chaplin! That would be something to witness, for sure.

[vintagemusic]

When Mike Love says, they have recorded on a few things, but not that much.
Thats so vague, what does he mean? can somebody interpret Mike Lovespeak.


Figure an album is roughly a dozen tunes, so "Do It Again" is one, and if they had
worked on say three tracks, thats four, thats a third of an album right there.

Unless they are going to record fifty songs and then argue about which ones to use,
I cant see that. I could see maybe recording 16-20, dropping a couple, using a couple
as exclusive bonus tracks for Itunes or a deluxe version.

Can anybody speak to the recording, do they have a block of time booked, are they
gonna write in the studio? or come in totally prepared with finished songs and vocal
arrangements ?

[Rocker]

When Mike Love says, they have recorded on a few things, but not that much.
Thats so vague, what does he mean? can somebody interpret Mike Lovespeak.


Figure an album is roughly a dozen tunes, so "Do It Again" is one, and if they had
worked on say three tracks, thats four, thats a third of an album right there.

Unless they are going to record fifty songs and then argue about which ones to use,
I cant see that. I could see maybe recording 16-20, dropping a couple, using a couple
as exclusive bonus tracks for Itunes or a deluxe version.

Can anybody speak to the recording, do they have a block of time booked, are they
gonna write in the studio? or come in totally prepared with finished songs and vocal
arrangements ?

This is just my guess, but I think Brian's songs will be worked on like in the old Pet Sounds days. That means he writes and arranges them, probably records the music track and then the Beach Boys will add their voices. I don't know about the stuff from Mike, Al, Bruce or Dave. Since they are touring and have to book time at Capitol's studio (I'd like to think that this is so important to Capitol that they get time whenever they want), they can't take very much time experimenting. Does Brian have any tour dates in the near future ?

[Magic Transistor Radio]

Well, if you think about it, it's 50 years of "Fun, Fun, Fun."   

[The Shift]

When Mike Love says, they have recorded on a few things, but not that much.
Thats so vague, what does he mean? can somebody interpret Mike Lovespeak.


Figure an album is roughly a dozen tunes, so "Do It Again" is one, and if they had
worked on say three tracks, thats four, thats a third of an album right there.

Unless they are going to record fifty songs and then argue about which ones to use,
I cant see that. I could see maybe recording 16-20, dropping a couple, using a couple
as exclusive bonus tracks for Itunes or a deluxe version.

Can anybody speak to the recording, do they have a block of time booked, are they
gonna write in the studio? or come in totally prepared with finished songs and vocal
arrangements ?

This is just my guess, but I think Brian's songs will be worked on like in the old Pet Sounds days. That means he writes and arranges them, probably records the music track and then the Beach Boys will add their voices. I don't know about the stuff from Mike, Al, Bruce or Dave. Since they are touring and have to book time at Capitol's studio (I'd like to think that this is so important to Capitol that they get time whenever they want), they can't take very much time experimenting. Does Brian have any tour dates in the near future ?

Studio musicians has to be a factor too -  if they're a combo of BW & M&B ban members as the new video implies, then they also have to be available for the sessions, and their touring commitments will be the same as Mike & Bruce's so I'd suspect several days in a row might need to be clear. That said, if Brian's already used musicians we're not really familiar with then he might be flying already.

[Shady]

The Brian question is so crazy..

Sounds like Mike hasn't talked to Brian in a while..

I won't believe this is happening till they are on stage at the Grammy's 

[Wirestone]

Brian has been recording and working on new songs for several months. I believe in one recent interview he said he had 6 or 7. My bet is that those tracks for the basis to the new album. I suspect group vocals still need to be recorded. And Mike write some lyrics, of course.

[Rocker]

Well, if you think about it, it's 50 years of "Fun, Fun, Fun."   

We're very fortunate to 'Do It Again,' so to speak




I'd be really happy if Mike won't do that stuff. It's silly and in no way funny. I know so many people who think it's ridiculous and I agree.

Brian has been recording and working on new songs for several months. I believe in one recent interview he said he had 6 or 7. My bet is that those tracks for the basis to the new album. I suspect group vocals still need to be recorded. And Mike write some lyrics, of course.

That is, if Brian wants Mike to write lyrics. Maybe the songs were already finished with another lyricist. Of course a new Wilson/Love tune seems to be inevitable, stranger things have happened....

[anazgnos]

How do people feel about John Cowsill ending up with the drumming spot?  I feel like I've heard from multiple places that they drums have been a real weak spot in the BBs touring shows for a while, as compared to Brian's band.

[Rocker]

How do people feel about John Cowsill ending up with the drumming spot?  I feel like I've heard from multiple places that they drums have been a real weak spot in the BBs touring shows for a while, as compared to Brian's band.

No, never heard that. I always heard that the drums were very good at Mike & Bruce's shows. I like his drumming, too.