Adrian Baker ?

[AndrewHickey]

Meanwhile, Bruce has been a legitimate writing, producing, and performing member of the band since 1965. The first thing the guy did was step into the studio to sing on the chorus of "California Girls", while Jeff's first task was to sing backup on a track produced by Boy George or something.

Just sayin', Bruce isn't just some d00d and has made some big contributions to the band.

Absolutely. Not trying to dismiss Bruce's role in the band *in the slightest*. Just that I can see why people don't think he added much to Beach Boys shows in recent decades.

[runnersdialzero]

Meanwhile, Bruce has been a legitimate writing, producing, and performing member of the band since 1965. The first thing the guy did was step into the studio to sing on the chorus of "California Girls", while Jeff's first task was to sing backup on a track produced by Boy George or something.

Just sayin', Bruce isn't just some d00d and has made some big contributions to the band.

Absolutely. Not trying to dismiss Bruce's role in the band *in the slightest*. Just that I can see why people don't think he added much to Beach Boys shows in recent decades.

Naw, I know. Just wanted to add... uh, well, what I said. ^_^

[Aegir]

Jeff doesn't leave his post at the mic and go to the audience and start conducting them.

[Autotune]

1. One need not to diminish Bruce in order to praise Jeff.

2. Singing falsetto is tough. It's a range that can be affected by many factors, age specially.

3. Baker's voice could be many things except beautiful. Listen to the 1981 Long Beach show. He was young by then. Shitty sound system, I know; probably a bad day, Ok. But he was a hired hand and sounded like that.

4. He grew old. Sounded consistently bad. Grew a dislike for Mike and Jackie, apparently. The band improved notoriously after letting him go.

5. Randell, who took his vocal duties, and is not very young either, is IMO the best falsettist of those that are active in BB land.

6. But Jeff in addition go being a good singer and a nice stage persona (without being overwhelming, a difficult task given his job), plays a major role in Brian's life. He's doing a good job. And deserves what he's got.

6. Jeff is a good singer, is a well rounded guy, and plays an important role in Brian's profesional life. That's enough reason to keep him.

[Lowbacca]

[...] is a well rounded guy

Yes he is. 

[Gcplayer]

I like Jeff.  This is the first time I've heard anything negative about him.  I'm surprised that people would talk crap about him.

[BB Universe]

Not exactly sure how a thread on Adrian Baker has become commentary (yet again) on Jeff. I think Dr. Lenny's comments #'s 6 and 7 are especially on point and I agree with those.
Given how well this tour has gone, how good the group has sounded (in part with Jeff's contributions and with those being mixed in well), IMO its not cool to bash on Jeff if that's what anyone's doing and I do think he's been a very good asset for Brian and his band during the past decade or longer.

[AndrewHickey]

I like Jeff.  This is the first time I've heard anything negative about him.  I'm surprised that people would talk crap about him.

It's become quite cool around here to attack Jeff, basically ever since it became uncool to attack Mike Love. The major reasons given are:
1) That he once said something to a fan that could be taken as slightly rude
2) That he doesn't like The Beach Boys Love You
3) That he's (supposedly) a fundamentalist and/or evangelist Christian
4) That sometimes he has seemed a little brusque when talking to Brian, because nobody else has ever been a bit grumpy with someone who's been a colleague for thirty years
5) That he doesn't sing as well as Matt Jardine

Personally, I think there are undoubtedly reasonable criticisms that can be made of him (for example I've heard -- though I may have heard wrong of course -- that he's the one who was principally responsible for Brian going increasingly in a pre-66 hits direction over the last few years on his tours), but that he seems in general to be a decent person and a good singer, and it's far easier not to go looking for reasons to dislike people.

[JanBerryFarm]

I like Jeff.  This is the first time I've heard anything negative about him.  I'm surprised that people would talk crap about him.

It's become quite cool around here to attack Jeff, basically ever since it became uncool to attack Mike Love.

Uncool to attack Mike Love? ......Where? When?
Surely you jest. Knocking Mike Love is the stock and trade of this hateful board.

[drbeachboy]

Weird how in the smaller band configuration you barely hear Bruce play or sing, yet with this gigantic configuration where so many are playing and singing, you can hear his parts with no problem.

[Jason]

I don't think you can lay the credit strictly on Adrian Baker's departure from the Michael and Bruce band for the rapid increase in quality of the shows. Chris Farmer being promoted to band leader had a lot to do with it as well. The other big hurdle was Mike Kowalski. Nothing against the guy, but by 2006 he was dragging the band down. Scott Totten built on what Chris Farmer started when he became the band leader. The five-man Michael and Bruce backup lineup with Scott Totten, John Cowsill, Christian Love, Randell Kirsch, and Tim Bonhomme is about the best that band has ever sounded.

[D409]

With the greatest respect, can I please ask the moderators to ensure that this thread stays on topic ?  i.e. a discussion about the merits or otherwise of Adrian Baker, not a "let's slag off Jeffery Foskett" platform.

[Jason]

With the greatest respect, can I please ask the moderators to ensure that this thread stays on topic ?  i.e. a discussion about the merits or otherwise of Adrian Baker, not a "let's slag off Jeffery Foskett" platform.

That's next to impossible on this board. Like life, this board goes off on tangents.

[Aegir]

1. One need not to diminish Bruce in order to praise Jeff.

I hope you don't think that's in response to what I said. I think Bruce's falsetto, while harder for him to produce to due to age, is much better than Jeff's. but I also think Bruce spends way too much time not singing or playing keyboard.

[rn57]

Well, at least we're getting back to discussing falsettos, which may bring it around to Adrian Baker again. One thing about his commenting at the Man vs Clown blog - it makes me wonder if he could some time show up here as an Honored Guest and 'splain himself. A lot there is that needs 'splainin'.

But I wish I hadn't drawn a comparison to Jeff now. I forgot that fundamental rule that if one refers to anything in which he's even tangentially involved, before long the discussion will revolve around him.  I could start a thread, say, about what Brian watches on TV when he's winding down after a show, and sooner or later it will turn out that Jeff is handling the remote because its battery is low and he's sitting closer to the TV, and then it would be all about him and the remote.  Which is why, though it makes sense to mention him in the thread I'm starting up, "What Makes A Beach Boy," I'll let somebody else do that.

[D409]

Well, at least we're getting back to discussing falsettos, which may bring it around to Adrian Baker again. One thing about his commenting at the Man vs Clown blog - it makes me wonder if he could some time show up here as an Honored Guest and 'splain himself. A lot there is that needs 'splainin'.

Agreed...it would be nice if Mr Baker was to elaborate further on his comments...maybe he's not allowed to for fear of retribution by BRI ?

[Runaways]

I like Jeff.  This is the first time I've heard anything negative about him.  I'm surprised that people would talk crap about him.

It's become quite cool around here to attack Jeff, basically ever since it became uncool to attack Mike Love.

Uncool to attack Mike Love? ......Where? When?
Surely you jest. Knocking Mike Love is the stock and trade of this hateful board.

Hateful board? What a joke. Go checkout the comments section of every youtube video or article before you call the people here hateful. Please.

[Autotune]

I don't think normal people are prompt to show up where they are hated.

[Jason]

I don't think normal people are prompt to show up where they are hated.

I just imagined Leonard Cohen saying that exact statement...and it was SO much cooler.

Secondly (this is directed at everyone)...who gives a f*** what a bunch of people on the internet think? Sheesh...lock yourself in a padded room if you can't take the heat.

[Rocker]

So for everyone who has the desire to hear Adrian Baker with the Beach Boys in the early 90s, either go to youtube and look for "beach boys japan" or click here for "Surfer girl" and "Don't worry baby":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8C4o6OT2FNQ

So much was wrng then.....

[Autotune]

So for everyone who has the desire to hear Adrian Baker with the Beach Boys in the early 90s, either go to youtube and look for "beach boys japan" or click here for "Surfer girl" and "Don't worry baby":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8C4o6OT2FNQ

So much was wrng then.....

I tell ya... I'd rather take the lead singing than the drumming on DWB. Interesting that those two factors (Baker and Mike K.) would still be a problem well into the 2000s.

[startBBtoday]

So for everyone who has the desire to hear Adrian Baker with the Beach Boys in the early 90s, either go to youtube and look for "beach boys japan" or click here for "Surfer girl" and "Don't worry baby":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8C4o6OT2FNQ

So much was wrng then.....

Yikes, that's awful. I wonder why they weren't having Carl or Al take Don't Worry Baby.

[dcowboys107]

I though Jeff sounded really great on ¨DWB¨when I heard him in Atlanta. His singing fit the song and was very beautiful.  I mean I don´t think to sing falsetto you have to ¨sound like¨Brian. I think as long as you get the feel and pitch right that´s all that matters. If you compare the 2012 version so a 1964 live version of course it´s different vocally but I don´t fault Jeff. I´m looking forward to hearing him sing it again in Barcelona.

[Rocker]

I though Jeff sounded really great on ¨DWB¨when I heard him in Atlanta. His singing fit the song and was very beautiful.  I mean I don´t think to sing falsetto you have to ¨sound like¨Brian. I think as long as you get the feel and pitch right that´s all that matters. If you compare the 2012 version so a 1964 live version of course it´s different vocally but I don´t fault Jeff. I´m looking forward to hearing him sing it again in Barcelona.

This was a nice combination:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5I2164jnQk

[Autotune]

I though Jeff sounded really great on ¨DWB¨when I heard him in Atlanta. His singing fit the song and was very beautiful.  I mean I don´t think to sing falsetto you have to ¨sound like¨Brian. I think as long as you get the feel and pitch right that´s all that matters. If you compare the 2012 version so a 1964 live version of course it´s different vocally but I don´t fault Jeff. I´m looking forward to hearing him sing it again in Barcelona.

This was a nice combination:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5I2164jnQk

You know, by 1988-9 they switched roles: Carl sang the chorus.

I never got why the high (lead sort of) guitar part was given to Jeff and later to Baker.

See how better Kowalski's drumming for this song was in 1987 as compared to the mid 90s.