Mike Love Sets The Record Straight.

[SMiLE Brian]

The deification of Mike Love continues.....

This article reeks of ghost writing, Mike would never have time to write something like this while touring all the time.

During the 10-hour flight across Atlantic:

1. Read recent 'sacking' articles...

2. Pitch a small fit...

3. Sit down with your publicist and draft a response...

4. Approve publicists polished version of what you dictated to him.

Admit it, you're a closet Blooie, aren't you ?  

That is ghostwriting. I ain't no bloo, I'm not a suck up to Mike Love and call history as it went. Mike has reinvented history the last few years. Acting like he is Brian's number one collaborator when Brian had Gary Usher, Roger Christian, Bob Norburg, Tony Asher, and Van Dyke Parks to write songs.

[the professor]

I think Mike listened to much of our work here in composing this lovely piece.  The only unanswered question for me (and the professor is quite seriously moved and gratified by this excellent essay my Mike, whom I love) is the exact future: Mike mentioned no more full-band shows and did not specify that the album is a BB album.

thoughts on this?

But this is a major development today, and it will be the foundation of the new reunion if I am correct.

I agree with the professor.  But while I believe this piece does a fantastic job for putting out fires, I don't think it'd be the best place to also drop hints on future plans when they are currently uncertain.  The cherry on top would've been, yes, saying that we should expect more reunion projects in the future--but why say something that he doesn't know for sure will be delivered on?  Mike seems to be more sure when contracts have been signed and set, rather than openly speculating with his fans.  

Yes, Justin is correct: this is the news we have to wait and hope for--news of a new album; there is always something. . . .

[SMiLE Brian]

The deification of Mike Love continues.....

This article reeks of ghost writing, Mike would never have time to write something like this while touring all the time.

..... and just in from Area 51.......................... 

Et tu, Brute?

[drbeachboy]

The deification of Mike Love continues.....

This article reeks of ghost writing, Mike would never have time to write something like this while touring all the time.

During the 10-hour flight across Atlantic:

1. Read recent 'sacking' articles...

2. Pitch a small fit...

3. Sit down with your publicist and draft a response...

4. Approve publicists polished version of what you dictated to him.

Admit it, you're a closet Blooie, aren't you ?  

Some people have no common sense, or they don't use it before they post.

[Heysaboda]

let's create a band of Mikenistas and invade the Bloo board!

 

[drbeachboy]

The deification of Mike Love continues.....

This article reeks of ghost writing, Mike would never have time to write something like this while touring all the time.

During the 10-hour flight across Atlantic:

1. Read recent 'sacking' articles...

2. Pitch a small fit...

3. Sit down with your publicist and draft a response...

4. Approve publicists polished version of what you dictated to him.

Admit it, you're a closet Blooie, aren't you ?  

That is ghostwriting. I ain't no bloo, I'm not a suck up to Mike Love and call history as it went. Mike has reinvented history the last few years. Acting like he is Brian's number one collaborator when Brian had Gary Usher, Roger Christian, Bob Norburg, Tony Asher, and Van Dyke Parks to write songs.

That why the guys have Publicists. You think Brian writes all of his replies too? Come on.

[Andrew G. Doe]

The deification of Mike Love continues.....

This article reeks of ghost writing, Mike would never have time to write something like this while touring all the time.

During the 10-hour flight across Atlantic:

1. Read recent 'sacking' articles...

2. Pitch a small fit...

3. Sit down with your publicist and draft a response...

4. Approve publicists polished version of what you dictated to him.

Admit it, you're a closet Blooie, aren't you ?  

That is ghostwriting. I ain't no bloo, I'm not a suck up to Mike Love and call history as it went. Mike has reinvented history the last few years. Acting like he is Brian's number one collaborator when Brian had Gary Usher, Roger Christian, Bob Norburg, Tony Asher, and Van Dyke Parks to write songs.

Not actually done a count, but I think the credit Wilson/Love is far and away the most common in the BB catalog.

[drbeachboy]

let's create a band of Mikenistas and invade the Bloo board!

 

[ontor pertawst]

let's create a band of Mikenistas and invade the Bloo board!

Only if we get to be called Lovelies. and hats. I want a hat, otherwise I'm sticking with the Jardine camp.

"I don't know what I want, but I want it now!" - Sir Henry Rawlinson

[Cam Mott]

The deification of Mike Love continues.....

This article reeks of ghost writing, Mike would never have time to write something like this while touring all the time.

During the 10-hour flight across Atlantic:

1. Read recent 'sacking' articles...

2. Pitch a small fit...

3. Sit down with your publicist and draft a response...

4. Approve publicists polished version of what you dictated to him.

Admit it, you're a closet Blooie, aren't you ? 

That is ghostwriting. I ain't no bloo, I'm not a suck up to Mike Love and call history as it went. Mike has reinvented history the last few years. Acting like he is Brian's number one collaborator when Brian had Gary Usher, Roger Christian, Bob Norburg, Tony Asher, and Van Dyke Parks to write songs.

I think the problem is what you are claiming is history is actually the revision.

[Shady]

Where does the Jardine camp congregate?

Aljardine.com?  

[ontor pertawst]

We all get personalized instructions from the little Al Jardine that lives in our heads. Right, guys?

Uh, guys?

Stop looking at me like that.

[Cam Mott]

let's create a band of Mikenistas and invade the Bloo board!

Only if we get to be called Lovelies. and hats. I want a hat, otherwise I'm sticking with the Jardine camp.

"I don't know what I want, but I want it now!" - Sir Henry Rawlinson

I vote for turbans.

[SMiLE Brian]

The deification of Mike Love continues.....

This article reeks of ghost writing, Mike would never have time to write something like this while touring all the time.

During the 10-hour flight across Atlantic:

1. Read recent 'sacking' articles...

2. Pitch a small fit...

3. Sit down with your publicist and draft a response...

4. Approve publicists polished version of what you dictated to him.

Admit it, you're a closet Blooie, aren't you ?  

That is ghostwriting. I ain't no bloo, I'm not a suck up to Mike Love and call history as it went. Mike has reinvented history the last few years. Acting like he is Brian's number one collaborator when Brian had Gary Usher, Roger Christian, Bob Norburg, Tony Asher, and Van Dyke Parks to write songs.

Not actually done a count, but I think the credit Wilson/Love is far and away the most common in the BB catalog.

AGD, some of those lawsuit credits were sketchy and you know it.

[Shady]

We all get personalized instructions from the little Al Jardine that lives in our heads. Right, guys?

Uh, guys?

Stop looking at me like that.

 

[HeyJude]

The whole statement is indeed much more elegant than the press release, that I appreciate. But it indeed doesn't really change much of the basic assertions that have been put forth in at least the discussions/debates I've been reading in the past weeks. Some interesting points about Mike's piece:

Mike doesn't refute and in fact confirms that Brian and Al wanted to do more live shows, and Mike did not. I know a few people were still doubting this, despite Jon Stebbins mentioning it.

This part of Mike's statement is interesting:

It is not feasible, both logistically and economically, for the 50th anniversary tour to play these markets. It’s vitally important for the smaller markets to experience our live shows, as this is how we’ve maintained a loyal fan base for 50 years. You can’t sustain a fan base on a great catalog alone. You must take your music directly to the people.

I would agree that these venues would not sustain the large 50th tour. But the rest of this is nonsense in my opinion. The Beach Boys CAN stand on their catalog alone, certainly at this point. I would agree that having a touring BB's does keep the name alive and whatnot, but that doesn't mean 100+ shows every year. If the BB's play Dallas and don't play Waco, if they play New Orleans but don't play Biloxi, their fan base will be just fine.

Many other bands, of less stature, sales, fame, etc. than the Beach Boys, sustain nice fan bases with MUCH less touring, sometimes with several years between touring.

Mike is framing the "small market" gigs as some sort of altruistic venture for fans. I don't believe it. It's a nice fringe benefit, but he plays the gigs because he makes money. I applaud Mike's new statement as it is much more eloquent. But I wish he would have also been honest and also stated that profit is a motive in this as well. He admitted this in past interviews, including the one from the 90's where he literally said he hears the ringing of a cash register when he plays the old hits.

[guitarfool2002]

let's create a band of Mikenistas and invade the Bloo board!

Only if we get to be called Lovelies. and hats. I want a hat, otherwise I'm sticking with the Jardine camp.

I remember almost every issue of Goldmine I'd get, about 20 years ago or so, I'd flip back to the classifieds, look for new Beach Boys-Beatles-Monkees listings, and for a lot of issues the only BBs ad would be for the Mike Love Fan Club.

I never mailed anything in, but I always wondered what the perks would be if you joined. I'd expect at least a hat of some kind, depending on the club's dues.

[HeyJude]

Be fascinating to see how this is received in the Land of Bloo.

Seriously, I don't read that board, ever. I stopped reading it in probably 2000 or so. Why does it matter what they say? Why has that board become this new sort of straw man representing anti-Mike sentiment? The people on this board that take issue with Mike seem to do so largely with well thought-out logic (as do most of those who support Mike's positions more), not with the weird disposition of the people on some other board.

[drbeachboy]

The whole statement is indeed much more elegant than the press release, that I appreciate. But it indeed doesn't really change much of the basic assertions that have been put forth in at least the discussions/debates I've been reading in the past weeks. Some interesting points about Mike's piece:

Mike doesn't refute and in fact confirms that Brian and Al wanted to do more live shows, and Mike did not. I know a few people were still doubting this, despite Jon Stebbins mentioning it.

This part of Mike's statement is interesting:

It is not feasible, both logistically and economically, for the 50th anniversary tour to play these markets. It’s vitally important for the smaller markets to experience our live shows, as this is how we’ve maintained a loyal fan base for 50 years. You can’t sustain a fan base on a great catalog alone. You must take your music directly to the people.

I would agree that these venues would not sustain the large 50th tour. But the rest of this is nonsense in my opinion. The Beach Boys CAN stand on their catalog alone, certainly at this point. I would agree that having a touring BB's does keep the name alive and whatnot, but that doesn't mean 100+ shows every year. If the BB's play Dallas and don't play Waco, if they play New Orleans but don't play Biloxi, their fan base will be just fine.

Many other bands, of less stature, sales, fame, etc. than the Beach Boys, sustain nice fan bases with MUCH less touring, sometimes with several years between touring.

Mike is framing the "small market" gigs as some sort of altrustic venture for fans. I don't believe it. It's a nice fringe benefit, but he plays the gigs because he makes money. I applaud Mike's new statement as it is much more eloquent. But I wish he would have also been honest and also stated that profit is a much motive in this as well. He admitted this in past interviews, including the one from the 90's where he literally said he hears the ringing of a cash register when he plays the old hits.

The fact that he mentioned that it was not economically feasible, means that there is less income to be made.  

[Aegir]

I'm a member of the Mike Love fan club. You get a membership card, and, up until a year or two ago, they would send out a newletter every few months with tour dates and Mike Love news items and the like. But the internet sort of made the newsletter worthless, the information would be months out of date and therefore "old news" by the time it arrived in the mail.

[oldsurferdude]

It's outrageous that posters on brianwilson.com are Brianistas, I tell you! I would think they would be 100% supportive of Mike Love-based schemes that leave their hero disappointed.

I say we raise a far more militant Al Jardine faction to balance out the sides... Jardinista sounds a lot more dangerous, anyway.

[HeyJude]

Nice reflection by Mike.  

But I still think, if he is sincere about how great Al Jardine is, he would try to facilitate a way to  include Al  in the Bruce/Mike lineup.    That has been the real sticking point for me, and I think a lot of other fans, for the past 14 years.
Brian and David have rarely  been with the touring act since the 60's.  

Yes, the Al issue has not been addressed for some time. While Al seemed to be clear about not saying flattering things about Mike's band in the first several years after Carl's death, it hasn't seemed to be a very subtle pining from Al in more recent years to be in the BB's. I think he highly prefers to have the full reunion lineup, but nobody including Al or Mike has addressed having Al in the current band.

I appreciate that Mike clears up the idea that the big reunion tour is too expensive to do smaller markets. But he still seems to couch it in an all-or-nothing ideal that it's either the huge 50th reunion operation in large venues and cities, or his Mike/Bruce lineup. What about having Al and/or David in the band? What about taking a year or two off from longer tours with smaller venues and play big venues that promoters are offering?

[HeyJude]

Agreed, it should have come out earlier but probably with the demands of being on the road there wasn't time at that time.
And, as to how it presents the individual here, perhaps sometimes with age comes insight and better perspective.

Why should Mike have to explain it at all, he told the truth. I think what you guys meant to say is why have Brian and Al NOT explained this, why did they allow and even encourage the untruth to stand?

Because they want the reunion lineup to persist. Even in this lovely piece, Mike doesn't quite commit to that.

Exactly. I think Mike is to some degree hiding behind this defence that implies he is touring to bring his tour to small markets, and Brian, Al, and David just want to play big cities. First of all, I think some compromise can be had on this issue. More importantly, I disagree with the premise that numerous small markets have to played every year to keep the fan base going. That's ridiculous.

[HeyJude]

OSD, remember: Mike can no more let Al go from the Beach Boys then Al can let Mike or Brian go from the Beach Boys.

If Mike gets the majority of BRI to vote for him to have an exclusive license, and Al disagrees because he wants to be in the touring Beach Boys, then that is Mike (and the other voters) keeping Al from being in "The Beach Boys." It may not be "letting go" or "firing", but certainly in the past Mike was happy with the license situation in which he was in the band and Al was not in the band, and Al did not like this particular license situation.

[drbeachboy]

I think we keep forgetting that the Reunion was the exception and not the rule. "The Beach Boys" have gone back to what they have been for the last 15 years. The Reunion was the separate agreement, not Mike's licensing of the name.