After 50+ years, what's the final verdict on Mike Love?

[Andrew G. Doe]

Brian had precisely zilch to do with "Problem Child". 

[Cam Mott]

Don't you think that Capitol from very early on took a kind of hands off approach to the Boys? Doesn't it seem that Brian established very early on that he wasn't going to be under the label's thumb and he got results and so from then on Brian sort of informed Capitol when and how they could jump and they hoped to be also told how high? It seems that way to me. Brian did what he wanted and he handed it in to Capitol when he wanted and Capitol was either scrambling to keep up or sitting on their hands waiting on Brian.

[hypehat]

Yeah, I imagine being on Reprise must have been a bit of a shock - Sunflower turned down twice (was it twice?), the 'we need a single' response that Holland got, etc

[The Heartical Don]

Yeah, I imagine being on Reprise must have been a bit of a shock - Sunflower turned down twice (was it twice?), the 'we need a single' response that Holland got, etc

Good insight.

[Sheriff John Stone]

Yeah, I imagine being on Reprise must have been a bit of a shock - Sunflower turned down twice (was it twice?), the 'we need a single' response that Holland got, etc

Yeah, if Cam Mott's post/point is correct, and I believe it is, then Reprise must've been the anti-Capitol. Didn't Reprise reject almost every release during the first couple of years? Sunflower was rejected more than once, they "adjusted" Surf's Up with "Surf's Up", did Reprise feel that CATP - So Tough was so weak that they had to graft Pet Sounds to it, Holland had to be re-worked by adding "Sail On Sailor", deleting "We Got Love", and manufacturing a special 45 for "Mt. Vernon & Fairway", and In Concert was transformed from a single album to a double album with substantially different songs. It must've been a nightmare.

Ironically, when Reprise finally let The Beach Boys do their thing, they (Reprise) got 15 Big Ones and Love You. That's when Reprise should've intervened!

[SgtTimBob]

Ironically, when Reprise finally let The Beach Boys do their thing, they (Reprise) got 15 Big Ones and Love You. That's when Reprise should've intervened! [/quote]

I think Love You is a magical, albeit eccentric, album. One of Brian's best imo. I'm glad it exists.

[Disney Boy (1985)]

Yeah, I imagine being on Reprise must have been a bit of a shock - Sunflower turned down twice (was it twice?), the 'we need a single' response that Holland got, etc

Yeah, if Cam Mott's post/point is correct, and I believe it is, then Reprise must've been the anti-Capitol. Didn't Reprise reject almost every release during the first couple of years? Sunflower was rejected more than once, they "adjusted" Surf's Up with "Surf's Up", did Reprise feel that CATP - So Tough was so weak that they had to graft Pet Sounds to it, Holland had to be re-worked by adding "Sail On Sailor", deleting "We Got Love", and manufacturing a special 45 for "Mt. Vernon & Fairway", and In Concert was transformed from a single album to a double album with substantially different songs. It must've been a nightmare.

Ironically, when Reprise finally let The Beach Boys do their thing, they (Reprise) got 15 Big Ones and Love You. That's when Reprise should've intervened!

Some of Reprise's interventions were misguided, but often they were absolutely right: the tracklisting on Sunflower is vastly superior to the original line-up the group were offering up, and Sail on Sailor is a much better song than We Got Love (had We Got Love stayed on the album it'd have been far and away the weakest song on the album - to me, it's always seemed far more suited to CATP...) 

[EgoHanger1966]

Well yes, there was that as well, for definite. I've heard it said that Capitol were more concerned with milking the British invasion at this point.

Not really. They passed on most of the British groups that were offered to them, including The Hollies, Gerry & The Pacemakers, Billy J Kramer, Freddie And The Dreamers, Swinging Blue Jeans....some of these groups appeared on Capitol of Canada, who obviously knew not to pass on these acts. Hell, Capitol passed on the Beatles initially, Capitol of Canada jumped on them right away.

They did get Peter & Gordon, so I guess you have to give them SOME credit....

[NHC]

Yeah, I imagine being on Reprise must have been a bit of a shock - Sunflower turned down twice (was it twice?), the 'we need a single' response that Holland got, etc

Yeah, if Cam Mott's post/point is correct, and I believe it is, then Reprise must've been the anti-Capitol. Didn't Reprise reject almost every release during the first couple of years? Sunflower was rejected more than once, they "adjusted" Surf's Up with "Surf's Up", did Reprise feel that CATP - So Tough was so weak that they had to graft Pet Sounds to it, Holland had to be re-worked by adding "Sail On Sailor", deleting "We Got Love", and manufacturing a special 45 for "Mt. Vernon & Fairway", and In Concert was transformed from a single album to a double album with substantially different songs. It must've been a nightmare.

Ironically, when Reprise finally let The Beach Boys do their thing, they (Reprise) got 15 Big Ones and Love You. That's when Reprise should've intervened!

Some of Reprise's interventions were misguided, but often they were absolutely right: the tracklisting on Sunflower is vastly superior to the original line-up the group were offering up, and Sail on Sailor is a much better song than We Got Love (had We Got Love stayed on the album it'd have been far and away the weakest song on the album - to me, it's always seemed far more suited to CATP...) 

We Got Love should have been on a studio album, Surf's Up, CATP, doesn't matter, altho' my own opinion is Surf's Up.  I've always thought of it as a strong tune and don't understand why it got shelved.

[drbeachboy]

Considering it was due to be included on Holland, it may not have been written in time for CATP. Neither Ricky or Blondie were official members of the band for it to have been included on Surf's Up. There really was nowhere else to place the song, but on Holland. As it turned out, they made the right choice ditching it in favor of Sail On Sailor. Besides, the live version on In Concert is a much better arrangement than the studio version. Love the song, though.

[I. Spaceman]

We Got Love shouldn't have been ditched in favor of Sail On Sailor. I think it should have been included in favor of Leaving This Town. It is at least an upbeat, rocking tune, not a slow synth-solo drag. In my opinion, the only good Ricky/Blondie BB contribution.

[Alex]

We Got Love shouldn't have been ditched in favor of Sail On Sailor. I think it should have been included in favor of Leaving This Town. It is at least an upbeat, rocking tune, not a slow synth-solo drag. In my opinion, the only good Ricky/Blondie BB contribution.

No love for Here She Comes?

[I. Spaceman]

We Got Love shouldn't have been ditched in favor of Sail On Sailor. I think it should have been included in favor of Leaving This Town. It is at least an upbeat, rocking tune, not a slow synth-solo drag. In my opinion, the only good Ricky/Blondie BB contribution.

No love for Here She Comes?

No, I actually can barely make it through that one.

[drbeachboy]

Unless you have heard a better studio version than what I've heard, the sound of the studio version is quite dull. The live version rocks way more than the studio version.

[I. Spaceman]

Unless you have heard a better studio version than what I've heard, the sound of the studio version is quite dull. The live version rocks way more than the studio version.

I agree. It still rocks more than most of their output on that era, tho. Not that everything has to rock, but it would have been a relief from the slowness of the second side.

[rogerlancelot]

I love "Here She Comes". And I bet Mike Love has a hairy bum. Not my final verdict but more of an intuitive guess.

[Alex]

We Got Love shouldn't have been ditched in favor of Sail On Sailor. I think it should have been included in favor of Leaving This Town. It is at least an upbeat, rocking tune, not a slow synth-solo drag. In my opinion, the only good Ricky/Blondie BB contribution.

No love for Here She Comes?

No, I actually can barely make it through that one.

But that funky bassline...

[Gertie J.]

leave him off Alex, he's a gone case.

[I. Spaceman]

leave him off Alex, he's a gone case.

Don't start, "Gertie". I like songs written and recorded by actual Beach Boys on my Beach Boys albums. If I want funky basslines, I'll listen to Bootsy's Rubber Band.

[Andrew G. Doe]

We Got Love should have been on a studio album, Surf's Up, CATP, doesn't matter, altho' my own opinion is Surf's Up. 

Bit tricky, as it wasn't written then.

[Gertie J.]

leave him off Alex, he's a gone case.

Don't start, "Gertie". I like songs written and recorded by actual Beach Boys on my Beach Boys albums. If I want funky basslines, I'll listen to Bootsy's Rubber Band.

alright, "I."

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Not to bring this up again, but Blondie and Ricky were Beach Boys. If they were billed as such by the rest of the band, then they were legit Beach Boys. It would be different if they were just hired hands for the live shows or session musicians. Can't say it's because they weren't there long enough as they were there about the same amount of time as Dave was initially.  Can't say it's because they aren't family, because neither are Alan or Bruce. Can't say it's because they changed the sound of the band, because that is what happens much of the time when a new member joins a band. There's no good reason to exclude them.

[MBE]

Not to bring this up again, but Blondie and Ricky were Beach Boys. If they were billed as such by the rest of the band, then they were legit Beach Boys. It would be different if they were just hired hands for the live shows or session musicians. Can't say it's because they weren't there long enough as they were there about the same amount of time as Dave was initially.  Can't say it's because they aren't family, because neither are Alan or Bruce. Can't say it's because they changed the sound of the band, because that is what happens much of the time when a new member joins a band. There's no good reason to exclude them.

No they are real Beach Boys to me.

[Myk Luhv]

I'd take Blondie and Ricky's songs over Bruce's or Al's any day.

[Mike's Beard]

It may be an extreme example but saying Blondie and Ricky were not proper members of The Beach Boys because they were only in the band for a couple of years is like saying Syd Barrett wasn't a proper member of Pink Floyd!!