Bruce talks of the Beach Boys playing Vegas!

[astroray]

http://www.reviewjournal.com/entertainment/music/have-fun-fun-fun-beach-boys

[Eric Aniversario]

This is not going to win Bruce any points here...who's going to "win" makes it clear there is somewhat of a rivalry between the BB factions, then he backpedals and calls it a "noncompetition", then throws an indirect zinger toward Brian (and between the lines an even more indirect slam toward Al).

But kudos to him for making great business decisions and making great money for his family for generations to come.

[Nicko1234]

This is not going to win Bruce any points here...who's going to "win" makes it clear there is somewhat of a rivalry between the BB factions, then he backpedals and calls it a "noncompetition", then throws an indirect zinger toward Brian (and between the lines an even more indirect slam toward Al).

I wouldn't say that is backpedaling. I don't think he was talking about rivalry and was just talking about a business thing. Any band called The Beach Boys can play 100 concerts a year. Brian, Al and Dave might play 10.

[Mikie]

“The band that’s going to win the noncompetition, no offense to Brian, is whoever’s called the Beach Boys. Mike got the license to be the Beach Boys, and he’s kind of the front guy. I thought, ‘Well he’s my friend, I’ll just kind of hang in this world."

Yeah, all I have to do is ride Mike's coattails for another year, saunter across the stage smiling and clapping my hands and stand behind my keyboard and play a few notes, sing two songs, and adjust my microphone a few times. That's it! And I get big bucks for that, just by being Mike Love's buddy and kissing his freckled white ass all these years! And I'm a Beach Boy! And any other band that plays Beach Boys songs (even if it has original members in it) is NOT the real Beach Boys! Can you believe that sh*t?

Bruce Johnston
Montecito, California
May 11, 2013 *
 
* Kicking it watching the bikini-clad women walking down the beach and knocking back Pacifico's.

[SenorPotatoHead]

They may as well go to Vegas at this point, and actually I'm kind of surprised they haven't done so yet.    The Beach Boys are not, and haven't been a creative force for the past 40 years.  Yes, they've made some good new music in that time, but the focus has been chiefly on keepin' the show on the road and the summer alive.   Nothing wrong with that, because as Bruce states, they made that schtick "BIG business", and I can't fault a fella for milking the cow if he has a pail to fill.   They should go to Vegas.  It is, at this point, a perfect fit for what has for so long now constituted "The Beach Boys". 

[Nicko1234]

Yeah, all I have to do is ride Mike's coattails for another year, saunter across the stage smiling and clapping my hands and stand behind my keyboard and play a few notes, sing two songs, and adjust my microphone a few times. That's it! And I get big bucks for that, just by being Mike Love's buddy and kissing his freckled white ass all these years! And I'm a Beach Boy! And any other band that plays Beach Boys songs (even though it has original members in it) is NOT the real Beach Boys! Can you believe that sh*t?

It's funny because it's true.

To be fair to Mike and Bruce, they have done a great job since 1998 in continuing the touring Beach Boys and they have adapted the brand to suit the business. I don't think Al, for example, would have had the business sense to have done that...

[Letsgoawayforawhile]

Was this interview done inside Mike's butt? I'm sure Bruce hasn't found his way out of it since the tour ended.

[KittyKat]

The quotes from that article said that Bruce said those things last year, not recently. So, it may have been in reaction to the things that were flying back and forth between the two camps right after the tour ended.

Actually, if the Beach Boys had a residency in Las Vegas, it's not that low prestige of a gig. If Elton John and Billy Joel could do it, so could the Beach Boys. I'm not sure they'd have the drawing power to fill a major show room for weeks at a time, though, even if they re-assembled the C50 line-up.

[wantsomecorn]

The Beach Boys have played Vegas before. They've been playing it since at least 1984 (at Caesar's Palace, not bad), so it's not like this is some sudden cash-grab orchestrated by Mike and Bruce to undermine The Beach Boys image.

[Dave in KC]

I was there and Brian was very good with the group. I would call it a dignified concert for the time. Beach Boys in tuxes!! Mike was fully in charge of watching Brian while Carl  made sure everything else was right. This was a good time period for the touring BB. People were hanging from the rafters. A friend tipped the right person well, for sure, as we made our way to a table near the front. Magical night, as were many others in the mid to late 80's. Saw many shows during that time. From Vegas(also at the Thomas and Mack center) to outside Miami on a bay on a freakin' barge, and several states in between. Just a slice of what I saw since 1968.

[leggo of my ego]

 

Was this interview done inside Mike's butt? I'm sure Bruce hasn't found his way out of it since the tour ended.

 

[oldsurferdude]

“The band that’s going to win the noncompetition, no offense to Brian, is whoever’s called the Beach Boys. Mike got the license to be the Beach Boys, and he’s kind of the front guy. I thought, ‘Well he’s my friend, I’ll just kind of hang in this world."

Yeah, all I have to do is ride Mike's coattails for another year, saunter across the stage smiling and clapping my hands and stand behind my keyboard and play a few notes, sing two songs, and adjust my microphone a few times. That's it! And I get big bucks for that, just by being Mike Love's buddy and kissing his freckled white ass all these years! And I'm a Beach Boy! And any other band that plays Beach Boys songs (even if it has original members in it) is NOT the real Beach Boys! Can you believe that sh*t?

Bruce Johnston
Montecito, California
May 11, 2013 *
 
* Kicking it watching the bikini-clad women walking down the beach and knocking back Pacifico's.

A pathetic, sad tip 'o the hat to the almighty buck by the Broothster. What a piece of work. Just another good reason to ignore both him and mYke luHv.

[Shady]

He's a worm, A virus. Nice to know he admits it.

[Wirestone]

This is not going to win Bruce any points here...who's going to "win" makes it clear there is somewhat of a rivalry between the BB factions, then he backpedals and calls it a "noncompetition", then throws an indirect zinger toward Brian (and between the lines an even more indirect slam toward Al).

I wouldn't say that is backpedaling. I don't think he was talking about rivalry and was just talking about a business thing. Any band called The Beach Boys can play 100 concerts a year. Brian, Al and Dave might play 10.

Yet magically Brian appeared at some 75 Beach Boys shows in 2012 and sang lead on a sizable chunk of songs in each one. Bizarre!

[Nicko1234]

Yet magically Brian appeared at some 75 Beach Boys shows in 2012 and sang lead on a sizable chunk of songs in each one. Bizarre!

Yes. That band that played 75 shows was called The Beach Boys. Which is the whole point.

[Doo Dah]

To paraphrase the old Hee Haw routine from Roy Clark and Buck Owens...



 

[HeyJude]

Rather than trying to pull the license from Mike, could Brian and Al instead offer to let Mike keep the license with even more favorable terms if Bruce is "retired"? 

[lostbeachboy]

According to Rieley in his 1996 posts to the "Smiley Smile" message board, in 1971 the band had split into two camps: the artistically inclined, drug using, bashful Wilson brothers and the commercially-oriented, teetotalling triumvirate of Mike Love, Al Jardine, and Bruce Johnston..... So true it's scary! Well who knows about Al and Dave, there just kind of there.

[wantsomecorn]

Hey, that's our board!

[leggo of my ego]

To paraphrase the old Hee Haw routine from Roy Clark and Buck Owens...



 

Perfect. I was thinking the same thing when I saw the pic on that webpage.

[Mikie]

In 1977, it was the Loves vs. the Wilsons. Al gravitated to the Love camp. Bruce was out to lunch at the time, but later joined the Love camp. He knew where the gravy train was headed....

[lostbeachboy]

Brian writes the songs, mike sings them... Brian needs mike, and mike needs brian. I don't blame brian one bit for abandoning his leadership in the early days. He prolly thought nobody likes my music (post pet sounds) so f*** them!

[runnersdialzero]

Was this interview done inside Mike's butt?

No, but many years ago I saw one that was. It was just awful.

[Letsgoawayforawhile]

Was this interview done inside Mike's butt?

No, but many years ago I saw one that was. It was just awful.

I always thought that would be a Fun, Fun, Fun interview giving off plenty of Good Vibrations.
Who would've thought?!

[Tony S]

Look, Bruce is on the gravy train, and has been for years. He really does very little on stage, hardly sings or plays, and other than allowing Mike the opportunity to say he has 2 authentic Beach Boys in his band, contributes nothing to the overall end result. Now, that being said, if I was Bruce, I might just do the same thing......killer job, great home in Santa Barbara, many kids in expensive colleges, etc.....well paid for what he does.....where else could he find a job like this. Would be nice if he kept his mouth shut about it, but really, most of us would kill to be in his shoes, monetarily anyway.