When was the last time the Beach Boys were an actual live rock band?

[GhostyTMRS]

When was the last time the Beach Boys were a functioning rock and roll band on stage and made major instrumental contributions to the sound coming over the PA system? In other words, THEY were the band you were hearing, not a small army of sidemen or backing musicians? I suppose a good equation for this would be when was the last time sidemen and backing musicians didn't outnumber the actual members of The Beach Boys? (Blondie and Ricky count as legit members in this discussion)

* This is not a slam against any of the fine touring musicians who've worked with any incarnation of The Beach Boys past or present. Solo shows by Brian, Carl, whoever don't count because they're not billed as Beach Boys concerts.

[Douchepool]

The Hawaii shows in August of 1967 come to mind. I think I read something about the band attempting to bring some backup musicians to Europe when they toured there in the spring of 1967 but were unable to due to union/visa issues.

[GhostyTMRS]

I'm also guessing the London shows of 1968 as documented on the live album? Mainly Ed Carter and a horn section if I'm not mistaken (and I probably am......Cue Andrew G. Doe.)

[adamghost]

When was the last time the Beach Boys were a functioning rock and roll band on stage and made major instrumental contributions to the sound coming over the PA system? In other words, THEY were the band you were hearing, not a small army of sidemen or backing musicians? I suppose a good equation for this would be when was the last time sidemen and backing musicians didn't outnumber the actual members of The Beach Boys? (Blondie and Ricky count as legit members in this discussion)

* This is not a slam against any of the fine touring musicians who've worked with any incarnation of The Beach Boys past or present. Solo shows by Brian, Carl, whoever don't count because they're not billed as Beach Boys concerts.

I think perhaps briefly in 1980.  IIRC the Fridays show was Carl, Brian, Al, Bruce, Mike, with all four playing BBs at least somewhat audible instrumentally in the mix, plus Meros, the bassist (doesn't appear to be Ed Carter) and Bobby F.  At one point it very clearly shows Brian doubling (correctly) the tricky bass pattern on "Keepin' The Summer Alive."

https://youtu.be/mAS1sRMi-yk

[GhostyTMRS]

Thanks for that clip. I've never seen it before. I've often read about how the boys would make Brian's piano inaudible out of fear that he would be playing another song entirely (and I'm sure Brian did do that on occasion) but if you look at this clip, yes, he's clearly playing along and playing the correct parts.

[Camus]

Good to see Brian so into the performance and very audible on the piano.

[Lee Marshall]

I'm almost certain when I saw them in '72 in Toronto ['Beggar's Banquet' concert/Burrough of York Stadium] it was pretty much just the Beach Boys.  The Captain might have been there on keyboards as Bruce was long gone at that point.  Ricky was drumming, because Dennis was out of commision in that regard and, as a result, up front singing.  It was a GREAT show.  That's the one where I went back to the Beverly Hills Motor Inn with them in the limo and subsequently had a meal with Carl.

By '76...Jack was gone.  Mike was back up front and centre.  Endless Summer had impacted and 15 'big ones' was the focus of the moment...unfortunately.  A huge ship-like prop was sitting back behind them.  "Them" including a bundle of back up musicians.  That live Beach Boys double album from '73 must have been pretty much just the BOYS.  They could 'deliver the goods' back in the day.

I  retroactively reclaim my post in the thread about when they were at their best live in concert.  It was when Jack was the manager.  Hands down.  They were still goo through the rest of the 70s...but THAT wore off slowly but surely.

[GhostyTMRS]

The shows from the Jack Reilly era are indeed legendary, and again The Beach Boys themselves are making most of the music.

Do the C50 shows hold the record for the most backing musicians ever assembled onstage at a "Beach Boys" concert? 10 compared to the 5 actual Beach Boys (and I'm including Mike's tambourine in that equation).

[Douchepool]

Do cheerleaders count?

[SMiLE Brian]

When they told uncomfortable seat jokes....

[GhostyTMRS]

When they told uncomfortable seat jokes....

Whoops! Lost my head again.

Actually, "Live In London" is the best Beach Boys live album IMO.

[Lee Marshall]

I, on the other hand, MUCH prefer the 73 album.  The playing and singing is far more confident...and modern sounding.  And that horribly off-putting patter and lisping and mincing and just plain goofiness from the group's spokesperson/front man is just wrong. on Live in London.

What the heck was he 'thinking'?

'The Beach Boys in Concert' is when they came of age LIVE and became known as one of the very best touring groups in the world.  [and Carl was more the centre of attention]  You know what it was?  Listen to Heroes and Villains.  They were actually having FUN...and enjoying it.  It's so easy to hear...and it was infectious.

[Douchepool]

The 1972-73 tour box set needs to happen.

[SMiLE Brian]

Agreed!

[lostbeachboy]

The 1972-73 tour box set needs to happen.

yeaaa I've pretty much given hope on that one. All we get is 1 f***ing song from different shows (made in california). For Christs sakes "Summer in Paradise" (London 1993) how random is that....



Didn't Mike say something about releasing archive material that its scraping the bottom of the barrel? yet he wants to re-record some of the beach boys songs... yeaaa that makes total sense.

[wantsomecorn]

I'm almost certain when I saw them in '72 in Toronto ['Beggar's Banquet' concert/Burrough of York Stadium] it was pretty much just the Beach Boys.  The Captain might have been there on keyboards as Bruce was long gone at that point.  Ricky was drumming, because Dennis was out of commision in that regard and, as a result, up front singing.  It was a GREAT show.  That's the one where I went back to the Beverly Hills Motor Inn with them in the limo and subsequently had a meal with Carl.

You sure that was '72? All the info I could find for the Beggar's Banquet Festival was from 1971, and they didn't play Canada at all in '72. Maybe you're confusing it with a another show you saw in '72?

The lineup for shows in that period (late June - Early July) was the same as the lineup from the Good Vibrations in Central Park Concert:

Mike
Carl
Al
Bruce
Dennis (I believe these would have been one of his first shows since his hand accident? The Bellagio lists him as absent from the show preceding and following this, but not this show, so who knows)

The Horn Section
Mike Kowalski (drums)
Carli Munoz (percussion)
Luther Coffee (bass)
Daryl Dragon (keys)

[Lee Marshall]

YOU are right.  I am horrible with dates/years...

Concerts at Borough of York Stadium
1971 Jun 26 The Beach Boys, Beggar's Banquet
1971 Jun 26 Blood Rock , Beggar's Banquet
1971 Jun 26 Bread , Beggar's Banquet
1971 Jun 26 Alice Cooper, Beggar's Banquet
1971 Jun 26 Lighthouse, Beggar's Banquet
1971 Jun 26 Steppenwolf, Beggar's Banquet

That's the show.  1971.  I can never keep it straight...and I was there.

[Bill30022]

The shows from the Jack Reilly era are indeed legendary, and again The Beach Boys themselves are making most of the music.

Do the C50 shows hold the record for the most backing musicians ever assembled onstage at a "Beach Boys" concert? 10 compared to the 5 actual Beach Boys (and I'm including Mike's tambourine in that equation).

I would think that the record for most backing musicians would be from 76 through 78. When I first saw them at the Boston Garden  in  1976 you had Carl, Dennis Al & Mike augmented by Ed Carter (bass), Charles Lloyd (sax and flute), Billy Hinche (guitar and piano), Bobby Figeroua (percussion and drums), Carli Munoz (keyboards), another keyboardist (either Elmo Peeler or Gary Griffen) and a five piece horn section). That is 11 to 3 instrumental Bech Boys.

During the summer of 1980 you had six Beach Boys on stage augmented by 3 sidemen. Thta might be the last time  the ratio was that big in favor actual Beach Boys.

[Bill30022]

Could things on that performance from Fridays:

- There is an empty percussion set up next to the drum kit. It looks like Dennis might have been an unexpected no-ahow.
- Carl dominates the performance both vocally and visually with his black clothes sticking out next to the light colored clothes ofmhis band mates.