Q&A: Mike Love's Half-Century With The Beach Boys

[KDS]

He just had to mention Kokomo as one of his favourite songs!!!  

Had to mention "Good Vibrations" as one too - the sheer nerve of the man ! How dare he like two of the bands #1 hits !!

You seem to very touchy when someone mentions Mike Love   Kokomo is terrible I don't know what people where thinking buying that record!

Maybe its because I'm a child of the 1980s.  Or my foundness for Jimmy Buffett style island/rock/pop, but I like Kokomo and never really understood the venom directed at that song.  

It may not be in the top 20 BB songs ever, but I think there are far worse BB songs in the catalog.  And some of those come from the creative years of 1962-1973.  

Is it because the song had no involvement from Brian Wilson that the song is hated so much?  It is the Buffett meets adult contemporary style?  It is that some people can't appreciate a relaxing song while day drinking on a hot day?  Was it that pink shirt that John Stamos wears in the video?  

Didn't Brian appear on the Spanish version of the record?

I don't like it much either, though Carl's vocal redeems it a bit. It's just that list of names again (seem to rember that from other successful BB songs...). Some Army guys did a jokey version called Kosovo (if there is anything funny about Kosovo).

Yes, Brian's on the spanish version.  Which, to my knowledge, isn't available on CD.  Yet another "lost" Beach Boys track that has yet to be properly released.  I'm constantly amazed that, for a group that has released two career spanning box sets, there's still a lot of tracks unavailable. 

[Andrew G. Doe]

Perhaps the Administrators can orchestrate a Smiley Smile Board "Mike Love Q&A" similar to what was done with Brian earlier this year.  This will give us the opportunity to ask him more interesting questions rather that the same old retreads in these interviews.

That's a spanking good idea. Someone should get on the case pronto.

[Mujan, 8@$+@Rc| of a Blue Wizard]

Perhaps the Administrators can orchestrate a Smiley Smile Board "Mike Love Q&A" similar to what was done with Brian earlier this year.  This will give us the opportunity to ask him more interesting questions rather that the same old retreads in these interviews.

That's a spanking good idea. Someone should get on the case pronto.

That's what I'm sayin yo

[GhostyTMRS]

During the last Beach Boys special I aired, I played "Kokomo" and had people call in to vote "yay" or "nay" on it. These are not hardcore Beach Boys fanatics who walk around with the band's baggage (real or imaginary) in their heads, but average Oldies music listeners. The response was 100% favorable. When I mentioned on the air that there's a subculture out there who hates the song, people were either baffled as to why or were completely unaware that such disdain for it even existed. 

..and I hate to tell you, some of them had never even heard the song before.

[HeyJude]

Aside from the hardcore BB fans, there is definitely a good hunk of culture who kind of simultaneously hates and love stuff. “Kokomo” falls into this category along with a bunch of other 80’s stuff. People make fun of it, and also like it. Guilty pleasure, irony, all kinds of stuff like that.

There’s stuff I *love* where I can see why someone wouldn’t like it or poke fun at it. I would say someone would have to be living in a pretty cloistered bubble to not even *fathom* why someone else might make fun of “Kokomo” or find it annoying or cloying or vapid or sell-out or whatever. I’m not saying I believe I all these things. But I wouldn’t find such arguments completely unsupportable. And in the age of the internet, you can find someone obsessing and hating on pretty much any song or movie or topic imaginable.

I caught an airing of the “Kokomo” video on VH1 (I think) once several years back where a bunch of comedians basically riffed on the entire thing. It’s easily able to be mocked, whether you like the song or video or not. Speaking of Al Jardine in the video, one person asked why David Spade’s Dad was in the video. 

[GhostyTMRS]

Aside from the hardcore BB fans, there is definitely a good hunk of culture who kind of simultaneously hates and love stuff. “Kokomo” falls into this category along with a bunch of other 80’s stuff. People make fun of it, and also like it. Guilty pleasure, irony, all kinds of stuff like that.

There’s stuff I *love* where I can see why someone wouldn’t like it or poke fun at it. I would say someone would have to be living in a pretty cloistered bubble to not even *fathom* why someone else might make fun of “Kokomo” or find it annoying or cloying or vapid or sell-out or whatever. I’m not saying I believe I all these things. But I wouldn’t find such arguments completely unsupportable. And in the age of the internet, you can find someone obsessing and hating on pretty much any song or movie or topic imaginable.

I caught an airing of the “Kokomo” video on VH1 (I think) once several years back where a bunch of comedians basically riffed on the entire thing. It’s easily able to be mocked, whether you like the song or video or not. Speaking of Al Jardine in the video, one person asked why David Spade’s Dad was in the video. 

Not only is it supportable. It's true. Again, I'm talking about Oldies fans in the sense that they're around the same age as The Beach Boys themselves. The kind of crowd that goes to the custom car shows, sees The Buckinghams when they come around, etc. Their attitude was "God bless them. They're still out there doing it. They're showing the young kids that they still have it" and if someone was making fun of the song, it was taken as a personal affront to their generation.

The big key to what you said is "the age of the internet". I can tell you that most of them don't have the internet and probably never will. The backlash against "Kokomo" (or even something truly appalling like "We Built This City") completely passed them by.

[Cam Mott]

Sadly, considering the last few interviews we’ve seen, this one is comparatively innocuous. This is more a case of the standard quickie interview. I do think it’s disappointing though not surprising that he completely evades a pretty specific question about the demise of C50 by, wait for it, mentioning Brian doing “himself a lot of damage” years ago. As I’ve mentioned many times in the past, I totally acknowledge that these guys that get asked the same questions over and over end up having the same canned responses. (See most McCartney interviews for instance). But this was not a typical 100% fluff question; it was about the demise of C50. Not only did Mike evade the question, he then went into a canned response, and one that dredges up the same negative stuff AGAIN. I get it, there are some fans that don’t have that filter; they think bringing up something bad that someone did DECADES ago is not beating a dead horse at all. To me, it’s like a parent reminding their kids of something they did in high school when their kids are in their 40’s.

He then continues to *not* address the question at all and goes into his spiel about he and Brian were best buds back in 1962.

I give the interviewer credit for at least asking one or two pertinent questions. Unfortunately, he didn’t really follow up on the non-answers (I get it, this was probably a 10-minute phone interview), and a lot of it was disappointingly junior high school level (“What are your favorite Beach Boys songs?” Really, do you really think that is something he hasn’t been asked literally a thousand times? And you’re asking this of a guy who has a track record for discussing the same five Beach Boys songs in every interview?)

Actually Mike didn't avoid anything, the guy asked about a past split "years ago" and the present and the future and Mike answered about the past, present, and the future.  The guy just made a declarative statement about C50.

"Q: Pretty much anyone who has heard of the Beach Boys knows the group has had its ups and downs and is aware of the split between you and Brian Wilson years ago. You reunited with Wilson for the 50th anniversary tour and then went your separate ways again. And now there is the new movie about him, "Love and Mercy." What caused the estrangement? And do you think the fence can ever be permanently mended?"

[HeyJude]

Nah, I think the question pertained, at the very least in part, to the "estrangement" that occurred due to going "separate ways" after C50. I don't believe the interviewer interrupted his own question with a non-sequitur thought that had nothing to do with anything.

It's the same fallback answer Mike uses whenever he can, even when the answer doesn't really pertain directly to the question: Brian did a lot of drugs, and that affected ME (Mike). He then proceeds to give bullet points about how they were best buds.

I'm not saying what Mike says is *always* inappropriate or objectionable as an answer. It's just inappropriate and/or objectionable when he says the same thing over and over, dredging up the asked-and-answered issue of Brian's long-past problems, and when he uses these stock answers in lieu of always answering the question at hand or addressing the issues brought up.

My guess is he doesn't want to address the C50 issue because it contradicts his apparent assertion that any "estrangement" is due to all of Brian's problems, because it was Mike that essentially quit "The Beach Boys" and Brian in 2012.

[The LEGENDARY OSD]

*yawn* on any Mike Q&A. Its all about how BW did drugs and Mike is some TM superman....

Yeah, double yawn. Instead of a Q&A, it will morph into a Q&L, that is a question about TM and the answer turning into a lecture. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.

[Doo Dah]

*yawn* on any Mike Q&A. Its all about how BW did drugs and Mike is some TM superman....

  TM Superman. That's hilarious!

Superman and Green Lan-tern ain't got...nothin' on me...

[Pretty Funky]

Another Mike story. I'll lob in this grenade....

The Beach Boys and all these bands that ever existed are a team. I learned as captain of my cross country team that you don't put a person down to get their best efforts, you encourage them.



http://qctimes.com/entertainment/keeping-beach-boys-sound-is-a-labor-of-love/article_ddd38bef-b86b-593b-a002-dcf7ecf28e80.html

[Andrew G. Doe]

*yawn* on any Mike Q&A. Its all about how BW did drugs and Mike is some TM superman....

Yeah, double yawn. Instead of a Q&A, it will morph into a Q&L, that is a question about TM and the answer turning into a lecture. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.

Well, let's set it up and find out for sure. Mike, howsabout doing a Q&A here so's we can get the answers straight from the source ? I know you read this forum. 

[Cam Mott]

Nah, I think the question pertained, at the very least in part, to the "estrangement" that occurred due to going "separate ways" after C50. I don't believe the interviewer interrupted his own question with a non-sequitur thought that had nothing to do with anything.

It's the same fallback answer Mike uses whenever he can, even when the answer doesn't really pertain directly to the question: Brian did a lot of drugs, and that affected ME (Mike). He then proceeds to give bullet points about how they were best buds.

I'm not saying what Mike says is *always* inappropriate or objectionable as an answer. It's just inappropriate and/or objectionable when he says the same thing over and over, dredging up the asked-and-answered issue of Brian's long-past problems, and when he uses these stock answers in lieu of always answering the question at hand or addressing the issues brought up.

My guess is he doesn't want to address the C50 issue because it contradicts his apparent assertion that any "estrangement" is due to all of Brian's problems, because it was Mike that essentially quit "The Beach Boys" and Brian in 2012.

Nah, he answered the questions asked.

[filledeplage]

Aside from the hardcore BB fans, there is definitely a good hunk of culture who kind of simultaneously hates and love stuff. “Kokomo” falls into this category along with a bunch of other 80’s stuff. People make fun of it, and also like it. Guilty pleasure, irony, all kinds of stuff like that.

There’s stuff I *love* where I can see why someone wouldn’t like it or poke fun at it. I would say someone would have to be living in a pretty cloistered bubble to not even *fathom* why someone else might make fun of “Kokomo” or find it annoying or cloying or vapid or sell-out or whatever. I’m not saying I believe I all these things. But I wouldn’t find such arguments completely unsupportable. And in the age of the internet, you can find someone obsessing and hating on pretty much any song or movie or topic imaginable.

I caught an airing of the “Kokomo” video on VH1 (I think) once several years back where a bunch of comedians basically riffed on the entire thing. It’s easily able to be mocked, whether you like the song or video or not. Speaking of Al Jardine in the video, one person asked why David Spade’s Dad was in the video.  

Hey Jude - what seeing this film, and buying that CD unraveled for me is that during that Kokomo era, Landy was sort of looking to have it both ways.  I saw Brian (with Landy in the wings) in 1987.  So he is singing (and why shouldn't he be) with the BB's.  But under Landy's control.  Then Brian has this single CD with DR. EUGENE LANDY as EXECUTIVE PRODUCER (I'm using the vile all caps used on the CD.)  This single CD is 1988.  Kokomo comes out via the film hugely successful Cocktail.

Landy missed the boat with Brian not on the blockbuster single. There is some section of Endless Harmony which supports this fully, that he would have sung on Kokomo. But Brian ends up on the Spanish version.  Brian is still occasionally touring with the BB's, at least two years later, in 1990.  So, two things are going on at the same time.  I'm not seeing much discussion on this.  And, it seems that the BB's had to go through Landy to appear.  

And, further, what the film seems to unravel for me, is that Brian is deliberately isolated from everyone except the "chosen few on Landy's list" to be used for "brains and genius" (and I won't even put that in caps) using, but really "abusing" the spirit (and the letter) of what a court ordered guardianship is supposed to be.  There is a lot of murky water here.  At the point where Melinda intervenes, and notifies the family (after unsuccessfully trying the Attorney General, who should have at least investigated her claim.) Landy was a clever actor.  And not unlike those parents who can "put on a show" in front of a social worker, and then as soon as the door closes go back to the abuse.

That movie was damned hard, for me to watch, (because I love this music so much) notwithstanding that is a very fine film, I won't see it in a theater again. Not unlike Melinda's reaction, I needed some time to process what I had just seen.  She went for a drive.  I went for a drink.  It must be such a relief to see this film unravel those time blocks, but, the process could not have been an easy one.

And, I'll get a DVD when it comes out.  A theater is a public place.  Now, a potentially dangerous one, after the most recent catastrophe.  There should be, or should have been DVD's sent out to the band, and their families, as a courtesy, for private viewing.  And not be subjected to social media, should some knucklehead with a cell phone decide to upload one of them coming or going from a theater where it is still playing.  It is highly sensitive material covered.  

The court got this particular decision SO wrong.

[ruskalupagus]

Seeing mike talk about working on a new solo album it makes me wonder. Since he essentially just rents the Beach Boys name for touring, would be have the authority to release a new album under the Beach Boys name? I'm guessing it'd have to be voted on by the trust?

[Jim V.]

Seeing mike talk about working on a new solo album it makes me wonder. Since he essentially just rents the Beach Boys name for touring, would be have the authority to release a new album under the Beach Boys name? I'm guessing it'd have to be voted on by the trust?

No. It will not happen. I doubt he would even try.

If (and that's a pretty big if) he ever works up the courage to again release something new of his own, I don't think for a second he is stupid enough to even approach Brian and Al about releasing it as a "Beach Boys" album. Mike isn't that stupid.

However, what I very well could see Mike doing is having something like this on his album cover....


THE BEACH BOYS' Mike Love Presents.... Mr. Positivity: The Album.

I mean, he, Bruce and Dave sure conveniently did the same kinda thing on that NASCAR album. I mean, compare the lack of emphasis on their names to how large and how attention grabbingly it says BEACH BOYS on that thing. Sure seems somebody wanted people to think that thing was a "Beach Boys" album.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Seeing mike talk about working on a new solo album it makes me wonder. Since he essentially just rents the Beach Boys name for touring, would be have the authority to release a new album under the Beach Boys name? I'm guessing it'd have to be voted on by the trust?

Mike's license to use The Beach Boys name is for touring purposes only: he cannot release an album as by The Beach Boys any more than Brian or Alan can. Only The Beach Boys can record as The Beach Boys.

[KDS]

Seeing mike talk about working on a new solo album it makes me wonder. Since he essentially just rents the Beach Boys name for touring, would be have the authority to release a new album under the Beach Boys name? I'm guessing it'd have to be voted on by the trust?

Mike's license to use The Beach Boys name is for touring purposes only: he cannot release an album as by The Beach Boys any more than Brian or Alan can. Only The Beach Boys can record as The Beach Boys.

Thank goodness for that.  If not, we may have had three or four more Summer in Paradise type albums stinking up the catalog. 

[The LEGENDARY OSD]

Seeing mike talk about working on a new solo album it makes me wonder. Since he essentially just rents the Beach Boys name for touring, would be have the authority to release a new album under the Beach Boys name? I'm guessing it'd have to be voted on by the trust?

Mike's license to use The Beach Boys name is for touring purposes only: he cannot release an album as by The Beach Boys any more than Brian or Alan can. Only The Beach Boys can record as The Beach Boys.

Thank goodness for that.  If not, we may have had three or four more Summer in Paradise type albums stinking up the catalog. 

  You got that right!! Quite sure there's more SIP infested material languishing somewhere just waiting like a plague to be cast upon the world.

[filledeplage]

Seeing mike talk about working on a new solo album it makes me wonder. Since he essentially just rents the Beach Boys name for touring, would be have the authority to release a new album under the Beach Boys name? I'm guessing it'd have to be voted on by the trust?

Mike's license to use The Beach Boys name is for touring purposes only: he cannot release an album as by The Beach Boys any more than Brian or Alan can. Only The Beach Boys can record as The Beach Boys.

Thank goodness for that.  If not, we may have had three or four more Summer in Paradise type albums stinking up the catalog. 

  You got that right!! Quite sure there's more SIP infested material languishing somewhere just waiting like a plague to be cast upon the world.

Now OSD - SIP is not bad, I don't think...I wonder how much better it would have sounded without "auto-drum." 

[KDS]

Seeing mike talk about working on a new solo album it makes me wonder. Since he essentially just rents the Beach Boys name for touring, would be have the authority to release a new album under the Beach Boys name? I'm guessing it'd have to be voted on by the trust?

Mike's license to use The Beach Boys name is for touring purposes only: he cannot release an album as by The Beach Boys any more than Brian or Alan can. Only The Beach Boys can record as The Beach Boys.

Thank goodness for that.  If not, we may have had three or four more Summer in Paradise type albums stinking up the catalog. 

  You got that right!! Quite sure there's more SIP infested material languishing somewhere just waiting like a plague to be cast upon the world.

Now OSD - SIP is not bad, I don't think...I wonder how much better it would have sounded without "auto-drum." 

I don't think anything could've saved Summer of Love. 

And I'm still amazed how The Beach Boys managed to mess up Under the Boardwalk.  That should've been a can't miss for them.  Even if they did a paint by numbers version like a decent version of Hot Fun in the Summertime. 

[filledeplage]

Seeing mike talk about working on a new solo album it makes me wonder. Since he essentially just rents the Beach Boys name for touring, would be have the authority to release a new album under the Beach Boys name? I'm guessing it'd have to be voted on by the trust?

Mike's license to use The Beach Boys name is for touring purposes only: he cannot release an album as by The Beach Boys any more than Brian or Alan can. Only The Beach Boys can record as The Beach Boys.

Thank goodness for that.  If not, we may have had three or four more Summer in Paradise type albums stinking up the catalog. 

  You got that right!! Quite sure there's more SIP infested material languishing somewhere just waiting like a plague to be cast upon the world.

Now OSD - SIP is not bad, I don't think...I wonder how much better it would have sounded without "auto-drum." 

I don't think anything could've saved Summer of Love. 

And I'm still amazed how The Beach Boys managed to mess up Under the Boardwalk.  That should've been a can't miss for them.  Even if they did a paint by numbers version like a decent version of Hot Fun in the Summertime. 

And, I disagree.  Had SIP been released on the heels and momentum of Kokomo and the Cocktail movie, the numbers might have been different. 

[rab2591]

Seeing mike talk about working on a new solo album it makes me wonder. Since he essentially just rents the Beach Boys name for touring, would be have the authority to release a new album under the Beach Boys name? I'm guessing it'd have to be voted on by the trust?

Mike's license to use The Beach Boys name is for touring purposes only: he cannot release an album as by The Beach Boys any more than Brian or Alan can. Only The Beach Boys can record as The Beach Boys.

Thank goodness for that.  If not, we may have had three or four more Summer in Paradise type albums stinking up the catalog. 

  You got that right!! Quite sure there's more SIP infested material languishing somewhere just waiting like a plague to be cast upon the world.

Now OSD - SIP is not bad, I don't think...I wonder how much better it would have sounded without "auto-drum." 

SIP is atrocious. The fact that it's not even available for sale on digital media platforms is a key giveaway to how bad this album is.

Hypehat's review of SIP (http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,11017.msg212828.html#msg212828) brilliantly shows that "auto-drum" is the least of this album's problems.

[filledeplage]

Seeing mike talk about working on a new solo album it makes me wonder. Since he essentially just rents the Beach Boys name for touring, would be have the authority to release a new album under the Beach Boys name? I'm guessing it'd have to be voted on by the trust?

Mike's license to use The Beach Boys name is for touring purposes only: he cannot release an album as by The Beach Boys any more than Brian or Alan can. Only The Beach Boys can record as The Beach Boys.

Thank goodness for that.  If not, we may have had three or four more Summer in Paradise type albums stinking up the catalog.  

  You got that right!! Quite sure there's more SIP infested material languishing somewhere just waiting like a plague to be cast upon the world.

Now OSD - SIP is not bad, I don't think...I wonder how much better it would have sounded without "auto-drum."  

SIP is atrocious. The fact that it's not even available for sale on digital media platforms is a key giveaway to how bad this album is.

Hypehat's review of SIP (http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,11017.msg212828.html#msg212828) brilliantly shows that "auto-drum" is the least of this album's problems.

Sorry - I listen over and over, and that forms my own independent opinion.  The electronic (techno) stuff was gaining in popularity at that time, and not inconsistent with BB/BW style, with sound experimentation, and they gave it a shot.   The music itself isn't bad. A less techno approach might be in order.  SIP live is a great song, and covered on MIC live in Wembly, 1995 disc 5.

[Mike's Beard]

If Brian Wilson had been on the album - not even in a creative capacity, just in the harmony blend - I have no doubt SIP wouldn't garner half the hate that it does. That's all the Brianista's biggest problem with it, not that the music is actually that bad but that the band dared to make an album with zero Brian involvement.