Mike Love in New Issue of Mojo - "I'm always blamed! It's horsesh*t!"

[HeyJude]

Someone mentioned in another thread that there's a new interview or feature on Mike in the new issue of Mojo.

Anybody have this or care to post it?

I only have the one-line description from Mojo's website, which is intriguing if nothing else:

MIKE LOVE The unwilling villain of the Beach Boys story returns to right a few wrongs: “I’m always blamed. It’s horsesh*t!”

[The LEGENDARY OSD]

Mojo mentions "Mike Love Gets Angry".   But he's always angry. Will this be a "pre-meditation" interview or will he just be his usual annoying self exclaiming loudly that I did this, I did that, or that was me along with the ever enticing tape loop Beatles story? Readers beware of SOS.

[HeyJude]

I have to admit, Mojo's one-line quote out of context does kind of sound like Tommy Wiseau from "The Room".....

[HeyJude]

Holy s**t this new interview with Mike is pretty bad. Someone was kind enough to allow me to read it, and it's really just sad.

We're really getting back to early 2000s levels of sniping and negativity. I'll try to post some segments.

It's kind of a fluffy PR piece on Mike. Some good questions are asked. But they aren't followed up on, and some very softball "How are you so awesome?" type of questions are also asked.

[HeyJude]

Here Mike goes into C50. I have plenty of commentary on it, but it's interesting to note that even in this version of the story, it *IS* Mike deciding not to come back to the table and try to work out more reunion shows.

Note: On the first question, the "around that time" is in reference to the Jack Rieley early 70s era.

Around that time a strong alliance emerged,
it seems, between you and Al Jardine.

There was certainly a commonality of interest in
meditation; we were both certified as teachers
of TM in Majorca in 1972. And he was very into
the environment and nature, as I was. Intellectually,
we are very much in sync.

Has that alliance been severed?

Al is also very unhappy. And this leads to him
being very negative. I don’t miss that part. But I
am very fond of the fact that he is a great singer
and intellectually we have a lot in common. But
he is not particularly happy and he hasn’t always
treated people nicely. So I don’t miss that.


What happened at the end of The Beach
Boys’ 50th Anniversary tour [2012]? Is the
public perception different from the reality?

Oh, that’s for sure. It was said that I fired Brian
and Al. That’s horseshit, because I couldn’t fire
them if I wanted to. Contractually, everyone
obligated themselves to do a certain amount of
shows during the 50th Anniversary tour. The
original contract provided for 50 performances,
and although we agreed to add 23 shows, there
was still interest and opportunities out there.
I was already touring as The Beach Boys prior to
that, and I had a licence to tour as The Beach
Boys, and the licence was amended to provide
for the 50th Anniversary tour. So, part of the
amended licence, and part of the 50th
anniversary contractual agreements, obligated
me to continue on as The Beach Boys after the
tour. That was a literal obligation bestowed
upon me by the other shareholders – that’s
Brian, Alan, and the estate of Carl Wilson – they
wanted me to continue. So we received an offer
to perform in Israel as part of the 50th Anniversary
tour. It was quite lucrative. Before I had the chance
to even review the offer, Melinda Wilson responded
in an email and very clearly and succinctly said, “No
more shows for Wilson.” At that point there were
a ton of offers on the table
for my version of The Beach Boys, but we hadn’t
confirmed any of them at that point. So when
we received Melinda’s email saying, “No more
shows for Wilson,” we didn’t go back to them
and ask, “Oh my God, what are you thinking? We
should continue to do this” – which is what I
think they hoped we would do – we honoured
that email, we got on the phone with Terry
Rhodes of [concert agency] ICM and said, “It
looks like Brian’s done, we have to start booking
dates, as Mike’s Beach Boys are obligated
contractually to tour.” It’s very clear.

[HeyJude]

It takes balls to give the interview in this magazine and say it's *Al* who comes across as unhappy. I won't reprint everything, but Mike also goes into... wait for it.... that the Wilsons did drugs and Murry stole the songwriting credits, etc.

[guitarfool2002]

Seatbelts on, buckle up - This ride will get bumpy.  

Just so the ground rules are clear, if people start posting in replies to what Mike says in this piece, and they're not positive replies up to challenging some of Mike's statements, will that be dismissed as "Mike bashing"?

[guitarfool2002]

Hmmmmmmmm.....

That's funny reading Mike's answer regarding C50. He doesn't mention risking overexposure (which was his original published "answer" back in Fall 2012), nor did he mention the tour losing too much money (which he, his author(s), and mouthpieces like Mott and that crew took as Gospel truth when that reason started to appear around the release of Mike's book).

So...it wasn't a case of the tour losing money, then? Or does he cite that one elsewhere in the interview? Just so we know.

[HeyJude]

On the "Love & Mercy" film:

So did you ever see [2014 Brian Wilson biopic] Love And Mercy?

No. See, with BRI, a majority vote carries the day. That’s one vote for Brian, Alan, and myself, and one vote split between Carl’s two sons, Justin and Jonah. The film people said they wanted our approval for the movie, but they would never show us a script, and they had things in the movie that I would hear about second hand, like something about how I didn’t like the bass part in Good Vibrations – what the f***? My melody is taken from the bass part! It’s just asinine and stupid to imply that. So we’re supposed to see a screening, but they pulled it on us because they no longer needed us. See, we [Love and his wife, Jacquelyne] were in Puerto Rico and Jonah called us and said, “Y’know, we don’t want to vote on the use of Beach Boys music in the film until you guys have seen it, and I told them they better get someone on a plane or Fed Ex a copy of it to you guys in Puerto Rico.” So we asked them to send us a secure electronic copy, and they wouldn’t do it. We asked them to send us a script, and they wouldn’t do it. So we explained we would alter our travel schedules and fly into Los Angeles after Puerto Rico and view the film. We said we’d be happy to alter our plans and see the film. A day before we were to fly to LA – they had set up a private screening for us – they pulled the private screening, because Jonah and Justin had given into the pressure Melinda had been applying and they no longer needed our vote to OK the use of The Beach Boys’ music. 

[HeyJude]

It's been awhile since I watched "Love and Mercy." Did "Mike" in the film say he didn't like the bass part? I don't remember that, but as I said it's been awhile.

So we finally get the long-missing piece of the "they canceled our screening" story (which I had heard some time back), which is that Jonah and Justin FINALLY for once voted against Mike.

Given Mike's attitude towards a film he HASN'T seen, does anybody here think Mike would have EVER signed off on letting them use the music?

That's not even getting into Mike's hearty endorsement of the embarrassing 2000 Stamos-produced TV miniseries.

[HeyJude]

On the future....

Will you ever work with Brian and Al again?

There’s been no talk about that. We invited Alan and Brian to do the National Christmas Tree lighting thing with us [Washington, November 30], but we were told that Brian wasn’t available, and that Alan wasn’t going to come if Brian wasn’t there. So… Merry Christmas everybody!

Will you ever work with Brian and Al again?

Well… there’s been no discussion of any of that.

[HeyJude]

For a man your age to be working that hard (Mike gives MOJO the finger, then laughs), this can’t just be for the licence. You must still really enjoy this.

The way I feel about it, honestly, licence schmicence. BRI [Brother Records International] is the entity that owns the name The Beach Boys, who have licensed to me the name The Beach Boys for touring purposes. And it is just heinous and ridiculous, to make me the villain, while sending in how many million into BRI this year, and the years before? Certainly over 20 million bucks over the last several years.

[HeyJude]

Mike also mentions in the interview that, not surprisingly, it *was* BMG who asked him for the second disc of Beach Boys re-recordings on his solo album.

[HeyJude]

You’re still a big Brian Wilson fan...

Absolutely. Not for all the things he did to himself
and did to others, but for the fact that we bonded
so intensely on Everly Brothers, doo wop,
rock’n’roll, Four Freshmen, you name it. We’d get
kicked out of the house because my dad had to
get up so early to go to work, so we’d sit in his
Nash Rambler where the seats go back, turn on
the radio, and listen to KGFJ and the other R&B
stations. There is nobody who was closer, or who
bonded more over music, than Brian and I. And
nobody was better with a group of great
musicians than Brian. He was spontaneous, he
came up with brilliant ideas on the spur of the
moment. No one was better. Nobody.

[RubberSoul13]

He's really living in another world. I don't know how else to put it. He's still a fine frontman and typically has a fine voice (above average for a man in his late 70's). But wow...he's delusional.

[Lee Marshall]

    I'll just bite my tongue as 'he' offers up more evidence of why I have been right about him every inch of the way over these past coupla years...dating all the way back to 1966.      No need for me to call him any more names or point out any more of his shortcomings.      THIS time...I'll just sit back and let 'him' do the dirty work...all by himself.    He's certainly qualified, knows the subject matter, and enunciates 'it' all for people to see.   


 

[rab2591]

On the "Love & Mercy" film:

So did you ever see [2014 Brian Wilson biopic] Love And Mercy?

No. See, with BRI, a majority vote carries the day. That’s one vote for Brian, Alan, and myself, and one vote split between Carl’s two sons, Justin and Jonah. The film people said they wanted our approval for the movie, but they would never show us a script, and they had things in the movie that I would hear about second hand, like something about how I didn’t like the bass part in Good Vibrations – what the f***? My melody is taken from the bass part! It’s just asinine and stupid to imply that. So we’re supposed to see a screening, but they pulled it on us because they no longer needed us. See, we [Love and his wife, Jacquelyne] were in Puerto Rico and Jonah called us and said, “Y’know, we don’t want to vote on the use of Beach Boys music in the film until you guys have seen it, and I told them they better get someone on a plane or Fed Ex a copy of it to you guys in Puerto Rico.” So we asked them to send us a secure electronic copy, and they wouldn’t do it. We asked them to send us a script, and they wouldn’t do it. So we explained we would alter our travel schedules and fly into Los Angeles after Puerto Rico and view the film. We said we’d be happy to alter our plans and see the film. A day before we were to fly to LA – they had set up a private screening for us – they pulled the private screening, because Jonah and Justin had given into the pressure Melinda had been applying and they no longer needed our vote to OK the use of The Beach Boys’ music.  

Mike, while you’re eating your wheaties in the morning reading this board, I implore you to check out this website called Amazon.com. You can actually buy the Love and Mercy movie which has been released on Blu-ray since September of 2015 (what’s going on three years now). No need to pester Lionsgate or Bill Pohlad to get you a screening anymore.

Also, the “something how I didn’t like the bass part in Good Vibrations” complaint...it would actually help for you to watch the movie so you’re not basing your opinion on second hand information that you misinterpreted (or it was told to you wrong). Either way you’ll probably still hate the scene, but when talking about it to the media next time you’ll look like less of a misinformed ass.

It has been like a year since Mike did one of these angsty interviews. I really thought he had turned a new leaf and started acting like an adult for once. But I guess all that has flown out the friggin window. Sad thing is, most people will still continue to see a very bitter unappreciative person when they read these Mike Love interviews. And when Brian does his media stuff people will just see a mellow dude talking about music and Norbit. Newsflash Mike: this is why a lot of people can’t stand you. You made $20,000,000 for BRI last year, you are doing great financially for yourself, have a nice family, yet you complain like a child to the media about how hard it is to be Mike Love. Oh the humanity!

You’re still a big Brian Wilson fan...

Absolutely. Not for all the things he did to himself
and did to others

On this first part, he’s absolutely such a big fan that he listened to Brian’s ‘Right Time’ single and didn’t make a passive aggressive comment about autotune for an email interview....oh wait. On the second part of that quote: He’s gotta get those little jabs in doesn’t he? Does he think that Brian is happy with the drugs he took that shattered his mind? I mean, there is absolutely no reason for the “not for all the things he did to himself” line. It just wreaks of someone with a petulant obsession with needling people.

To those who give Mike the benefit of the doubt, can you please explain why this behavior doesn’t make you cringe? I mean I get that it’s probably annoying when people are constantly ragging on the guy - ok. But that doesn’t excuse the man for giving interviews like these.

Edit; thanks HeyJude for posting these excerpts.

[HeyJude]

The "I make so much money for BRI" thing I've always found interesting and a great insight into his frame of mind. He thinks *he's* doing BRI a favor, when it's really the other way around. BRI allows him to use an *insanely valuable* trademark to label his tour with, and he really only has to pay a relatively small fee to do so.

Look at it this way: Who could do more without the other? Would Mike do as well touring as "Mike Love"? Or would BRI do as well giving the name to someone else?

I think a "Beach Boys" fronted by someone other than Mike would make more money than a solo "Mike Love" tour.

I'm surprised, apart from the group dynamics and whatnot, that on the corporate level Mike is being so antagonist to ALL THREE of the other BRI board members. Brian and his wife are dicks who Mike is willing to spite at the risk of tanking more reunion shows, Al is "unhappy", and Carl's sons are jerks for voting to allow the L&M film to use BB music.

Maybe some of those people should bring up this interview at the next board meeting....
 

[HeyJude]

Can someone explain to me what Mike's referring to here? What does this have to do with Carl?

As Brian’s ability to functionally lead The
Beach Boys faded, why didn’t Carl step up
and take over leadership of the band?

I think he did, to a degree, but he experienced
his own problems. There’s so much stuff that’s
salacious… we should have that conversation at
another time. Because you cannot imagine how
degenerate and depraved and disgusting the
whole thing became. It’s beyond disgusting.

[HeyJude]

I have to say that Mike pushes hard on getting really mean about Murry and the "Wilson Family" in general in this interview.

He continues to do this thing where, when it's convenient, he'll kinda point out that the Wilson brothers were victims of Murry and that their substance abuse was caused by needing to "self-medicate" the problems Murry caused them, but then he also wants to criticize the Wilson brothers directly too.

When Mike wants to point out how Murry wronged *Mike*, then he'll use Murry's abuse of the Wilson brothers to back it up. But when Mike wants to criticize the Wilson brothers, then he'll go after them.

There are a series of questions and answers about the Wilson family versus the Love family, with Mike talking about his own children and whatnot, and the whole thing just comes across as mean and cruel and unseemly. It has this vibe of "The Wilson family was and is f**ked up and it sucks to be them. My family is better."

[HeyJude]

I think sometimes Mike's anger and unhappiness (as opposed to Al; when was the last time Al gave an "unhappy" interview?) blinds him to the simple idea that when he's talking about Murry, he *is* talking about Brian's father.

Does he stop and think that maybe Brian has mixed feelings about his Dad and it might just be a tad hurtful to read Mike talking s**t on him, about stuff that EVERYBODY already knows, and in the case of Mike's most ardent complaining (the songwriting lawsuit), was literally adjudicated in Mike's favor over 20 years ago.

For a guy who says he's all about TM, he sure seems really hung up on lost money from 50 years ago even though he lives a life of luxury (have you seen his house on Facebook? He needs a three-story ladder to decorate his Christmas tree!).

[KDS]

I've been accused on here and the Brian Wilson Forum of being a Mike Love apologist.   But, here are my comments on Mike's comments.  

C50: This is not the first mention I've seen about "No more shows for Wilson" email.  So, I don't find that to be very far fetched.   I think a whole book could be written on C50, and I still believe it's far too easy to put the full blame solely on Mike.  

Love and Mercy: While I think there's some validity to his story, the movie's a few years old at this point.   I'm sure it can be easily streamed.   One would think somebody at BRI would have a copy lying around.  So, come on Mike, people are going to keep asking you about the movie.  Take two hours and check it out.  Offer your opinion.   Frankly, at this point, I'd rather read Mike saying he thinks it's a dumpster fire than continually coming up with excuses for not seeing it.  

Working with Brian and Al: Interesting that Brian and Al were invited to the tree lighting.  There's more to that I think.  

On Brian Wilson: We all know about the drug use, and that Brian is no saint.  Just pay Brian the f**king compliment, Mike.  His statement about Brian was very complimentary, and it's good to hear Mike say that, but the first sentence almost negates it.  

[HeyJude]

Regarding C50, I don't believe anybody has called the e-mail into question. What I and others have long contended, and Mike surprisingly *confirms* in this new interview, is that he clearly knew that if he had *come back* to Brian and Melinda and tried to work out more bookings (Mike also confirms offers were on the table; remember when some now-departed Mike apologists claimed there maybe were none?) or follow up in some fashion, they could have continued the reunion tour.

So he admits that he was engaging in a pissing contest and rather than sucking it up for the greater good, he balked and scheduled his own shows.

I of course believe he's also leaving a TON of other factors out, about how he just doesn't like Melinda, about how he would probably make more money touring with his own edition of the tour, and so on. He doesn't even proffer his old standby reasons used in his 2012 LA Times article nor those found in his own book.

Regarding "Love & Mercy", Mike has a track record of going *out of his way* to NOT listen to/view/consume Brian's output. Back over a decade ago he admitted he hadn't listened to the 2004 "Smile." It's ironic that many of the things he has the biggest beef on are the things he *hasn't* actually seen/heard for himself. He sued in part over elements of the 2004 "Smile" project, and yet he didn't listen to the thing. Same thing with "The Right Time"; it's easier to take passive aggressive swipes at the thing if he hasn't heard it. Plausible deniability I guess.

Regarding the tree lighting show, I think by Mike's own stated business strategy as outlined in interviews he gave at the end of C50 in 2012, it would be pretty dumb to waste a "Beach Boys Reunion" on a one-shot, lip-synched event relegated to a b-grade cable TV channel, at an event with a scowling, unpopular political figure heading the event. Imagine if the Beatles had chosen to reunite in 1976 on a local cable access show in NYC, miming to Paul's solo re-recording of "I Want to Hold Your Hand." Huh?

As a semi-aside, I think Al has plenty of reason to stay away from guest spots with Mike's band. Al got fudged pretty badly in that infamous "Jones Beach 2014" debacle. Al has no reason to subject himself to that BS again, all for the sole purpose of, at best, getting Mike's gig a little more publicity.

[KDS]

Regarding C50, I don't believe anybody has called the e-mail into question. What I and others have long contended, and Mike surprisingly *confirms* in this new interview, is that he clearly knew that if he had *come back* to Brian and Melinda and tried to work out more bookings (Mike also confirms offers were on the table; remember when some now-departed Mike apologies claimed there maybe were none?) or follow up in some fashion, they could have continued the reunion tour.

So he admits that he was engaging in a pissing contest and rather than sucking it up for the greater good, he balked and scheduled his own shows.

I of course believe he's also leaving a TON of other factors out, about how he just doesn't like Melinda, about how he would probably make more money touring with his own edition of the tour, and so on. He doesn't even proffer his old standby reasons used in his 2012 LA Times article nor those found in his own book.

It seems to me that in this case, Mike didn't want to engage in a pissing contest with Melinda.  

The email seemed pretty final, and perhaps Mike figured it wasn't worth trying to change Melinda's mind.  

[Pretty Funky]

Hey Mike. Can you spare 4 minutes? GV scenes from the movie.

https://youtu.be/noH3E5EAnDs

https://youtu.be/_GLnLUWwc7I

....and I didn’t know BRI forced you to generate income for them? Cry me a river!