? for Peter Carlin, Alan Boyd et all - Brian in concert 1981 -1982

[petsite]

Here is a question that I repeatedly asked Bruce Johnston over on the Beach Boys Britain board that got me run off because everyone over there said it was ancient history and they were too busy asking Bruce his favorite color. So I will post it here.

Even before Carl left in mid-1981, I saw the BB in concert and Brian was attempting to sing Don't Worry Baby in his old falsetto voice. It was so bad that the crowd booed. Later when Carl was gone, he even attempted Darlin in the orginal key. WTF would the other Beach Boys seem to insist that Brian sing these numbers in concert when he so clearly wasn't able to. My personal opinion is that they were trying to humliate him (maybe into getting straight or just to get back at him). It made the enitre group look bad. But there he was, so obviously in pain, trying to do the impossible.

Any thoughts?

Bob Flory

PS - I remember seeing them in early 82 with out Brian or Carl and they did Be My Baby which Mike announced was from his new solo LP. He said "I won't say we haven't reheased this number enough , BUT, if you have to take a piss, now would be a good time."...........Great Times

[Dancing Bear]

Even before Carl left in mid-1981, I saw the BB in concert and Brian was attempting to sing Don't Worry Baby in his old falsetto voice. It was so bad that the crowd booed. Later when Carl was gone, he even attempted Darlin in the orginal key. WTF would the other Beach Boys seem to insist that Brian sing these numbers in concert when he so clearly wasn't able to. My personal opinion is that they were trying to humliate him (maybe into getting straight or just to get back at him). It made the enitre group look bad. But there he was, so obviously in pain, trying to do the impossible.

And you wonder why Bruce never bothered to answer your question. 

[Jason]

To everyone out there who says that the Mike and Bruce Travelling Jukebox Band (or whatever Malicki calls them) is a travesty, the Beach Boys in 1981-82 without Carl beat them by a long shot. The one-two punch of the Washington and Long Beach shows on July 4 and 5, 1981, are the worst Beach Boys shows EVER.

[petsite]

And you wonder why Bruce never bothered to answer your question.

I of course didn't put it in that light when I asked him. I said why was Brian asked to sing when he couldn't do it?

Bob

[Beach Boy]

I didn't know that Brian had to sing when Carl was still there, and Brian singing "Darlin'" is new for me too, at least they didn't perform it on the shows I have heard.

[petsite]

The Darlin' incident was told to me by a BB fan back then. It may not be accurate. But Don't Worry Baby happened right in front of me and it sounded like it did on the Queen Mary show later that year. And when I saw it, people booed Brian. And I could see Carl was upset by that saying something to effect of "Be Nice". I can't understand why they would let him sing it. Give the poor guy a break. He obviously didn't sing it well in rehearsal.

Bob

[MBE]

I don't think it was a thing where they wanted to sound bad to make Brian get straight. If that was the case Dennis would have been singing leads too. I think it was a mix of apathy, and caving in to the demand that Brian do more.

[c-man]

I don't think it was a thing where they wanted to sound bad to make Brian get straight. If that was the case Dennis would have been singing leads too. I think it was a mix of apathy, and caving in to the demand that Brian do more.

Yeah, you listen to some of those Mike and Al leads from that era, and they're sounding bored and slipping off-key a lot too.  Not as bad as Bri, but not up to professional standards, either.  And Adrian Baker's whiny falsetto?  WHOOO Lord! 

[petsite]

bump

[pixletwin]

I think that you pose an interesting question which I would be interested in knowing the answer to as well.

In that same clip, Brian does pull off the vocal ok, but only by changing the register he sings in, which actually made for a more interesting performance anyway.

[Chris Brown]

I think that you pose an interesting question which I would be interested in knowing the answer to as well.

In that same clip, Brian does pull off the vocal ok, but only by changing the register he sings in, which actually made for a more interesting performance anyway.

Yeah at least he had the sense to drop it down to a place where he could sing it more comfortably.  You're right, it did make it more interesting, as he was probably making up the melody as he went along at that point.

[Alex]

I remember reading in "Catch a Wave" that one time during the early 80s Brian told a reporter he sings in the key of "BW". I wonder if that's the key he was singing in at that concert. 

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

More like the key of "P.U.", 'cause it sure stunk.

[Wilsonista]

I think "key of BW" is more profund than you think when discussing Brian's music.

And I think Brian was answering Derek Bill with that quote.

[Jay]

What I'd like to know is, why didn't they let Bruce sing "Don't Worry Baby"? At the Long Beach show, he tried to "double" Brian on the last verse. There are audience tapes that prove that Bruce was capable of singing falsetto around this time. There is something else I'd like to know about this era that's in Catch A Wave". There is one section in the book that states that Brian started asking for help in the middle of "Good Vibrations" at a 1982 concert, because he said he couldn't sing. Does this exist on tape?

[MBE]

I heard this happened during Don't Worry Baby when many people in the band including Brian had the flu. Foskett talked about it in Add Some Music. A Beach Boys fanzine of the time.

[c-man]

I heard this happened during Don't Worry Baby when many people in the band including Brian had the flu. Foskett talked about it in Add Some Music. A Beach Boys fanzine of the time.

Actually, that was "God Only Knows".  Brian started it and failed, told Bruce to take over, Bruce suggested they sing it together, then announced "Jeffrey Foskett", and Jeff ran with it.  As far as I know, that show was not captured on tape.  And "Don't Worry Baby" was gone from the set by that time. 

[adamghost]

I heard this happened during Don't Worry Baby when many people in the band including Brian had the flu. Foskett talked about it in Add Some Music. A Beach Boys fanzine of the time.

Actually, that was "God Only Knows".  Brian started it and failed, told Bruce to take over, Bruce suggested they sing it together, then announced "Jeffrey Foskett", and Jeff ran with it.  As far as I know, that show was not captured on tape.  And "Don't Worry Baby" was gone from the set by that time. 

What's kind of tragic about the Long Beach "Don't Worry Baby" is Brian had just finished singing "God Only Knows" and doing a very respectable job of it.  The "heys" at the end, which are like a man so far down a pit of sadness that he's practically emptied out, are particularly poignant and moving.

[c-man]

Then there's the show at the Greek the summer before, where Brian punched his mic and stalked off, leaving Al to sing "GOK".

[Wirestone]

This whole time is very sad -- I try to  not to think about it, because the band is really at its worst. I think everyone just wanted to believe that Brian could pull it off and save the band. I think he wanted to believe it too, because he was out there, by god, and willing himself to sing those songs. But sadly, he was not capable. He could not save the band or himself at that point. And that's heart-breaking.

[MBE]

I heard this happened during Don't Worry Baby when many people in the band including Brian had the flu. Foskett talked about it in Add Some Music. A Beach Boys fanzine of the time.

Actually, that was "God Only Knows".  Brian started it and failed, told Bruce to take over, Bruce suggested they sing it together, then announced "Jeffrey Foskett", and Jeff ran with it.  As far as I know, that show was not captured on tape.  And "Don't Worry Baby" was gone from the set by that time. 

Thanks you are right.

[c-man]

The next time "Don't Worry Baby" showed up in the setlist was in '84, with Carl singing the verses and Jeffrey singing the falsetto choruses.

[petsite]

You know, I talk about this time ALOT with other BB fans (Rev Bob, JeffH) cuz this was the time that made a lasting impression on me. I was in my late teens/early 20s and was a intern at several large stations here in Houston and got to see the group CLOSE UP. I would hang out at the hotel before the concert when the group was meeting at leave for the venue. I got to talk to backup band members (Sterling Smith and I had friends in common since we were both from Columbus, Ohio). Bruce Johnston (at that time) was as nice as he could be to a radio intern, spending literally hours talking to me about the band, and not for an interview, just to talk history. Mike Love acutally talked to me for an hour over the phone the same way. He was great! And again, no interview. Just BS stuff.

I also got to see Brian and Dennis at close range. I remember a touring band member offering me a toke off a joint. I remember (on purpose) staring at the joint, turning my head to the left and looking at Brian and Denny off to the side, and back and forth to make the band member catch my drift. He finally said "Hey, have a toke. You won't end up like them." I said "You promise?". "Um no." And then I said what only a 22 year old who doesn't know any better would say. I looked at all the backup band, who were either drinking or toking, pointed to Bri and Denny, and said "You all should be a shamed of yourselves for doing this in front of them." I know better now. I know one has nothing to do with the other. But as I said, that period was BRUTAL to a young BB/BW fan.

Bob

[c-man]

Bob -

Anything worth sharing from your long conversations with Bruce or Mike (or Sterling for that matter)?  Acedotes, musically-related or otherwise?

Thanks

[petsite]

Here are a couple I remember off the top of my head:

October, 1979:

Bruce was signing my PS LP when another "fan" (read groupie who was trying to get close to the band) pointed to Bruce on the back cover and asked when the pic was taken. I told her 1966. She turned to Bruce and said "S***. You guys are some old MF!" With that she turned and left with a backup band member.

Bruce sang me the opening of KTSA and said they had just started work on the new LP. Also told me Brian had cut soem tracks at Western that were killer! (we know now they weren't killer!).

I remember Brian coming downstairs and waiting for the other guys to gather so they could leave fro the venue. He waited MAYBE 5 minutes and then asked the limo driver to take him to the hall. When the other members gathered in the lobby, they said "I guess we are just waiting on Brian". Yours truly had to tell them Brian already left alone in the limo and just left them a town car to go in. While several of the guys got mad, Bruce was chuckling saying "You gotta love Brian. Honest to God, you gotta love him. If he wants to ride alone, he should!"

More to come.