Reasons to Love Mike Love

[hypehat]

The cynic in me wants to start a 'Reasons to Hate Mike Love' thread and compete with this one.... 

[Mike's Beard]

He was kind enough to spare the world his country album. On second thoughts, actually I want to hear it really bad but for all the wrong reasons!

[punkinhead]

He was kind enough to spare the world his country album. On second thoughts, actually I want to hear it really bad but for all the wrong reasons!

for more material to make fun of him for? that's a good reason   

[Ron]

Wrote the hook for "Good Vibrations". Honestly, without his bass hook, does the song become as big of a hit?

Yes. All Mike did was write "I'm pickin' up Good Vibrations, she's givin' me excitations". BFD.

Are you sure Mike didn't write the verses?  I always heard that was mainly him. 

[Cam Mott]

Yes, Mike wrote the lyrics to the verses.

I'll bet a donut that if Denny had given the exact same drunken rant at the HOF, it would still be revered as a great rock and roll moment.

I wish Brian would have had him sing more with his singing voice instead of so much with his "teen" voice. But maybe those songs wouldn't be as distinctive even today if he had.

[Ron]

Here's one I don't know if has ever been mentioned, it's more about Brian but it's Mike.

On "God Only Knows"... you've got 4 or 5 (whoever it is.. Carl, Brian, Bruce, probably Al, don't know if I hear Dennis) singing like Angels.  They have the most beautiful voices ever. 

So what to do with Mike?  Brian could have Mike try to sing 'pretty' which I suppose he was capable of doing, but Mike was always best being the braggadocio lead singer with all the swagger... that's what he's naturally good at.

So in this beautiful, perfect song, Brian has Mike sing the bridge (I guess that's Mike, right?... and I guess that's the bridge? hard to tell with Brian) in that swagger.  Right in the middle of one of the greatest love songs of all time, "Bom ba bom ba ba ba baaaa, baaa, baa bom baa... " or whatever.  Instead of sticking out like a sore thumb, it sounds completely natural and helps the song IMHO.  One of the best parts of the song?  Probably.

...but Mike's an ass. 

[Ron]

Yes, Mike wrote the lyrics to the verses.

Oh gotcha, I think they were just discussing the bassline in the chorus.  Great lyrics, plus Mike invented a word.  I will never use said word, but he did invent a word. 

[Mikie]

Are you sure Mike didn't write the verses?  I always heard that was mainly him. 

You know, I remember the first time I heard Tony Asher's lyrics to Good Vibrations on a radio special called "The Best Summers Of Our Lives" in 1976. They played the alternate lyrics and after hearing the released Good Vibrations for so many years, it was like a revelation. I played the cassette recording of that thing over and over again. I dunno what it was - it's my all-time favorite Beach Boys song and the different lyrics just added to the enjoyment and mystique of it. So much work went into that song. As Brian once said, "It was the biggest production of our lives".

I always wondered if it was Brian who chose Mike's lyrics over Tony's or if Mike insisted that his lyrics be used, especially since Tony's were used on most of Pet Sounds. I like both sets of lyrics - they're both very good. I guess I really like Brian's vocal with Tony's lyrics, whether they were guide vocals or the final deal.

[Paulos]

His vocal on Meant For You
Big Sur

[Andrew G. Doe]

You know, I remember the first time I heard Tony Asher's lyrics to Good Vibrations on a radio special called "The Best Summers Of Our Lives" in 1976. They played the alternate lyrics and after hearing the released Good Vibrations for so many years, it was like a revelation. I played the cassette recording of that thing over and over again. I dunno what it was - it's my all-time favorite Beach Boys song and the different lyrics just added to the enjoyment and mystique of it. So much work went into that song. As Brian once said, "It was the biggest production of our lives".

I always wondered if it was Brian who chose Mike's lyrics over Tony's or if Mike insisted that his lyrics be used, especially since Tony's were used on most of Pet Sounds. I like both sets of lyrics - they're both very good. I guess I really like Brian's vocal with Tony's lyrics, whether they were guide vocals or the final deal.

Tony's lyrics were dropped for one outstanding reason - they were never more than placeholders, dummy lyrics, never intended to be heard. I know this for a fact - some dude called Asher told me. 

[Mikie]

Well Mr. Doe, to an average bloke off the street like me, I really like those dumby lyrics. They make nice placeholders on my coffee table. It's a matter of taste I guess, but maybe there's a good reason that Brian used those never-intended-to-be-heard lyrics on his SMiLE album.

[Wirestone]

Quick points.

1.) Mike's lyrics to GV are some of his finest.

2.) Asher's aren't terrible, but they pale in comparison to Love's.

3.) I don't think it was Brian's decision to use those original lyrics on BWPS, and he doesn't sing them in concert.

4.) As stated earlier, Mike didn't exactly write the "hook" to GV. He wrote lyrics to the song's bass line, which Brian then decided to use as the chorus.

[Don_Zabu]

I'll bet a donut that if Denny had given the exact same drunken rant at the HOF, it would still be revered as a great rock and roll moment.

If he had, I'd bet two donuts he'd have thought of something a bit less impotent and nonsensical than what Mike said. You know, the kind of thing that would've made Elton John say "Why the FODA didn't he mention me?".

[hypehat]

If Denny had come out with the RRHF speech, i too would think Denny was a moron. Simple as.

[Cam Mott]

I'll bet a donut that if Denny had given the exact same drunken rant at the HOF, it would still be revered as a great rock and roll moment.

If he had, I'd bet two donuts he'd have thought of something a bit less impotent and nonsensical than what Mike said. You know, the kind of thing that would've made Elton John say "Why the FODA didn't he mention me?".

I'll take your two donuts because that wouldn't have been the "exact same drunken rant ". Thanks. And hypehat gets my donut apparently but I still stand by the assertion.

[hypehat]

Mmm, donuts Although you have a point, it would have probably been brushed off as 'Oh, Dennis...'

But seriously, the speech is stupid. From my understanding, he calls out the Beatles for not doing 200 shows a year, apparently forgetting that they hadn't done a show since 1966 and some git shot their rhythm guitarist, and then takes it upon himself to utter the immortal challenge 'I'd like to see The Boss come up on stage and jam'. Cos, y'know, Bruce just doesn't ROCK like the mid 80's Beach Boys do....

At least if Dennis did it, you could probably blame it on too much complimentary champagne, but if we assume Mike was his usual sober self (Mr 'TM in the AM and PM'), he has to be a complete fool.

Oh, Mike...

EDIT: I felt, in the interests of fairness, I should add that I find this speech utterly hilarious and wish to see video of it someday before I die.

[Ron]

I think the point some are missing is that nobody agrees with Mike.  I don't.  I'm just saying it takes a lot of balls to get up there and make that big of an ass out of yourself.  You have to be a special kind of person to be so out of touch that you actually believe your own hype.  It's the same reason I absolutely love Oasis.  Mike's an idiot.  True. Mike's an ass. True.  Mike did something SO FUCKING MEMORABLE at the rock and roll hall of fame that nobody remembers anything anybody else said that year.  People still talk about it.  Badly, but they still talk about it.  I've never said anything in my life anybody talks about.  He showed up ready to play.  LOL.  It's incredible that he got so beligerant that he would dare to diss Diana Ross, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, The Beatles, and the Rolling Stones all before he got his microphone cut.  Who else has ever done that?  I mean that's incredible. 

[Ron]

OH, I'd like to add too, he *IS* the lead singer of one of the greatest bands of all time, I mean it's not a stretch to put the Beach Boys on the level of The Beatles, the Stones, the Supremes, orBilly Joel.  So he kind of has some clout... and then for THAT GUY to say that sh*t, that's incredibly messed up. 

I mean I could get on stage and run my mouth, but nobody would care.  Oh, the guy from Maroon 5 could get on stage and diss all those people, and everybody would just say he's a nobody... but if the lead singer of one of the biggest bands in the world calls out other bands... that's kind of major.   

[Mikie]

I don't think it was Brian's decision to use those original lyrics on BWPS, and he doesn't sing them in concert.

That is incorrect. Brian sang those original lyrics to Good Vibrations many times live since the release of BWPS.

[Ron]

My take on it was that it was just a novel thing to do (do the BWPS original lyrics), so Brian did it.  Just a little something to make the song a little different than the other times he's performed it.  Even when he sings it with Mike's lyrics, he usually adds the "Hum, Be Dum" part near the end that's kind of smile-ish. 

At the time,.... Brian was ABSOLUTELY calling the show.  He wouldn't have included lyrics he didn't want to (I'm talking '66 when it was recorded). 

[Mikie]

Regarding Mike Love's famous speech at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. Al Jardine was interviewed by Ken Sharp for Goldmine magaine in 2000. I thought Al's perspective was interesting:

Q: Let's go back to the Beach Boys' induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. It was a bittersweet night. It was an amazing honor that was lessened by Love's bizarre speech. What are your memories of that evening?

A: It was one of the early inductions. It was such a monumental event because of the magnitude of the stars that were there. It made us feel almost humbled by it. It was the Beatles, Bob Dylan, The Surpremes, The Drifters who were inducted. So many great stars. John Fogerty was there, Mick Jagger, Jeff Beck, Bruce Springsteen, Elton John, who inducted us, Billy Joel, Paul Simon. The stage was so jammed when we did the jam session at the end that I didn't even run into Paul Simon. It was awesome to be inducted. It was a mixed pleasure. Brian opened up with a speech of his own, written by his surrogate father, Gene Landy. The nutty professor, Gene Landy, who ended up writing a book with Brian. He scripted everything Brian did and said, so it was a little bit unusual and stilted. There were words there that Brian never uses in his speech. I could tell that. Then Mike was just dying to get to the microphone. As we were leaving the stage it seemed as if - Carl was trying to get us off the stage so the next artist could get inducted. Bob Dylan was waiting in the wings. Mike just drifted back to the microphone telling everybody how f***ed it was that people that were still living weren't there, like McCartney. I'm not really sure what to this day he was trying to accomplish other then maybe the politics of the record business were not to his liking. But this was not an event to discuss the politics of the record business. That's a discussion you have at another time.

Q: Were you, Carl and Brian embarrassed or just plain angry by his speech?

A: Of course, both. I remember meeting Dylan backstage and Bob saying, "What's going on?" [laughs] He said, "I'm sure glad he didn't mention me." [laughs]

Q: When you returned to your table, did you say anything to Mike about his wacky speech?

A: He was sitting next to Muhammad [Ali] so I didn't want to start anything. [laughs] Just kidding. But I immediately went over to George [Harrison] and Ringo and I said, "Geez, guys, I really want to apologize for that speech. My partner's not feeling to well." I said something to that effect. [laughs] They put their heads on my shoulder. That was really touching. When I was leaning down between them Ringo just kind of came over and put his head next to mine. He said, "Oh that's okay, we love you guys." George did the same thing. They were really nice.

[Mikie]

Even when he sings it with Mike's lyrics, he usually adds the "Hum, Be Dum" part near the end that's kind of smile-ish. 

Periodically, in concert, the Beach Boys did that "Hum De Dum" part at the end of Good Vibrations.  Check out the famous Perth, Australia show from 1978 where Carl had too much to drink. Brian sang that part at the end of Good Vibrations. I love that part! First time I heard that was also on that radio show in 1976.

[Wirestone]

That is incorrect. Brian sang those original lyrics to Good Vibrations many times live since the release of BWPS.

He sang it that way in some of the BWPS shows, I believe. But the times I've seen him live since (that is, 06 to the present), he's used the Mike lyrics.

[Rob Dean]

Trust me the man is a gent !! after an initial chat in a certain Hotel in the East Of England (and a break of some 20Mins) Mike signed everything I had (he made sure he did , honest) and we even talked about his cousin Brian etc.. for the best part of half an hour in a very relaxed situation during a brief UK Tour in 2003 (?) serious what a great guy (I told AGD about this at the time  which he said was quite a coup) , possibly my best time of being a BB's fan :-)))  

[Jason]

I saw a girl on Facebook who had quite a few pictures with Michael. And she got AWFULLY close too. One of them had her sitting in his lap!