For the Beach Boys, the Summer Never Ends (Part 1 of 2)
The Beach Boys came on the scene in 1961, straight outta Hawthorne, California. The group’s songs embodied the myth of a youthful and carefree Southern California existence, one filled with surfboards, cars and pretty girls.
The core group—bassist and primary songwriter Brian Wilson, his brothers Carl (guitar) and Dennis (drums), singer Mike Love and guitarist Al Jardine—built the music around sublime, Four Freshmen–inspired vocal harmonies. As time went on, Brian Wilson retired from touring, instead concentrating his efforts in the recording studio.
Inspired by Phil Spector’s “Wall of Sound” production techniques, Wilson became an innovator in the studio-as-instrument aesthetic. Deaf in one ear, he nonetheless could conceive in his head exactly what he wanted. And with the deep talent of L.A.-based session players – drummer Hal Blaine and bassist/guitarist Carole Kaye among them – he would run the studio musicians through countless takes to realize the “teenage symphonies to God” he heard in his head.
Busy on the road, his fellow Beach Boys came in toward the end of sessions for “Good Vibrations” to layer their breathtaking vocal harmonies atop the instrumental beds. And in the end, Wilson got the recording he wanted. For his trouble, Wilson earned a #1 single; that success encouraged him to dive into an even more ambitious project, Pet Sounds. Often cited as one of the 1960s’ greatest works, that album employed a similar set of working methods, and the result set a new standard in sonic excellence: timeless songs, top-notch arrangements and a sound that held up to repeated, intense listens.
The Beatles were among those who listened. Paul McCartney would go on record naming “God Only Knows” as his favorite song. When the Beatles’ bid to better Wilson’s work yielded Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, Wilson struck back with an even more ambitious project: SMiLE. Working with impressionistic lyricist Van Dyke Parks, he began to craft an abstractly conceptual work of genius. But Wilson’s bouts with psychedelic drugs and incipient mental illness meant that SMiLE would be abandoned.
Yet the unfinished opus achieved legendary status. Tapes would leak out, and hardcore fans collected every unfinished scrap of SMiLE sessions they could lay hands upon. During the height of the bootleg trading era, SMiLE bootlegs were among the most-prized. Some fans even endeavored to construct their own “finished” album out of the musical puzzle pieces.
Working with a new set of musicians in the 21st century, Brian Wilson created a new version of SMiLE. Released in 2004, that album won praise, though fanatics felt it didn’t quite measure up; how could it? Seven years later, a lavish 5CD boxed set, The SMiLE Sessions supposedly put it all out there. Impressive and Grammy-winning as it was, though, it wasn’t – and couldn’t hope to be – perfect. “There are still versions on the bootlegs that I prefer to the official ones,” says guitarist John Wedemeyer.
To varying degrees, the rest of the Beach Boys had their reservations about Wilson’s studio adventures. Though the tale may be apocryphal, Mike Love allegedly warned Wilson not to “fuck with the formula.” In any event, once the SMiLE project was scuttled, the Beach Boys effectively retreated from psychedelia, and their era of experimentation ended. Brian Wilson’s participation within the group would become ever more sporadic; the other members took up the slack, continuing to craft new music that balanced their pop inclinations with more serious musical pursuits.
By the 1970s, though, popular tastes had changed, and the Beach Boys had largely fallen out of favor in the music marketplace. Albums like 1973’s Holland would be well-received in critical quarters, but sales figures were less impressive. But in 1974, Capitol Records compiled a 2LP set, Endless Summer; that 20-song collection focused squarely on the group’s early, pre-Pet Sounds material. Endless Summer was a runaway commercial success, albeit a two-edged sword: the album revived the Beach Boys’ fortunes, but preserved them forever in their comparatively innocent, striped-shirt guise. Though new releases would continue, from that point onward, the Beach Boys would effectively operate as a nostalgia outfit, emphasizing the sun-and-fun character of those early tunes.
Fast forward a half century to 2024. Long estranged from the group, Brian Wilson suffers from dementia and is in the care of a conservatorship. Brothers Carl and Dennis Wilson have long since passed away. Jardine—who had toured with Wilson’s superb solo group—is on his own. Sole remaining founding member Love helms an official configuration of the Beach Boys, including longtime member Bruce Johnston (he joined in 1965). Love is 83; Johnston is a year younger.
About the Author
Bill Kopp
With a background in marketing and advertising, Bill Kopp got his professional start writing for Trouser Press. After a stint as Editor-in-chief for a national music magazine, Bill launched Musoscribe in 2009, and has published new content every business day since then (and every single day for several years). The more than 5000 interviews, essays, and reviews on Musoscribe reflect Bill's keen interest in American musical forms, most notably rock, jazz, and soul. His work features a special emphasis on reissues and vinyl. Bill's work also appears in many other outlets both online and in print. He regularly hosts lecture/discussions on artists and albums of historical importance (including monthly events Music to Your Ears and Music Movie Mondays), and is a frequent guest on music-focused radio programs and podcasts. In Spring 2023 he taught a history of Rock 'n' Roll at UNC Asheville's College for Seniors. He also researches and authors liner notes for album reissues -- some 40 to date -- and co-produced a reissue of jazz legend Julian "Cannonball" Adderley's final album. His first book, Reinventing Pink Floyd: From Syd Barrett to The Dark Side of the Moon was published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2018, and in paperback in 2019. His second book, Disturbing the Peace: 415 Records and the Rise of New Wave, was published in 2021 by HoZac Books. His third book, What's the Big Idea: 30 Great Concept Albums is available now. Read even more about him here.