Good Vibrations

Surfin’ USA: The Beach Boys bring their ‘Fun, Fun, Fun’ to Trenton and New Brunswick.

By: Susan Van Dongen
   It might seem downright blasphemous to Beatles and Rolling Stones fans, but some people think the real innovators of ’60s pop-rock music were the Beach Boys.
   "When asked about the ‘Sgt. Pepper’ album, George Harrison was quoted as saying ‘We were just trying to keep up with the Beach Boys, "Pet Sounds" in particular,’" says Beach Boys founding member Mike Love. "We had a lot of long conversations about music."
   Mr. Love says Paul McCartney also praised the album, which came out in 1966 — a year before Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.
   The Beach Boys have been around as long as the Rolling Stones — both groups are celebrating 40 years as recording artists.

The Beach Boys (above) include Mike Love, lead vocals, Bruce Johnston, vocals/ keyboard, Mike Kowalski, drums, Adrian Baker, guitar/vocals, Chris Farmer, bass/vocals, Tim Bonhomme, keyboard/ vocals, John Cowsill, keyboard/vocals/percussion, and Scott Totten, guitar/vocals.

   "We were first billed as the Beach Boys on Dec. 31, 1961," says Mr. Love, speaking from his studio in Southern California. "We signed with Capitol Records and released ‘Surfin’ Safari’ in 1962. We’ve done shows every year since."
   The Beach Boys — comprised of Mr. Love, longtime member Bruce Johnston and a stellar band of youthful studio musicians — will make a few stops on the right coast, including two concerts at the State Theatre in New Brunswick Dec. 7 and two concerts at the Patriots Theater at the War Memorial in Trenton Dec. 8. Fans can look forward to four decades’ worth of hits, as well as holiday favorites such as "Little Saint Nick."
   Mr. Love says he’s been working on some new solo material, including a tribute song to Harrison, who passed away Nov. 29, 2001. He also mentions another little-known Beatles-Beach Boys connection — the two groups’ interest in Eastern philosophy.
   "I was in India at the same time the Beatles were there, studying with the Mahareshi Mahesh Yogi," Mr. Love says. "In fact, George and I both celebrated our birthdays there. We both loved meditation and were interested in the knowledge to be gained from the Vedas (Hindu scripture), all the things the Mahareshi was teaching. We had a lot of common interests. I won’t go so far as to say we were good friends, but we had a mutual admiration. I’ve been reminiscing about those times lately."
   That era, of course, also included a great deal of unrest in the world. The soundtrack for the ’60s seems better suited to the darker music of the Doors and Bob Dylan.
   Mr. Love says his goal as a songwriter and performer, even during the ’60s, was to focus instead on the beauty in the world — to use his musical talents to soothe and make people happy.
   "My intent has always been to accentuate the positive," he says. "Of course, we knew about the sadness (in the ’60s), but we made happy songs in light of that. I’ve had Vietnam veterans say, ‘Thank you for helping us get through those times. Your music gave us a lot of joy in the midst of the chaos.’ We always focused on the silver lining. I think that’s had a lot to do with our longevity. Positivity can last a lot longer than negativity."
   Mr. Love also struck a harmonious — and lucrative — balance between his sunny philosophy and his cousin Brian Wilson’s brooding, shy nature.
   "Brian was always so melancholy," he says. "For example, the song ‘The Warmth of the Sun,’ which he wrote about a break-up, has a very (sorrowful) melody, but I wrote the lyrics, which were more upbeat. That’s an example of taking a sad situation and making it positive."
   Known for his role as the Beach Boys’ frontman as well as topping the group’s harmonies with his distinctive falsetto, Mr. Love co-wrote numerous big hits for the band. He co-authored 11 Top 10 songs with Brian Wilson, such as "Fun, Fun, Fun," "I Get Around," "Help Me Rhonda," "California Girls" and "Good Vibrations."

Above, founding Beach Boy Mike Love and longtime member Bruce Johnston.

   He says ’50s and ’60s doo-wop groups like the Dell Vikings and the Coasters were an influence on the Beach Boys’ early sound. Before the group was formed, they would get together and sing classics like "In the Still of the Night," with Brian Wilson doing the high part and Mr. Love tackling the bass.
   They also adopted the close harmonies, arrangements and clean-cut aesthetic of the preppy ’50s group the Four Freshmen. What made the Beach Boys different and more of a hit with teens was the rock ‘n’ roll influence, courtesy of Carl Wilson, an avid Chuck Berry fan.
   Just when it seemed like the Beach Boys would be drowned out by the heavy metal, soul and progressive rock sounds of the early ’70s, Mr. Love’s concept album, Endless Summer, ignited a second generation of fans and launched a comeback for the band.
   It was also Mr. Love’s idea to perform free Independence Day concerts on the grounds of the Washington Monument, a tradition the Beach Boys launched in 1980. They ran into a major road block in 1984, when then-Secretary of the Interior James Watt put the kibosh on the event because of the group’s so-called debauchery. However, former First Lady Nancy Reagan stepped in, defended "America’s Band" and the concert went on.
   The next July 4, they played to a crowd of one million in Philadelphia, then jaunted down to Washington to perform for about 750,000 in Washington, D.C., an achievement recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988, the Beach Boys also received a Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award in 2001.
   In 2002, the Beach Boys’ busy schedule included a spirited appearance at the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah. Right now, they’re in the process of writing and arranging a new album due out in 2003 — their first since 1996.
   Although Mr. Love is 61 and Mr. Johnston is 58, they show no signs of slowing down. In fact, Mr. Love says they tour constantly in the summer months. Beach Boys’ tunes never seem to rotate off the radio and they’re even more popular abroad.
   "We’ve done many tours of Europe," Mr. Love says. "Next year we’ll be going to Japan, Monaco and South America. We’ve played in South Africa, Czechoslovakia, Poland and Hong Kong. ‘Kokomo’ was number one for eight weeks in Australia — they love us there, where the surfing culture is really big. We’ve even done a private party in China, although we have yet to go to Russia.
   "It’s nice that 40 years after you start doing something people can still enjoy your music. We’re musicians by nature and we always sang together informally. It’s a hobby we love that we were fortunate enough to make into a profession. It’s just miraculous that it’s lasted this long."
   Ironically, Mr. Love admits most of the Beach Boys were just part-time surfers.
   "Dennis (Wilson) and I used to go to the beach and Al (Jardine) owned a surfboard, but Brian and Carl (Wilson) never went surfing. We enjoyed the beach, though, and tried to extol the virtues of the surfing life and the Southern California lifestyle, in terms of the dress and the language."
   Even when the band performs in places as far away from the beach as you can possibly get, Mr. Love says the shows are filled with "good vibrations." Original Beach Boys fans fill the room, bringing their children and even grandchildren to the concerts.
   "It’s like a time warp, a rejuvenation," Mr. Love says. "You go back in time musically and the audience goes with you."
The Beach Boys perform at the State Theatre, 15 Livingston Ave., New Brunswick, Dec. 7, 3, 8 p.m. Tickets cost $20-$50. For information, call (732) 246-7469. On the Web: www.statetheatrenj.org; and at Patriots Theater at the War Memorial, West Lafayette and Barrack streets, Trenton, Dec. 8, 3, 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $20-$65. For information, call (609) 984-8400. For tickets, call (800) 955-5566. On the Web: www.thewarmemorial.com. The Beach Boys on the Web: www.beachboysfanclub.com