The Beach Boys Biography

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The Beach Boys
Pop Music | 3 CD Set
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Anyone looking for rock 'n roll soap operas need look no further than the Beach Boys, who fashioned a clean-cut image to go with those harmonically genuine paeans to California girls and sunshine. In a career that has seen success mixed with tragedy, and good and bad music, the Beach Boys are probably the most successful American band to hit the charts. It all began at the dawn of the '60s, when teenagers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson asked cousin Mike Love and chum Al Jardine to join in a signing group that was to begin by playing high school hops. Nearly forty years later, the band, or what is left of the original, plays sold-out stadiums. Brian was born in 1942, Dennis in 1944 and Carl in 1946. Mike was born in 1941 and Jardine in 1942. All but Al were born in Southern California, Jardine being born in Ohio. Vocal harmonies have always been the hallmark of the Beach Boys as they sang about surfing, hot rods and young romance, virtually all from Brian's pen. He grew up listening to the tight harmonies of jazz-tinged vocal groups the Four Freshmen and the Hi-Lo's and put to good use that harmonic sense of talent for tempo and rhythm. The Wilsons also grew up under the strict home life of father Murray, who early on took over the band's management, production and publicity and whose dealings in the music business did not always meet with happiness from those he dealt with, including his family. He died in 1973. After an initial hit that reached No. 75 on the Billboard chart ("Surfin"), Capitol Records signed the band. This was in 1962. Dennis was into surfing, hence the title and the subsequent band name, and with 1963 the band rocketed into Top 40 chart territory. "Surfin' Safari" was No. 14 in late 1962 but six Top 25 hits came in 1963, including No. 3 "Surfin' U.S.A.," No. 7 "Surfer Girl" and No. 6 "Be True To Your School." Five more hits came in 1964, including the band's first chart-topper, "I Get Around" and No. 5 "Fun, Fun, Fun ('til Her Daddy took Her T-Bird Away)." With all the single success came a slew of albums, said to be eight albums in two years. While the Beach Boys were appealing to the nationwide sun and surf crowd, the Beatles and the British Invasion of rock were taking over the chart action, causing Brian to delve into competition. Even though, Beach Boys had no less than ten hits in 1965-67, including one of their classics, "Help Me, Rhonda," a No. 1. The quality of the music was high, too, a tribute to Brian's consistency. His PET SOUNDS album gained critical raves but failed to ignite major sales. Brian stopped performing about this time and is said to have suffered a nervous breakdown while becoming involved with substance abuse. The band was having internal problems between its members and Murray. It was about this time that Glen Campbell was recruited briefly and that Bruce Johnston came on, Johnston lasting for many years before leaving and returning. Even with the problems (the public knew nothing of them at this time), the band's GOOD VIBRATIONS album became perhaps one of their greatest projects. While Brian was growing musically, other members of the band felt that their future lay in continuing the pop songs associated with sunshine and girls. But Brian was ill and growing more into his own world, becoming obese and failing to communicate. By 1969, the band's career was in a near shambles, and it did not appear on the Top 40 singles chart again until 1974. However, in 1971 they regained much of their popularity with SURF'S UP, with writer Van Dyke Parks contributing and now Carl adding songs to the mix. And in these years, Brian's health was deteriorating and not touring and Dennis was into his own projects. At times, only one Wilson, Carl was in the band. Recording projects came and went but in 1974, Mike Love produced ENDLESS SUMMER, a compilation of the band's hits. This became a monster success for more than two years, reinforcing Love's attitude that the public wanted those songs associated with the earlier Beach Boys. Dennis made his own album with other musicians, PACIFIC OCEAN BLUE, and openly argued with his fellow Beach Boys. He drowned in 1983. In 1982, Brian was completely dismissed from the band and went into a hospital for detoxification. He had also earlier become involved with therapist Eugene Landy, who came under fire from other members of the band for becoming Brian's mentor. In 1990, Brian was in court, where he was charged by other Beach Boys as being insane and not able to take care of himself. A settlement was arrived at where Landy was dismissed. Other lawsuits over royalties ensued, including one by Love insisting he was co-author of most of the band's hits. The Beach Boys still command a large presence at their mostly outdoor events and Brian, now slimmed down, drug-free and able to communicate again, may join in. They do what is basically a nostalgia show.

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