The Beach Boys summer of love is over. Again. The current touring version with Love, Jardine, Wilson and Marks have reportedly broken up. Again. The big 50th Anniversary reunion featuring founding and glory years members (Johnston and Marks aren’t OG BB’s in the truest sense of the word, having joined in ’65 & ’62 respectively) of The Beach Boys will not continue beyond this week, according to reports that the band’s sprightly front man Mike Love doesn’t wish to continue with the current incarnation beyond this week. Some are calling it a firing while others are reporting more specifically that this never was a long-term commitment. Either way, Mike Love has the current legal ability to continue on with his Boys or go back to the pre-reunion band and a final decision looks to have been made. After a lengthy summer tour and so many chances to see the band, surely fans can’t be too upset, can they?
This spring and summer’s lineup of The Beach Boys featuring original members and more polished professional young guns still have a couple more shows left on the calendar that are fittingly in the cloudiest of climates, both in London: 9/27 at Royal Albert Hall and 9/28 at Wembley Arena. That’ll surely be an awkward and chilly ending to the band’s epic and oftentimes rocky run together. Read on for the report from the Telegraph below.
Brian Wilson and Al Jardine – both founding members of the legendary Californian pop group – have been told their involvement in the band’s touring commitments will cease after this week.
David Marks, who originally joined the band as a replacement for Jardine in 1962, is also to be relieved of his touring duties.
Singer Mike Love, who owns the rights the band’s name following a series of legal battles, released a statement which said:
“The post-50th anniversary configuration will not include Brian Wilson, Al Jardine and David Marks. The 50th Reunion Tour was designed to be a set tour with a beginning and an end to mark a special 50-year milestone for the band.” -[Telegraph]
Brutal, Mike. Just brutal. The current version of The Beach Boys, before Love waves adios to the lot of them, has another two shows left on the calendar and both in London: 9/27 at Royal Albert Hall and 9/28 at Wembley Arena. Those will surely be a lot of fun and free of tension. [TELEGRAPH]
The Beach Boys, with Love, Wilson, Marks and Al Jardine, toured the US heavily and played big-ticket festival sets at this year’s Jazz Fest (header photo – more from that show here) and Bonnaroo Fests. They also released a new LP.
Luckily, after The Beach Boys call it a career as a touring band, we can still enjoy the old classics. After all, that’s Why God Made The Radio (not an old classic):
