(Continued from Part Four)
The Beach Boys released the album Surf's Up in '71, another solid effort which featured the title song. Brian at this point devoted his energy to running a health food store called the Radiant Radish. But a Wilson interview with journalist and Beach Boys fan Jack Rieley led to Rieley eventually becoming the group's new manager. Rieley convinced Brian to release songs like this which Rieley said were more in tune with "issues of the day".
Johnston's waltz "Disney Girls (1957)" is one of the finest moments on the album. "I was able to weave the voices into it, oohs and aahs," Johnston said in a 2011 interview. "Not that it was ever a hit, but it sold millions of copies riding around other people's albums," he related. "People just loved the lyrical point of view. That's just one of those nice accidents."
Carl wrote and sang lead on "Long Promised Road", with lyrical help from Rieley. Jack told Record Collector Magazine in 2013 for their article "The Life of RIELEY":
This was the first Beach Boys lyric I wrote;
Carl asked me to have a hand in it. I felt
that I was onto something. I
was writing personal lyrics - love songs
with a sense of poetry. I was trying to tell
the tale of life and love that we go through
at different times in life. I adore the
English language so much [and it] gave
me the opportunity to stretch out. I
wanted to see Carl make something extraordinary. His vocal is so precious
on it. There's that screaming deep guitar
which holds the song together. I worked
very hard with him on his performance,
which was stellar.
Brian contributed the lyrics to "'Til I Die", a heartbreaking song which reflected the pain, mental problems and drug addiction, which caused the first two problems) he was going through. The lyrics "I'm a leaf on a windy day," he wrote. "Pretty soon I'll be blown away/How long will the wind blow? Until I die." reveal his despair.
The Beach Boys released the album Carl and the Passions - So Tough in 1972. The band filmed a concert in New York City's Central Park for ABC-TV in 1971 (Good Vibrations from Central Park). They released the album Surf's Up, which did better, but still nowhere near what they were capable of.
Johnston left the group after recording the album, replaced by Ricky Fataar and Blondie Chaplin. Carl and the Passions - So Tough was not well-received, so the Beach Boys regrouped by moving to the Netherlands in the summer of 1972. They rented a farmhouse which they converted into a recording studio. Reprise believed the project needed a strong single, which led to the recording of "Sail On, Sailor", featuring the lead vocal of Chaplin. "Sail On Sailor", which unbelievably stalled at #49 in 1973, is easily one of The Top Underrated Songs of the Rock Era*.
The group released the album Holland in 1973, which includes "Cuddle Up". Dennis and Darryl Dragon co-wrote the song; Dragon and wife Toni Tennille were backing musicians for the group at this time and of course later formed the successful duo Captain & Tennille. When plans for a solo album were scrapped, Dennis re-recorded the song at Brian's home studio in Bel Air, California.
Holland was recorded at a time when there were two warring factions--the Wilson's, with a mostly-absent Brian, the fun-loving Dennis and the sweet Carl, who had mostly taken the group on his shoulders in Brian's absence, and the other members of the band. It is incomprehensible that the group which rode the giant wave of success in the '60's had resorted to petty arguments, which continue to this day.
The two factions recorded the album in two different studios. Listeners at the time could not comprehend the deep meaning in this song recorded by what they perceived as the happy-go-lucky Beach Boys. "The Trader" has the sweet sound of genuinely nice people, the recent controversies of Mike Love notwithstanding. But listen for a much deeper meaning, about the history of Western Europeans who came to America and basically enslaved everyone in sight.
The live release The Beach Boys in Concert in late '73 did go Gold. Chaplin, however, left in 1973 after an internal argument. The group's streak of what the radio industry refers to as "stiffs" (songs that failed to make the Top 10) reached 20 consecutive singles, and the Beach Boys by this time were just shadows of their former selves.
In 1974, one of the finest compilations of the group, Endless Summer, was released. It remained on the Album chart for two years and has now sold over three million copies. Although they hadn't enjoyed a Top 10 hit in years, the compilation again made the Beach Boys a major touring act.
Fataar left in 1974, replaced by James William Guercio, who also became the group's manager. But a planned album partially recorded at Guercio's Caribou Ranch studio in Colorado was not released, as the group focused on capitalizing on their newfound touring success. The group did record one of the great collaborations of the Rock Era with Chicago, the Top Five smash "Wishing You Were Here".
Guercio negotiated a 1975 joint concert tour with Chicago, and the Beach Boys were now the biggest live draw in the U.S.
Brian, meanwhile, "spent most of the time secluded in his room, a recluse, drinking, taking drugs, overeating, and exhibiting other self-destructive behavior", according to Peter Ames Carlin's 2006 book Catch a Wave: The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson.
The Beach Boys fired Guercio and replaced him with Love's brother Steve, who urged the return of Brian as the group's main producer. In October, Brian's wife Marilyn encouraged Brian to seek help from psychotherapist Eugene Landy, who prevented Brian from substance abuse, albeit with constant supervision.
But the doctor in whom Brian placed his care, was obsessive, verbally and emotionally abusive, and tragically did Brian more harm than good. That is painfully revealed in the amazing movie Love & Mercy, which features John Cusack (as Wilson in his later years) and a brilliant performance by Paul Dano (as the younger Brian).
Largely absent from the Beach Boys since Pet Sounds, Wilson returned to oversee the 1976 album, 15 Big Ones project. Like magic, the group made a comeback with not coincidentally their first Top 10 album since Pet Sounds. The album yielded the Top 5 smash cover of the Chuck Berry hit "Rock And Roll Music".
The group was featured in a 1976 television special on NBC. "It's OK' is another quality single from the album.
Brian occasionally appeared with the group in public and produced their next album, The Beach Boys Love You. But the Beach Boys had just signed a new deal with CBS and Reprise did little to promote it.
(photo by Lynn Goldsmith)
Brian went to work on a project called Adult/Child, but the other members didn't approve and it was scrapped. Wilson's concert appearances became fewer. There was increasing turmoil within the group, and in September of 1977, Dennis announced that he was leaving the band. The Beach Boys literally broke up for a few weeks until a meeting later in the month at Brian's house. The members agreed on a settlement that gave Love Brian's vote in the group, which allowed Love and Jardine to outvote Carl and Dennis Wilson.
All three Wilson brothers battled alcoholism and marital problems. Brian had fired Landy, but sadly slipped back into addiction. The group recorded and released the M.I.U. Album in 1978 to complete their contract with Reprise.
The Beach Boys' first album on CBS, L.A. (Light Album) was not well received by CBS prior to release. Realizing that Brian again was not able to contribute, the group brought Johnston back into the fold as producer. "Good Timin" from 1979 is another of their best songs outside their heyday.
The Beach Boys were awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Johnston produced the 1980 release Keepin' the Summer Alive as well.
By 1981, Carl had left the touring group and pursued a solo career. Taking advantage of a popular trend at the time (medleys), the group released the single "The Beach Boys Medley" in 1981, which made it to #12 and alerted a new generation of the group's tremendous body of work.
Carl returned in 1982, but later that year, Brian overdosed on a dangerous combination of alcohol, cocaine, and other drugs. He was brought back under the care of Landy. Brian left the group at the request of the other members, and Brian went on a rigorous diet and health regimen. Along with long counseling sessions, Brian went from 311 pounds down to 185.
The Beach Boys performed Independence Day shows at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. and drew large crowds. This led to the infamous comment from James Watt, President Ronald Reagan's Interior Secretary, who said that "rock bands who performed these Independence Day shows encouraged drug use and alcoholism and therefore would be banned. Watt later apologized after finding out that Reagan, First Lady Nancy Reagan, and Vice President George H.W. Bush all liked their music (and perhaps also that the Beach Boys weren't typical of "rock bands" who encouraged drug use).
By 1983, tensions between Dennis and Love had reached a breaking point, and each obtained a restraining order against the other. Wary that Dennis could spiral downward as Brian had done, the other members gave Dennis an ultimatum: check into rehab or be banned from live performances with the group.
Dennis chose the former, but on December 28, he drowned at the age of 39 in Marina del Rey while diving from a friend's boat.
Between 1983 and '86, Landy charged Brian about $430,000 a year. Brian withdrew more and more from the group and avoided his family at the suggestion of Landy. Landy said "I influence all of [Brian}'s thinking. I'm practically a member of the band. Love later said that "Landy's goal was to destroy us...[and become] the sole custodian of Brian's career and legacy."
The Beach Boys released five more studio albums after 1985. The compilation Made in the U.S.A. was released in 1986, and it has gone Double Platinum.
The Beach Boys toured often, playing before large crowds over the next several years. The group scored one more huge hit in 1988 when their song "Kokomo" was included in the Tom Cruise movie Cocktail and released as a single from the soundtrack album--it soared to #1 in the U.S. and Australia and reached #3 in Canada. The single sold over two million copies.
In 1988, the Beach Boys were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
In 1989, Brian claimed the sale of the group's copyrighted songs represented fraud and sued to get those rights restored. Although he did not get the rights back in court, he was awarded $25 million in damages, including unpaid and underpaid royalties.
In 1995, the compilation The Greatest Hits - Volume 1: 20 Good Vibrations was released, a two-million seller.
In 1997, Carl was diagnosed with lung and brain cancer after years of smoking heavily. He continued to perform with the group on another tour with Chicago while undergoing chemotherapy. Carl died on February 6, 1998 at the age of 51.
"In My Room", "Good Vibrations", "California Girls" and the entire Pet Sounds album have been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. The surviving members appeared in the 1998 documentary movie Endless Harmony: The Beach Boys Story.
The Beach Boys were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame as unquestionably one of its greatest groups.
In 2002, the album Good Timin': Live at Knebworth England 1980 went Gold. The following year, one of the group's better compilations, Sounds of Summer: The Very Best of The Beach Boys sold over three million copies.
In 2004, Pet Sounds was preserved by the Library of Congress in its National Recording Registry. Wilson recorded and released the solo album Brian Wilson Presents Smile, a reworking of the unfinished Smile project from years before.
In June of 2006, Wilson, Love, Jardine, Johnston, and Marks appeared together in a ceremony on top of the Capitol Records building in Hollywood to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Pet Sounds.
In 2011, Wilson, Love, Jardine, Johnston, and Marks reunited for the album That's Why God Made the Radio (which debuted at #3) and a 50th anniversary tour.
In April of 2021, Omnivore Recordings released California Music Presents Add Some Music, which featured Love, Jardine, Marks, Johnson, and several children of the original group. The Beach Boys also released the Box set Feel Flows: The Sunflower & Surf's Up Sessions 1969-1971.
There has been discussion in social media as well as among some of the members for a 60th anniversary celebration next year, but nothing definitive has been announced at this time.
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