MUSIC
GET TOGETHER
The Beach Boys and Family “Add Some Music To Your Day”
BY LEE VALENTINE SMITH
S
INCE 1965, ANY FULL GATHERING of The Beach Boys has been rare. When co-founder Brian Wilson left the rigors of touring to devote more time for his increasingly intricate studio projects, the band’s live lineups changed while their music evolved from innocent, sun-drenched pop to thoughtful ruminations on the human condition. By 1970, the nation was in a complicated state of unrest. The Vietnam War raged on, political affairs were in turmoil and the promise of Woodstock withered into the darkness of Altamont, ushering in a decidedly jaded new era of artistic consciousness. The Beach Boys had left their clean-cut, stripedshirt ‘60s image and corporate harbor of Hollywood’s Capitol Records for an intriguing, counter-cultural journey of experimental music on their own Brother Records imprint via Warner Brothers’ forwardthinking Reprise. In the wake of culture’s newly expanded awareness, they rose to the occasion and created some of their best material. The band’s impressive ‘70s catalog began with Sunflower (1970), continuing with Surfs Up (1971), Carl And The Passions - So Tough (1972), Holland (1973), 15 Big Ones (1976), The Beach Boys Love You (1977), concluding the era with the often-overlooked M.I.U. (1978) and L.A. Light Album (1979). Last spring, while focusing on the 50th anniversary of Sunflower, music historian David Beard, editor and publisher of Endless Summer Quarterly, was moved by the message of the record’s rousing lead single “Add Some Music to Your Day.” Inspired by the album’s iconic cover, featuring a photo of the band posed with their children, Beard thought combining members of The Beach Boys with their next generation was an ideal way to assist a charity during today’s assorted difficulties. Choosing Feeding America (www.feedingamerica.org) as the appropriate recipient, he proceeded to corral most of the group’s far-flung family for an incredible new project under the cleverly
PG 10 • April 2021 • insiteatlanta.com
descriptive moniker California Music. in the air right now. Last year was the 50th The resulting project, California Music for Sunflower and later this year is the 60th Presents Add Some Music (Omnivore for The Beach Boys. Recordings) includes new and rare tracks Love: So much to celebrate, yeah. I’ve by the Beach Boys’ Mike Love, Al Jardine, been thinking, back when we did the 50th Bruce Johnston, David Marks and longtime anniversary Beach Boys shows. We did the band associate Jeffrey Foskett. Additional song “Add Some Music to Your Day,” just all appearances include vocal turns from Brian’s of us gathered around the piano. Brian, Al, daughters Carnie and Wendy Wilson; Mike’s Bruce, David Marks and myself. That was a kids Christian, Hayleigh and Ambha Love; and really sweet song for us to do. So when David Al’s son Matt Jardine. Beard initiated the re-rerecording of it and The historic project was co-produced by getting everybody in the family, just about, to Beard and Omnivore Records’ founder Brad participate, I thought it was an awesome thing Rosenberger with contributions the whole concept of THE MUSIC IS tothedo.song‘Cause by Carnie Wilson’s husband Rob is so inclusive. And, like Bonfiglio, who serves as musical A WAY OF, YOU I said, it’s just a very sweet song director and guitarist for Wilson on its own. To be able to redo it Phillips in addition to his pivotal KNOW, GETTING with so many family members, it US ALL role in Brian Wilson’s band and was just a very sweet message to occasionally as a touring member TOGETHER AND everyone. of the current Beach Boys lineup. HARMONIZING, Absolutely. And it’s good that The result is a celebration of the intricate familial bonds of the proceeds go to Feeding LITERALLY some Southern California music scene. America. You did a pandemic AS WELL AS song for them last year. How did The lead track “Add Some Music to Your Day,” - originally written one come about? FIGURATIVELY. that by Brian Wilson, Mike Love and Love: That’s right, “This Too Joe Knott - is the harmonious centerpiece of Shall Pass.” I was sitting around and figuring, the collection. we’ve seen lots of ups and downs, oh, in the On the day before his 80th birthday, Mike last 50 or 60 years. Even as bad as things Love spoke with INsite by phone from his can seem, they always turn around and home in Lake Tahoe about the new album and the pendulum swings in a more positive the enduring legacy of The Beach Boys. David direction. I think it’s beginning to do that in Beard moderated from Chapel Hill. the live music scene right now. We’re starting to get more and more offers through the Mike, before we start, I want to tell you that summer and fall and on into next year. And my very first celebrity interview was with you, there’s pretty much a fundamental need of 40 years ago. Now here we are again. everybody for food, so Feeding America is a Mike Love: (Laughs) Oh my gosh. Wow, it’s great organization. I’m glad David chose to like clockwork, every 40 years. get reinvolved with them and keep it going because that need hasn’t gone away yet. Speaking of achievements, happy birthday. David Beard: Yeah, Mike was actually the That’s 80 big ones. inspiration for me to choose that charity, Love: Yeah. It’s a big milestone, it’s pretty because of his song. amazing. To be able to still perform and go out and just feel good about playing live and stuff We spoke with The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band is a good thing. last month and they’ve also recorded a special song for Feeding America. It’s good There are a number of exciting anniversaries that a number of legacy artists releasing new
projects to benefit that organization. Love: That’s great and it’s not all relegated to musical artists. I mean, Michael Jordan did a massive contribution to them. So that’s a nice thing. It’s awesome that people are all kicking in from all angles of the entertainment field. Beard: And they did something, even on the Golden Globes. I think they donated $2 million dollars. Love: Really? I didn’t know that. That’s great. I take back everything I ever said about the Golden Globes (laughs). Well, you don’t have to take it all back. But really, this project is a good example of what it’s all about, getting together for a good reason. In the case of this particular project, it’s a literal - albeit virtual - get together. Love: It sure is. And it’s all thanks to technology. Even in spite of COVID, we were able to do “This Too Shall Pass” remotely with everybody doing their thing on their own computer, or in their own studio with their own mic. We did that with “Add Some Music” in the same way. It was pretty interesting. We were able to get everybody, or just about everybody, involved. Beard: A big shout-out to Rob Bonfiglio, Carnie Wilson’s husband. I guess I was the architect in a way, but Rob really was the guy who pulled it all together and made it sound so great. That’s a lot of work to do with all those voices, to make it still sound harmonious. In the wrong hands, it could just be a big mess. But it sounds great. Love: It does. It really came out nice. Well, you know, Brian and I wrote that puppy for the most part. So it was really nice to see a new incarnation of it, so many years down the road. Let’s talk about the original for a moment. It came from such a tumultuous time in culture, in the band and just in general. In 1970, the Beach Boys were an embodiment of the social shift, internally and externally. Love: Yeah, but the music is a way of, you know, getting us all together and harmonizing,
