Mike Love on the Beach Boys: “We were fortunate, but not without suffering”

The documentary “The Beach Boys” arrives at Disney+ catalog this Friday (24). He follows the American band, successful in the 1960s, from humble family origins to immense stardom.

Formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961, the band The Beach Boys is considered one of the most influential in the history of rock. He has scored dozens of songs on the charts, such as the classics “Wouldn’t It Be Nice”, “Sloop John B”, and “God Only Knows” and had record-selling albums.

Its members were initially formed by members of the same family, the brothers Brian, Carl and Dennis Wilson and your cousin Mike Love as well as a close friend, Al Jardine . Later, he received Bruce Johnston, Rick Fataar, David Marks and Blondie Chaplin.

Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine, David Marks and Bruce Johnston are in the documentary. Carl and Dennis Wilson died in 1998 and 1983 respectively.

“The documentary is extremely important because the Beach Boys have been a musical institution for six decades, and yet there has never been a documentary as comprehensive as this one. So it's something very special because, you know, we've made a lifetime of music and this production focuses a lot on the origins of the group, its real beginnings and the first decades,” says Mike Love in an interview with CNN .

Throughout the conversation, Mike spoke about some of the aspects covered in the new documentary: his “rivalry” with Brian Wilson, the “clash” with the Beatles and the importance of maintaining the Beach Boys’ legacy even decades after their stardom.

“Brian was a genius, but I was the essence”

Over the years, Brian and Mike have nurtured a certain rivalry between themselves and become antagonists, something that the documentary also seeks to delve into. More introverted, Brian was considered the “head” of the group, while Mike was the one who was successful on stage.

More extroverted than his cousin, Mike says he recognizes the differences and explains that they were essential for the group, despite still being differences.

“My cousin Brian is famous for his brilliant recording skills. But I also lent a hand. I had a big role in live performances, I was the essence on stage, I was the personification of the effect that our music had on the public”, he says.

“I would also meet with the agency and managers to decide bureaucratic things, like when to tour, venues and which shows to open at times. We’ve had a lot of fantastic openings over the years, like Billy Joel and Buffalo Springfield.”

“I also had a role in writing the songs with Brian. We wrote great songs together and they are still played today. And even though some people are no longer with us, sadly, we have great artists recreating these songs and the public response is still phenomenal. Many people still enjoy our songs, it's like a celebration of life. It really is so positive and so uplifting, and literally “Good Vibrations”, he adds, referring to the song “Good Vibrations”, released in 1966.

“We were rivals, but we were also each other’s fans”

At a certain point, the documentary delves into the “rivalry” existing between the members of the Californian group and the Beatles questioning whether both would have been so great if they hadn't seen the “competition” between them as a stimulus to build their careers.

The production brings reports and opinions from Paul McCartney , one of the members of the famous Liverpool group. The two groups, formed at the same time, constantly competed for the top of the main music charts.

“It was a competition because they were on the radio a lot. We were on the radio a lot. When it came to 'Good Vibrations', on the night of 1966, we voted that they would reach number one in Britain. In the end, we were the number one group in Britain and the Beatles second. Nobody had success as a group like the Beatles, but the Beach Boys did very well”, reflects Mike Love.

The musician then detailed a trip he took with the Beatles in 1968, to India. Coinciding with his birthday, the Liverpool band even made a special song to celebrate the date.

“It was a personalized congratulations song. Either way, it was a call. It was a great song. Another time I met Paul McCartney at the dining room table and, during breakfast, he played for me on his black guitar. We were the only ones there,” he says. “There was a good relationship with the Beatles. We were rivals, but we were also fans of each other”, he points out.

“The real story of the Beach Boys is the music”

“Through the documentary, Beach Boys fans will know a little more about us, they will learn about the origins and the inner workings that made the group work,” says Love. According to him, the production still features footage that has never been seen, of things about the band's early years.

“The fans will like it, but I think people who aren't really familiar with the Beach Boys will also find it interesting. The Beach Boys have been very blessed, very fortunate and very successful, but not without suffering, problems and difficulties along the way, because we are human beings and, like all human beings, there are problems within.”

“But the real story of the Beach Boys is the music, the power that music has to uplift people and give them some peace and positivity in the midst of all the stress in the world and in life. And that's what I think is the most significant thing about our music. About what we did every day we were on stage. It was uplifting for people because it took them to a much happier place than what you see on TV or hear on the radio,” he concluded.