The Sad Reason Not All of the Original Beach Boys Reunited in 2012
The Beach Boys are one of the most beloved rock acts of all time, with songs and albums popular today. The band even still tours, but not with its original lineup. In 2012, they attempted to bring some of the founding members back, which ended in controversy for the Beach Boys.
The Beach Boys’ success made a reunion tour extremely popular
The Beach Boys started performing in the ’60s and were made up of brothers Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and their friend Al Jardine. The group soon found worldwide success with singles like “Surfin’ U.S.A,” “Good Vibrations,” and “Help Me, Rhonda.”
As the years went on, the original group pmembers either left to pursue other things or simply lost interest in touring. So, when the group announced in 2012 that they were launching a tour with some of the group’s original members, including Brian Wilson, Jardine, and David Marks, Beach Boys fans were understandably thrilled.
Why all the original Beach Boys couldn’t reunite for the tour
Their “50th Anniversary Reunion Tour” took the Beach Boys all over the world. It marked the first time since 1982 that Brian took part in a full tour with the group. Love, Jardine, and Marks were also part of the lineup.
Dennis and Carl sadly died years before. Dennis drowned in 1983, while Carl died of cancer in 1998. Other members who didn’t join the tour included Ricky Fataar, a drummer and guitarist who joined the group for a few years in the ’70s, and Blondie Chaplin, another recruit who performed with the Beach Boys in the ’70s.
The Beach Boys’ tour ended badly, with Brian Wilson and Mike Love feuding over dates
The tour dates spanned from April to September of 2012. All the Beach Boys taking part in the tour seemed excited to hit the road together again. However, in September of 2012, it was announced that the 28th would be the final date of the tour. Brian, Jardine, and Marks would not join the Beach Boys for any future shows.
“I’m disappointed and can’t understand why he doesn’t want to tour with Al, David and me,” Brian said in a statement about the situation, according to Rolling Stone. “We are out there having so much fun. After all, we are the real Beach Boys.”
Love hit back, saying he didn’t fire Brian, as he wasn’t “his employer” and didn’t “have such authority.” He added, according to the LA Times, “And even if I did, I would never fire Brian Wilson from the Beach Boys.”
“This tour was always envisioned as a limited run,” Love continued. He explained that Brian and Jardine wanted to extend the reunion tour — an impossibility, as he had already booked smaller concert dates with the usual touring band that had been performing as the Beach Boys for over a decade.
Beach Boys member Mike Love: ‘I don’t know if Brian and I will ever play together in another concert’
The tour might have come to an end in 2012, but the drama didn’t. Both Love and Brian released memoirs later that emphasized how stressful the tour was for them.
“I haven’t seen Brian since the reunion tour,” Love wrote in his book, “Good Vibrations: My Life as a Beach Boy.” He continued, “I don’t know if Brian and I will ever play together in another concert, or share a meal together, or even have a conversation. But my radio is on.”
