Artist News

Brian Wilson to rejoin Beach Boys

By | Published on Monday 19 December 2011

Beach Boys

After years of speculation, and the odd denial from Mike Love, The Beach Boys have announced that they will reunite with Brian Wilson to tour and record a new album to mark their 50th anniversary.

As previously reported, US entertainment journalist Robin Leech claimed in June 2010 that Love had told him such a reunion was in the pipeline, but then Love himself issued a statement denying there were any plans for Brian Wilson to join him on a Beach Boys tour. Then the following month another founder member of the group, Al Jardine, seemingly told reporters that a reunion involving him, Love and Wilson was being considered for the 50th anniversary of the band, prompting Love to issue another denial that there were any plans on the table, though he did admit there had been “a conversation”.

In May of this year, Brian Wilson himself confirmed that he was considering a reunion, telling BBC 6music: “I’m considering it. I don’t know yet but I’m considering it. Nothing’s really holding me back. I just don’t know if I want to be around those guys you know. They’re zany guys. They’re crazy”.

Then on Friday, it was finally announced that the surviving members of that band will indeed reunite next year. So far only one show has been confirmed, with the band to be one of the headline acts at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, which is due to take place from 27 Apr to 6 May.

Confirming the news, Wilson said last week: “This anniversary is special to me because I miss the boys and it will be a thrill for me to make a new record and be on stage with them again”.

Love added: “We got together at Capitol Records and re-recorded ‘Do It Again’. Brian and I wrote that song, which went to number one in Great Britain, Australia and elsewhere some 44 years ago. Brian paid me a compliment saying: ‘How can a guy sound that great so many years later?’ Later on, while working out some harmonies on a new song Brian had written, I got a chance to return the compliment”.

He continued: “Music has been the unifying and harmonising fact of life in our family since childhood. It has been a huge blessing that we have been able to share with the world. Wouldn’t it be nice to do it again? Absolutely!”



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