On August 3, 2024, The Beach Boys, led by legendary vocalist & songwriter Mike Love, will bring their “Endless Summer Gold” tour to Stratton Mountain Resort.
For more than six decades, The Beach Boys have been a beloved staple in the world of American music, known for their iconic harmonies and unforgettable hits such as “Good Vibrations,” “Wouldn’t It Be Nice,” “Surfin’ USA,” “Fun, Fun, Fun,” and countless others.
Founded in 1961 by Mike Love, his first cousins (the Wilson brothers: Brian, Carl, and Dennis), and their school friend, Al Jardine, The Beach Boys quickly rose to fame, topping charts and winning over legions of loyal, lifelong fans. Their influence spans generations, with over 100 million records sold worldwide and numerous accolades, including an induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and a Lifetime Achievement GRAMMY® Award. In anticipation of their upcoming concert at Stratton, Mike Love spoke with Stratton Magazine‘s publisher, Dr. Joshua Sherman. Here are excerpts from their conversation:
JS: Thanks so much for joining us, Mike! We’re big fans of The Beach Boys, and we’re very excited for you to come to Stratton on August 3rd for the “Endless Summer Gold” Tour. It’s a fantastic way to keep the summer vibes alive, and I’m assuming that the name of the tour is inspired by the 50th anniversary of the “Endless Summer” album. What does that album mean to you personally, and how does it feel to celebrate it 50 years later?
ML: Well, the 50th anniversary is usually the “Golden Anniversary”, right? So, we called it the “Endless Summer Gold” Tour. Maybe next year we’ll call it “Endless Summer Platinum,” because it was a triple platinum album back in ’74 when it came out. Anyway, we’re doing 18 of the 20 songs from the double album in our concerts these days. Those songs have an element of immortality to them. There’s “Catch a Wave,” “Hawaii,” “Surfin’ Safari,” “Surfin’ USA,” “Help Me, Rhonda,” and innumerable others. In addition to that, we do “Kokomo,” which came out in 1988, and of course, the Pet Sounds album from 1966. “Good Vibrations” was late ’66, and we were voted the number one group in Great Britain, with number two being The Beatles, thanks to “Good Vibrations.” So that was an amazing year. “Barbara Ann” was a hit from the party album we did in late 1965. We do it every night as a great sing-along, along with “Help Me, Rhonda.” “Kokomo” is probably the biggest sing-along we have, because it was featured on the tv show Full House with John Stamos, America’s favorite uncle. We’ve known John since he was on General Hospital, and he often comes out and performs with us. He won’t be there in Vermont, but he kind of is, because we put a montage up, and I introduce him when we’re doing “Be True to Your School,” which came out in 1963, the year John Stamos was born.
JS: You mentioned “Kokomo” as being a fan favorite and sing-along. I do a lot of celebrity interviews for our publications, including Berkshire Magazine. This past spring, I interviewed Kool of Kool & The Gang fame, and he explained to me that he always saves “Ladies’ Night” and “Celebration” for their finale. With so many hits on this tour, are you sharing the tunes chronologically or in the order of the album, or do you save a few of the big hits until the very end?
ML: I hate to divulge all of our secrets. However, I like to start retro. I usually start with the surfing songs—”Do It Again,” “Surfin’ Safari,” “Surfin’ USA,” “Catch a Wave,” and “Hawaii.” We even do a Ramones song called “Rockaway Beach,” which we recorded and we love. It’s so powerful and fantastic. Then we go to “Surfer Girl” and “Don’t Worry Baby.” I like to get started with the retro stuff, because it gets back to the origins of the group, and it has a lot of energy and tremendous positivity. We’ll do “In My Room” and “Surfer Girl” as ballads, and of course, we’re going to do “God Only Knows,” “Sloop John B,” and “Wouldn’t It Be Nice.” But, you’re kind of on to us, because we do save “Help Me, Rhonda,” “Good Vibrations,” and “Kokomo” for the end, but not necessarily in that order.
JS: When I spoke with Kool, he talked about being the last man standing out of the original members, and he also talked about how he integrated new members over the years. Obviously, you’re an original member of The Beach Boys. When you integrate new touring musicians into a Beach Boys tour, what kind of orientation do they go through?
ML: The songs are very complex, in terms of the harmonies, and we are obsessed with recreating those harmonies and those chord progressions perfectly. Therefore, a person has to either play the instrumental part or sing that part as close to the original as possible. For instance, we lost Carl over 25 years ago to lung cancer. But obviously, we still want to do “God Only Knows.” We still want to do the verse of “Good Vibrations,” and we still want to do “Darlin’,” and some other great songs that he did, like “Wild Honey.” My son, Christian, has a similar timbre to Carl. Not the same, but similar. And he does “God Only Knows” beautifully. So, it’s kind of like that. If the person can sing the part and do it, it doesn’t have to be identical, but it has to be very close to the original. If it’s not broke, don’t fix it, right? I mean, how are you going to improve on “Good Vibrations”? It was voted by psychologists in Sheffield, England to be the number one song for making people feel good.
JS: I love the fact that you brought your son into the act. That’s very cool that you’re touring together, and keeping the family legacy going.
ML: Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson are my first cousins. There was never a time in my life when there wasn’t music in our family. My grandmother wanted to be a concert pianist, but instead she had eight children that grew up to maturity. But we had cousins and nephews and neighbors and everything. We’d get together for birthday parties, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, and it was always all about music. So yeah, it’s just a family tradition. And my son, Christian, is a great singer. My youngest daughter, Ambha, is a fantastic singer. Everybody can sing in the family. I did a Christmas album with four of my kids, so it’s really, really fantastic. We used to Christmas carol around the neighborhood with the kids running around, and the parents in a big truck that my dad would bring home from Love Sheet Metal.
JS: I interviewed Judy Collins recently, who just celebrated her 85th birthday in May. I asked her about life, and she gave some great advice. You’ve had a long career and an extraordinary life with ups and downs. What’s your advice on handling the big waves of highs and lows in life and in the music industry?
ML: Well, I watched my dad work hard every day at Love Sheet Metal. He would leave early in the morning and work many hours to get the job done, seven days a week. My work ethic came from him. My mom woke us up with her opera music. Music and hard work have always been a part of my life. What I do isn’t hard, but there’s a lot going on. We have a crew that sets everything up, we do a sound check, and then we perform. We’re blessed to do what we love for a lifetime. My mom came from Kansas during the Dust Bowl days in the Great Depression, and they camped on the beach because they had no money. A generation later, we sang songs about that environment and became a worldwide phenomenon. I guess my advice is this: Lifestyle choices are crucial. My cousin Dennis passed away in 1983 because of drugs and alcohol. Carl started smoking young, and it shortened his life. Brian is still alive, but not in great shape. I meditate every day, practicing Transcendental Meditation, which I learned from Maharishi in December 1967. It gives me energy, clarity, and a deeper level of consciousness that enhances creativity and well-being.
JS: Last question – and it’s “fun, fun, fun!”
ML: Great!
JS: You’re called “The Beach Boys.” How often do you get to the beach?
ML: Not as often as I’d like, but we do go to the Caribbean quite a bit, and Hawaii. My wife and kids and I spend quite a bit of time in the Caribbean. If we have some shows in Florida, we make sure that we go somewhere in that part of the world and just chill there. I’ll sometimes get in the water and do some body surfing. It’s been a while since I’ve gone surfing, but I’m looking to get back into it. Believe it or not, I’m 83 years old, and I’m still in decent shape, so I’m going to force myself to get into it. It’s just something that is so healthy to do, and it’s such a thrill to catch a wave.
Enjoy some “Good Vibrations” with The Beach Boys on August 3, 2024 at Stratton Mountain Resort.
For Tickets: stratton.com/things-to-do/events/beach-boys