More like BAD vibrations, are we right? Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’ll be discussing The Dark Side of The Beach Boys.
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00:00 Here are the Beach Boys!
00:06 Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we'll be discussing the dark side of the Beach Boys.
00:11 They exist as one of the oldest touring groups in rock and roll, alongside the Zombies and the
00:20 Rolling Stones, and are clearly one of America's most iconic bands. But there's a dark side to
00:27 everything in life if you look hard enough, even the otherwise bright and cheery sounding music
00:34 of the Beach Boys. How much joy was actually behind the scenes of the venerable group's origins,
00:39 commercial success, and personal struggles?
00:42 Family Issues
00:44 The Beach Boys formed in 1961 and found success only a couple of years after getting together in
00:51 the Garage. Actually, make that the Family Garage, since the Beach Boys' complicated legacy heavily
01:05 involves the Wilson Family. Murray Wilson was the family patriarch, an aspiring songwriter who
01:12 managed the Beach Boys during the early part of their career. Brian Wilson was the group's leader
01:24 and primary songwriter, aided by brothers Carl and Dennis Wilson, cousin Mike Love, and family
01:30 friend Al Jardim. Another young friend, David Marks, performed on the Beach Boys' early hit
01:36 albums including Surfin' USA and Little Deuce Coupe. The group's classic lineup, however,
01:42 primarily focuses upon these aforementioned five members. The elder Wilson was, by most accounts,
01:55 a cruel man who seemed to take perverse delight in abusing his sons both mentally and physically.
02:03 Stories also circulated that Murray Wilson would occasionally remove his glass eye in order to
02:08 torment his boys. Some claim Brian's partial deafness resulted from a childhood beating by
02:14 his father, although recollections differ as to the exact cause of his hearing loss. However,
02:25 many think Brian Wilson preferred mixing his albums in mono rather than stereo due to this
02:31 handicap. Father and sons would clash over publishing rights, especially after Murray,
02:36 who had been ousted as manager, sold them off in the late 1960s. Genius has a cost.
02:52 There's simply no way to tell the Beach Boys' story without discussing the musical genius of
02:57 Brian Wilson. The band's surf rock sound was popular, sure, but the artistic standing of
03:08 pop music enjoyed a significant jump once Brian discovered the production technique and style
03:14 of Phil Spector. Specifically, it was Spector's work on the landmark "Be My Baby" by the Ronettes
03:20 that served as a lightbulb moment for Brian's own studio experimentation. Brian had already hired
03:33 Outside Musical Health for some of the Beach Boys' latter-day surf records, but it was now
03:38 time to fully utilize members of the famous wrecking crew for what would become his magnum opus.
03:49 It isn't hyperbole to describe Pet Sounds as one of the most influential rock records
03:54 ever produced, because honestly, it is. There was already a creative arms race of sorts,
04:08 with groups like the Beach Boys attempting to catch up and outdo British invasion acts like
04:13 the Beatles. That said, the undeniable greatness that is Pet Sounds didn't come without a cost.
04:24 The stresses of writing, recording, and touring took its toll on Brian,
04:28 and the songwriter suffered a nervous breakdown in 1967, only a year after the release of Pet
04:33 Sounds. Wilson would eventually turn towards substances in the aftermath of this breakdown,
04:39 in an effort to combat the severe depression and agoraphobia that tortured this now reclusive genius.
04:45 Dennis' Downward Spiral
04:55 Brian Wilson wasn't the only Beach Boy to go to war with substance use disorder.
05:04 Drummer Dennis Wilson was another talent within the Beach Boys' creative nucleus,
05:09 releasing an excellent solo record in 1977 titled Pacific Ocean Blue.
05:14 Dennis was also the only member of the Beach Boys who actively enjoyed surfing,
05:26 but the musician would also be continually tempted by alcohol,
05:29 heroin, and sex throughout his life, and often overindulged in all three.
05:35 While Brian Wilson's deep dive into his own mind resulted in poor hygiene, paranoia,
05:40 and weight gain, Dennis' path to excess caused him to cross paths with one of history's most
05:46 infamous figures, Charles Manson. The Beach Boys drummer had picked up a couple of hitchhiking
05:57 female associates of Manson, and eventually brought them both to his home on Sunset Boulevard.
06:02 Soon, a sort of living arrangement was ushered in, with some members of Manson's family
06:13 cohabitating the premises, and with the cult leader collaborating with Wilson on songwriting.
06:18 This partnership resulted in a song actually being recorded by the Beach Boys, albeit with
06:24 a retitling and a complete omission of Manson as co-songwriter. The tune, originally titled
06:34 Cease to Exist and now known as Never Learn Not to Love, wound up as a B-side, but serves as
06:41 physical proof of the chaotic scene that was the Manson family's brief crossover with Beach Boys
06:47 culture. Dennis' Later Days Things would only get worse for both Dennis and Brian Wilson as the
06:58 70s dragged on into the 80s. The lasting effects of Dennis Wilson's drug use debilitated both his
07:10 singing and drumming abilities, and he was let go from the group. This unpredictable behaviour had
07:16 escalated into reported bouts of violence while the Beach Boy was in romantic relationships with
07:21 both actress Karen Lamb and Fleetwood Mac's Christine McVie. Dennis' final partner before
07:32 his 1983 death was a woman named Sean Marie Harris, the latter of whom claimed to be the
07:37 daughter of Dennis' cousin, Mike Love. Love denies this claim, but it was Harris who successfully
07:43 intervened on Dennis' behalf to have his body buried at sea without cremation after the drummer
07:49 drowned on December 28th, 1983. Mike Love is a controversial figure. Speaking of Mike Love,
08:10 his role in the Beach Boys story is largely relegated to villain, although the reality is
08:15 much more complicated. What is true is the current Beach Boys singer's history of litigiousness
08:28 concerning royalties to which Love feels he's entitled. The lawsuits basically outline how
08:33 many of the songs in question, despite relying heavily on Brian Wilson's creative leadership,
08:38 were bolstered by contributions from Mike Love. Mike Love was also vilified for a now infamous
08:53 speech when the Beach Boys were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988. It was a
08:59 combative, combustible and frankly embarrassing scene where Love seemed to point fingers and issue
09:05 challenges to all of classic rock's all-time greats, from the Stones to the Beatles. Love
09:19 has also been criticised for the continued monetisation and commercialisation of the
09:23 Beach Boys as a brand, lending their name to everything from a failed animated cartoon
09:28 to a cringeworthy rap experiment during an episode of Baywatch. Brian's controversial
09:41 therapist One massive hit from the Mike Love era was Kokomo, a soundtrack cut from the 1988 film
09:47 Cocktail. The music video for this song notably featured John Stamos on conga drums, but no Brian
09:57 Wilson. Wilson, at the time, seemed to be controlled by a psychologist named Eugene Landy.
10:02 It was Landy's controversial approach to rehab and therapy that assisted Brian in emerging from
10:10 his self-imposed cocoon of exile. However, it did so at the expense of Landy indoctrinating himself
10:17 into every aspect of his patient's life. This included garnering compositional credits on
10:23 Beach Boys songs, as well as performing managerial responsibilities and charging
10:28 a substantial financial fee. Interview footage from this time showcases exactly how much control
10:42 Landy possessed over much of Brian Wilson's personal and professional life. It sadly also
10:53 echoes the Beach Boys' current status under a conservatorship. Landy was eventually excised
10:58 from Wilson's life by the latter's family, who filed a restraining order against the psychologist.
11:03 Landy would eventually lose his license to practice in California,
11:15 although Wilson remained steadfast in his appreciation for the doctor's assistance
11:19 during his darkest years. Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the
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11:40 on notifications. Brian continues to face struggles. Yet, the hallucinations and voices
11:48 that have continually haunted Brian Wilson as a result of neurocognitive disorder issues remain
11:53 a problem. He's been widowed by his second wife, Melinda, herself a controversial figure due to
12:03 the alleged creative control she exerted over the 2014 film Love and Mercy, and is due, as of May
12:09 2024, to be placed under a legal conservatorship. "An LA judge found that Wilson is unable to care
12:15 for himself because of a major neurocognitive disorder." This occurred just as the group he
12:21 co-founded, The Beach Boys, announced yet another summer tour with Mike Love at the helm. This
12:26 duality of darkness and light doesn't go unnoticed by the group's fans. Those who have followed The
12:31 Beach Boys since the era of Fun Fun Fun, their music has brought joy and light to the lives of
12:37 countless followers. Yet, it's the inherent darkness within their story that perhaps
12:42 makes The Beach Boys' tumultuous history such a fascinating subject.
12:46 What facts surprised you the most about The Beach Boys' history? Let us know in the comments!
12:58 *Happy Rondo*
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