Why I hate Mike Love
A few weeks ago on Jay’s message board, Matt asked me who my favorite Beach Boy is. (He claims his is John Stamos.) From there, it wasn’t hard for him to prod me into discussing my least favorite Beach Boy, Mike Love. Yesterday, I was talking to a co-worker, and wouldn’t you know it, but the subject of Mike Love came up again. I’ve touched on my dislike for Mike Love on this blog in the past, but if this is going to keep coming up, what I clearly need is a fact sheet on why I hate Mike Love to which I can simply refer people when needed. So, since I was pretty thorough on Jay’s forum, I’m reprinting my comments below to fit the bill. Now watch the litigious asshole sue me.
My favorite Beach Boy is obviously Brian because he’s the genius. Next comes Dennis because he was the coolest by far, emerged as a late-blooming significant talent in his own right, and once beat the living shit out of Charles Manson and reduced him to a blubbering mess in front of the Family. And then comes Al, because he’s basically the Ringo or the Michael Anthony — the friendly, funny-looking goof who just can’t believe his good fortune at being allowed to be in the band. Mike comes way down at the bottom after John Stamos.
There should be a Wikipedia page on Reasons People Hate Mike Love. My two primary ones are these: First, he hassled Brian so much that he had a breakdown and abandoned his masterpiece, Smile, thus leaving Mike free to take control of the Beach Boys and turn them into their own cover band, a corny travelling jukebox endlessly belching out their beach and car songs for the next 40 years. And second, when Brian finally got it together enough to release Smile as a solo album, Mike had the gall to sue him for promoting it in a way that, to quote, “shamelessly misappropriated Mike Love’s songs, likeness and the Beach Boys trademark, as well as the Smile album itself.”
Other reasons to hate Mike Love:
- He apparently beat his wife.
- He rewrote the Leiber/Stoller song “Riot in Cell Block 9″ into the song “Student Demonstration Time”, which sucks ass, yet somehow made it onto the Surf’s Up album while excellent songs by Dennis such as “4th of July” and “Fallin’ in Love” stayed in the can. (Of course, Dennis got the ultimate revenge agains his longtime foe by marrying Mike’s illegitimate daughter and giving him a grandson just to piss him off.)
- His cousin Stan, along with Rocky Pamplin, kicked down Dennis’ door and beat the shit out of him, messing up his larnyx and ruining his voice.
- He really got into transcendental meditation, and just wouldn’t stop writing shitty songs about it.
- He pushed a very obviously mentally ill and terrified Brian onstage as part of the “Brian’s Back!” campaign, and even wrote a song called “Brian’s Back” in which he pretended to like him.
- He’s an alleged racist.
- He’s a right-wing Republican, but he did give $5000 in start-up capital to Tipper Gore to start up the PMRC to censor pop music.
- He thinks no one will notice he’s bald if he just keeps wearing a hat.
- He created a TV miniseries full of revisionist history to glorify his own contributions to the band and take credit for a lot of things he never actually did. He also used it to give the impression that John Lennon wanted to jam with him, although Lennon is quoted as calling him a “jerk”.
- He sued Brian over songwriting credits he claimed he never received, which might have been due to his not actually having done the songwriting he claims to have done.
- He did do a little songwriting, which used all kinds of hip slang that didn’t age well at all and sounds retarded years later. And his onstage patter was lame and unfunny.
- He keeps suing poor Al every time he tries to tour.
- He was a real dick to lyricist Van Dyke Parks during the Smile era, and even 20 years later, took a cheap shot at him on the “Wipeout” single the Beach Boys did with the Fat Boys.
- He introduced himself to Sean O’Hagan of the High Llamas, a huge Beach Boys fan who Bruce Johnston brought in to produce an album for them, by saying, as soon as he met him at the airport, “You’re English, right? Aren’t all you English guys fags?”
- He went on a drunken, bizarre, classless rant when the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, calling out the Beatles, Mick Jagger, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, the Supremes, and possibly the MC5, for no discernible reason.
- His solo albums suck, even for Beach Boys solo albums, which mostly kind of suck to start with.
- He is responsible for “Kokomo”. And he’s proud of it.
- He just plain has one of those thin-lipped humourless-asshole-looking faces you want to punch.
- He’s still alive, while Dennis and Carl are dead.
Matt, for his part, was very satisfied with my vigorous dislike of the man, and responded to my call for a Wikipedia page on Reasons People Hate Mike Love by writing an introductory paragraph of one that I quite liked:
“Michael Edward Love (born March 15, 1941 in Los Angeles, California) is an American singer and songwriter who was one of the lead singers and lyric writers of The Beach Boys. He formed the band along with Brian Wilson, Carl Wilson, Dennis Wilson, and a school friend Al Jardine. He is an asshole.”
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Just glad to be on the team, Peter!
Hey, Wikipedia still comes through though. They have him described as the “villian” of the Beach Boys. And they do display a particularly punchable head shot.
I think I might print it, tape it to the front of a shopping cart the next time I do groceries, then ram it into a pyramid of tuna.
Poor tuna pyramid. To be destroyed by a printed Wikipedia article. the shame.
Aren’t all English guys fags though?
I read the title as, “Why I hate to make love”.
yes it happend to me too but its just cause we’restoned
But what really grinds me is the new lawsuit over “Smile.” It’s this statement here: “Once again the people around Brian, my cousin and collaborator on many hits, who I love and care about, have used him for their own financial gain without regard to his rights, or my rights, or even the rights of the estates of his deceased brothers, Carl and Dennis, and their children… Unfortunately, history repeats itself. Because of Brian’s mental issues he has always been vulnerable to manipulation. I simply want to stop the infringers and stop the deception!”
The tone of that disgusts me. “Oh, poor, simple, childlike Brian, he thinks he was the driving force behind the Beach Boys, I just want to protect him from creative fulfillment.”
Douche. He’s even accused Al Jardine of being crazy. I fucking hate Mike Love.
See, even in those TV movies, Al always came off as the sanest one, with the possible exception of Carl. Mike really is a douche. Even Wikipedia hints at it, and they have that whole NPOV policy.
For maximum effect, Nick, what you want to do is ram your Mike-cart into a pyramid of canned vegetables. Then, after you knock the whole display down, yell, “Columnated ruins domino, bitch!”
Nice how a blog about hating some one could be so humorous.
The Mini-series could almost have been subtitled “THE GOD-LIKE LEVELHEADEDNESS OF MIKE LOVE”!Total revisionist history-MIKE LOVE IS THE ANTI-BRIAN !!!
Years ago I watched a long interview with Mike Love where they went to his house in Hawaii for a long up close and personal. I had no opinion of him before that, but his slimy asswipe presence turned my stomach.
As a bonus, they showed him in his pale, old-man freckled splendor in the hot tub with his 20 year old Hawaiian wife. Yuck.
I could not agree with you more. It almost feels like he slows down his radius. That is all he has ver been good with. NOTHING.
Good Lord, I can’t stand Mike Love. I hate how he’s so proud of the whole fourth of July fiasco. BRIAN got mike where he is today. mike owes brian soooo much gratitude, it’s ridiculous. He also owes him a gigantic apology for all the shit he’s put him through.
I LOVE THIS SO MUCH.
I can’t stand Mike Love, either, and for three extra reasons that you did not have on your most excellent list.
* Mike Love takes credit for naming the Pet Sounds record, when in fact Carl always said that it was Brian’s idea, and Brian always said that it was Carl’s idea. One thing that the brothers could “agree” upon was that the name was hatched at the Pet Sounds photo session for the cover, when the group was playing with the animals at the petting zoo and laughing and joking around. The naming of the album and its genesis was always a joke between the two brothers…that is, until Mike Love came along and cleared up the controversy by declaring that he and he alone came up with the title. This is especially nauseating when you consider that Mike Love hated Pet Sounds from the very beginning…simply loathed it.
* Mike Love was a regular Eddie Haskell when it came to Murry Wilson. He would be the consummate suck-up to Murry when he was around, but would be the instigator of all sorts of trouble when Murry had his back turned. Unforgivably, Mike Love frequently joined in on Murry’s tirades against his sons, egging him on, especially Brian. Mike Love also reportedly was a tattletale in the years when Murry was their manager, sparing no details about groupie activity and such.
* Mike Love is a pompous bastard, and you can see this in the clip for “Fire.” Watch at about 20 seconds or so, when Mike makes the little “smoking joint” motion with his hands and then rolls his eyes, no doubt in reference to Brian, who is quite obviously high in this clip.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxbm56A8LrY
Worthy additions to the list! I knew about Mike’s condescending little eye rolling during the “Fire” clip, but I forgot. Then again, as you say, Brian was obviously high as a kite, so I can almost forgive that one.
I cannot tell you how happy I was to find this blog…I guess I would have been naive to think that I wouldn’t come up with at least one quality hit by googling “I hate Mike Love”. Nearly every reason I could think of was here except:
One time I was serving for jury duty and met some of my fellow jurors, one of which was a record industry employee. While speaking, I brought up bands that I had loved growing up and mentioned The Smithereens. My new pal told me that he was a close friend of Dennis Diken, the drummer from the Smithereens and noted Beach Boys expert. He told me that, at that time (2000), Dennis had been asked to write an exerpt for the re-release of 15 Big Ones/Love You (Peter Buck wrote the counterpart for the latter). But, when Dennis credited too much of the Beach Boys’ genius and success to Brian, Mike flipped out and refused to use Dennis’s words unless he changed them to not fawn so much over Brian.
I had only one response…”I hate Mike Love….God, I hate that bald fuck”
True Story
That’s a great story. Thanks for sharing it. Eventually, we’re going to have to just make an anti-Mike Love wiki and let everyone have their say.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Love#References_to_Mike_Love_in_popular_culture
That is truly awesome. My first Wikipedia shout-out. In case it gets edited out, which I expect will happen, the Mike Love entry in Wikipedia now contains this note: “Blogger Peter Lynn of Man vs. Clown [1] has an unhealthy dislike of Mike Love[2]“.
Now it’s out there for all to see in a public forum (not that this isn’t one, but it’s no Wikipedia). Oh, it is ON, Mike Love.
He’s also the reason why the new SMiLE album didn’t use the “Smile Shop” art – Mike Love was geared up and ready to sue if they changed the top to “Brian Wilson Presents” from “The Beach Boys Present” and so forth. He’s a fucking douche, which frightens me to write, cause frankly, I’m scared of Mike Love and don’t want him to read this and send a goon to punch me in the face. So if you do read this, Mike, your voice is great in some BB songs (but you’re still a douche).
I hate hate hate him and unlike VDP I do NOT forgive him
i think i love you (sorry i hade to mention him to say it)
is the domain, “mikelovefuckedoveraljardine.com” taken?
He didn’t give his illegitimate daughter money for a liver transplant. She died of liver failure. He always wears them ‘old man Florida’ clothes; as in them dandy coloured ‘Hawaiian’ shirts and that white cap with pink writing on it from his golden ‘Kokomo’ years.
Could not agree more with all of the above.
I thought I couldn’t possibly hate him any more until I read that bit about Sean O’Hagan. As an Englishman I’d like to ask that pious bigotted prick how he thinks can say things like that, while merrily enjoying his ill-gotten Beach Boys royalties from the English record buying public. What a cock!
Just to chip in my part, I saw an interivew with one of his sons by an estraged girlfriend the other night, who is still clearly traumatised by the phone call he received shortly after his 11th birthday from his loving dad in which Mike told him he was no longer his son…
..no explanation. No further contact.
The poor guy is a successful extreme sportsman these days, but obviously still lives in vain to win his dear old Dad’s approval…
I’d like to beat Mike Love to death with his own stupid tasseled sandles!
Actually that would the British record buying public. You know we have record shops in Scotland too! Yes, even in Scotland we hate Mike Love, and trust me there are better people to hate here than that prick.
Great!! I couldn’t agree with you more. Mike Love has absolutely no talent and I hope he reads this.
Mike Love is such an ass. Great blog. Good to see there’s so much hate.
I love Brian Wilson and therefore despise Mike Love.
His stupid on stage talking voice in between tunes is nerve wracking. Just shut up and sing Brian’s songs, you asshole you. You’re blowing my high…
Unbelievable. It took me so many years to discover this site and immediately feel at home, together with people who also hate this guy. He was always my least (by far) favourite BB, but after I read Brian’s Biography (Wouldn’t It be Nice) I really disliked this person, also many of his family, for all the dishonest acting, and also for his lack of vision towards Pet Sounds, and any other creative work of the guys, leaded by Brian. This man wants only money. He simply don’t have the right to harass Brian or Al. A mediocre singer, a fake as a composer, absolutely non-reliable as a human being. If anyone still needs a living proof of what a farse TM is, this guy is it.
I’m actually here because I googled “Mike Love sucks”. I gotta agree with you. this man is annoying and ignorant and pure Brian could’ve been much better without him.
Hey, look-a-mee. I’m Mike Love.
I can’t sing. My voice is nasal and annoying, and every Beach Boys track would have been better if any other member had sung my part.
I can’t play instruments. That’s too tricky for me.
I have no taste. I think crappy music is good, and good music is crappy. The clothing that I wear is ridiculous.
I’m an egomaniac and think that if I lie about the past long enough, people will believe it.
Because I have no talent, and Brian does, it eats me up inside, and I hate it. The more I rail against it, the more obvious it is to everyone that Brian Wilson WAS the Beach Boys.
All in all, I am possibly the worst… musician… ever. Please send me more hate mail.
So AWESOME to find this. Mike Love is a piece of shit.
“The Beach Boys” are performing in a town close to my hometown in Iowa. Even though the only “Beach Boys” on stage are Mike Love and Bruce Johnston (who wasn’t even in the original line up, but you have to include him).
Recently the local paper wrote an article basically touting Love’s accomplishments. Never in the article does it mention Brian. It also makes Mike Love sound like a hippie-progressive who cares about the environment which couldn’t be further from the truth.
Don’t worry friends, a group of my friends and I are planning a great time at this show. We bought tickets, and will attend the show. What they don’t know is that we will be wearing Brian Wilson t-shirts, and possibly bringing a SMiLE banner if we can find one. I also plan to boo loudly every time he plays a Brian song that he claims “he wrote”.
Fuck Mike Love, and fuck the “Beach Boys”.
I also happened here by Googling “Mike Love Sucks!” I am not sure what I thought might result, but what a wonderful little blog I’ve found! It looks like this has been active for over 3 years now.
I am amazed at how well articulated all my thoughts are here. I would like to add my own contribution to the growing list… one more reason I hate this guy is the ridiculous gold rings and other outlandish jewelry he wears in concert. It’s nauseating and fits him perfectly. In his defense, this would have been the style when Kokomo was a hit.
And I agree with CaptainReality. One thing that makes me feel better about this guy is that I believe deep down he knows. I think he looks out at the 2 or 3 thousand faces in the casino audience and knows that he could be an accountant fronting a 60′s cover band on the weekends and not much would be different. I saw Paul McCartney at the end of his summer tour last month. It makes me smile to think of how Mike Love feels about the never ending adoration of all 4 of the Beatles.
And for what it’s worth, John Cowsill is fantastic. I wish he would tour on his own.
I love Mike Love
Hi everybody.
Sorry for my english which is poor because i’m french and I never went in an anglophone country. I am 21 years old and I have to confess that I truly discovered the BB recently, thanks to “God only know” and three or four other songs that I already knew such as I get around, good vibrations…).
The moment I saw Mike Love I felt everything you have mentionned here, of course I could not describe it in english but I’m glad you did it. I just typed “Mike Love sucks” on Google and followed my instinct. Somehow I knew I was not alone.
Well I keep discovering each track of Brian Wilson but not feeling guilty anymore for thinking Mike Love is a jerk.
Beurk, i’m still thinking about him repeating “so many rain” after that awesome live of god only knows !
Mike Love fucked up the Beach Boys’ music so many times. He brought the Smile sessions to an end. His stupid songs got on Surf’s Up instead of Dennis’ excellent material. He stopped what would have been the last Beach Boys album. A collaboration with the High Llamas which likey would have been mindblowing.
He always said “Don’t fuck with the formula, Brian” and then on the Beach Boys’ last material he had them doing synthpop with members of the Culture Club, Rap and backing Country singers on covers of Beach Boys oldies. What a hypocrite asshole.
Does anyone else get physically ill when he pretends to be a gladiator whipping a horse when he sings the “roman chariot race” part of “Fun Fun Fun”? Another thing that has always made him the least necessary Beach Boy is his inability to play a musical instrument onstage. At least Davy Jones could bang a tambourine,and sported a full head of hair…
WOW! How STUPID can someone get?!?! Come on dumbass, can you even TRY to do anything that Michael has done for the world? No you can’t. So I suggest you shut the fuck up if you don’t know shit about him. All you know is the diharea that comes out of idiots mouths in tabloids and all that shit. Go pray to God for forgivness._____ __ __ _______ __ __
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WOW! How STUPID can someone get?!?! Come on dumbass, can you even TRY to do anything that Michael has done for the world? No you can’t. So I suggest you shut the fuck up if you don’t know shit about him. All you know is the diharea that comes out of idiots mouths in tabloids and all that shit. Go pray to God for forgivness.
haha whoops! I meant to put this comment on the michael jackson page where u talk shit about him.
No worries! Better luck next time!
Not to mention Mike Love tried to sue Brian Wilson over the “Smile” album, claiming Brian “shamelessly” misappropriated his song. Oh, puh-frickin-leeze! Mike didn’t even LIKE Smile when Brian came up with the concept back in the 60s…and now he wants to take all the credit. What an asshat he is. He’s just jealous cuz Brian has more genius in his little finger in one day than Mike will have in his entire body in his lifetime.
Plus I’m PO’ed Mike sued to use the name the Beach Boys. Way I see it, all one has to do is listen to Brian Wilson’s Smile (2004) and That Lucky Old Sun (2008) and even though it’s an entirely different band, it’s pretty damn clear who the REAL Beach Boy is…and it ain’t Mike “don’t fuck with the formula” Love.
p.s. I didn’t know about what happened to Dennis Wilson with him getting beat up like that. That’s just awful. RIP Dennis and Carl.
I can’t see that Irene ever posted her rant in the Michael Jackson comments section.
Well, we may as well keep this going even longer.
Mike Love is a tool! The first indication I had was his Rock and Roll Hall of Fame tirade – since then I’ve read about different things – most listed here – and thought “What a no talent douche this guy is”.
I think it’s clear, as others have mentioned, that Love is so insanely jealous of Brian Wilson’s talent and genious that he can’t help himself. I also agree with whoever said he continues to make false calims and lies about his contributions to the BB so eventually people will believe it. Well as long as there are blogs like this it will never happen – not that I think anyone but Love believes his bull shit any way.
Why Oh why hasn’t Brian Wilson sued the freaking pants of this guy? Seems the best way to beat him int he long run would be to play the way he plays.
What an f’ing deuchbag, tool, no talent, loser.
Now, I hate him for all the things mentioned – but Kokomo is just an insulting POS of a song – insulting because it sucks – worst ever.
Brian hasn’t sued because Brian would rather hurt himself than hurt other people. His mom said so, and Brian agreed in a videotaped interview.
It’s a real shame that was Dennis who died in 1983 rather than Mike.
Dennis fucked up his own voice through drugs, alocohol and smoking.
HAIR TODAY
It starts with just a little patch now
Right away you’re worried ’bout your thatch now
You know you ought to comb it slower
Looking like you fought with a lawn mower
A brand new head of hair is such a beautiful thing
But if you go bald then think about the pain it could bring
It makes you look so old
It makes your head feel cold
You try to grow it long
But on the top it’s gone
You’ve got to keep in mind Mike had hair
Today it has gone
Tomorrow a transplant from your ass
That was brilliant!! LMAO!! Would you consider doing the entire Pet Sounds album with the above referenced lyrics??
I’ve been sitting around my apartment *hating* Mike Love today, and I decided to Google it, ending up here.
I have only 3 reasons for my hatred:
1. His vocal contribution to “God Only Knows” RUINS THE F**KING SONG! I CAN’T EVEN LISTEN TO IT ANYMORE BECAUSE HIS PART SUCKS SO BAD. You know what I’m talking about… “Ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba baaaaa…” Learn to sing, you no-talent nasal sounding ass-clown.
2. He road on The Beatles coat-tails right into the Maharishi compound with his suitcase packed with cigarettes, batteries and film which he proceeded to sell to everyone as they ran out of their own supply. Nice hippie spirit Mike. Go f**k yourself, and don’t forget to choke on your mantra.
3. Refer back to point one: He has no talent.
Mike doesn’t appear on God Only Knows (only Brian, Carl & Bruce). I’m not a big Mike Love fan, but this message thread is absolutely pathetic. I’ve never stumbled upon a bigger batch of losers. Beach Boys rule.
Thank you for a blog to rant about Mike Love !! Found it like others Googling “I hate Mike Love”. Everytime I hear about this asshole I reach for my well-worn 1986 paperback copy of Steven Gaines “Heroes and Villains – The True Story of the Beach Boys”. Mike Love is easily the biggest asshole in a book knee deep in assholes like Murry Wilson, Jack Rieley, Eugene Landy, Rocky Pamplin, and Charles Manson. And of course let’s not forget Mike’s asshole siblings Stephen and Stan. A young Mike beating his first wife for smoking cigarettes (after he gave her a carton of them to impress her on their first date). Mike’s anti-semitic and homophobic rantings. Mike knocking his 4 year old kid across the room for interrupting his TM. Mike and his brother screwing and suing each other. And on an on. I despise this guy !!
Thank you thank you !! Mike Love, you are 69 years old and you can’t live forever and I can’t wait to read your obituary someday !!! You wrecked the Beach Boys back in 1967 !!
I too found this blog by googling “I hate Mike Love” and I’ve never been happier about finding so much hatred! Mike Love-haters of the world, unite and take over!
Could there possibly be another Smiths AND Beach Boys lover out there?
You mean, besides me?
I remembered the “he is an asshole” part of the Wikipedia entry, began giggling and Googled to see if any trace of it remained. After finding a screenshot, I stumbled upon this blog.
Every time I listen to “Johnny Carson” off Love You I think it was a stroke of genius by Brian. Mike just sounds so ridiculous and I think Brian did that on purpose.
Mike Love has done much evil to the world. Though what he’s done to Al and Brian are the worst of it, the ABC miniseries got under my skin worse than anything he else he’s perpetuated.
Now that you mentioned it, I just had to go look for that screenshot. It’s mentioned in this blog post, and the screenshot itself is here.
Oh, and if you want to hear a good example of Brian allegedly making Mike sound ridiculous on purpose, check out the Beach Boys’ version of The Battle Hymn of the Republic. I’ve seen it speculated that it was a joke that Mike, then in the grip of Bicentennial-mania, wasn’t in on.
I’m don’t have all same arguments as noted in your demonstration, but I totally agree that he wasn’t the ‘big brain’ behind the Beach Boys, but Brian. It’s real idiotic to claim those lyrics on Brian’s great works, ’cause the lyrics where he stand credited are often a bit shameful..
It’s something funny about the man but he doesn’t seem to have a bit of self-deprecation at all.
Let’s just leave I would say, we all know that not Mike but Brian’s made it possible that they’ve become such famous and made some music on a level that, perhaps, Mike doesn’t understand.
Great greetings from the Netherlands!
… or, as Beach Boys fans know the country, Holland.
Not coincidentally, the album of that name contains perhaps Mike’s single most pretentious moment, the spoken-word piece “Beaks of Eagles”, which I was obligated to put onto a mix CD made up entirely of songs about birds that my girlfriend recently requested. Every time this definitive track about avian incest comes up, the “skip” button gets a real workout.
I found this piece by Googling “Mike Love Prick” since I always remember him saying that “Murry was a prick” in an interview and thinking “actually, Mike is a complete prick himself!”
How many times has this guy been married? Seriously! Seems he marries teenage girls and divorces them by the time they’re adults as often as he fires off lawsuits.
Anybody who keeps bleating about how wonderful and successful the odious “Kokomo” was has to be a prick. Mike claims it’s The Beach Boys’ biggest selling record. No way… and it’s another thinly veiled swipe at Brian who was not involved in that monstrosity.
How about this one…
“In an ocean or in a glass…
Cool water is such a gas”
Only Mike would have the audacity to sing those lines in “Cool Cool Water” and it totally destroys that song for me. Hearing him sing those lines, I wince in agony. I’m surprised nobody has mentioned his “episode” in 1969 when he went genuinely mad, stripping off on a chat show and having to be captured by nurses shoving him into a straitjacket dragging him away to the nearest psychiatric hospital, a caper he attributed to “being tainted by the Wilson blood” – what a prick.
In 1992 when he was promoting the worst Beach Boys album of all, “Summer In Paradise” he bragged he already had the title for the next album – “Masterpiece”… WTF?
Yes, that story about The Beatles and Maharishi is true. He went there to get publicity for himself and by various accounts was a seedy pain in the ass. It’s even been alleged that he smuggled in dope to sell… He bugged The Beach Boys management to send film cameras to India to make a movie about it. And what came out of it? The disastrous tour with The Beach Boys and the Maharishi that cost an absolute fortune and was a total flop. Al Jardine summed it all up succinctly when he quipped that the only people making money on that tour was Interflora since Maharishi insisted there be flowers everywhere he went. So Mike can be blamed for that embarrassing fiasco.
And who would have the audacity to name a solo album “Looking Back With Love?”
Mike Love is a smug obnoxious hateful prick. Period.
HAHAH! Your post made me laugh for about 20 minutes. Wince in agony haha, seedy pain in the ass, Classic
Carl was my favorite Beach Beach Boy..Mike Love the least favorite..I read several books about the Beach Boys including Heroes and Villans..and it’s pretty plain who the villan is… I think it is in his nature to be a greedy, narcascistic.ultra conservative phoney. However I don’t hate him..I feel sorry for him. I really like the other four original Beach Boys and David Marks too. How they put up with him says a lot about their character and respect for the original group and what they accomplished and how important those accomplishments were and he was part of that as lead singer and frontman on stage…and he did do a decent job or else their songs wouldn’t have been such big hits. But that is all I can say good about him. My favorite songs are “I Get Around” and “Little Honda” and “Fun, Fun, Fun”. Also I just checked out Al Jardine’s new CD “Postcards From California” on his website through a link on the Coast to Coast website…Al was on the Coast to Coast radio show Saturday night (July 17) for an hour with Ian. Lots of videos and song samples on Al’s website..Steve Miller and Al do a bang up job on Help Me Rhonda. All and all some excellent music. Al also is lending his 1962 Fender Statocaster to Fender for a year so they can build a re-issue in their Custom Shop.
I see I’m not the only person who landed on this page by googling “mike love sucks” (or the equivalent). I’m in complete agreement with the article. I especially like this given reason: “He just plain has one of those thin-lipped humourless-asshole-looking faces you want to punch.”
I can’t add anything that hasn’t already been voiced. It’s just a shame that fate brought Mike Love into contact with Brian Wilson and the others. For decades he’s done his best to insert his retarded slant into the Beach Boys.
I hate the way he acts out the lyrics of songs when he’s singing them. It’s disgusting and laughable. He acts out driving a car during Fun, Fun, Fun. He acts out looking through a spyglass on Sloop John B. He acts out WAXING A SURFBOARD on Surfin’ USA. What a ridiculous fool.
Indeed! And what I’ve noticed from watching A LOT of 60′s video clips, those clever tricks captured the cameramen’s attention. How many videos have you watched where the focus is Mike, with nary a glimpse of Brian? As if he’s a supporting musician. Didn’t anyone on the set know anything? I guess not.
My personal favorite is one of the Pet Sounds promo videos where the Wilsons are playing cards (Old Maid), and Mike prances through the woods like a parody of a mincing transvestite. It kills me to hear that Brian suffered from not feeling “hip” in those days– when Mike had that category sewn up…
Of course to be fair Brian has done similar recently. “Don’t Talk” comes to mind (during the ‘put you head on my shoulders’ guess what he does). Brian doesn’t do it with a knowing smirk though and that’s all the difference.
I recently saw Mike Love, Bruce Johnston and the collection of ringers that call themselves “The Beach Boys.” I went only because it was free. I found my gag reflex kicking in several times. First when John Fucking Stamos came out to sing “Forever.” Poor Dennis does not deserve to have his ballad raped by some two-bit actor wannabe-rockstar. Then Bruce Johnston attempted to sing “God Only Knows.” Needless to say, he’s no Carl Wilson. Mike Love continued to do his same stupid hand motions and stage shuffle he’s been doing for the past 50 years while profiteering off the genius of Brian. Hearing them do “good Vibrations,” and hearing Mike Love try to take credit for it was nauseating. As soon as Stamos started playing the opening beat of “Kokomo” I split that pop-stand…I can still taste the vomit in my mouth…
“Mike Love also reportedly was a tattletale in the years when Murry was their manager, sparing no details about groupie activity and such.”
SNORT!
Ring ring ring.
“Hello, Pot? This is Kettle calling>”
His credit-hogging knows no bounds; he held up the Pet Sounds box for 18 months because he felt the liner notes emphasized Brian’s contributions and diminished his own. This goes as far as ripping off the record buying public; when Pet Sounds was finally mixed for stereo, the engineers only had bits and pieces to work with, and for one bridge, they couldn’t find a tape of Mike Love’s vocal to mix … but they had Carl Wilson singing the same part. Carl Wilson sings better anyway, so what’s the problem? Except Mike Love’s ego, obviously. He demanded that they create a weird edit where they use the old mono mixdown for his bridge, for the rest of the song, they could use the new stereo mix. I haven’t heard the result, but the mind boggles.
That “Pet Sounds”remixing edit that Mike Love demanded is ghastly. It’s the middle section of “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” – Mike’s voice was missing from the multitrack and he demanded it be reinstated. So they had to sync up the mono mix with the stereo to do it… it sticks out like a sore thumb, sounding like the song has suddenly turned inside out. It just doesnt work and gets that stereo mix off to a bad start… and all because Mike is an egotistical prick.
I hate him too!
Has anyone seen the BB documentary Endless Harmony, in which Mike Love says stuff about the band’s appeal being their positivity and that all coming from him? He is a deluded arse.
YES. I also googled Mike Love sucks and came across this site. I cannot express the hatred I have for this tool. The countless lawsuits against Brian Wilson, the god awful songs about TM, and how he actually sued for songwriting credit for that little tag on Wouldn’t It Be Nice, that worthless ‘good night, sweet baby, sleep tight…’ thing at the end. At least Brian is still out there, no doubt pissing off Mike for just being a much more talented genius. Suck it, Mike. You and Stamos will burn for Kokomo.
If you are one of the true haters of Myke Luhv like I am, then you should be thoroughly be enjoying the fact that Brian has released his new album to critical acclain. I have noticed VERY LITTLE or almost no mention of ML during the many reviews-in fact, one of the many vids for the new albums show Brian years ago with the BBs but ML was cut out of it. I friggin’ love it. Hopefully Myke is eating his heart completely out with jealousy and paranoia. Mr.”I AM THE BEACH BOYS” is once again being put in his place which is that of a sideman who can barely playa tambourine correctly. Brian and his brothers should have fired his ugly ass right after Pet Sounds-maybe then we coud have heard what Brian was really doing. The most hated person in rock and roll! Let Myke come crawling to the feet of Brian begging him for forgivness on stage in major cities. I’d pay huge money for that ticket.
Although I am not at knowledagable as some here you seem to have missed a couple of fundamentals:
All you are really doing is giving ML publicity for free. I bet he fucking loves that.
Call up a beach boys track and they’ll hear ML as the lead. Anyone could have created the backing frankly. It’s hardly complex.
So re-read the above two sentences and also consider the fact we all make mistakes, that’s part of being human. I expect he’s not quite as cool about the whole thing as people perceive. The difference here with a lot of haters is that their mistakes aren’t in the public view to be picked over.
Ultimately this whole blog is just advertising for someone you’ve never met and yet you apparently hate. It’s pretty fucking pathetic.
Your post is so fucking off base-THAT’S whats pathetic. Try discussing something you know about, not this-and I have met his several times. He’s got the personality of a dead rattlesnake-Brian was much more charismatic and a Hell of alot friendlier. Fuck your “advertising” theory-that’s bullshit-The truth about this piece of shit needs to be spread as much as possible
I don’t know that anyone who thinks the BBs’ orchestration is “hardly complex” can be taken seriously.
If anyone can pass on the link to the video where Brian is at the piano with Dennis and Carl nearby, and Brian does an imitation of Mike Love by singing while holding his nose… I will be personally grateful.
That was in Endless Harmony documentary, when they were recording their last material with Carl Wilson, for Stars & Stripes Part I the album of country singers doing BB oldies.
While I do hate Mike Love with an absolute burning passion I won’t deny that I like his voice (Though it obviously pales in comparison to Brian or Carls’). It was an integral part to the Beach Boys sound (and I don’t just mean lead vocals). I always like his bass vocals and some of leads were great (Aren’t you Glad, That’s Not Me, and All I Wanna Do are probably my favorite Mike Love vocals) And hell he did write one amazing song (The early version of Big Sur.) However Mike Love is a total piece of shit. He has no respect for his other band mates, held back Brian from going in the direction he wanted to go in, turned the Beach Boys live shows in the late 70′s into a shitty nostalgia act (compared to the early 70′s when they were just phenomenal live), and is totally egotistical. Blondie Chaplin said it best in this interview: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNsulymGkOE: “Well sometimes Mike likes to think that he’s the ONLY original member.” Truer words have probably never been uttered.
Mike Love raped my dog.
WTF Rocky Pamplin is technically my blood uncle and i have never met the guy in my life but i had no idea he did this shit thats fucking lame. as far as im conserned that is one of the most messed up things you can ever do and if i ever do met him i will personaly beat the living fuck out of him for ruining that mans life.
Wow. Look at all the people who hate Mike Love.
I’m so glad I found this. I’ve never understood the presence of Mike Love on ANY Beach Boys. The elimination of his nasally ‘no range’ voice could have been removed from every song and improved every song ten fold. His contribution to the lyrics was completely unneeded, and his contribution to the demise of the creative genius of Brian Wilson during the mid to late ’60s puts the point of the dull pencil of this no talent manipulative duplicitous hack called, Mike Love, The Luckiest No Talent S.O.B that ever walked the planet.
Mike Love seems to fit the profile of an extremely insecure BULLY.
Ditto ditto ditto ditto ditto. If it hadn’t been for Brian, he’d be flipping burgers. You can hear him practicing counting out change at the beginning of Shutdown Part 2.
Want further proof that Mike Love is wacky? Go to the Smoking Gun site and check out the Beach Boys concert rider. Mike insists on no green lighters, working toilets(after all he’s full of shit) and press releases that claim the BB’s are not “an oldies act”(really? what’s with the 40 year old songs being purveyed by an almost 70 year old man?). It makes for great reading, folks! Also, Mike once claimed in an interview that he didn’t play an instrument because at one point the guys had to lug and set up their own gear). What a team player? As for the “revisionist movie”, it’s a joke. Mike’s vocals on the early stuff were pretty good, but he hasn’t grown as a musician since about 1964. All of the other members progressed(especially Dennis), and what did Mike do? Coast on a wave of nauseating nostalgia with a bunch of hacks who tarnish the Beach Boys name(which, of course, Mike owns). And then there’s what ..the 7 wives(?),,proof that he can’t make a relationship work. Let’s not forget his two brothers…Stan who beat the crap out of Dennis and Steve who embezzled funds from the band when he managed them.
Thanks for the tip! That concert rider is here. I’m surprised about the clause requiring the availability of a licensed masseuse/masseur. What happened to Anna Lee, the Healer?
I can think of two possible explanations for the “no green lighters” clause: First, it could be superstition; some people evidently think green lighters are bad luck. Second, it could be like Van Halen’s “no brown M&M’s” clause; it seems like rock-star excess, but it’s actually a way of determining at a glance whether the concert promoter has even read the contract.
Lastly, far be it from me to defend Mike Love, but I have to admit he did grow after a musician after 1964. The last song I heard before coming into work this morning was “All I Wanna Do”, from Sunflower. Not only is that song gorgeous, but it also shows musical growth. The trouble isn’t that Mike didn’t progress; it’s that he then regressed in the name of commerce, beginning with “Do It Again” and selling out entirely by the time of 15 Big Ones. That’s the frustrating thing: He had it in him to be better, but he seems to have mostly wanted to be richer.
Who do you think the chew is for? Yuck!
I grew up in the 80′s and remember reading a lot of lists naming Pet Sounds as one of the great LP’s of all time, I was positive that was bullshit because I’d seen a televised Beach Boys concert and fucking Mike Love was doing his usual shtick and singing the more novelty oriented tunes like Be True to Your School. How could a great album be associated with such an obvious douche bag? I later bought Brian Wilson’s first solo album and was intrigued enough to go back and buy Pet Sounds. I Hate Mike Love because he made ignore great music. As I became a Brian Wilson fan, I hated Mike Love more for the many reasons already lined out in this blog so thanks for this site, and I’d like to add that if Mike Love were to have a stroke right in front of me I would fight off Paramedics until Love other died or was totally incapacitated.
Thanks
I would like to add to that fantasy that one of the attending paramedics would be none other than David Lee Roth, humming “California Girls” under his breath as he tried to attend to the patient before finally shrugging and giving up.
I got here by Googling ‘mike love is a dick’. Say no more!
I’ll let Mike Love himself respond to the allegations of his being a dick:
He also insisted on changing Hang Onto Your Ego into I Know There’s An Answer
But no one told Frank Black that!
Thankfully! That was an awesome version. By the way, that Mike Love GIF is creeping me out.
I dig the photo of Dennis flipping off Mike though.
Alan Jardine is listed as “guest star” for the Beach Boys upcoming salute to Reagan. I would love to know the behind the scenes poop on this. I thought that Al couldn;t stand Mike and vice versa. Better yet, will Mr.Love allow Al to sing songs from the Post Card From California album(which are not BB “remakes” that is)?
Who knows with these guys. It’s a love-hate relationship that’s many decades old, and they go around and around, freezing and thawing like the hydrologic cycle. I can’t see Mike letting Al play any of his solo stuff, though. They won’t fuck with the formula.
But, hey, if you want behind-the-scenes poop, while any press coverage of this salute to Reagan will probably mention how the president overturned James Watt’s brief banning of the band from the Independence Day celebrations on the National Mall in 1983, no one ever seems to remember that Dennis Wilson banged the Reagans’ daughter, Patti Davis.
no one ever seems to remember that Dennis Wilson banged the Reagans’ daughter, Patti Davis.
Dude, half of California banged Patti Davis, the other half banged Stevie Nicks…Dennis I bet had em both!
We dont know Mike Love, so we can say he is a dick, he appears to be one.
The Ronnie Regan thing sucked moose tits, and Mike looks OLD, so did AL!
Dennis did in fact bang Stevie Nicks, even though he was in a long-term relationship with Christine McVie. According to the Jon Stebbins biography, he worked his way through every girlfriend, wife, secretary, and nanny associated with Fleetwood Mac like he had a grudge against the band. He was like the Keyser Söze of fucking.
Check out this The Best of Mike Love. It is Hysterical:
WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEN!
It literally took me until the “We Love Our Children Telethon ’90″ clip at the 2:30 mark to figure out that this was the opening “When” from “Be True to Your School”. I want everyone to keep in mind that the more recent clips in this montage show a nearly 70-year-old man singing about the glory of high school. Mike must have really loved Susan Miller Dorsey High School to still be raving about it as a septuagenarian.
Such a pointless intro. Wheeeeeeeen … LOL…what a clown.
what a narcissist. thing is, he can’t even stay on key for his big show-offy moment.
Been a few months since I visited. Still hate Mike Love. Find out how he is voting in the next election so I can vote the other way and cancel him out
I can’t belive all this crap! So what if Mike Love tokd Brian to shelve the Smile album? Big deal. It was Murray Wilson who gave Brian Wilson the writing credit of California Girls. I think that Mike’s voice works great on the Beach Boys songs. Apart from Carl and Al, Brian, Dennis and Mike had big egos and they clashed. I guess the haters here have nothing better to do.
Brian did say that he’s glad that Mike is out there keeping the Beach Boys music alive. Don’t blame the band, blame their money greedy lawyers. I think Mike, Al, Brian, & Bruce would like to get together, but the lawyers won’t let them.
Surf’s Up
Mark, you’re a weirdo.
Thank you so much for this. I enjoyed the article obviously and agreed with everything but you forgot to mention the dreadful dancing, the turban and the gold waistcoat. Truly cringe-making. Also the bringing pretty 16 year old girls on stage at the end of the show is a little dubious.
But the video – wow – I laughed ’til I cried.
just watched the 1988 BB r&r hall of fame acceptance speech again. when i feel my mike love hatred waning, i do this.
There’s no good reason why “Mark” shouldn’t believe all this “crap”. Mike Love earned his reputation by his actions, and will just have to live with it. My personal impressions:
Love is a member of the Rock’n'Roll Hall Of Fame, and a familiar vocal sound of American sixties pop music for one reason, and one reason only: he was, fortunately for him, born the cousin of one of the era’s true geniuses (those who refer to Ringo Starr as “The luckiest man in show business” have overlooked our subject here!). Love’s nasally, limited-ability singing voice and corny stage presence, ironically, became an identifying part of “Surf & Car” songs (how many such records from that era were employing nasally-voice-paired-with-high-falsetto vocals? MANY! It defined the genre).
I’ve never begrudged Mike Love his fame as part of this brainchild of Brian Wilson’s. Pop music history has plenty of icons of somewhat underwhelming talent credentials. I, personally, have no problem with him touring the World, keeping the legacy alive with new players, either (this, too, is a common happenstance: Popular bands become marketable franchises in their fame. People still flock to venues to take part of the celebration of that particular band’s history, even when the actual players are not the originals – bands change personnel – it’s as natural as rainfall).
He did have a large hand in the song “Kokomo”, a number one hit without Brian Wilson’s participation. He really considers that a feather in his cap. Maybe so. I believe it’s quite likely that, if it were not for the producers of the the immensely popular movie, “Cocktail”, including this song in their hit film, that the song likely would’ve been relegated to being an album cut on one of their relatively-obscure albums.
All of the above has little to do with why people are calling an asshole an asshole. His lack of humility (sorely called-for), and his constant attempts to re-write the band’s actual history to exaggerate (or outright lie about) his importance to their output, as well as his attitude, in general, towards those around him, has established him as a pretty distasteful character. He’s earned his horrible reputation, many times over. He’s greedy, sarcastic, and mean-spirited. One has to wonder what he’d be like if he didn’t meditate every day.
Aside from all that, the thing that’s rankled me through the ages is the words he wrote for “Good Vibrations”: “…she goes with me to a blossom world…”…He should’ve been hung by his lyrics until dead for that one. It’s a testament to Brian Wilson’s magnanimity in wanting to allow his blood relation to participate in the creation of his vision, that such a sappy line was put into the song.
If my cousin came up with a line like that, I’d spank him and toss him out of the house!
‘they’ll hear ML as the lead. Anyone could have created the backing frankly. It’s hardly complex.’
You’re absolutely right – You’re ‘not at knowledagable.’
Mike’s getting old. I wonder when he’ll finally die, and what his obit will be?
clearly most people don’t give a crap. that’ll be his obit
Mark of Comment 101 is clearly a delusional Mike Love apologist. Mike Love gets the bad rap because he deserves it.
I got here by googling “Mike Love ruined the Beach Boys.”
I just finished a Showtime special on Brian Wilson and the SMiLE album. Great 2 hour doc, and a great album too.
i believe he did pile on to the project. Van Dyke gives references to members that grilled him about the lyrics and it sounds like Mike being the biggest one. hee, Brian was going to be the one singing the lead, but Mike couldn’t take that he couldn’t understand the lyrics…so Van Dyke left (of course for other reasons as well).
Ok, OK….though I am NOT a Mike Love Hater (don’t be flamin’ me now) I still had to chuckle at your reasons because hey, alot of them were spot on and..i have to admit…hilarious. Some of them were exaggerated, and perhaps two or three just not true. (For example..asshole or not…it was ANOTHER asshole that made sure Love didn’t get credit for those earlier songs that Brian admits he co-wrote..that A.H. would be Murry. That lawsuit was legitimate; as for the Smile lawsuit, and not letting Al make a living..I agree-total bullshit)
I met Mike in a professional setting…at a radio Program Director’s convention. Although he was not rude, I have to admit considering my expressed admiration for the band, he was a little cool..and perhaps a little bit of a jerk. But then again I had a predisposed expectation of that.
Yea, he missed the boat on Smile; although I understand NOW he is all gung ho with the newly announced coming release of the ORIGINAL Smile. Leave it to cold hard cash to get Mike’s “mind right”.
You talk like Mike and Bruce (and maybe Al again?) crankin’ out the old surf and beach hits as a bad thing. After all it keeps Brian’s music in front of thousands of people every month in a way that Brian is just not capable of doing. Yea, Brian and his Wondermints band is incredible…but they perform a very limited concert schedule. The continued heavy exposure to the Beach Boys library (and Mike and Bruce’s band have started to include some the more escoteric but wonderful of Brian’s tunes) helps spur sales and in a way helps take pressure off of Brian so he can better delve into his solo projects.
But yea, he can be a big dick…
uh, he missed the boat on Pet Sounds as well as Smile! He disagreed with Pet Sounds which had great critical acclaim, not so much commercial….but that’s what freaking Mike Love is about….commercial success. He’s a whore which is why we all post about how we hate him.
How about how he insults Mick Jagger in his HOF induction — yet totally rips off his stage dance routine.
Your all ASS HATS ! Love is a beach boy, and the beach boys are the greatest band in history ( that’s right you pathedic beatle worshippers ). Go Mike !! Keep touring and spreading the joy and music that is the beach boys.
“Your all ASS HATS !” <Why are EVERYONE of us here who happen to talk negatively about Mike Love "Ass Hats"; what for having a negative opinion on Mike Love? For giving reasons why we don't like him? For having different opinion than yours'? We have rights to our own opinions, so what if Mike is a Beach Boy, more power to him!
So, Joey Molland, is in my favorite band, Badfinger, even though there are reasons to not like him and I don't like him either, but I still enjoy the band he was in, same with Mike, don't like him, but I love the Beach Boys.
"beach boys are the greatest band in history" < "Well that's like uh, your opinion man!" I seriously like them, I just don't like Mike Love, that fair? He did ruin the reputation of the band (to me and others possibly) after the touring when Holland came out for me. Also who says were all "Beatle worshippers", people have the right to love The Beatles, no ones really bashing the Beach Boys here, unless it's on Mike's faux touring band.
"..Mike !! Keep touring and spreading the joy and music that is the beach boys."< I think he should stop and retire, but that's my opinion.
How old are you, Lindzy?
I found this blog by googling “Mike love is an asshole and sucks donkey dick”.
I results also turned up a bunch of photos of Mike Love with a donkey.
I wrote a poem about Mike Love:
Mike Love you’re a dick.
Your face looks like a tick.
You ruined awesome band
Your brain is the size of a grain of sand
Mike Love you’re a dick.
how about a t-shirt that says “Stop Mike Love”? I giggled so hard when I saw a bumper sticker with that saying.
Thanks, Sam. When I’m really frustrated I’ve found screaming your poem does me a world of good.
Love was a good singer on the early hits because at that time many singers had a nasally voice. It doesn’t mean he couldn’t sing, Del Shannon had a nasal voice. His voice was suited to the early good timing songs, but on the more ambitious stuff is where sounds out of place. This is probably where he started to feel insecure as compared with Brian and Carl, because they had better voices.
I hate Mike Love so very, very much. Dennis has always been my Fav and out of some weird Loyalty to Denny, I can’t stand Mike. He is a big prick and as previously pointed out sucks a large amount of Donkey Cock!
isn’t it weird that some people support him?
I love the bumber sticker “Stop Mike Love”! I’d like to make it into a t-shirt. Everybody in the know would understand the sentiment.
I meant “bumper” sorry guys
I found this site by googling Mike Love is a jerk. Classic.
I always disliked Mike Love, and even being a teenager I know a helluva lot about the Beach Boys and how Mike pretty much screwed Smile, regardless of Brian’s substance abuse. However, my dislike of him quickly grew when I went to a Beach Boys concert and he made the following joke (not word for word, but whatever)
MIKE: “I wrote this song about my first car, a 1946 Chevrolet something something. I loved that car, and it was special to me bla bla bla whatever. Of course, now I own a Bentley…”
What a narcisitic jerk…
Long LIve MIke!
and for the record
Murry Rules
Good to see hate and stupidity still walk hand in hand in the land of lost ignorance.
Wake up idiots … Mike is great front man for America’s best band.
You weren’t there so you don’t know …
Is it an honor to play in Mike Love’s band? Or a disgrace?
Let’s say it would be an honor to play the music of Brian Wilson but that is where it all stops dead in its tracks. For one thing, looking at or crosseyed at Mike means termination. Secondly, being a part of this oldies tribute band plays under a fraudulent premise saying they are The Beach Boys. Mike Love may have the license to do so but without Brian, Carl, Dennis or Al, how do you show up with any REAL legitimacy? Would Ringo bill himself and some pick up sidemen (like Mike did) and call himself The Beatles? Only someone with a tremendous uncontrolled ego problem like Mike Love would stoop that low. Thirdly, Mike Love is an asshole and the most hated laughed at rock and roll has been in the industry.
oldsurferdude says: “being a part of this oldies tribute band plays under a fraudulent premise saying they are The Beach Boys. Mike Love may have the license to do so but without Brian, Carl, Dennis or Al, how do you show up with any REAL legitimacy?”
Uh…maybe because two of them are dead? As for Brian, in many ways he has been doing his own thing since 65…..(I do agree that Al should come back to the group…would that make it more “legitimate”?)
The fact is all parties agreed that Mike and Bruce’s band are the “Beach Boys”…and a portion of everything they make goes into “Beach Boys Inc.” of which they ALL benefit.
But this argument is not about the legitimacy of a band. It’s really about not liking Mike Love personally, thus all these other silly claims.
Yeah and I bet you believe in Santa and the Easter Bunny too. I don’t care who agreed to what-that doesn’t pertain to legitimacy in the least. Myke Luhv is not the Beach Boys in any way shape or form. He may have been 1/5th or 1/6th of the band at one time, but that band is dead-long gone. And, why did that bald asshole fire Al Jardine because Al can sing circles around him and everyone else in that ridiculous collection of wannabees? Yes, another clusterfuck by the turban wearing clown. Brian, for very good reasons hates Luhvand the one and only reason they’ll ever record or play together again will be for the dough. I just hope neither happens, although I’d look forward to Luhv getting his ugly ass booed off the stage.
SurferDude…did Love sleep with your wife, or what? Chill the hate, dude.
Did Al shove a pie into Myke Luhv’s face? No, YOU chill with the wife comments, JACKASS.
I don’t know you but couldn’t have said it better myself-thanks jhop! Chime in anytime.
i got here from ‘mike love is an asshole’ and am glad to find so many people still drinking the h8rade for this douche.
what a nasty piece of work.
Can’t we all just get along?? love and mercy and all that…
Grettings from Spain. I’m glad you feel the same about Mike Love, the genuine all time pop villain. I recently read a book called “Sweet insanity” about Brian and the boys and I got surprised how many evil things mike did (and still doing) during his miserable career.
He’s the reason why many people hate the beach boys, beacuse when they think of the group they think of Mike Love, hawaian shirts and all that shit stuff.
8/23/11
RobGems.ca wrote:
One thing you can say about douchebagger Mike Love is this:He’s the closest in the family to resemble in oafish behavior to his Uncle Murry Wilson than any of the other Wilson family members. Not only was Uncle Murry an asshole with no remorse for Brian, Dennis, Audree, their mother, or anyone else,he had the gall to say if it wasn’t for his so called “genius”, Brian wouldn’t have a career in music, and then had the audacity to kick Brian when his band was down & out in 1969 by selling away the Beach Boys songs published by Sea Of Tunes, Inc. to Herb Alpert & Jerry Moss at A&M Records’ publishing arm, Irving Tunes,Inc. for less than they were worth. Brian never spoke to his dad after that up until his Father’s death in 1973, and never attended his funeral to boot! (Dennis didn’t attend Murry’s funeral either.) 30 years down the line, Mike’s suing-happy attitude matches that insanity the same as Uncle Murry was to Brian. Yes, the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree, even as asshole Uncle is to asshole Nephew. In case you wonder about mike beating up his ex-wife Carol back in the 1960′s, yes it’s true, and over her smoking a pack of cigarettes behind his back at that! The Beach Boys are still one of the greatest American Bands of the 1960′s, but because of Brian’s one good ear for talent (don’t even get me started about how Murry one time alledgely caused Brian’s deafness by using a 2X4 against his noggin.), and Mike is just lucky to be part of Brian’s world,even though he should be shunned out of it for over 45 years of pure douchebaggery. Don’t fuck with the formula, INDEED. It’s just as laughable as Murry bellowing at Brian during the “Help Me Rhonda” sessions “I’m A Genius Too, Brian!”
Great digest of WWHML. Also, let’s not forget the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame speech.
8/24/11
RobGems.ca wrote:
A correction to be made: Carol was Dennis Wilson’s first wife, not Mike Love’s. The abused wife in question married to Mike Love during the 1960′s was Suzanne Belcher. Also to be precise, Mike was accused of supposedly being an accused father to a Beach Boys groupie in 1964: this brought a lawsuit against him from the unmarried mother at the time. The child reputedly grew up to be Shawn Love Wilson who would eventually be Dennis Wilson’s 5th and final wife in 1982. How’s that for a Douchebag getting revenge on another Douchebag? Shawn’s mother was alledgedly named Shannon Harris,the case long settled out of court for paternity in 1965.
Well I never knew too much about the beach boys ,but I’m a long term Beatles fan,the Beatles story opens up the Charles Manson story which opens up the beach boys story,I knew Brian Wilson had some issues in the late 60s (70s?) but I didn’t know who was the most musically valid ,who was the singer on California girls? And other songs I might have heard
This is very interesting. I was born in 1960 so have a feeling for this topic. Although never a giant BBs fan, who could not like their music? That is too bad about Mike Love being an asshole, but it that is not uncommon when stardom, money and talent are involved– someone is always there to exploit the situation to their advantage and hurt others. Of course Mike had a good voice and if you did not know all these terrible things about him you would have thought he was a valuable member of the group, but actually if you look back at those oldie videos even then you could tell he was a bit of a poseur. The Eddie Haskell of the Beach Boys! What a hoot.
By they way, Todd Rundgren did a great version of Good Vibrations back in the 70s…
If Mike Love had contributed the same amount of songwriting, had the same voice, the same “silly front man” antics, but had been a “nice guy”, never sued his colleagues…never criticized Brian….he would be proclaimed by most of these haters as an intregral part of the Beach Boys.
Which he IS…yea, he’s a dick….and he’s not MY favorite member, but I don’t discount his contributions. In fact, ironically…his legendary “asshole-ness” has only contributed to the Beach Boys legend.
9/9/11
RobGems.ca wrote:
Dennis Wilson was the actual Beach Boys’ member to meet up with Charlie Manson,not Mike Love.He was conned by Manson by the lure of the so-called ‘sexy” free sex offered to him by Manson’s groupies, including Squeaky Fromme, Susan Atkins,Patricia Krenwinkle, and the other Manson women. Dennis was also gullible enough to fall for Mansons’ request to record some songs of his at Brian’s studio,and Mike was reportedly spooked by Manson’s presence. The murders happened nearly a year after Manson met Dennis, when Terry Melcher failed to come up with a recording contract for Manson’s recordings, with blessings at the time by Dennis. During the year, The Beach Boys did record Manson’s “Cease To Resist”, quickly re-titled “Never Learn not To Love” by Dennis when Manson requested no credit for the song, but wanted lots of money and a contract to Brother Records in exchange for the song. When Dennis didn’t get a contract or any confidence from Capitol Records, Manson completely lost it, at one point, pulling a bullet out of his gun and declaring to a close adversary, “If You See Dennis, this bullet is for him, and I’ve got a bullet for his son,too!” A couple of months later, after Melcher and Capitol/brother Records failed to comply, the murders were reported at the La Bianca/Tate residence (formely the home of Terry Melcher, whom Manson and his followers were after, as well as Dennis),and Manson and his gang were soon apprehended after one of the Manson women blabbed to a cell-mate about the murders, and Charlie’s involvement. Dennis never spoke kindly of Manson for the rest of his life , quoting during the early-70′s of Manson of being a “sick fuck” who had no musical talent in his body or soul whatsoever. As for the quote about Mike Love Acting out like Eddie Haskell, that credit can go to former Cream/Rolling Stone critic Dave Marsh, who quoted this notification in his 1985 book, “Born To Run”.
It’s amazing that they let Love sing leads on so many of their hits. You could find a better voice in most Karioki bars. Anytime a song called for a real voice, it was Brian or Carl who stepped up. Love is nuthin but a businessman. The Wilsons were all the talent and heart in the BB’s. Even Dennis had more talent than Love ever dreamed of. Sadly it’s Dennis and Carl who are gone while Love collects royalties.
Hello there
before I start, this is not a joke, I am Mike Love’s youngest daughter and I stopped by to correct you on a few things. FYI this is all factual unbiassed information…
-He has never laid his hand on a woman in such a way.
-shawn love is not mike’s biological daughter
-His brother* Stan, along with Rocky Pamplin, kicked down Dennis’ door and beat the shit out of him, messing up his larnyx and ruining his voice BECAUSE he was supplying brian wilson with cocaine, but instead of giving brian the actual cocaine he’d give him that powdered laundry detergent and keep the coke for himself… If i were brian’s cousin (stan) i would beat the shit out of him too.
-If He’s an alleged racist, then how come he married my mom? she’s half black…
-Lennon and my dad spent bonding time together in india doing TM and became friends…
There are many more facts i could prove and things to say about all of this but i don’t really feel like justifying ones stupidity with a solid response.
Note to self: Music is an art of sound in time that expresses ideas and emotions in significant forms through the elements of rhythm, melody, and harmony. It’s supposed to be joyful. Each and everyone of the beach boys equally contributed to making this happy beautiful music we all love. You should be thankful that Mike held the group together while brian was blowing his brains out with drugs. My dad and Brian love each other dearly. they grew up together and are best friends. sure they had their differences but they were mature enough to put their differences aside and move on. now it’s time for you to do the same and stop acting like you know everything about these peoples lives. you make yourself look like an ignorant immature person … and that is meant in the least rude way possible. Take care sir, maybe next time you publicly bash an innocent human being, perhaps you should make sure what you’re saying is accurate prior to doing so…..
Sincerely,
Ambha Love (15 years of age)
While I’ll give you credit for sticking up to someone and not trying to debunk EVERYTHING negative about Mike Love, I do question some of the things you’ve said…
First Off, how do you know is the information you debunked is REALLY TRUE? I understand your Father not wanting to talk about certain things in his life and we all make mistakes and have our faults, but what could stop him from lying about certain stuff?
Like how do you know Mike actually said Shawn isn’t really my biological daughter, what if he just said he disowned her, which I might be wrong about but what do I know.
Secondly, even if the reason Dennis got assaulted was for doing something nasty, why was it necessary to hurt him or get him back for doing something bad? “Violence is not the answer”< Why would Mike want to do something violent, why would Brian like something like that? I understand that Dennis was being a little mean with that prank but why get him back by hurting him and why focus on something negative a person like Dennis who's dead did? Why not forgive and forget.
Oh, yeah swearing, saying "s**t" and excusing a nasty thing like that (assaulting someone) sure makes you the better person, IMO.
Also what Mike says about a Legend like John Lennon is what "he says" not what the Lennon estate would say, how do you know he's not making this up, I remember him saying some strange stuff about influencing the making of "Back in the USSR" in a Beach Boy documentary.
Yeah, I'm sure "Man v. Clown" is very stupid, let's hear about Mike's view on music itself..
As for Mike holding the group together, I would have let it go by 1973 or 1977, Beach Boys didn't have to stay together when things weren't all that fine by that period (my opinion mind you.)
Also why should I respect your father, he pretty much ruined the Beach Boys now by cashing in their name by touring with people who were never *real* members. Also, how do you know if Mike is all that innocent?
I'm sure he's done some pretty immature stuff himself.
First off, you didn’t come off “incredibly kind” when it came to talking about “Man v. Clown”,
secondly, yeah I might have come off somewhat arrogant and very sure, but I’m sure, I, myself don’t think I’m speaking THE TRUTH and may come off biased, but I just don’t have any respect of Mike Love when it comes to his work, personality and even back then. Also I’m sure I may be bringing up skeptical information that may not be true, but IDK, but I’m sure the stuff you heard from your father can’t all be true and I can think of reasons why he would bring up stuff, besides he could dismiss most of this as just opinions and rumours,
Thirdly, why would you want to know about some assault on a deceased famous musician who’s earned some modest amount of respect today?
Wouldn’t Mike just dismiss what happened, than bring it up, tell his daughter about it for no real reason in my opinion, than forgive, forget and pretend some nasty “getting back at you” thing never happened?
Why would he talk about it? Even more than once? What’s the point?
Yes, Dennis shouldn’t have pulled that prank if it did happen again and again, but your uncle didn’t have to assault him with some random guy, then let Mike know and get Mike to excuse it which really doesn’t set a good example for a member of a respected, well known band.
There’s no excuse and why talk negatively about someone who’s part of your family who’s dead?
Why would you want something like that to happen? Why does it matter?
Yeah, Uncle Stan sure “protected” Brian by beating someone, than finding another way to deal with it.
Sure, I must know nothing on you, but I do feel like I know Mike a little, even with the “good” and likable things he’s done, I still don’t like him.
You’ll get more respect from me (which you shouldn’t be so keen to want, since it’s the internet people will act in whatever ways they want to.)
Oh, and I get it with the whole “you aren’t violent” comment, I believe, but
why does Mike want to talk badly about his own cousin?
I brought your father into this because I think he knew what happened and did nothing about it.
As for the other commenters, I am not them, but why stereotype me with other haters, I get it that Mike did likable things but they don’t change my opinions.
Yeah nice one “Hahaha.” Laugh at me, because I don’t like Mike Love, well I don’t hate it and SO WHAT?
Anyway who brought up the whole Dennis getting assaulted thing anyway, Ambha? Doesn’t Mike have anything to say? Stan? I can see why they’d bring it up, but why disrespect the dead?
I have rights myself, and I didn’t mean to get all ancy about some random guy saying assumed stuff, I just didn’t like what you said and I understand.
I apologize (for that assumption on you) but I do think Mike and Stan would lie about stuff they shouldn’t care or bring up again.
But why care if someone says something about you on the web? Don’t take things personally here? I feel I got judged like you said I did to you.
Well said Ambha; and Kudos to you for the courage to post it!
Yeah because “Violence is THE answer”, a talented man who passed away more than 25+ deserved a beating for that supposed cruel prank, instead of letting things go and setting an example, as well as cussing and calling out some random guy on the internet.
Oh and I’m sure the stuff Mike’s daughter believed about Mike being friends with JOHN LENNON was “true”, even though I never heard of Lennon talking about Mike himself except for one negative comment.
Also why does it matter if Shawn Love IS Mike’s biological daughter or not it still sounded like she was his kin and why would that matter, it sounds pretty mean spirited.
Also how do we know if what Mike’s daughter said about Mike is 100% true and that Mike might have made stuff up just to look good and focus on his positive traits than negative ones.
I understand some things she said and I’m sure not everything is 100% true, but I don’t like that a deceased talented man DESERVED to get assaulted (yeah good message and good excuse Mike Love!) Can’t believe you and your own daughter think beating others out of revenge is the way to go, that is pathetic!
Excuse me sir, I have been incredibly kind and civil, I do not deserve to be reprimanded or spoken to by you in such a way. This incident was not just a one time prank, Dennis lied to Brian quite frequently about the cocaine and put detergent into a plastic bag and kept the cocaine to himself for a while. My uncle Stan was defending Brian. Perhaps he shouldn’t of used such violence. There’s always better ways to resolve an awful situation without violence however I do not blame my uncle Stan at all for what he has done because if your close relative is in harms way by his own brother, you definitely have to right to protect and defend. Lets make something clear, I do not know you and you clearly know nothing about me. I will treat you with respect so I deserve respect in return. Please do not think for one moment that I am an advocate for violence. In no way what so ever am I a violent person. Violence should rarely be used unless if it is necessary (which in my opinion it was). I do not understand why you’re bringing my father into this… He had absolutely nothing to do with that whole insident. I am terribly sorry if I offended you by using the word “shit”… I find it interesting that I get called out on my vocabulary, because when I look at the vulgarity on all the other comments and posts made that are WAYYY more foul mouthed than mine, nobody complains… Hahaha. Anyways please do not believe for one moment that I am saying my dad is an angel, by all means he’s not. He has made quite a few mistakes in the past and often comes off as an asshole but he does deserve a little bit of credit and respect here alright? He has also done some very great things. Do me a favor? Please do not make assumptions about me like that ever again. I do not like the feeling of being judged therefore I do not judge others. Even if I disagree with many of the comments made, I respect and appreciate everyone’s opinions so please respect and appreciate mine.
Best reguards,
Ambha Love
9/21/11
RobGems.ca wrote:
The Song that Charlie Manson originally wrote & presented to Dennis Wilson was titled “Cease To Exsist”,and would later appear on his 1970 album “Lie”,issued by ex-cellmate Phil Kaufman on his Awareness Label after Manson & his family got busted to prison. It was then changed from “exsist” to “resist” in the lyrics, then the title got changed completely by Dennis. Note to Ambha Love: the sources I’ve recieved about (alledgedly false as you claim) Mike Love’s suing in 1965 by a groupie & the subsequent birth by Shawn Love Wilson were taken out of context by Steve Gaines’ 1986 book “Heroes & Villains: the (so-called) True Story of the Beach Boys. If you feel offended by Mr. Gaines’ claims, I can understand your frustrations, & I apologize if I caused you any stress or heartache. As much as fans & foes of the Beach Boys’ keep talking about the antics of the Wilson Brothers, Mike Love, or even Al Jardine & Bruce Johnston well into the middle of the 21st Century, there will obviously be rumors , true or false that will previlal among us. Let’s not forget that Murry Wilson, however was not a nice guy to most Beach Boys fans, and the empire he left behind in 1973 will continue to be discussed and analyzed for years to come, whether it’s mock-cartoons by Peter Bagge(“The Murry Wilson Show was not only hilarious, but thought-provoking about the importances against child abuse and public drunkeness among family members,as Murry had some serious issues at the time.)As for Mike Love, we Beach Boys fans will continue to believe that Mike hated anything that strayed out of the Surf/Cars formula,like the songs for “Pet Sounds” and “Smile”, and we feel we have the right to prove him wrong ,as these songs have stood the test of time as great compositions. So what if Brian was stoned out of his mind when these two masterpieces were produced? Just about 100% of rock groups (especially Elvis & The Beatles) were all stoned out of their minds on drugs or booze whwn they made fine songs (in Elvis’ case, this is not always true, as his last pilled-up concerts made clear that his sanity was sapping out at the time ,though could it be arguable that The Beatles would have thought up “Rubber Soul”,”Revolver”, or “Sgt. Pepper” if they recorded the sessions completely straight & sober? I would say not, they may have tuned out to be boring if they did it sober.)Van Dyke Parks, it should be said was also chased out of the “Smile” sessions and on to a solo contract with Warner Brothers because it has been confirmed that Mike Love didn’t understand his obscure lyrical connections (“Consumated Ruins Domino” was puzzling to Mike enough to have him cofront Brian into asking whether or not Van Dyke Parks was a “sane” composer, enough to drive Brian into seclusion not only from the “Smile” project ,but also The Beach Boys as well. In this case, I defend Brian’s withdrawl over the huge stress he recieved at the time,wheteher you agree or not. Brian will always be an influental songwriter & musician for years to come, and if Mike Love doesn’t appreciate it, then we, the fans will keep debating it against him. That’s our Constitutional right. I hope your family finally gets it together, and someday will bring some much-needed peace to the Wilson/Love household. You sound like you desperately need it.
I would have to disagree about Mike giving Brian his props. There is no doubt about the legal entanglments, disagreements and personality clashes over the years, but in a recent interview Mike acknowledged Brian’s genius, and it was not begrudgingly. And whatever he may have done to diss the original SMILE project and Parks; it’s obvious he is on board with it all now with the SMILE release. Can it be that to a certain extent BB/WILSON enthusiasts perpetuate these conflicts more than the principles really intend?
True, but it does sound “out of the blue” for Mike to all of the sudden give “thumbs up” to a BB Smile release AFTER 40 years and it’s possible he wants to get peoples’ good sides.
“He’s still alive, while Dennis and Carl are dead.”
that sucks!
I got here by googling “mike love always wears a hat”
I cant actually believe he still thinks nobody will notice his horseshoe hair if he wairs his 1980′s white hat.
Kind of defeats the purpose when he was photographed on the sunflower album art with a really obvious combover!
10/19/11
RobGems.ca wrote:
Mitch, I Believe your comments in reply to mine are fair enough: Most of my resources about the Wilson Brothers and Mike Love were taken in context from Steve Gaines’ book ‘Heroes & Villains” (which, by the way, he has yet to update from sources last printed in 1986), and Peter Aames Carlin’s book “Catch A Wave”, which was more about Brian’s life than Mike’s, but still spilled a lot of beans about Mike’s asinine behavior and volatile mood swings, not to mention, the mood swings of Murry Wilson’s! While I feel that Carlin’s book was a fair document about the ups and downs of The Beach Boys’ career, Gaine’s book, on the other hand, was more like a tabloid reporter digging up dirt on the Wilson Family, The Love Family, and various ex-wives, ex-girlfriends, children,and notorious people involved in the Wilsons’ lives such as Steve Despar, Rocky Pamplin, Steve Grillo, Eugene Landy, and especially Charlie Manson among many others. Mr. Gaines’ must have taken it all in wicked desperation that only The National Enquirer might have been proud of. I feel now that it was all written in vengeance. Still, both Mr. Gaines and Mr. Carlin both believe that Van Dyke Parks was tossed out of the “Smile” sessions for personal reasons known between Mike and Brian, so if Mike wants to change his mind 44 years later after the fact, especially in the light of finally issuing the “Smile” session masters legally for November 2011, then it’s never too late for him to reconsider. Thanks for your information.
Dudes, give it a rest, I am awesome, end of.
Keep away from drugs, try T.M, and be true to your school.
Mike Love
11/3/11
RobGems.ca wrote in response to Mike Love:
Okay, Mike, I’ll try to keep in touch with my criticizings, but only if you can teach Charlie Manson to save his wretched soul with your T.M. before he’s doomed to a fate forever in Hell;I reportedly hear he’s still in the clink trying to harrass Phil Spector to record him in the prison recording studio; Phil, of course wants nothing to do with him. I also wanted to correct the mis-interepeted name of Nick (not Steve ) Grillo;sorry, that’s my bad. BTW;good luck on the boxed-set deluxe edition of “Smile”; the fans will prove to you that those songs of Van Dyke Parks And Brian were great, “Consumated Ruins Domino” can mean lots of things to Beach Boys fans. Peace and willing to be tolerant.
I just want to say, I too dislike Mike for many of the obvious reasons, but find some of your reasons to be a bit daft, overstated/exaggerated, and without a source. I like your post, for what it’s worth.
“He apparently beat his wife.”
I searched this, and found one story on a message board about how he hit his wife (Hitting someone isn’t necessarily knocking them out or giving them a bruise) for lying to him about quitting smoking. That’s a very personal thing, and may never have happened.
“He rewrote the Leiber/Stoller song “Riot in Cell Block 9″ into the song “Student Demonstration Time”, which sucks ass, yet somehow made it onto the Surf’s Up album while excellent songs by Dennis such as “4th of July” and “Fallin’ in Love” stayed in the can. (Of course, Dennis got the ultimate revenge agains his longtime foe by marrying Mike’s illegitimate daughter and giving him a grandson just to piss him off.)”
I hate the Surf’s Up album, but enjoy the live version of Student Demonstration Time. I can’t say that having two Dennis Wilson songs put in the can (Which is more the record companies fault because they hated the original album, and Carl had to pull Surfs Up, the song, out of the vault) gives him much reason to marry his second-cousin.
“His cousin Stan, along with Rocky Pamplin, kicked down Dennis’ door and beat the shit out of him, messing up his larnyx and ruining his voice.”
Not Mike’s fault.
“He really got into transcendental meditation, and just wouldn’t stop writing shitty songs about it.”
He wrote maybe two songs about it; both are good.
“He pushed a very obviously mentally ill and terrified Brian onstage as part of the “Brian’s Back!” campaign, and even wrote a song called “Brian’s Back” in which he pretended to like him.”
Brian came back to produce an album willingly, and if you watch those old live shows (of that 15 Big Ones era), Brian doesn’t look upset. There’s even footage of him playing bass and singing in front of a mic; a rare thing even today.
“He’s an alleged racist.”
To what extent? Two black men were in the Beach Boys; one of them, Blonde Chaplin, sang “Sail on Sailor.” I have never heard Mike complain that a black man sang lead on a iconic BB song. He was also good friends with M Yogi, who was Indian.
“He’s a right-wing Republican, but he did give $5000 in start-up capital to Tipper Gore to start up the PMRC to censor pop music.”
While I hate the PMRC, and don’t like donkeys or elephants, Mike is still a human being with his own beliefs, and he’s entitled to them. Why not write a blog on how Oprah helped Obama get elected? I’m sure if Mike helped Mitt Romney get elected, you’d have a field day.
“He thinks no one will notice he’s bald if he just keeps wearing a hat.”
Ever shaved your head and gone outside too long? A hat helps keep your head from sun damage, keeps it warm at night, and probably makes Mike feel a bit more secure about himself. It’s not fun going bald.
H”e created a TV miniseries full of revisionist history to glorify his own contributions to the band and take credit for a lot of things he never actually did. He also used it to give the impression that John Lennon wanted to jam with him, although Lennon is quoted as calling him a “jerk”.”
I haven’t seen, or heard, of said mini-series, but have heard him say that HE was the inspiration for the “Ukraine girls” bit in ” Back in the U.S.S.R.,” which is believable. He and Paul get along.
“He sued Brian over songwriting credits he claimed he never received, which might have been due to his not actually having done the songwriting he claims to have done.”
Yes, this is where Mike looks damn nasty. However, the first case was justified, where he DIDN’T receive credit for songs because of Murray Wilson, and Brian acknowledged this. Any other lawsuit, where details are not crystal clear to us because we aren’t Wilson or Love’s people, might also be justified as well. However, if in later suits where Love supposedly asked for credit/loyalties on songs he never wrote is true, I completely agree.
“He did do a little songwriting, which used all kinds of hip slang that didn’t age well at all and sounds retarded years later. And his onstage patter was lame and unfunny.”
In the seventies, Mike did become a good front man (Before the cap and jacket routine, where he basically wore the same outfit for twenty years), and shared that role equally with the other boys; particularly Carl. Mike did write good lyrics and songs in his time, too; I love “Big Sur”.
“He keeps suing poor Al every time he tries to tour.”
And Al has sued other people in the group too.
“He was a real dick to lyricist Van Dyke Parks during the Smile era, and even 20 years later, took a cheap shot at him on the “Wipeout” single the Beach Boys did with the Fat Boys.”
Al Jardine didn’t like Parks, either. Carl and Dennis were supposedly not instant fans, either.
“He introduced himself to Sean O’Hagan of the High Llamas, a huge Beach Boys fan who Bruce Johnston brought in to produce an album for them, by saying, as soon as he met him at the airport, “You’re English, right? Aren’t all you English guys fags?””
Again, I don’t know if there is a reasonable source for this information, but it’s possible that this happened; we don’t know in what context, though.
“He went on a drunken, bizarre, classless rant when the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, calling out the Beatles, Mick Jagger, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, the Supremes, and possibly the MC5, for no discernible reason.”
In print, it seems really bad, but when you watch it, some of the things he says make sense. I agree it wasn’t in the best taste, but if he was drunk, as you say, he doesn’t really need a reason. He was intoxicated; who hasn’t been a prick when they were drunk?
“His solo albums suck, even for Beach Boys solo albums, which mostly kind of suck to start with.”
Sure, they suck, but not the other boys. Carl, Dennis, and Brian have all made good albums.
“He is responsible for “Kokomo”. And he’s proud of it.”
Brian loves that song. I don’t, but Brian and the rest of the group did.
“He just plain has one of those thin-lipped humourless-asshole-looking faces you want to punch.”
Kind of a silly thing to say.
“He’s still alive, while Dennis and Carl are dead.”
Dennis died because he was drunk, and basically did a dumbass thing while intoxicated. Carl died because he smoked for many years. Should Mike be punished for staying, mostly, clean for all these years? Maybe we should hang Keith Richards for surviving years of drugs and alcohol?
Again, I like your post, but I don’t find Mike Love to be totally repulsive. He seems like an alright guy outside of his business, and I have never seen him irate with interviewers. He’s human, and deserves to be recognized as someone who has a right to fault as the rest of us are.
Lame excuses,humorless,loves bullying ,is that you Mike Love?
(And if you are ever assaulted,not to worry,no knockout ,no crime?)
No, it is not. I think you’re afraid of someone using actual logic?
My name is Patrick Aei. Look me up.
All I wanted for Christmas was a nice original copy of Dennis Wilson’s Pacific Ocean Blue on Vinyl, and instead Santa brought me a copy of ‘Looking Back With Love’ unplayed and sealed still with tags…
WORST CHRISTMAS EVER.
Good tidings, and LOVE, to all who hate Mike Love.
i heard a song years ago about “God and the angels above kill Mike Love and his hat collection too…” or something like that! I do need to ask this blog to help me with something that stumps me: why is it that Mike showed up at every vocal session, and being the douche bag Brian back stabber he allegedly became/was, sang his parts, and very well. The Smile album shows some great Mike vocals on I Love to sy Da Da, Wonderful, H&V even Cabin-Essence, where he insulted VDP about “explain the crow flies uncover….” lyrics. And, on some of his on-stage talking, it is “locker room banter….” but he WAS corny yet a little funny at times yes/no? Mike does sing the bass parts on BB records great, and his soft voice is decent too. Who gives a shit if he wears flowered shirts and claims he thought of the name “Pet Sounds”, his dislike of the drugged out fuck heads that ruined Brian was on the money. Brian and Syd Barret are acid casualties of the 60′s, and Mike hated to see his cousin’s quick and horrible slide. Yet, he sings on almost every BB song, which is more than can be said for Bruce, Dennis or even Al. Listen to Friends, Wild Honey, 20/20, Smiley Smile, Sunflower, Holland…he’s there…and Brian and Carl needed him, especially live as an MC. Remember Brian’s book said Mike had a big Penis? OMG! You can’t be serious hating a Beach Boy this much. Besides, he’s a 71 year old crazy man who can’t sing anymore, yet Brian said “how can a 70 year old sound that great?” during the “Do it Again” re-record this past summer? Somebody is puttin’ us on…Brian still has a wit about him, and takes his fair of shots back at the bald wonder. And yes, Dennis should have kicked Mike’s ass a few times, maybe he did…Dennis was the REAL sex symbol and coolest on-stage by far!
I never paid much attention to the Beach Boys*, andI know next to nothing about them. But Mike Love made it perfectly clear during his R&R HOF drunken rant: he is, in fact, an asshole!
*Except for “I Can Hear Music”, which is one of my all-time favorite songs. I just can’t understand why it gets so little mention ANYWHERE…)
“I Can Hear Music” is, I believe, a Phil Specter song (speaking of assholes), and was recorded in the P.S. “Wall of Sound” technique. I love that one too. BTW, you really owe it to yourself to go out and buy ‘Pet Sounds’ right now and listen to it over and over, preferably with headphones.
The only Mike Love material I enjoy is the stuff he worked on w/ Doris Day’s son Terry! Terry was a musical genius much as Brian……….
Dear Mr. ManvClown,
I enjoyed your article above, as well as the following comments. I also learned quite a bit from them. To be honest, the Beach Boys always struck me as being rather (excuse me whilst I duck & cover) trite. I’d always presumed “Smile” got shelved because of Sgt Pepper: it would have been their “Satanic Majesties”, which would have been a far worse thing for the BBs than the Rolling Stones – even if “Smile” WOULD have been a well-acclaimed album at the time, because the Beach Boys were more musically similar. The Rolling Stones were rivals and “Anti-Beatles”, and, well… they WERE the Rolling-Effing-Stones.
Now I’m hearing that Mike Love heavily stifled attempts to break out of that mold. I’ll have to give “Smile” a listen…
BTW: here’s an oxymoronic concept: Mike Love on BrainyQuotes:
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/m/mike_love.html
Yeah, want to slap his puss!
Reasons not to love Mike Love:
* Summer of Love
* All of those ‘Love’ puns
* ‘Santa’s going to Kokomo’
* Too, too much stuff about cars
* ‘entertaining the audience’ with hand gestures (* see especially various live Kokomo performances when singing “…afternoon delight” as if to check watch and confrim that it is, indeed, afternoon
* Adrian Baker ‘collaborations’ and medleys
* The beachboysband.net atrocity website
Reasons why Mike Love maybe ain’t such a bad guy:
*Many very decent, distinctive and even essential vocals
*Refusing to let a stoned-out young man suffering from catastroshic depression totally wreck the band’s hard-won career
*ML may not have liked what BW was wrote for Smile, but look at sh1t which he later did let slip through on Smiley Smile like ‘Fall breaks into Winter’, ‘She’s goin’ Bald’ and Little Pad – all of which should have remained out-takes
* ‘Pink slip daddy’
You all need to get off his ass.
Mike Love will rot in hell, no doubt.
And what kind of surname is ‘Love’?
He should be called Mike Hatred
I worked for a company that worked with the BB for a long time. I saw it all. Quite honestly, the lion share of the comments are right on. ML is a bad dude, mitigated by TM. Without it, I cannot imagine what a man he would be. It has mellowed a dude that sincerely needed more mellowing than most. Dennis was a sad drunk, and sadly, as often the case, he used up all his good chips. He was a great guy in the wrong crowd with way too much time on his hands. Brian was a true genius who did become a virtual vegetable. Mike and even Marilyn would pull him out of his room when they needed him. Al is just a dumb, lucky guy, Carl died just fed-up and over them all and Bruce has played a game to keep a gig for decades. Mike used to marry pretty but dumb…They got caught up in backstage and travel quickly until he bored of them. He always, always treated them horribly in the end, and the sane around always thought his actions pretty much was the man. Mike is street smart and has kept the band in play all by himself…for better or worse. He takes home still about 7 million a year in touring and another 1.5 in publishing. To my knowledge, he never paid alimony once. These were all talented, complicated blokes who were just trying to keep it going. Not a one had any real education and learned as they went. How Mike got Brian to do this reunion is the mystery. There will be 20 guys on stage and it will sound ok.They are getting $250k a night. But what a sad and unnecessary way to leave the stage. I have years of great stories that I will put on paper someday. Groucho Marx’s son Arthur once wrote a nasty book about Bob Hope. His publisher didn’t want to put it out under the logic that Hope fans wouldn’t buy it and no one else cared. He was correct. But with the Beach Men, there are so many factions, interest just does not seem to wane. Cheers!
I won’t say that I hate Mike Love but I certainly dislike him. It is sad that he did not have the vision Brian Wilson did. “pet Sounds” was/is a masterpiece and my favorite of all the BB’s records. Mike Love would have spent his life pumping gas if it were not for Brian. I never understood his singing lead..terrible voice. And a really awful frontman. If in fact that was one of his kids who posted earlier, well sorry honey but your dad is not a nice guy.One of his most famous quotes to Brian Wislon was “don’t “f” with the formula”. How long can you keep writing car songs, surfing songs? Brian, Carl and Al had vocals that just gave me chills. But Mike seems to think he is the star. He turns 71 this month…and he still wants to sing “Fun, Fun, Fun”? His ranting at the BB’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was disgusting. A sad excuse for a man.
Yeah, couldn’t have said it better myself. I had the chance to meet a few of the B-Boys; Carl was swarm and friendly guy (RIP), Bruce was cool ever the promoter. Brian didn’t have much to say. I had no desire to meet Mike Love that no-talent sponge who keeps suing his former best friends….I really can’t believe they remaining original Beach Boys are going to stand on the same stage as that jerk…the beach Boys died when Dennis dove into those icy waters off Marina Del Rey. The death of Carl (one of the kindest people I’ve ever known) really put the nail in the coffin. Even Al Jardine who has been sued by Mike Love endlessly said, “I just can’t imagine the Beach Boys without Carl Wilson- his voice was such an integral part of our sound” They put a mic in front of Mike Love these days but he Does not sing he just stands there and collects the money what a fucking jerk.
Yeah, couldn’t have said it better myself. I had the chance to meet a few of the B-Boys; Carl was warm and friendly guy (RIP), Bruce was cool ever the promoter. Brian didn’t have much to say. I had no desire to meet Mike Love that no-talent sponge who keeps suing his former best friends….I really can’t believe they remaining original Beach Boys are going to stand on the same stage as that jerk…the beach Boys died when Dennis dove into those icy waters off Marina Del Rey. The death of Carl (one of the kindest people I’ve ever known) really put the nail in the coffin. Even Al Jardine who has been sued by Mike Love endlessly said, “I just can’t imagine the Beach Boys without Carl Wilson- his voice was such an integral part of our sound” They put a mic in front of Mike Love these days but he Does not sing he just stands there and collects the money what a fucking jerk.
Met Mike Love, which is how I ended up here. He thinks he’s still kinda smooth but he’s just really skeevy. The kind that gives you the creeps and raises all sorts of alarm bells the minute he starts eyeing you. I didn’t realize how big a jerk he actually was until I started reading this site and looked all this stuff up. How can someone that old still be that gross? Aren’t we supposed to get better as we mature? I guess some things about some people never really do change.
Mike Love is the “ONLY WEAK Link” in the Beach Boys! He has no talent & held the Boys back if anything……
He sued Brian & Al & he made a complete ASS of himself @ their”Rock n Roll Hall of Fame” induction when he went after Paul McCartney, Dianna Ross, Mick & the Stones….
I HATE his whorish, materialistic ass, & will never forgive him for the way he treated Brian & Dennis!
I try and not to hate Mike, but I have a strong dislike for him. I do not want to criticize his physical appearance, after all we have all aged and at age 57, I myself fight a receding hairline, so I can empathize with him on that aspect.
Why I dislike him is for his insistence that HE actually co-wrote over 45 BB songs. Cowriting is writing 50% of the song. First of all, Brian wrote ALL the music, so for any song, Brian is by default a 50% songwriter. IF Mike added a line or two, or suggested a verse, I’ll give him an assist, NOT a cowriting credit. Dennis was the one who suggested Brian write about Surfing which led to the first single, “Surfin.” I do not see any co-writing credit for Dennis on that.
In the early days of the BB, Mike, on stage would refer to Brian as “our leader,” or “Brian Wilson and his WRITINGS” That quote is taken directly from the 1964 LIVE album. Mike makes no mention of HIS involvement by using the plural “WE”
When Brian retired why is it the BB never had a big hit afterwards? If Mike was SOOOOOOO talented, why did he not take up the reigns of the BB, thrust them on his mighty shoulders and carry the group into the 1970′s?
Mike claims the split among the BB was due to drugs. AS early as 1964 Brian was taking LSD and pot. He wrote “Don’t Worry Baby,” high and he was on LSD when he composed the intro to “California Girls.” Odds are he was also under the influence when he composed other htis of that era, such as “Help Me Rhonda,” “Kiss Me Baby,” “I get around”, etc.
Why did not Mike criticize Brian at that time? Simple. Brian was still writing commercial hits and for Mike, that was good enough. If Brian could have maintained writing hits, Mike could not have cared less if Brian was smoking bananas. It was only when the cash cow stopped churing money that Mike turned on Brian. And then for years, Mike would prop Brian up on stage hoping that he would re-create the BB formula and make $$ again.
And SMILE and PET SOUNDS. MIke was not smart enough to understand the complexity of the music Brian was making. He wanted, like Capitol, more girls, beach, sun, fun, sand and cars and could not comprehend intellectual, adult music.
And the lawsuits. Where Mike sued Brian for songwriting credits that he had no business claiming he co-wrote. Or the lawsuit against Brian for SMILE. He bought the BB name, so I guess he had every right to sue AL for using the BB name. I cannot argue that point.
But if you believe Mike Love, he WAS half of a songwriting team Wilson-Love. That is untrue. He suggested a line or a verse or perhaps write the lyrics to a song or two.
When Dennis died, Mike held a party to celebrate. That has been reported in books and magazine artilces.
So thats why I strongly disklike Mike Love.
I just started to really realize how wonderful The Beach Boys early albums truly were (I am 22), and I must say, with my ever growing infatuation with all things Brian Wilson, so increases my vitriol towards douche-of-the-ages Mike “Shit-bag” Love. Anyone with half a brain can tell that the reason Brian Wilson went all crazy, became a mega hermit, became addicted to drugs and over-eating, and therefore really messed himself up is because Mike Love forced him to that point. Mike took all of the fun out of it, and drove Brian insane. Then, a bunch of years later, Brian wants to do music again–without Mike Love ruining it for him–and Mike Love sues him. What. A. Fucking. Dick. I would love to kick this douche in the balls so hard that he vomits.
Dude I only stumbled on this now in cyberspace. I loved your post. In my fantasy Mike doesn’t get to join the Beach Boys. Instead Glenn Frey is drafted in. Cheers from South Africa.
The hall of fame speech says it all: arrogance, lack of judgement, and above all a blatantly unhealthy effect on Brian. Just look at how Brian – fitter and more lucid than at any point in his life since Hawthorne High – briefly loses his train of thought when Mike interrupts his speech to adjust the mic. What an attention whoore! (…and yet a classic BB moment).
Ambha: please post pics of Mike without a hat, if such a thing exists. Thanks in advance.
This is why I hate Mike Love:
This shit’s hypnotic. I for one was overjoyed to stumble across this thread that shares many of my sentiments towards ML. It’s currently no.3 in google when simply typing “Mike Love”. Let’s make this his 2nd no. 1 – it’s certainly of more value than godawful Kokomo