Beach Boys lead singer got short shrift

Sunday, August 27, 2006 Love co-wrote the group's biggest and most memorable hits. By JOHN BENSON VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT One of the biggest travesties of music history involves The Beach Boys lead singer Mike Love. Whereas The Beatles' John Lennon/Paul McCartney and The Rolling Stones' Mick Jagger/Keith Richards are considered the prolific songwriting teams of the '60s, for all intent and purpose The Beach Boys have been characterized as a one-man show of pop genius Brian Wilson. However, it was Love who co-wrote the band's biggest and most notable hits — "Fun, Fun, Fun," "Good Vibrations," "California Girls," "I Get Around," "Surfin' U.S.A." and "Help Me, Rhonda" — yet he never received proper songwriting credit. "It's true, I wasn't given the proper credit for writing," said Love, calling from Nevada. "But I would never take anything away from Brian either. He's brilliant musically, but he's always worked with lyricists, and the most success he had was with his cousin Mike." It turns out Love's uncle and Brian's father, Murray, who was the one overseeing the publishing, was the culprit. Years of legal battles have restored the financial aspects of the omission but image is something different. Just imagine how Love's career would have been different. Instead of being viewed as a mouthpiece for Wilson's magic, he should have been judged right alongside his cousin as part of one of the three amazing songwriting teams from the era. "It speaks to the reason why I've been overlooked and definitely gave people a disproportionate or inaccurate portrayal of who did what and where there was a collaboration team — Brian and myself," Love said. "Brian developed emotional issues starting as early as 1964, and so there is only so much that I felt I could do with respect to him up to the point in time. I was cheated out of royalties for many years." No resentment He added, "Brian actually wanted to rectify them, but he was unable to because he was in a conservatorship at the time, so it was a drag that I had to sue Brian Wilson." Love doesn't seem to harbor any resentment. Instead he concentrates on The Beach Boys' legacy of music that spans over four decades, including dozens of albums and tours. The singer remembers back to the early days of playing Northeast Ohio. Specifically, dates at Euclid Beach Park, which is actually named in the band's 1965 song "Amusement Parks USA." So many memories, so many comebacks for The Beach Boys over the decades. The latest came in the late '80s with the hit "Kokomo" from the "Cocktail" soundtrack. Recently, the band returned with a 30-track retrospective CD/DVD package "Sights and Sounds of Summer," which sold over 2 million copies. A follow-up is due next year, but in the meantime, the band — featuring original member Love with longtime Beach Boy veteran Bruce Johnston — remains on the road performing for audiences young and old. You can see The Beach Boys on Thursday at the Canfield Fair. "It's amazing to see that 40 years after the release of 'Good Vibrations,' it still affects the audience every night." Love said. "Beach Boys concerts and music appeal to multiple generations. Everybody can enjoy and participate and get something out of the music and have a great time doing it."