As Funfare briefly noted last week, after the Cascades’ shows (Sept. 9 at the Araneta Coliseum, Sept. 10 at the Manila Hotel and Sept. 11 in Cebu City), another Baby Boomer favorite will perform, also at the Big Dome, on Oct. 7 – yes, none other than The Beach Boys.
For a while, concert producer Renen de Guia of Ovation Productions (in collaboration with Solar Entertainment) was worried that the Philippines might not be included in The Beach Boys’ ongoing world tour which covers European, American and Asian cities.
"Now I can breathe easily," Renen told Funfare.
Headed by lead vocalist and founding member Mike Love, The Beach Boys are widely considered as America’s finest rock and roll band. The five-man pop group will showcase the unique blend of harmonies, musical arrangements and timeless lyrics that have placed their music among the all-time favorites all over the world.
I’m sure music-lovers circa the ’60s will have fun grooving to such Beach Boys hits (mostly written by Mike Love) as Surfin’; Surfin’ USA; Surfer Girl; Fun, Fun, Fun; I Get Around; California Girls; Help Me Rhonda; Barbara Anne; Good Vibrations; Wouldn’t It Be Nice; Rock and Roll Music; Kokomo; and many others.
Beach Boys fan Oscar San Pedro (who’s helping Ovation and Solar promote the concert) furnished Funfare the following additional information about The Beach Boys, for the benefit of the new generation of pop fans:
Aside from Mike Love (lead vocals) and Beach Boys veteran Bruce Johnston (vocals/keyboards), the other band members are Mike Kowalski (drums), Randell Kirsh (guitar/vocals), Chris Farmer (bass/vocals), Tim Bonhomme (keyboards/vocals), John Cowsill of The Cowsills (keyboards/vocals/percussion) and Scott Totten (guitar/vocals).
The musical story of The Beach Boys began auspiciously in the early ’60s as regular late-night singing sessions among the brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson – and later, with their first cousin Mike Love – at their home in the Los Angeles suburb of Hawthorne, California.
It took the song Surfin’, penned by Mike Love, for the career of the five youngsters (with the addition of Al Jardine) to take off. The song reached the Top 3 on L.A.’s radio hit lists and eventually led the group to a recording contract with Capitol Records in mid-1962.
The group’s 1962 hit debut single, Surfin’ Safari b/w 409, triggered an avalanche of music during the next seven years, featuring 20 albums, many of which turned "gold" and hit the Top 20.
In 1966, the band was acclaimed as America’s preeminent pop group and ultimately throughout the world when the Boys produced an incredible record of 21 Top 40 hits and a number of albums including I Get Around b/w Don’t Worry Baby, Friends and 20/20 with the top hit Do It Again.
In 1988, The Beach Boys emerged at the top of the pop charts with the No.1 single Kokomo (from the soundtrack of the movie Cocktail) which eventually became their biggest selling single, reaching No. 1 on the pop music and video charts of Billboard, Cashbox & Records and Hits magazines.
As certified hitmakers, they received 32 RIAA Platinum and Gold records awards for their amazing record of worldwide album sales estimated at over 100 million. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 and won the NARAS Lifetime Achievement Award during the 2001 Grammy Awards ceremonies.
Their hit Good Vibrations was voted Number One Song of the Century by Rolling Stone magazine which also installed Pet Sounds in No. 2 position in its 2003 selection of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time."
There you are.
Ready for The Beach Boys?
(E-mail reactions at rickylo@philstar.net.ph)