Beach Boys Eager for First EAA AirVenture Appearance

Bruce Johnston and Mike Love

An American institution, The Beach Boys have been nearly everywhere since brothers Brian, Carl, and Dennis Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine got together and invented what was to become known as “The California Sound” in the early 1960s. One thing they haven’t done, though, is be part of EAA AirVenture - The World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration. That will change this year when they wrap up Opening Day at Oshkosh on Monday, July 24, with a concert free to all AirVenture guests that day courtesy of Ford Motor Company.

The Beach Boys’ finely crafted tunes about surfing, having fun in the sun, hot cars, growing up, and, of course, California girls made them the hottest band in America. Even after Beatlemania swept the nation, the Beach Boys more than held their own in the mid-1960s with a unique sound, increasingly sophisticated music, and innovative recordings. None other than Paul McCartney credited the Beach Boys masterpiece “Pet Sounds” as the inspiration behind Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.

With their unmistakable harmonies the Beach Boys had dozens of top 40 hits, including four No. 1 singles, and record sales in excess of 100 million. In 1988, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (along with the Beatles).

At EAA AirVenture, Mike Love and longtime band mate Bruce Johnston will lead today’s Beach Boys in their first-ever appearance at the annual Oshkosh gathering. Ford is bringing the Beach Boys to AirVenture as something special and fun to thank EAA members for their support. The concert, which begins at 6 p.m., takes place adjacent to the Ford Motor Company Hangar on AeroShell Square.

EAA caught up recently with Beach Boys co-founder Mike Love, who was just getting ready to start another summer tour - he hasn’t had a summer off in more than 40 years - and discussed the band’s upcoming appearance at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh.

EAA: When you were told that Ford Motor Company had booked you to play a concert at an event called EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, had you heard of the event before? What were your first reactions?

Mike Love: We kind of go way back with that company.

EAA: Of course, the “Little Deuce Coupe.”

Mike Love: Yeah! Little Deuce Coupe, Fun, Fun, Fun (‘til Her Daddy Takes the T-Bird Away)…sure, so we’re very fond of their products, singing all those songs. Anyway, it as nice to hear they wanted us back again. It’s great to be back involved and I’m glad that Ford is sponsoring our appearance there.

EAA: All the things the band has done over the 1960s, ‘70s, ‘80s, ‘90s, and here in the new millennium, playing the world’s biggest air show is about the only thing you guys haven’t done.

Mike Love: Yeah, it’s absolutely true. We’ve done a lot of balloon festivals over the years, but not an air show per se like this, I don’t think. So it’ll be great. I’m looking forward to it, too, because obviously it’s a huge event, with so many great aircraft, it ought to be pretty spectacular. So whereas some places we go, it’s not all that exciting outdoors, you know. We’re looking forward to it.

EAA: Is anyone in the band a pilot?

Mike Love: I took pilot lessons back in the 1960s, but I never got my license. I’ve always been fascinated by flight and flying but we do travel so much…we did 170 shows last year, a fair amount of shows, sometimes two shows a day on the weekends, but most of the time it’s one at a time. So out of that 170 shows maybe 150 days out on the road, you know. Which leaves 200 off, so I’m not complaining. It’s nice to be busy and it’s nice to be wanted, but as far as keeping up with something like flying, you have to really, you know, be on top of your game.

EAA: AirVenture is where people who love airplanes hold a big reunion every year. And a lot of them are families. When you’re on stage and you see three or four generations dancing together all singing your songs, and all knowing all the words, it’s got to be a special feeling.

Mike Love: It is, I mean, that’s the unique thing about the Beach Boys because of the harmonies, because of the songs that have been performed on oldies radio now since top 40 radio-slash-oldies radio, we, the Beatles, and Motown are the top three musical entities, or genres, from the sixties, that survived to this day, not only survived, but thrived.

When we do these concerts and you see the families like you were talking about, particularly the children singing along or dancing along or having a great time, I mean it’s a really great feeling for us as performers, particularly for me as co-writer of many of the songs, it makes you feel really, really good. That’s what gives those concerts that spontaneity, the audience response.

EAA: Among the hundreds of songs recorded by the Beach Boys, two are about aviation: One is “Airplane” from the Love You album and the other, “Loop de Loop (Flip Flop, Flying in an Airplane),” included on the Endless Harmony compilation a few years back. Is there any chance that we could expect to hear either of those on the Oshkosh play list?

Mike Love: I don’t know. I think I’ve seen that concept floated in print.

EAA: But those songs would really go over well with the Oshkosh audience.

Mike Love: Yeah, you might be right.

EAA: Bruce Johnston is not an original band member but he’s been with you so long it seems like he is.

Mike Love: Yeah, he took Brian’s place, actually Glen Campbell’s place (who had taken Brian’s place). Glen Campbell was in our group for about six months, and he still does a Beach Boy Medley in his show. In fact, Bruce and I were back in Connecticut at the Mohegan Sun (Casino). Glen was in a little theater there, and we were in the big arena. Glen actually came out and played the first two-three songs with us, then went over to do his show. By the time he was three quarters of the way through his show, we were finished with ours. We came over and jumped up onstage with him and did the Beach Boy medley. He’s a great guy, great guitarist, I mean that’s how he made his living before he became known as Glen Campbell, the singer.

EAA: Well, I tell you, Mike, we’re counting the days until July 24. Hopefully you get a chance to come early or stay late. But it’s quite an amazing thing to see.

Mike Love: We’re really looking forward to it. We’ll see you there.

Selected Beach Boys Singles
Barbara Ann
Be True To Your School
California Girls
Catch A Wave
Dance, Dance, Dance
Do You Wanna Dance?
Do It Again
Don't Worry Baby
Fun, Fun, Fun
Getcha Back
God Only Knows
*Good Vibrations
*Help Me, Rhonda
Heroes And Villains
Hushabye
*I Get Around
In My Room
*Kokomo
Little Deuce Coupe
409
Rock and Roll Music
Shut Down
Sloop John B
Surfer Girl
The Warmth of the Sun
Wendy
When I Grow Up (To Be A Man)
Wouldn't It Be Nice
(* No. 1 singles)