Fans will notice that this week’s show featuring Brian Wilson and Al Jardine makes no mention of the Beach Boys. Sure, the two band co-founders will performing Beach Boys songs they wrote, arranged and breathed life into throughout their stop at Paso Robles, California. But not as the Beach Boys.
Mike Love, Jardine reminds, has put a stop to that. “It’s just not very well known by the general public,” Jardine tells Jeff Moehlis. “I’m not allowed to use the Beach Boys name in my own way. I’m legally – what’s the term – injuncted from using the Beach Boys name.” That includes the concert Wilson and Jardine are set to perform Saturday, September 27, 2014 at the Vina Robles Amphitheatre.
Love, Wilson’s cousin, licensed “Beach Boys” in 1998 after the death of Carl Wilson. Since, he has vigorously pursued anyone who tried to use it, including Brian Wilson and Al Jardine. He sued Jardine in 2001 for touring as the “Beach Boys Family and Friends” and even “Al Jardine of the Beach Boys.” Three years later, he sued Wilson for having “shamelessly misappropriated” the band’s trademark upon the release of SMiLE — a solo version of songs that Wilson originally penned with scant involvement by Love.
More recently came a sad end to the Beach Boys’ 50th anniversary reunion in 2012, as Love once again ended up on one side with Wilson and Jardine on the other. Seems not much has changed.
“We’re kind of a threat because we do look like the Beach Boys,” Jardine adds. “It’s a strange oxymoron, is that the right term? … He’s a brilliant songwriter, and unfortunately he has brilliant lawyers. We wish him all the best, but doggonit, you know, we’d like to be Beach Boys, too.”
