Back in 1966, The Beach Boys gained commercial success with the release of ten studio albums but found themselves in a dire situation with their next album. At the time, the group worked on Pet Sounds. And while thrilled at what they produced, apparently, their label had no idea how to promote it. Somewhat worried about the album, it appears that Mike Love and Bruce Johnston found some help in the most unlikely of places – The Beatles.
Videos by American Songwriter
Sitting down to promote their new documentary The Beach Boys, Love recalled how he attended the Maharishi’s retreat in India. At the time, Paul McCartney was there and the two shared breakfast. Besides sharing a meal, McCartney even played him an early version of the hit song “Back In The USSR.” Sharing a taste of Pet Sounds, Love explained, “They loved it and later on I found out that Paul was so influenced musically and vibe-wise by ‘Wouldn’t It Be Nice’ that he wrote ‘Here, There And Everywhere’ for the [1966] ‘Revolver’ album. Our best promo guys in the whole world were Lennon and McCartney. Without them, [1966 album] ‘Pet Sounds’ could have failed.”
The Beach Boys Heading To Disney+
While watching their stardom grow, Love added that it almost came to an end when Murry Wilson sold the publishing right to The Beach Boys without their knowledge. “There was a terrible betrayal by your father or your uncle, a terrible betrayal, and he did it for the money. When you’re innocent and young and you don’t know what publishing means and you’re cheated by your own, it’s a rough one. It’s tough to get over.”
With The Beach Boys streaming on Disney+, director Frank Marshall discussed his reasoning for wanting to make the documentary. Having produced hits like Jurassic World, Back To The Future, and Indiana Jones, the director explained, “[I was] always curious about the music and what made it happen. Documentary filmmaking is a journey of discovery – like a little treasure hunter you’re looking for those golden nuggets along the way. And in this case, it was kind of amazing.”
Don’t miss The Beach Boys, available to stream on May 24 on Disney+.
(Photo by Christopher Polk/WireImage)
