The Dark Side of the Beach Boys

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’ll be discussing The Dark Side of The Beach Boys. What fact surprised you most about the Beach Boys’ history? Let us know in the comments.

They exist as one of the oldest touring groups in rock ‘n roll, alongside The Zombies and The Rolling Stones and are clearly one of America’s most iconic bands. But there’s a dark side to everything in life if you look hard enough - even the otherwise bright and cheery sounding music of The Beach Boys. How much joy was actually behind the scenes of the venerable group’s origins, commercial success and personal struggles?

Family Issues

The Beach Boys formed in 1961 and found success only a couple of years after getting together in the garage. Actually, make that the family garage, since The Beach Boys’ complicated legacy heavily involves the Wilson Family.

Murry Wilson was the family patriarch, an aspiring songwriter who managed The Beach Boys during the early part of their career. Brian Wilson was the group’s leader and primary songwriter, aided by brothers Carl and Dennis Wilson, cousin Mike Love and family friend Al Jardine. Another young friend, David Marks, performed on The Beach Boys’ early hit albums, including “Surfin’ USA” and “Little Deuce Coupe.” The group’s “classic” lineup, however, primarily focuses upon these aforementioned five members.

The elder Wilson was, by most accounts, a cruel man who seemed to take perverse delight in abusing his sons both mentally and physically. Stories also circulated that Murry Wilson would occasionally remove his glass eye in order to torment his boys. Some claim Brian’s partial deafness resulted from a childhood beating by his father, although recollections differ as to the exact cause of this hearing loss. However, many think Brian Wilson preferred mixing his albums in mono, rather than stereo, due to this handicap. Father and sons would clash over publishing rights, especially after Murry, who had been ousted as manager, sold them off in the late 1960s.

Genius Has a Cost

There’s simply no way to tell The Beach Boys’ story without discussing the musical genius of Brian Wilson. The band’s surf-rock sound was popular, sure, but the artistic standing of pop music enjoyed a significant jump once Brian discovered the production technique and style of Phil Spector. Specifically, it was Spector’s work on the landmark “Be My Baby” by The Ronettes that served as a lightbulb moment for Brian’s own studio experimentation. Brian had already hired outside musical help for some of The Beach Boys’ latter-day surf records, but it was now time to fully utilize members of the famous “Wrecking Crew” for what would become his magnum opus.

It isn’t hyperbole to describe “Pet Sounds” as one of the most influential rock records ever produced, because, honestly? It is. There was already a creative arms race of sorts, with groups like The Beach Boys attempting to catch-up and out-do British invasion acts like The Beatles. That said, the undeniable greatness that is “Pet Sounds” didn’t come without cost. The stresses of writing, recording and touring took its toll on Brian, and the songwriter suffered a nervous breakdown in 1967, only a year after the release of “Pet Sounds.” Wilson would eventually turn towards substances in the aftermath of this breakdown, in an effort to combat the severe depression and agoraphobia that tortured this now reclusive genius.

Dennis’ Downward Spiral

Brian Wilson wasn’t the only Beach Boy to go to war with substance use disorder. Drummer Dennis Wilson was another talent within The Beach Boys’ creative nucleus, releasing an excellent solo record in 1977 titled “Pacific Ocean Blue.” Dennis was also the only member of The Beach Boys who actively enjoyed surfing, but the musician would also be continually tempted by alcohol, heroin and sex throughout his life, and often over-indulged in all three. While Brian Wilson’s deep-dive into his own mind resulted in poor hygiene, paranoia and weight gain, Dennis’ path to excess caused him to cross paths with one of history’s most infamous figures…Charles Manson.

The Beach Boys’ drummer had picked up a couple of hitchhiking female associates of Manson, and eventually brought them both to his home on Sunset Boulevard. Soon, a sort of “living arrangement” was ushered in, with some members of Manson’s “family” cohabitating the premises, and with the cult leader collaborating with Wilson on songwriting. This partnership resulted in a song actually being recorded by The Beach Boys, albeit with a retitling and a complete omission of Manson as co-songwriter. The tune, originally titled “Cease to Exist” and now known as “Never Learn Not to Love,” wound up as a B-side, but serves as physical proof of the chaotic scene that was The Manson Family’s brief crossover with Beach Boys culture.

Dennis’ Later Days

Things would only get worse for both Dennis and Brian Wilson as the seventies dragged on into the eighties. The lasting effects of Dennis Wilson’s drug use debilitated both his singing and drumming abilities, and he was let go from the group. This unpredictable behavior had escalated into reported bouts of violence while the Beach Boy was in romantic relationships with both actress Karen Lamm and Fleetwood Mac’s Christine McVie. Dennis’ final partner before his 1983 death was a woman named Shawn Marie Harris, the latter of whom claimed to be the daughter of Dennis’ cousin, Mike Love. Love denies this claim, but it was Harris who successfully intervened on Dennis’ behalf to have his body buried at sea (without cremation) after the drummer drowned on December 28th, 1983.

Mike Love Is a Controversial Figure

Speaking of Mike Love, his role in The Beach Boys’ story is largely relegated to “villain,” although the reality is much more complicated. What is true is the current Beach Boys’ singer’s history of litigiousness concerning royalties to which Love feels he’s entitled. The lawsuits basically outline how many of the songs in question, despite relying heavily on Brian Wilson’s creative leadership, were bolstered by contributions from Love. Mike Love was also vilified for a now-infamous speech when The Beach Boys were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988. It was a combative, combustible and frankly embarrassing scene where Love seemed to point fingers and issue challenges to all of classic rock’s all-time greats, from The Stones to The Beatles. Love has also been criticized for the continued monetization and commercialization of “The Beach Boys” as a brand, lending their name to everything from a failed animated cartoon to a cringe worthy rap experiment during an episode of “Baywatch.”

Brian’s Controversial Therapist

One massive hit from the Mike Love-era was “Kokomo,” a soundtrack cut from the 1988 film “Cocktail.” The music video for this song notably featured John Stamos on conga drums, but no Brian Wilson. Wilson at the time seemed to be controlled by a psychologist named Eugene Landy. It was Landy’s controversial approach to rehab and therapy that assisted Brian in emerging from his self-imposed cocoon of exile. However, it did so at the expense of Landy indoctrinating himself into every aspect of his patient’s life. This included garnering compositional credits on Beach Boys songs, as well as performing managerial responsibilities and charging a substantial financial fee.

Interview footage from this time showcases exactly how much control Landy possessed over much of Brian Wilson’s personal and professional life. It sadly also echoes the Beach Boy’s current status under a conservatorship. Landy was eventually excised from Wilson’s life by the latter’s family, who filed a restraining order against the psychologist. Landy would eventually lose his license to practice in California, although Wilson remained steadfast in his appreciation for the doctor’s assistance during his darkest years.

Brian Continues to Face Struggles

Yet, the hallucinations and voices that have continually haunted Brian Wilson as a result of neurocognitive disorder issues remain a problem. He’s been widowed by his second wife Melinda (herself a controversial figure, due to the alleged creative control she exerted over the 2014 film “Love and Mercy”) and is due, as of May 2024, to be placed under a legal conservatorship. This occurred just as the group he co-founded, The Beach Boys, announced yet another summer tour with Mike Love at the helm. This duality of darkness and light doesn’t go unnoticed by the group’s fans, those who have followed The Beach Boys since the era of “Fun, Fun Fun.” Their music has brought joy and light to the lives of countless followers, yet it’s the inherent darkness within their story that perhaps makes The Beach Boys’ tumultuous history such a fascinating subject.