They Joined The Boys On Stage

Hardly impromptu.

Mike and Bruce have had some interesting guests over the years including Lulu and Bill Wyman (the videos are probably not on Youtube).

Here is Roy Wood guesting in Birmingham in 2015:

Here is Neil Young guesting with Brian and Al in 2014:

Never saw that.  Badass.  Thank you! 🎈

At one of the shows (not with the BS on stage) i saw them do this.

This wayward example has always intrigued me (he said, donning his hard hat). Is this Carl (and other Boys) singing with The Surfaris or what? The saxophonist can never, ever be Mike. And the drummer doesn't sound anything like Dennis to these ears.



Has it been proved beyond doubt that the sax player in this video image is Mike?



He seems to have the fingers of someone who can play more than three notes. Here's The Surfaris' Jim Pash for comparison:

Wonder if we’ll ever get to the truth on this one?! A quick search here on EH reveals we’ve discussed it before .

From one of Ian’s day-by-day posts, from a couple of years back:

“Jan 13, 1964-The BBs landed in Sydney Australia to begin their first overseas tour with Roy Orbison, who’d recently toured in the UK with the Beatles, The Surfaris, a mainly instrumental surf band, famous for their hit recording “Wipe Out,” Paul and Paula, a duo from Texas that had hit it big with “Hey Paula” and “Young Lovers” and the Joy Boys, an Australian surf music group who had scored on the local charts with “Murphie the Surfie”. They played the Festival Hall in Brisbane on Jan 15. The Brisbane Courier Mail reported that, “Festival Hall last night nearly lost its roof...after what was the wildest show it has ever had.” The BBs returned to Sydney to play two nights at the Sydney Stadium on Jan 17 and 18. The local radio station recorded three songs, “Papa Oom Mow Mow”, “Little Deuce Coupe” and “What’d I Say”. The BBs version of “What’d I Say” was released in 1981 on the Australian Rarities album. The BBs than played at the Centennial Hall in Adelaide on Jan 20 and then two nights at the Festival Hall, Melbourne on Jan 21 and 22. The Melbourne Herald reported that “the Surfies were in full swing as the top American guitar and vocal groups, the Surfaris and the Beach Boys, followed suit. The Surfaris, surprisingly un-bronzed under the bright lights, tested our eardrums with their guitars and cymbals: the Beach Boys, looking less beachy than even the Surfaris, presented surf songs that reached top notch on the American charts.“

And this from another time:

Ringo Starr joins The Beach Boys, including “Back in The U.S.S.R.”

Sure I can remember Katrina and the waves joining the Boys for Barbara Ann at Wembley 1980!

Once last (?) remark about "What'd I Say". It doesn’t seem as if anyone knows exactly which saxophonist and drummer were on stage at that moment, otherwise one or other expert would have weighed in by now. The following may be way off the mark, but here goes anyway...

I've listened to both Jim Pash of The Surfaris and Laurie Erwin of The Joy Boys and I really do believe it's Pash playing sax on "What'd I Say". He has a much raunchier, rock'n'rolly approach better suited to the song, although he keeps a fairly low profile here. The Joy Boys started off as a jazz band, which explains Erwin's less aggressive style of blowing (here at 0:45).

As for the drummer, I suggest it's The Surfaris' Ron Wilson. He carries the performance, driving the band forward, whereas John Bogie would have kept to his role as an equal member of the group.

B.A. Baracus on a spare set of drums!