CBS Records & The Boys

By that point (after the release and chart-topping success of Endless Summer), they were facing the fact that any new music from them would have to live up to the public's expectation of Brian's previous high standard of excellence. Since it obviously wasn't, they put a lid on it until the events of '76 forced their hand, and 15 Big Ones was the result. If it hadn't been for those super-high public expectations, they could have eeked an album out in late '74/early '75 that probably wouldn't have been quite as strong as Holland, but still came close.

I would think not for L.A.. They signed the CBS contract in late 1977, so with owing Warner's one more album, 1979 was really the earliest they could release an album. I forget the whole story, but if Mikie is correct, it would have been for the 1981-1984 time frame. CBS could not have been very happy waiting 5 years between albums.

Given Brian had just spent a week or so living in a San Diego park before being flown to Criteria, I'd have to question it was his idea to go there. Also, and I stand to be corrected, I thought Yetnikoff flew down to Florida. Check out the gigs and sessions for 1978 on 10452.

From 'Words Of Music of Brian Wilson' – Matijas-Mecca

"Yetnikoff signed the Beach Boys on an 8.5 million package that guaranteed close to 1 million per album in addition to a 2 million signing bonus, including highly lucrative touring and publicity support.

Before the MIU album was finished in 1978, the Beach Boys had to fulfill a tour of Australia and New Zealand as as part of the contract with CBS. As required by the label, all five Beach Boys had to be involved. Brian was pressured to write new material and it was what THEY wanted, not what HE wanted. He disappeared one day and was found in San Diego. After one more hospitalization, he was talked into coming to Florida (Criteria Studios) to start work on a new album. Walter Yetnikoff paid a visit to Criteria to hear the new work. When it became clear that Brian was unable to produce anything, Bruce Johnston was called in".


From Mike Love’s ‘Good Vibrations’ book:

"We had less traction in our recording efforts. We had not yet delivered any music to CBS Records and were summoned to Black Rock, the company’s headquarters in New York. Joined by Tour Manager Jerry Schilling, we waited in the office of Walter Yetnikoff. When he finally walked in, bearded and rumpled, he leaned against his desk and said, "Gentlemen, I think I’ve been fucked”. We all looked at Jerry, and he looked at us. Then Brian raised his voice and said, "Mr. Yetnikoff, I’ve got some ideas for some songs, and I want to do them at the Criteria Studios in Miami". “Okay”, Yetnikoff said. “We’ll be down there in two weeks.” Brian defused the crisis, and we travelled to Miami. But when Yetnikoff came down a couple of weeks later, the tracks that we had been working on became unusable. That’s when we called back Bruce Johnston and he ended up producing L.A. (Light Album) It was mainly a collection of solo songs".

Interesting...this puts a whole new spin on things (I'm admitting to owning both Mike's and Brian's recent autobiographies, but also admitting to not having read either in their entirety). So, Yetnikoff didn't say "I think I've been fucked" upon hearing the band's new music, but rather at a prior meeting in NYC, when he expressed his disappointment in the lack of a delivered album. 

Regarding Bruce's involvement: from contemporaneous interviews with Bruce and others there at the time, Brian called him down to Florida initially just to SING on the album, not produce it (Brian reportedly said something like, "God, I've been smoking cigarettes and can't sing high - I'll call Bruce down"). Each of the other guys also reportedly had expressed a desire to have Bruce join them in the studio. It was apparently after this second meeting with Yetnikoff, at Criteria, where the decision was made to have Bruce produce (along with Jim Guercio, who ended up leaving the project due to some kind of other commitment or outside demand on his time).

That cover is from the BB85 era isn't it?

That is cool! I would have loved that cover on an album.  It would have been great in the  early 60's when kids when to "record hops."  

At Criteria in late August/early September '78, Brian produced "Calendar Girl", "California Feelin'", and an unfinished version of "Brian's Back" for the Boys. 

Four years later, in late '84, the Boys recorded that version of "At The Hop" with producer Steve Levine, for possible inclusion on their '85 self-titled CBS LP.

Yeah, Calendar Girl is pretty weak (a wretched photo of the group here as well):

While I agree that Brian is given a bit too much leeway and The Beach Boys (particularly Mike) are painted as the uncaring villains, I do think it’s unfair to say that Brian would’ve done a solo album if he had wanted to by citing the existence of Dennis, Mike, and Carl’s solo albums or to swing things back the total opposite direction and totally blame Brian. I think both parties have culpability.

The situation was different for Brian, as I understand it (please correct me if I’m wrong!), in that The Beach Boys contracts both with Warner and later with CBS stipulated that Brian had to be be involved to various degrees (I feel like the percentages vary?) As a result, I can imagine that when Brian went into the studio at all, The Beach Boys were already eyeing what he was doing and giving their two cents, implicitly or explicitly making it clear that anything he did had to ostensibly be thought of as Beach Boys product first and foremost and, if it didn’t work in that regard, it was worthless. I can similarly imagine if that is even remotely the situation, where anything he made was scrutinized immediately as product for my band, it would make him less and less interested in creating. Dennis, Carl, and Mike didn’t have that kind of pressure or expectation on everything they recorded. Dennis particularly strikes me as the only member of the band who was creating just to create, express himself, and make music. I do think Brian was denied this for the most part (not just by the band, but by his own personal desire to make hits and compete with his past). 

This is not to say that if The Beach Boys had broken up or something that suddenly Brian would’ve been putting out Pet Sounds-level works or anything like that. That is absolutely overblown and wishful thinking. But yeah, shades of gray etc. etc.