Al Jardine expresses his profound shock and sorrow at the unexpected passing of Brian Wilson, stating that the loss of life was completely unforeseen. When Jardine last saw Wilson in May, he was under the impression that his long-time friend was on the road to recovery after facing numerous health challenges. Despite the fact that Wilson was unable to participate in significant concert performances following their abrupt tour conclusion in 2022, Jardine had hoped that, during his upcoming summer tour leading Wilson’s long-standing band, there would be a chance for his dear friend of 65 years to join him on stage. Unfortunately, it was reported on Wednesday that the visionary behind the iconic sound of the Beach Boys had passed away at the age of 82.
“I saw Brian about a month ago, and he seemed to be improving,” Jardine shared with Variety on Thursday. “We were in the lounge just having a conversation while he was undergoing a blood oxygen test. There was a nurse present, who mentioned, ‘Well, things are looking good,’ so I wasn’t too concerned at that moment. I genuinely believed he would be with us for a while longer.” Jardine had been looking forward to Wilson attending the rehearsals in Los Angeles and had even ordered a piano to be available for him, hoping he could make a guest appearance and take his familiar spot behind the keyboard, regardless of whether he was able to perform. “So it’ll be an empty seat, I suppose,” Jardine reflected, saddened by the thought.
Jardine recalls being pleasantly surprised by something Wilson exclaimed when he first visited him a month ago. “I was on my way out of L.A. and decided to stop by to say hello. It’s funny because the very first thing Brian said to me when I walked in the door was, ‘You started the group!’ Just like that! I responded, ‘Well, that’s nice, Brian. But I think you helped a little bit too.’” This moment felt like a poignant bookend for Jardine, as they had initially crossed paths at El Camino Junior College during the early 1960s, shortly after both had graduated from nearby Hawthorne High School. “I told him, ‘Hey Brian, we need to start a group’ — almost the exact same words he used during our last visit. I thought, wow, that’s interesting, and we shared a good laugh about it. You know, Brian has always been very direct and unfiltered. He speaks his mind, which I found quite cool, as he usually tends to be quiet and doesn’t offer much to most people. But we always shared a very close friendship.”
Regarding his emotional state in light of the news, Jardine, one of the two surviving original members of the Beach Boys alongside Mike Love, admits, “I get emotional. Unfortunately, yeah, I tend to tear up. But I’m okay.” He is currently continuing with initial rehearsals for the upcoming tour he will embark on with Darian Sahanaja and other longtime members of Wilson’s band as a solo act, starting July 4. Jardine believes these performances will carry additional significance now. “I think it’s going to keep the spirit alive, and I believe it will be more meaningful, possibly,” Jardine states. This is partly due to their long-standing plans to incorporate music from the “Beach Boys Love You” album from the mid-1970s, which was the last one that Wilson produced and primarily wrote.
Jardine reminisced about the synergistic relationship Wilson had with the other band members during their heyday in the 1960s, as well as the rare occasions they would reunite afterward.
He describes his professional relationship with Wilson as “musically sympathetic,” noting, “I appreciated almost everything he did, and he tolerated most everything I did. Just kidding! But he genuinely liked my songwriting. He was an incredible teacher, and we all learned how to write original material because of him. He excelled as a vocal coach, knowing how to deliver a vocal and translate the sounds he envisioned in his mind. We were mutually beneficial to one another because, without us, he wouldn’t have had anyone to interpret the music. It was a perfect marriage, and I felt very much included in the family. It was three brothers (Brian, Carl, and Dennis Wilson) and a cousin (Love), and they accepted me as an equal, which was an incredible feeling. We always had that sense of belonging. Musically, we worked incredibly hard at our craft. We were the engine, and he was the starter, igniting all that great music that we then delivered.”
“I couldn’t have had a more enriching experience than sitting around the piano, learning the parts, and hearing them all come back to us as an ensemble. What an incredible journey that was,” Jardine continues. “Sometimes, we wouldn’t even hear the songs before stepping into the studio to lay down the vocal parts. After Wilson stepped back from touring just a few years into the Beach Boys’ success, he would record the tracks while we were out on tour. Then, when we returned, we would go straight into the studio to begin singing. He had all the parts mapped out in his head and would distribute them to us, and with minimal fanfare, we would finish the songs he had started while we were away. It’s truly remarkable when I reflect on it, considering we were absent quite a bit, so he had to be very patient and wait for us to return home. That really frustrated him because he was so eager to share the music with us. However, it ultimately worked out perfectly for us: we would go out and perform the hits while he composed the next album.”
The musical arrangement was straightforward on paper: “Mike typically handled the baritone. I took the high soprano. Brian was alto, while Dennis and Carl filled in the middle. That was the connection we had musically.”
However, nothing about Wilson’s intricate musicality could ever be simplified into a formula. Jardine often reflects on one particular session where he feels he fell short. “There’s one song that stands out — (1964’s) ‘All Summer Long,’ a fantastic little tune. Unfortunately, we sang it flat. At least I know I did because I could hear my part. And that has always bothered me. There were so many parts involved. It wasn’t just a simple three-part harmony; it was like five parts, all firing away. Typically, he would catch it if we were flat, but for some reason, he didn’t that time. We were rushing and trying to keep up with him. Occasionally, one might slip through the cracks. However, now when I hear it, it has a certain charm because it feels very human. It’s not perfect. Sometimes, you have to accept that it is what it is.”
The surviving members of the Beach Boys reunited for a tour in 2012. However, prior to and following that, two bands were touring the group’s material — the officially sanctioned Beach Boys led by Love, often accompanied by Bruce Johnston (who joined the group later in the 1960s), and Wilson’s ensemble as a solo artist. Jardine first joined Wilson’s band on a special “Pet Sounds”-themed tour in 2006 and returned for the final dates in 2022.
Before the pandemic, Jardine recalls that Wilson was engaged in performing on stage. There were always some fans who, cautious of Wilson’s stillness and lack of expression in the midst of these massive ensembles, questioned whether he truly wanted to be out there. Jardine assures that he definitely did, even though his well-documented mental health issues prevented him from being the archetypal showman.
“He was not uncomfortable on tour,” Jardine asserts regarding that period of touring. “He genuinely enjoyed being on the road with his family — his adoptive family, which is precisely what his band was. I came along a bit later and sort of completed this circle. You know, our friendship endured, and he needed support on lead vocals. I could sing many of the songs that he wasn’t going to sing, the ones he didn’t want to sing. So we shared many lead vocals and had many wonderful times together. No, he was quite comfortable on the road. I didn’t have to nurse him along or anything like that.”
However, in 2022, circumstances changed dramatically before their tour was abruptly halted. “There was no trauma to speak of until that last tour in ’22. He kind of went silent and began to experience the repercussions of long-term COVID, I was informed, so I believe that was a turning point for him. He became detached.” Following multiple back surgeries, Wilson required the use of a wheelchair or walker. “His condition must have been tremendously disheartening, not being able to walk again without the aid of a walker.” Even so, Jardine mentions that Wilson found comfort in being on the road, although his ability to participate fluctuated from night to night.
“He was with his adoptive family, and we all loved him, and he was aware of it, savoring every moment,” Jardine reflects on that final tour. “Until he got on stage. Then he might decide, ‘Well, I’m just going to let them handle it.’ Who knows what was going through his mind, but he would check out during that last tour, and that was hard work for him; he was fragile and tired and likely exhausted from the ongoing effects of long-term COVID” — an issue that Jardine asserts band members were unaware of until after the decision was made to stop the tour. “Consequently, he became, on stage, not the entertainer that everyone thought they were coming to see.”
Despite the challenges, Jardine feels ready to hit the road again, alongside many of the members of that same band, now as the primary vocalist. Of course, Jardine is well-known for being the lead singer on “Help Me Rhonda” and other Beach Boys classics, as well as a harmonist. However, now that this version of the band will be paying tribute to the “Love You” album as part of their nightly setlist—partly due to a boxed set commemorating the group’s mid-‘70s material set to release this fall, and partly due to fan demand—there’s more to prepare for.
“Thank God for Teleprompters,” he exclaims. “I never used to have one in the past, but now it’s going to be essential because we’re adding some deep cuts that we haven’t performed before, as well as many parts I’ve never sung in concert, other than ‘Honkin’ Down the Highway’ from that specific album.” Among the Brian Wilson songs he is most excited to perform from “Love You,” which tends to be a favorite among hardcore Wilson fans, “I think my favorite is going to be ‘Roller Skating Child.’ I love the ‘Airplane’ track, and of course, there’s ‘Solar System,’ two quirky little numbers that we all enjoyed quite a bit. And naturally, my favorite, I believe, from “Love You” is ‘The Night Was So Young,’ because I love ballads. I can’t wait to play the actual high guitar part on that little response guitar. These will be some enjoyable moments amidst the anxiety of performance.”
He remarks, “This segment of the repertoire has been underappreciated for far too long, and shedding some light on it in Brian’s memory will, I believe, truly enhance it. I think we’ll clarify what he accomplished, and we’re looking forward to it. If we can get through it emotionally. I have a feeling there are going to be some tears up there, but we’ll just have to navigate through it somehow.”
