Brian Wilson has said he ‘can’t understand’ Mike Love‘s controversial decision to effectively sack three of his Beach Boys bandmates following the conclusion of their 50th anniversary commitments.
Wilson’s return to The Beach Boys – along with Al Jardine and David Marks – this year has included a series of live performances as well as a new album, and he had previously stated his desire to press on with the band and record more new material.
However Love, who owns the rights to The Beach Boys name, brought those plans to an abrupt end this week when he released a statement which read:
“The post-50th anniversary configuration will not include Brian Wilson, Al Jardine and David Marks. The 50th Reunion Tour was designed to be a set tour with a beginning and an end to mark a special 50-year milestone for the band.”
In response, Wilson has told CNN of his disappointment at the decision, remarking: “I’m disappointed and can’t understand why Mike doesn’t want to tour with Al, David and me. After all, we are the real Beach Boys.”
Al Jardine has also rallied against what he describes as Love’s ‘money-saving, stripped-down version’ of the legendary group by launching an online petition to reinstate the three members, which has to-date attracted over 4,000 signatures.