Beach Boys Confirm 50th Anniversary Reunion Tour And Album
It’s official! 50 years after the release of their debut LP ‘Surfin Safari.’ the Beach Boys are set to reunite for a huge 50th anniversary celebration. Core members Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine, Bruce Johnston and David Marks will get back to ‘do it again’ for a huge worldwide tour and a brand new studio album!
After speculation about a possible reunion centered around next year’s Grammy Awards, the reunion was made official via the band’s website this morning (Dec. 16). As previously reported, the band members got together earlier this year to re-record their 1968 classic ‘Do It Again’, after which talk started to circulate about the band’s plans to commemorate their landmark anniversary.
At various points it looked like Brian was ambivalent about committing to the project, but in a statement on the band’s website, he said, “This anniversary is special to me because I miss the boys and it will be a thrill for me to make a new record and be on stage with them again.”
The last time the guys all got together was in 2006 to do press for the 40th anniversary reissue of the classic ‘Pet Sounds’ record. As for the last time they all made music together was…well…it’s been a while. A long while! Though both Dennis and Carl Wilson are long gone, the rest of the band remains intact, and adding Marks (a member early on-playing on the band’s first two albums at the age of 14!) is a cool move to further bring back their early days.
Not wanting this to be solely about the past, the band has already recorded some material for an as-yet untitled new album which is being produced by Brian Wilson. Al Jardine says he’s “really excited for our fans to be able to see us again in concert on the world stage, and to celebrate our 50th anniversary together with a new studio album.”
A 50-date international tour will begin in April with a headlining performance at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. It’s already been a very exciting year for Beach Boys fans with the long awaited release of The Smile Sessions box set which has topped many year end lists for re-issue of the year.
In addition, plans are underway by Capitol Records to spotlight the band’s entire catalog, with several new commemorative releases planned for 2012, including a new hits collection and a career-spanning box set.
Watch the Beach Boys Re-Recording ‘Do It Again’ for Their Upcoming Album