"The Beach Boys" is the ultimate boy band during the early 1960s, but they faded in the background the following decades after numerous music acts and singers took over the spotlight. Recently, they released a compilation album containing some of their best hits from 1969 to 1971, and they had a hard time being relevant again.
Al Jardine, one of the band's founding members, spoke to The Guardian to reveal a shocking incident that happened to the band in the late 60s.
According to the guitarist, their lead songwriter, Brian Wilson, told them that their band is on the verge of bankruptcy, and everyone didn't take it seriously as they thought he was joking.
Jardine said the news broke out when they arrived in London for several performances. The U.S. tax collection agency closed the band's studio and offices in Los Angeles.
Luxury hotels won't accept their credit cards, so he had to use his own money to pay for their rooms as they tour around the world.
At the time, despite slowly becoming irrelevant in the United States, their career is still prominent in Europe, but they're not signed under a record label as they just came out of a costly dispute with Capitol Records.
Their two albums by the end of the decade were a massive failure in the U.S. In addition, the band also had a negative reputation as they became associated with Charles Manson, the cult leader of the infamous "Manson Family," whose members committed several murders.
Jardine mentioned that Manson befriended their drummer, Dennis Wilson before the controversy happened.
He stated that the cult leader was "very hypnotic," and he never wants to meet him again after playing a song he claims he has written. Jardon said the demo track made him "dizzy," and felt that Manson "cast a spell" on others.
'The Beach Boys' Comeback
The band is back with a bang, and their reputation has been critically and commercially restored. Following their controversies, they were able to release two records, "Sunflower" (1970) and "Surf's Up" (1971).
Today, the albums were combined in a reissued record titled "Feel Flows," which contains some of their best works from the past.
"Feel Flows" is an enormous comeback as it features over 135 songs.
Bruce Johnson, the band's keyboardist, and vocalist mentioned that it was their "way of healing."
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