Let's hear it from the boy

It’s rumored that The Beach Boys have more unreleased music in the vaults than has actually been released. If this is the case, is there any chance that some or all of the better quality music will ever see the light of day?

::: THOMAS PURTILL, CASHEL, CO. TIPPERARY

BRIAN: Yeah, there is plenty of music that we haven’t released yet. We’re just not sure what we’re going to do with it. We’ve got three or four things in the can already that we think are pretty good, including a fantastic version of ‘Proud Mary’, the Creedence Clearwater Revival song. It’s such a great version.

Hi Brian. Your concert at The Point recently was one of the best I’ve ever been at. It seems you’re on the crest of a wave at present and I wondered are there any plans to release some brand new material as your creative juices must be flowing again.

::: MICHEAL KELLY, ARMAGH

BRIAN: Yeah, we’re going to record a new album with the band I’m with right now. We haven’t started it yet but hopefully it’ll have a nice rock and roll beat to it.

Any regrets that you waited so long to go out on the road again?

::: LIAM, DUBLIN

BRIAN: No, I think it was quite timely. My wife and my manager got together about four years ago and said I ought to consider getting a band and going out on a solo career. I said it wouldn’t work but we tried it out and it went over fantastic. It’s been quite fun and the band is just great, the best band I’ve ever known.

Happy Birthday, Brian. I believe you hit the big 60 on 20 June.

::: THOMAS PURTILL, CASHEL, CO. TIPPERARY

BRIAN: That’s right, I did celebrate my 60th birthday recently. We went out and had a big party in a restaurant. I’m two days younger than Paul McCartney!

If ‘Be My Baby’ hadn’t been released, what would have been your favourite song of all time?

::: THOMAS PURTILL, CASHEL, CO. TIPPERARY

BRIAN: ‘You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling’ by the Righteous Brothers. No question about it.

What’s your favourite cover version of one of your own songs?

::: CHRISTINA, MAYO

BRIAN: I like David Lee Roth’s version of ‘California Girls’. The video was fantastic! I thought Ronnie Spector’s version of ‘Don’t Worry Baby’ was wonderful too.

Will there ever be any plans to release the Smile album in the future?

::: DENISE O’KEEFFE

BRIAN: No, we junked it. It’s history. It doesn’t exist as an album in any form.

Do you feel an affinity with Ozzy Osbourne? It certainly looked that way at the Queen’s jubilee concert...

::: RUTH O’DOWD

BRIAN: Yeah, I do have an affinity with her(?)

Brian, is it true that Paul McCartney was in a studio with The Beach Boys, high as a kite and eating vegetables? He says he doesn’t remember whether it ever happened or not!

::: DENISE O’KEEFFE

BRIAN: It happened something like that! We were recording a song called ‘Vegetables’ and he came by with his publicist Derek Taylor. We gave him some celery and a carrot to munch on – you can hear it on the record!

During your recent shows you dedicated the song ‘Lay Down Burden’ to your late brothers and former Beach Boys Dennis and Carl Wilson. If they were around today do you think they would be up on stage with you?

::: SARAH, WICKLOW

BRIAN: Probably not, they’d probably be with Mike Love and Bruce Johnson and the other Beach Boys. I don’t think they would have come out with me. In fact, I know they wouldn’t have.

What’s your favourite song on Pet Sounds?

::: Stephen Flood, Dublin

BRIAN: ‘Wouldn’t It Be Nice’ – I really like doing that one.