Disney+ announced the release of "The Beach Boys," a documentary celebrating the career of the legendary surf music band.
If there are two global bands that changed the course of music history in the 20th century, they are England's The Beatles and California's The Beach Boys.
They shaped the course of pop in the 1960s and 1970s and went on to influence most of the musical bands that followed.
They are a guiding compass that still echoes in today's musical creations, from mainstream pop to electronic music.
Nevertheless, the sound of The Beach Boys was different. It was fresh, cool, dreamy, and innovative in all fields.
The sonic collages Brian Wilson and friends experimented with vocals, instruments, and music production techniques were groundbreaking and rather different from what was being done in the British Isles.
At the peak of their success, and still today, it's easy to find people who prefer The Beach Boys to The Beatles even though they were never necessarily competing with each other.
If Liverpool had "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band," the Los Angeles had "Pet Sounds."
Never-seen-before Footage
Disney+'s new documentary on The Beach Boys aims to share with the old and young generations the complex web of composing skills, technical achievements, and intricate personalities that helped create the unique, harmonious sound of the West Coast band.
At some point, the original lineup, consisting of brothers Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine, made friends famous by giving Jan & Dean the hit song "Surf City."
The Beach Boys' lyrical and sonic universe gravitates around the California beach lifestyle, fun, pretty girls, and surfing.
Interestingly, there was only one surfer in the band: Dennis Wilson.
The documentary follows the band from its beginnings in their families, and it shows never-before-seen footage, videos, and interviews with Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine, David Marks, Bruce Johnston, and others in music, such as Lindsey Buckingham, Janelle Monáe, Ryan Tedder, and Don Was.
Past members Blondie Chaplin and Ricky Fataar are involved, too, and we'll hear from Carl and Dennis Wilson in old interviews.
"The Beach Boys" is directed by Frank Marshall and Thom Zimny and written by Mark Monroe. The premiere, along with its soundtrack, will be available on May 24, 2024.
The band's official book, "The Beach Boys by The Beach Boys," will also be out on April 2 through Genesis Publications.
Words by Luís MP | Founder of SurferToday.com