Surf's Up: A Beach Boys Podcast Safari

Mark Dillon and Phil Miglioratti
  • 4.8 (17)
  • MUSIC

A podcast about America's band hosted by Mark Dillon, author of Fifty Sides of The Beach Boys, and Phil Miglioratti, host of the Pray for Surf blog.

  1. We Gotta Groove with Howie Edelson and James Saez Part 2

    FEB 26

    We Gotta Groove with Howie Edelson and James Saez Part 2

    Now that The Beach Boys' box set We Gotta Groove: The Brother Studio Years is out, garnering 5* reviews and selling out fast, tune in to part two of our conversation with set producers Howie and James. We ask them what went into the decisions behind which tracks to include and not include. Do The Beach Boys have the best outtakes? Is "Hey Little Tomboy" canceled? What about the unreleased record known to collectors as "New Album"? We note how young listeners digest the catalog without prejudice. James names which of these songs would work best in a movie or TV show. We mourn the what-could-have-beens of Carl and Dennis, and extol the virtues of "Holy Man." And Howie tells us what might be next. You don't want to miss it!

    54 min
  2. We Gotta Groove with Howie Edelson and James Saez - Part One

    JAN 30

    We Gotta Groove with Howie Edelson and James Saez - Part One

    We have the scoop on The Beach Boys' We Gotta Groove - The Brother Studio Years box set, and are joined by co-producers Howie Edelson and James Saez. James describes his engineering approach to these archival recordings that are sacred to the fan base. We review the anchor LP The Beach Boys Love You - embraced by Krautrock and the CBGB crowd? Was Love You the Pet Sounds of the 70s, or the Wild Honey? With Brian and Dennis in full swing, was 1977 the best year of the decade for the band? What were the pros and cons of the 76-77 "Brian Is Back" era? You don't wanna miss it!

    1h 4m
  3. David Leaf Remembers Brian and Talks SMiLE Part 2

    09/06/2025

    David Leaf Remembers Brian and Talks SMiLE Part 2

    Part two of our chat with Brian biographer and friend David Leaf - whose latest book is SMiLE: The Rise, Fall, and Resurrection of Brian Wilson - recorded days after Brian's passing. Here we ask, was it right for The Beach Boys to include out-of-context Smile tracks on albums after the project collapsed, and play them live? David elaborates on his role on the group's 1990s box sets - and the reasons for their delays. We measure Beach Boys fans vs. Brianistas and bemoan the Disney documentary. David recalls the last song Brian requested on David's final visit - you'd be surprised what it is! Have a listen to hear stories the estimable Mr. Leaf has not shared anywhere else.

    55 min
  4. David Leaf Remembers Brian and Talks SMiLE Part 1

    08/06/2025

    David Leaf Remembers Brian and Talks SMiLE Part 1

    Days after Brian Wilson passed away - and on his birthday - his biographer and good friend David Leaf returned for part one of a special two-part episode. David shares his recollections of Brian's challenging recent years. It's group therapy for David and hosts Mark and Phil, as they discuss how Brian made the world a better place, stepping out of The Beatles' shadow, did the obits really "get" Brian, more insight into why SMiLE was shelved, and they ask, "Did Brian's ambitions really die with SMiLE?" Of course, we also talk to David about his great new book on the saga of that legendary album.

    59 min
  5. SMiLE vs. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

    06/23/2024

    SMiLE vs. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

    In this special snackable episode, Mark compares The Beach Boys' 1967 SMiLE album with The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. A year earlier the bands came out, respectively, with the classic Pet Sounds and Revolver LPs, and it was The Beach Boys who were favored in NME's year-end poll. If SMiLE had come out during the Summer of Love, how would it have fared? Mark weighs the two albums track by track, and in terms of cultural impact and overall artistic impression. These records are considered by many to be both bands' ultimate production statements - which one will come out on top? (This mini-episode is a longer version of a clip Mark recorded for the Apples & Oranges Podcast.)

    13 min
  6. Howie Edelson on "The Beach Boys by The Beach Boys"

    04/05/2024

    Howie Edelson on "The Beach Boys by The Beach Boys"

    Howie Edelson, Beach Boys' creative consultant and catalog producer, returns to talk up this new oral history of the group to which he contributed interviews and new text. But that's just the launch point: we also get an update on Brian Wilson, and discuss the contributions of Ricky Fataar and Blondie Chaplin, the many mysteries of Murry Wilson, we reveal the TRUE identity of Reggie Dunbar, pit "The Trader" vs. "Catch a Wave", and talk about the love the guys have had for one another despite it all. Howie also teases what might be the next box set!

    1h 20m
  7. Remembering Jeffrey Foskett

    02/13/2024

    Remembering Jeffrey Foskett

    Mark and Phil pay tribute to the late Jeffrey Foskett, a part of The Beach Boys family for over 40 years. They discuss Jeff's role as singer and guitarist for The BBs and Brian Wilson's band, as well as Brian's "keeper." Mark reveals the lost chapter of Fifty Sides of The Beach Boys - "Jeffrey Foskett on 'The Warmth of the Sun'" and some never-before published quotes from the man himself. The hosts also relate their personal interactions with Jeff, and last but not least, explain Jeff's predilection for Nudie shirts.

    54 min
  8. Talking Beach Boys with BeachBoystalk Matt and Greg!

    11/22/2023

    Talking Beach Boys with BeachBoystalk Matt and Greg!

    In this episode Mark and Phil welcome Matt and Greg Coffey, hosts of online show BeachBoystalk, which has brought together the fan community. It's a multigenerational fan smackdown, covering such topics as: did Brian Wilson really want to tour? Is there Beach Boys without Wilsons? Why did Carl Wilson throw Phil out of the BBs office? What's up with Matt's unholy love for MIU? Do different generations of fans appreciate "Kokomo" and the later albums differently? This one has it all!

    1h 20m
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Ratings & Reviews

4.8
out of 5
17 Ratings

About

A podcast about America's band hosted by Mark Dillon, author of Fifty Sides of The Beach Boys, and Phil Miglioratti, host of the Pray for Surf blog.

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