Mike Love says no Beach Boys reunion plans in works

DETROIT (Billboard) - The Beach Boys will celebrate the 50th anniversary of their first single "Surfin'" in 2011, but band member Mike Love says any specific reports about how they'll do that are premature.

"There have been a lot of ideas floated, but nothing decided," the senior remaining Beach Boy tells Billboard.com. "So far it's just conversation. There are no big plans yet -- although there's a lot of interest from a lot of people to see what would happen if we got together and did some new music and maybe did some shows. But so far nothing's firm."

Former group member Al Jardine recently said the group -- including Brian Wilson, Bruce Johnston and early member David Marks -- would reunite in 2011 for at least one reunion show, probably free. And an early suggestion was made that Wilson and Love would be collaborate on some new material, but that was rebuffed by Wilson's management, who cited his focus on his upcoming "Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin," due August 17.

"I've had a few conversations recently with my cousin Brian ... about doing some musical projects together," Love says. "But we're busy touring, he's busy recording and doing some dates, so in the fall we'll get more focused on it."

Love says he himself has recorded "18 to 20 songs that I have yet to come out with," including tunes inspired by his experiences with Transcendental Meditation and the Maharashi Mahesh Yogi and a song entitled "Pisces Brothers," which Love describes as "a reminiscence about George Harrison."

Meanwhile, Love offered a shout-out to Katy Perry's recent No. 1 "California Gurls," which offers a fresh take on Love and Wilson's homophonic 1965 hit.

"I think the part she did is pretty cool," he says. "There are a lot of writers on it, and I think it's probably a stroke of genius to have the king of canine cool, Mr. (Snoop) Dogg, do his thing. But I think her creative part, her musical part, is pretty hooky. I think it brings the Beach Boys' 1965 classic to mind, that's for sure."

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