New 'The Beach Boys' Documentary Coming to Disney+

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductees The Beach Boys are the subject of an upcoming Disney+ documentary premiering on May 24. Simply titled The Beach Boys, the feature will include unseen footage and new interviews with surviving band members Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine, David Marks, and Bruce Johnston. Also featured are interviews with fans from the music world, among them former Fleetwood Mac member Lindsey Buckingham, Janelle Monáe, OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder, and producer/musician Don Was.

The Beach Boys also includes past interviews with Carl (who passed from lung cancer in 1998) and Dennis Wilson (who drowned in 1983), as well as a new interview with former Beach Boy touring member Blondie Chaplin. In addition, the doc will feature audio from Ricky Fataar, who famously portrayed Stig O'Hara in the mockumentary The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash, and who played drums with the Beach Boys from 1971 to 1974.

Incorporating archival footage, the film, directed by Frank Marshall and Thom Zinney, will delve into the band's history from their official formation in 1961 with the brothers Wilson, cousin Mike Love and friend Al Jardine. As an extended family unit, pushed by Brian Wilson's novel approach to pop music and mastery of recording techniques, the group moved from the golden sun tunes of "Surfin' U.S.A.," "Surfer Girl" and "I Get Around" to the boundary-pushing 1966 releases Pet Sounds and "Good Vibrations," both widely considered to be among the greatest and most influential works in popular music history.

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According to the Disney+ press release, the official soundtrack for The Beach Boys, featuring songs from the film, will be available to stream and download on May 24, and the group's iconic 1964 album Shut Down, Vol. 2 is being released on limited edition blue and white marble vinyl on March 29, which can be streamed or purchased here. Additionally, the group's only official book, The Beach Boys by The Beach Boys, will be released on April 2, via Genesis Publications and can be ordered here.

The Beach Boys' 2024 Endless Summer Gold tour is already underway with 59 shows across North America. The tour, led by Love and Johnston, includes stops in New York, Los Angeles, and Nashville. The tour will feature Dave Mason as a special guest, along with Brian Eichenberger, Christian Love, Tim Bonhomme, Jon Bolton, Keith Hubacher, Randy Leago, and John Wedemeyer.