Carl Wilson - Solo Records

Solo Records

By the early 1980s the Beach Boys were in disarray; the band had split into several camps. Frustrated with the band's sluggishness to record new material and reluctance to rehearse, Wilson took a leave of absence in 1981.

He quickly recorded and released a well-received solo album, Carl Wilson, composed largely of rock n' roll songs co-written with Myrna Smith-Schilling, a former backing vocalist for Elvis Presley and Aretha Franklin and wife of Wilson's then-manager Jerry Schilling. The album briefly charted, and its second single, "Heaven", reached the top 20 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart. Carl also undertook a solo tour to promote the album, becoming the first member of the Beach Boys to break ranks. Initially, Carl and his band played clubs like The Bottom Line in New York City and the Roxy in Los Angeles. Thereafter he joined the Doobie Brothers as opening act for their 1981 summer tour.

Carl recorded a second solo album, Youngblood, in a similar vein, but by the time of its release in 1983 he had rejoined the Beach Boys. Although Youngblood did not chart, a single, the John Hall-penned "What You Do To Me", peaked at number 72, making Carl the second Beach Boy to land a solo single on the Billboard Hot 100. Additionally, the song cracked the top 20 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart. Carl frequently performed that song and "Rockin' All Over the World" (from the same album), as well as "Heaven" from the 1981 album at Beach Boys' concerts in the 1980s. "Heaven" was always announced as a tribute to brother Dennis, who drowned in December 1983. The Beach Boys' 1985 eponymous album prominently featured Carl's lead vocals and songwriting, highlighted by his "It's Gettin' Late" (another top 20 Adult Contemporary hit) and the "Heaven"-like "Where I Belong".

In 1988, the Beach Boys scored their biggest chart success in more than twenty years with the US Number 1 song "Kokomo," co-written by Mike Love, on which Carl sang lead in the chorus. After this, Love increasingly dominated the band's recorded output and became the driving force behind the 1993 album Summer in Paradise, the first and only Beach Boys album with no input from Brian Wilson in any form. In 1992, Carl told Michael Feeney Callan his hope was to record new Brian Wilson material. "Speaking for myself", he told Callan, "I only want to record inspired music".

Carl continued recording through the 1990s and enthusiastically participated in the Don Was-led recordings of Brian's "Soul Searchin'" and "You're Still a Mystery", songs conceived as the basis of an aborted Brian Wilson/Beach Boys album. He also recorded the album Like a Brother with Robert Lamm and Gerry Beckley, while continuing to tour with the Beach Boys until the last months of his life.