By David Beard

Bruce Johnston is at it again … climbing the charts from ‘behind the scenes.’ This time it’s on The Weeknd’s Dawn FM recording, “Here We Go… Again,” and this time he’s joined by Mike Love’s son, Christian Love. Unsurprising, the opportunity was born out of Johnston’s deep musical reach. 

While it’s true that Bruce joined The Beach Boys in April 1965, left in 1972, and was asked to return in late 1978, his life has always been in music. He has been actively working on and performing music since the late 1950s. In addition to producing the original Rip Chords with mate Terry Melcher for Columbia Records, he’s never stopped.

If anything, his years of successfully touring in The Beach Boys have slowed his outside work down. He isn’t complaining. Hardly. He loves performing the classic hits for the fans and wears his array of emblemed Beach Boys hats like a ‘badge of honor.’ Imagine getting to perform the incredible Brian Wilson/Mike Love catalog night after night and seeing the joy wash over the audience’s faces. And yet, with his recent work with Skrillex, Johnston’s work outside The Beach Boys deserves careful review.

Bruce has been a ‘producer’s producer’ for most of his career, with understated subtlety. If you didn’t know, his ‘behind the scenes’ contributions include Elton John’s “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me,” on which he sang backing vocals with Carl Wilson, Toni Tennille, and Billy Hinsche; and Pink Floyd’s “The Show Must Go On” from The Wall (with Toni and Joe Chemay on backing vocals). You probably already know, but it’s worth mentioning here: Bruce won a ‘Song Of The Year’ Grammy for Barry Manilow’s recording of his “I Write The Songs.” I could fill a book with his ‘guest appearances’ – and hopefully will one day – but I hope you get the point. This new venture might surprise you, but it shouldn’t.

Bruce Johnston has always been a contemporary musical force.

The teaming for the unlikely pairing of The Weeknd (born Abel Tesfaye) inadvertently came together after a chance meeting between Bruce and producer Rex Kudo – known for his studio work with Post Malone and the late Juice WRLD – in July of 2020. Bruce recalls, “My long-time music biz friend Tony Berg phoned me in July 2020 and talked to me about working in the studio with a very successful ‘known all over the world’ DJ who goes by the name Skrillex. His civilian name is Sonny Moore and his Skrillex concerts sell out everywhere he’s in concert.”

“Sonny decided to see what vocals might do to his new emerging sound and I was contacted. My ‘Skrillex aware’ sons were very happy that I was possibly going into a studio with Sonny (hmmmmm, could this be a follow-up to my vocal involvement on Pink Floyd’s The Wall album?). Well, as I was temporarily out of work, a semi-rock star with a rusting Grammy and too much time on my hands guy (in 2020), I drove an hour down the coast from Santa Barbara to Zuma Beach, checked out the summer surf (flat by the way) and then arrived at the very famous and classic Shangri-La Recording Studios north of Malibu (the studio is now owned by Rick Rubin). Sonny and his great people were fantastic to work with and, though I went to the studio just to take the temperature of the project, we wrote a song in the early afternoon and recorded the track, vocal leads & backing vocals by the early evening. We will get together soon and finish the recording and hopefully more songs come to life.” 

Bruce and Rex hit it off and have been working together whenever time provides an opening.

For The Weeknd’s “Here We Go… Again” Bruce contributed chords and is joined by Christian on the ‘vocal pads.’ The song has a bit of Pet Sounds’ romantic mysticism and the album, Dawn FM, includes comedian Jim Carrey as the radio ‘DJ.’ The collection – at times – feels like Simon & Garfunkel’s Bookends, and others – a bit like The Wall. So, when you combine those elements along with Abel’s own unique ‘pop polish,’ it’s very interesting. And, while Johnston is working with one of the hottest acts in the industry, he remains ambivalent at the idea of having the new breed be his supporting cast for any kind of ‘Bruce Johnston’ project. And at 79 years old, he’s more than content working behind the scenes, helping others, and performing music known the world over. In a way, he’s just expanding his portfolio.

Look for more ‘behind the scenes’ Bruce soon, and don’t be surprised to see Christian Love’s name pop up, too. Dawn FM is available now on all streaming services and CD.

©2022 David M. Beard/All Rights Reserved