Going Public

After leaving the Beach Boys and working energetically with Terry Melcher on their Equinox label, Bruce Johnston released his third solo album through Columbia. ‘Going public’ is also the stock-market term for a public offering. Here it strongly suggests a summation of Bruce's musical life and a fresh introduction of himself as a solo artist.

Alongside the Grammy-winning ‘I Write the Songs,’ it includes his Beach Boys songs ‘Deirdre’ and ‘Disney Girls,’ ‘Thank You Baby’ and ‘Don't Be Scared,’ written while working with Melcher at Columbia in the mid-1960s, and even ‘Rendezvous,’ written for the Hudson Brothers in the mid-1970s. Bruce sings them warmly over funky, comfortable backing, showing his romantic side to good effect. Gary Usher produced, and Curt Becher, who had been working with Bruce at the time, made a strong contribution to the vocal arrangements. Bruce began recording a follow-up, but abandoned it partway through when he returned to the Beach Boys.