One way to get a sense of the buzz surrounding Wilson Phillips' current summer concert tour is by reading the ''love bytes'' that mysteriously appear each night on the band's dressing-room door: the crowd loves you blazed the message on July 6, their opening night in Concord, Calif. A couple of shows later, in Alabama, the notice read ladies of the night. The headline for a Saturday night concert in Lake Placid, N.Y., was only slightly more discreet. Scrawled in black ink across the backstage door of the Olympic Auditorium, it screamed Wilson Phillips — three hot babes!
What's the meaning of these strange, emphatic messages? ''I want to give the girls a love of the road,'' says production manager Eric Williams, who grudgingly concedes to being the anonymous author in his self-appointed role as the band's tour cheerleader. In addition to his nightly banners, Williams pumps up the summer jam by attaching upbeat instructions to the band's set lists, including stage directions (''Work the crowd!'' ''Reach out to the audience!'') and peppy greetings for the local crowds (''Alabama, you guys look great!'' ''Let's get impulsive, New Jersey!''). ''I want to get the girls juiced up,'' he says.
If the band needs pumping up, the crowds don't seem to. Chynna Phillips, 22, Carnie Wilson, 22, and Wendy Wilson, 20, who are currently opening a 35-city tour for Richard Marx, are this summer's band to catch. Despite mixed reviews — some critics dismissed Wilson Phillips' highly produced, commercial sound as sheer pop gloss-their first album, Wilson Phillips, has sold almost 2 million copies since its release in March. Their first single, ''Hold On,'' went to No. 1 in early July. A second track, ''Release Me,'' was at No. 6 on the Billboard chart last week and climbing.
Admittedly, the enthusiasm for Wilson Phillips is due in part to their purebred rock & roll roots. The California trio can claim heritage from two of the defining rock groups of the late '60s: Chynna is the daughter of Michelle and John Phillips of Mamas and Papas fame, and Carnie aad Wendy are the offspring of the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson. Although the girls name Fleetwood Mac and the Eagles as their major musical influences, their sun-drenched harmonies obviously owe much to the West Coast sound invented by their parents, leading many to greet their rise as the second coming of the California Dream.
At this stage, however, promoters are eager to put distance between the band and its roots. ''History doesn't sell records,'' insists Charles Koppelman, CEO of SBK, the trio's record company. In this video age, Wilson Phillips has another obvious commercial advantage — a glossy, screen-perfect look. With their album-cover smiles, stylish haircuts, and impossibly hip black stage wear, the trio is made for MTV. ''Two million people have told us they like them,'' Koppelman shrugs. ''Whatever it is, they've got it.''
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