Good Vibrations – Best of The Beach Boys is the fourth official compilation album by The Beach Boys

The Beach Boys

The Beach Boys are an American rock band, formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California. The group was initially composed of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Managed by the Wilsons' father Murry, The Beach Boys signed to Capitol Records in 1962...

, and the first by their Brother Records

Brother Records

Brother Records, Inc. is a record label and holding company formed in October 1966 that holds the intellectual property rights of the Beach Boys, including the "The Beach Boys" trademark....

 imprint. In June 1974, The Beach Boys' old label, Capitol Records

Capitol Records

Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...

 released a double-album compilation of the band's 1962-1965 hits called Endless Summer, to capitalize on their recent surge of success while the band toured incessantly. When the unofficial release turned out to be a surprise smash, a successor, Spirit of America, was rushed out in the spring of 1975 and was almost as successful. Deciding to issue an official compilation in the wake of their sudden commercial explosion at home, The Beach Boys opportunistically released Good Vibrations – Best of The Beach Boys to the public.

Having temporarily received the licensing rights to all their Capitol

Capitol Records

Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...

 albums from Pet Sounds

Pet Sounds

Pet Sounds is the eleventh studio album by the American rock band The Beach Boys, released May 16, 1966, on Capitol Records. It has since been recognized as one of the most influential records in the history of popular music and one of the best albums of the 1960s, including songs such as "Wouldn't...

onwards, the band was able to exclusively use post-1965 material, including their contemporary works, to create a more diverse collection.

Released in June 1975, Good Vibrations – Best of The Beach Boys did well, reaching #25 in the US, but the two Capitol

Capitol Records

Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...

 collections were more attractive to shoppers, and far outsold this collection.

Due to newer and more comprehensive compilations, Good Vibrations – Best of The Beach Boys has long since been deleted.

Side 1

1. "Sail On, Sailor
   Sail on, Sailor
   "Sail On, Sailor" was the final song recorded for the 1973 Beach Boys album Holland. The song was written by Brian Wilson, Ray Kennedy, Tandyn Almer, Jack Rieley, and Van Dyke Parks.-Background:...
   
   " (Brian Wilson
   Brian Wilson
   Brian Douglas Wilson is an American musician, best known as the leader and chief songwriter of the group The Beach Boys. Within the band, Wilson played bass and keyboards, also providing part-time lead vocals and, more often, backing vocals, harmonizing in falsetto with the group...
   
   /Tandyn Almer/Jack Rieley/Ray Kennedy/Van Dyke Parks
   Van Dyke Parks
   Van Dyke Parks is an American composer, arranger, producer, musician, singer, author and actor. Parks is perhaps best known for his contributions as a lyricist on the Beach Boys album Smile....
   
   ) – 3:18
2. "Sloop John B
   Sloop John B
   "Sloop John B" is the seventh track on The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds album and was also a single which was released in 1966 on Capitol Records. It was originally a traditional West Indies folk song, "The John B. Sails," taken from a collection by Carl Sandburg . Alan Lomax made a field recording of...
   
   " (Trad. Arr. Brian Wilson) – 2:56
3. "God Only Knows
   God Only Knows
   "God Only Knows" is a song by American rock band The Beach Boys. It is the eighth track on the group's 11th studio album, Pet Sounds , and one of their most widely recognized songs. "God Only Knows" was composed and produced by Brian Wilson with lyrics by Tony Asher and lead vocal by Carl...
   
   " (Brian Wilson/Tony Asher
   Tony Asher
   Tony Asher is an American lyricist who co-wrote much of The Beach Boys 1966 album Pet Sounds in conjunction with front man Brian Wilson, including such classic songs as "God Only Knows" and "Wouldn't It Be Nice"...
   
   ) – 2:50
4. "Darlin'" (Brian Wilson) – 2:12
5. "Add Some Music to Your Day
   Add Some Music to Your Day
   "Add Some Music to Your Day" is a song written by Brian Wilson, Joe Knott and Mike Love for the American rock band The Beach Boys. It was first released as a single in February 1970...
   
   " (Brian Wilson/Mike Love
   Mike Love
   Michael Edward "Mike" Love is an American singer/songwriter and musician with The Beach Boys. He was a founding member of the band along with his cousins Brian, Carl, and Dennis Wilson, and their friend Al Jardine, and continues to perform with the band to the present day...
   
   /Joe Knott) – 3:34
6. "Wouldn't It Be Nice
   Wouldn't It Be Nice
   "Wouldn't It Be Nice" is the opening track on the 1966 album Pet Sounds and one of the most widely recognized songs by the American rock band The Beach Boys...
   
   " (Brian Wilson/Tony Asher/Mike Love) – 2:22

Side 2

1. "Good Vibrations
   Good Vibrations
   "Good Vibrations" is a song by American rock band The Beach Boys. Composed and produced by Brian Wilson, the song's lyrics were written by Wilson and Mike Love....
   
   " (Brian Wilson/Mike Love) – 3:36
2. "Do It Again" (Brian Wilson/Mike Love) – 2:25
3. "Caroline, No
   Caroline, No
   "Caroline, No" is a song written by Brian Wilson and Tony Asher, recorded during the Pet Sounds sessions. It was released as a solo Brian Wilson single in March 1966 in advance of the album's release. The single was only a modest success, reaching number thirty-two in the US national chart and No....
   
   " (Brian Wilson/Tony Asher) – 2:18
4. "Friends" (Brian Wilson/Carl Wilson/Dennis Wilson/Al Jardine) – 2:30
5. "Surf's Up" (Brian Wilson/Van Dyke Parks) – 4:12
6. "Heroes and Villains
   Heroes and Villains
   "Heroes and Villains" is a song by the American rock band The Beach Boys, co-written by the group's leader Brian Wilson and lyricist Van Dyke Parks. Originally intended by Wilson to be the centerpiece of the ambitious but shelved album Smile, a re-recorded version of the song was released on Smiley...
   
   " (Brian Wilson/Van Dyke Parks) – 3:37

Good Vibrations – The Very Best of The Beach Boys (Brother/Reprise MS 2223) hit #25 in the US during a 23 week chart stay.

Sources

• "The Nearest Faraway Place: Brian Wilson, The Beach Boys and the Southern California Experience", Timothy White, c. 1994.
• "Top Pop Singles 1955–2001", Joel Whitburn, c. 2002.
• "Top Pop Albums 1955–2001", Joel Whitburn, c. 2002.