Surfer Girl
Encyclopedia
Surfer Girl is the third studio album by The Beach Boys
and their second longplayer in 1963. This was the first album by The Beach Boys for which Brian Wilson
was given full production credit, a position Wilson would maintain until the end of the The Smile Sessions in 1967. Surfer Girl is also the title of an unrelated 1973 compilation album released by US budget label Pickwick Records
, repackaging early 1960s Beach Boys tracks.
Surfer Girl hit #7 in the US during a chart stay of 56 weeks. In the UK, the album was re-released in spring 1967 and reached #13. Surfer Girl (Capitol (S) T 1981) is now paired on CD with Shut Down Volume 2
, with bonus tracks from that period, including a German language
version of "In my Room". The albums are paired out of sequence to avoid the duplication of "Little Deuce Coupe", "Our Car Club", "Shut Down" and "409" that appear on Little Deuce Coupe
.
, Gary Usher
and Roger Christian's help, some of his most cherished songs. The title track, a #7 US hit, was the first song Brian had ever composed, at the age of 19, using "When You Wish Upon A Star" as a guide while writing it. As a ballad, it was a risky move for a single, but its obvious quality overcame any potential commercial risks. Its flip-side, "Little Deuce Coupe", proved to be The Beach Boys' most successful B-side, reaching US #15 and becoming a hot rod staple. It also continued the band's current trend of putting a surf-related song on the A-side of singles, and car songs on the B-side. "Catch a Wave" featured Mike Love's sister, Maureen, on harp, while "The Surfer Moon" was the first Beach Boys song to have a string arrangement
. "In My Room" was perhaps Brian Wilson's first personal song, a reflection on having a place to go to feel a sense of security and safety from the stress of one's life. Despite some slight material ("South Bay Surfer", "Boogie Woodie"), it was clear that Surfer Girl was a giant step forward for The Beach Boys - and the first of many.
"South Bay Surfer" is co-credited to Al Jardine
, who had recently rejoined The Beach Boys in the summer of 1963.
The recording date of July 16th assigned the titles not previously released as a single is not so much questionable as almost certainly impossible. There is documentary proof (a tape box label) that "Surfers Rule", "South Bay Surfer" and "Boogie Woodie" were indeed recorded on that date at Western, and it's noticeable that whilst Mike Love's lead vocals for "Hawaii" and "Catch A Wave" are hampered by a heavy cold, his other leads on the album are fine. Further, Alan Jardine is known to have played or sung on four tracks - bass on "Boogie Woodie", "Surfer's Rule" & "Catch A Wave" and vocals on "In My Room" - but not the others, while Hal Blaine contributed to "Our Car Club" (originally recorded for The Honeys as "Rabbit's Foot" and "Hawaii". Thus there must have been at least four sessions for the album tracks, but as the AFM documentation is missing, confirmation is lacking
Coming after their breakthrough Surfin' USA
album, Surfer Girl hit #7 in the US (where it went gold) and, later in 1967, #13 in the UK.
The music title of the album, Surfer Girl, was featured in Charlie's Angels Full Throttle's soundtrack.
, David Marks
, Carl Wilson
, Mike Love
and Brian Wilson
holding a surfboard from the same 1962 photo shoot that produced the cover of their album debut Surfin' Safari
. The picture was taken by Capitol
photographer Kenneth Veeder at Paradise Cove, north of Malibu.
others
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 their second longplayer in 1963. This was the first album by The Beach Boys for which 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...
was given full production credit, a position Wilson would maintain until the end of the The Smile Sessions in 1967. Surfer Girl is also the title of an unrelated 1973 compilation album released by US budget label Pickwick Records
Pickwick Records
Pickwick Records was an American record label and distributor known for its budget album releases of sound-alike recordings, bargain bin reissues and repackagings under the brands Design, Bravo , Hurrah, Grand Prix, and children's records on the Cricket and Happy Time labels.The label is also...
, repackaging early 1960s Beach Boys tracks.
Surfer Girl hit #7 in the US during a chart stay of 56 weeks. In the UK, the album was re-released in spring 1967 and reached #13. Surfer Girl (Capitol (S) T 1981) is now paired on CD with Shut Down Volume 2
Shut Down Volume 2
Shut Down Volume 2 is the fifth studio album by The Beach Boys, and the first of four they would release in 1964. The album's "Volume 2" refers to it being a follow-up to the 1963 hot rod compilation Shut Down, released by the band's label, Capitol Records, which included "409" and "Shut Down" but...
, with bonus tracks from that period, including a German language
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
version of "In my Room". The albums are paired out of sequence to avoid the duplication of "Little Deuce Coupe", "Our Car Club", "Shut Down" and "409" that appear on Little Deuce Coupe
Little Deuce Coupe
Little Deuce Coupe is The Beach Boys' fourth album, and third overall LP release in 1963. Almost unintentionally, the album was rush-recorded and compiled when leader Brian Wilson sought to protect his band from exploitation from Capitol Records....
.
Album details
Brian Wilson himself turns in, along with, variously, Mike LoveMike 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...
, Gary Usher
Gary Usher
Gary Usher was an American surf rock musician, songwriter, and record producer.-Biography:Usher's early life was spent in Grafton, Massachusetts. He attended Norcross Grammar School with his sister, Sandra, who was in the same class and was likely his twin. Gary was kiddingly called "Chicken Feed"...
and Roger Christian's help, some of his most cherished songs. The title track, a #7 US hit, was the first song Brian had ever composed, at the age of 19, using "When You Wish Upon A Star" as a guide while writing it. As a ballad, it was a risky move for a single, but its obvious quality overcame any potential commercial risks. Its flip-side, "Little Deuce Coupe", proved to be The Beach Boys' most successful B-side, reaching US #15 and becoming a hot rod staple. It also continued the band's current trend of putting a surf-related song on the A-side of singles, and car songs on the B-side. "Catch a Wave" featured Mike Love's sister, Maureen, on harp, while "The Surfer Moon" was the first Beach Boys song to have a string arrangement
String section
The string section is the largest body of the standard orchestra and consists of bowed string instruments of the violin family.It normally comprises five sections: the first violins, the second violins, the violas, the cellos, and the double basses...
. "In My Room" was perhaps Brian Wilson's first personal song, a reflection on having a place to go to feel a sense of security and safety from the stress of one's life. Despite some slight material ("South Bay Surfer", "Boogie Woodie"), it was clear that Surfer Girl was a giant step forward for The Beach Boys - and the first of many.
"South Bay Surfer" is co-credited to Al Jardine
Al Jardine
Alan Charles "Al" Jardine is a founding member of top-selling American music group The Beach Boys, a guitarist and occasional lead vocalist. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.-Early life:...
, who had recently rejoined The Beach Boys in the summer of 1963.
The recording date of July 16th assigned the titles not previously released as a single is not so much questionable as almost certainly impossible. There is documentary proof (a tape box label) that "Surfers Rule", "South Bay Surfer" and "Boogie Woodie" were indeed recorded on that date at Western, and it's noticeable that whilst Mike Love's lead vocals for "Hawaii" and "Catch A Wave" are hampered by a heavy cold, his other leads on the album are fine. Further, Alan Jardine is known to have played or sung on four tracks - bass on "Boogie Woodie", "Surfer's Rule" & "Catch A Wave" and vocals on "In My Room" - but not the others, while Hal Blaine contributed to "Our Car Club" (originally recorded for The Honeys as "Rabbit's Foot" and "Hawaii". Thus there must have been at least four sessions for the album tracks, but as the AFM documentation is missing, confirmation is lacking
Coming after their breakthrough Surfin' USA
Surfin' USA
-Singles:* "Surfin' USA" b/w "Shut Down" , 4 March 1963, US #3; #34 UK-Personnel:*Brian Wilson - Vocals, bass, keyboards*Mike Love - Vocals, saxophone*Dennis Wilson - Vocals, drums...
album, Surfer Girl hit #7 in the US (where it went gold) and, later in 1967, #13 in the UK.
The music title of the album, Surfer Girl, was featured in Charlie's Angels Full Throttle's soundtrack.
Front cover artwork
The front cover of Surfer Girl features (from left to right), Dennis WilsonDennis Wilson
Dennis Carl Wilson was an American rock and roll musician best known as a founding member and the drummer of The Beach Boys. He was a member of the group from its formation until his death in 1983...
, David Marks
David Marks (musician)
David Marks is an American songwriter and musician. He is best known as being a member of The Beach Boys from February 1962 to October 1963. Marks was part of the Beach Boys line-up, at age 13, when they signed with Capitol Records on July 16, 1962...
, Carl Wilson
Carl Wilson
Carl Dean Wilson was an American rock and roll singer and guitarist, best known as a founding member, lead guitarist and sometime lead vocalist of The Beach Boys...
, 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...
and 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...
holding a surfboard from the same 1962 photo shoot that produced the cover of their album debut Surfin' Safari
Surfin' Safari
-Musicians:*Alan Jardine - vocals, acoustic bass *Mike Love - vocals*David Marks - rhythm guitar, vocals *Brian Wilson - bass guitar, piano, vocals*Carl Wilson - lead guitar, vocals*Dennis Wilson - drums, vocals...
. The picture was taken by 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...
photographer Kenneth Veeder at Paradise Cove, north of Malibu.
Track listing
Singles
- "Surfer Girl" b/w "Little Deuce Coupe" (Capitol 5009), 22 July 1963 US #7 ("Little Deuce Coupe" US #15).
- "In My Room" featured as the B-side of "Be True to Your School" US #23
Musicians
The Beach Boys- Al Jardine - bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
(on "Boogie Woodie", "Surfer's Rule", "Catch A Wave" and "In My Room") - Mike Love - vocals
- David Marks - rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
, vocals - Brian Wilson - pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, organOrgan (music)The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
, bass guitar, vocals - Carl Wilson - lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
, vocals - Dennis Wilson - drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, vocals (on "Surfer's Rule")
others
- Hal BlaineHal BlaineHal Blaine is an American drummer and session musician. He is most known for his work with the Wrecking Crew in California. Blaine played on numerous hits by popular groups, including Elvis Presley, John Denver, the Ronettes, Simon & Garfunkel, the Carpenters, the Beach Boys, Nancy Sinatra, and...
- drums, percussion - Steve DouglasSteve DouglasSteve Douglas may refer to:*Steve Douglas , American saxophonist, flautist and clarinetist*Steve Douglas , late-night radio personality from Denver, Colorado...
- saxes - Maureen Love - harp