Surfer Girl (song)
Encyclopedia
"Surfer Girl" is the title of a song
written and sung by Brian Wilson
for The Beach Boys
. It was released as a single and it then appeared on the 1963 album of the same name, Surfer Girl
. The B-side of the single was "Little Deuce Coupe
". The single was the first Beach Boys record to have Brian Wilson officially credited as the producer.
Brian explained the genesis of the song: "Back in 1961, I'd never written a song in my life. I was nineteen years old. And I put myself to the test in my car one day. I was actually driving to a hot dog stand, and I actually created a melody in my head without being able to hear it on a piano. I sang it to myself; I didn't even sing it out loud in the car. When I got home that day, I finished the song, wrote the bridge, put the harmonies together and called it 'Surfer Girl'."
Brian Wilson
later stated that the song was inspired by the Dion and the Belmonts
version of "When You Wish Upon a Star," which has the same AABA form
. Wilson later covered that song on his album In the Key of Disney, which was released on October 25, 2011.
The instrumental track as well as the vocals for the officially released version were recorded at Western Recorders on June 12, 1963. The session was produced by Brian; the first song, along with "Little Deuce Coupe", to be credited as a Brian production. The musicians on the track are David Marks
and Carl Wilson
on guitar; Brian Wilson on bass guitar and Dennis Wilson on drums. The finished instrumental track can be heard on the 1968 release Stack-O-Tracks
. The song is sung by the group - Mike Love, Carl & Dennis Wilson - with a prominent vocal by Brian. Also recorded during that session was "Little Deuce Coupe".
In 1969 the World Pacific Studios sessions recording of the song was issued on Era Records as a single with another artist on the B-side, thus seeing the first official release of the early Surfer Girl recording. The single however failed to make any impact on the charts. Years later, in May 2003, the song was released on an EP under Capitol Records along with "Surfin' USA
", "Don't Worry Baby
" and "The Beach Boys Medley". However the record failed to chart.
In Australia the single peaked at number 8 on the charts in October 1963 and thus became the band's second top 10 hit in Australia.
The early World Pacific Studios recordings of the song were eventually released on CD in 1991 on the archival release Lost & Found (1961-62)
as well as subsequent re-issues of that album which featured alternate album titles. A binaural mix of the song was released on the 1998 compilation Endless Harmony Soundtrack
. This mix featured the instrumental recording on one channel and the vocal recording on the other channel.
which featured Alan Jardine on lead vocal and Billy Hinsche on the falsetto vocal. In 1980, a live rendition was recorded, though not released until 2002 on the Good Timin': Live at Knebworth England 1980
live album. Footage from the concert was also released on video and DVD format. Another live recording of the song from a concert in 1989 was released on the 2006 album Songs from Here & Back
. There is also a live rehearsal of the song on the Good Vibrations box set
.
The band performed a live version of the song at the NBC Television Studios in Burbank, California
which was filmed on March 14, 1964. Footage of the concert was later released on the DVD The Lost Concert. The band also performed the song on The T.A.M.I. Show
which was filmed at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium on October 28 and 29, 1964 and featured other top artists of the day such as Chuck Berry
, Marvin Gaye
, The Supremes
, James Brown
& The Famous Flames
and The Rolling Stones
. The concert was released as a film in 1964 featuring the Beach Boys performance. However, After the initial showing of the film Brian insisted that the band's performance be cut from the film. Because of a rights dispute the footage of the Beach Boys' performance does not appear in most versions of The T.A.M.I. Show. The footage was eventually released on the DVD Sights of Summer included with the special 2004 edition of Sounds of Summer: The Very Best of The Beach Boys
.
Brian Wilson released a live version of the song on his 2000 live album Live at the Roxy Theatre
. Al Jardine also released a live version of the song on his Live In Las Vegas solo album.
Paul Simon
sang a cover version of the song at An All-Star Tribute to Brian Wilson in 2001, which was later released on DVD.
OC Times
caused consternation at the 2007 International convention of the Barbershop Harmony Society by singing a barbershop
arrangement of this song.
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
written and sung by 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...
for 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...
. It was released as a single and it then appeared on the 1963 album of the same name, Surfer Girl
Surfer Girl
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...
. The B-side of the single was "Little Deuce Coupe
Little Deuce Coupe (song)
"Little Deuce Coupe" is a song written by Brian Wilson and Roger Christian. The song first appeared as the b-side to The Beach Boys' 1963 single "Surfer Girl"...
". The single was the first Beach Boys record to have Brian Wilson officially credited as the producer.
Composition
Written solely by Brian Wilson, the song is one of his very first compositions. Although the song is sometimes referred to as a tribute to his then girlfriend Judy Bowles, this is untrue as the song wasn't written with anyone particular in mind.Brian explained the genesis of the song: "Back in 1961, I'd never written a song in my life. I was nineteen years old. And I put myself to the test in my car one day. I was actually driving to a hot dog stand, and I actually created a melody in my head without being able to hear it on a piano. I sang it to myself; I didn't even sing it out loud in the car. When I got home that day, I finished the song, wrote the bridge, put the harmonies together and called it 'Surfer Girl'."
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...
later stated that the song was inspired by the Dion and the Belmonts
Dion and the Belmonts
Dion and the Belmonts was a leading American vocal group of the late 1950s. The group formed when Dion DiMucci, lead singer , joined The Belmonts - Carlo Mastrangelo, baritone , Freddie Milano, second tenor , and Angelo D'Aleo, first tenor , in late 1957.-History:After an unsuccessful first single,...
version of "When You Wish Upon a Star," which has the same AABA form
Thirty-two-bar form
The thirty-two-bar form, often called AABA from the musical form or order in which its melodies occur, is common in Tin Pan Alley songs and later popular music including rock, pop and jazz...
. Wilson later covered that song on his album In the Key of Disney, which was released on October 25, 2011.
Recording
The band first recorded the song at World Pacific Studios on February 8, 1962 which was one of the band's first ever recording sessions. However, the recordings from that session, engineered by Hite Morgan, would ultimately remain unreleased until later archival releases.The instrumental track as well as the vocals for the officially released version were recorded at Western Recorders on June 12, 1963. The session was produced by Brian; the first song, along with "Little Deuce Coupe", to be credited as a Brian production. The musicians on the track are 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...
and 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...
on guitar; Brian Wilson on bass guitar and Dennis Wilson on drums. The finished instrumental track can be heard on the 1968 release Stack-O-Tracks
Stack-O-Tracks
Stack-O-Tracks is an album release by The Beach Boys containing the backing tracks to fifteen of their songs spanning their career to that point. Considered little more than a penny pincher when it came out, Stack-O-Tracks turned out to be a very educational album for those who wanted to know what...
. The song is sung by the group - Mike Love, Carl & Dennis Wilson - with a prominent vocal by Brian. Also recorded during that session was "Little Deuce Coupe".
Single release
The "Surfer Girl" single backed with "Little Deuce Coupe" was released under Capitol Records in the United States on July 22, 1963. The single entered the Billboard chart on August 3 and it would then hit the Top 40 on August 17 at the number 28 position. After the single had been on the charts for six weeks it peaked at number 7 on September 14, 1963. It placed at number 5, for three weeks, in Cash Box and number 3 in the UPI weekly survey used by newspapers. Its regional performances belie even these higher national peaks, having risen to #1 in playlists in Los Angeles (four weeks), San Francisco (six weeks), Philadelphia, Boston and Dallas—all major markets where it was among the very biggest hits that year; and runner-up or top three in Washington DC, Toronto, Montreal, Sacramento, Minneapolis, Columbus, Pittsburgh. The single also peaked in the U.S. Billboard R & B chart at number 18 in September 1963. Internationally, it was number 1 on New Zealand's Teen Scene chart and number 8 in Australia (2UE).In 1969 the World Pacific Studios sessions recording of the song was issued on Era Records as a single with another artist on the B-side, thus seeing the first official release of the early Surfer Girl recording. The single however failed to make any impact on the charts. Years later, in May 2003, the song was released on an EP under Capitol Records along with "Surfin' USA
Surfin' USA (song)
"Surfin' USA" is a song with lyrics written by Brian Wilson for The Beach Boys, set to the melody from Chuck Berry's "Sweet Little Sixteen". Berry received co-writing credit for composing the song after litigating. "Surfin' USA" was recorded by The Beach Boys and released as a single on March 4,...
", "Don't Worry Baby
Don't Worry Baby
"Don’t Worry Baby" is a song written by Brian Wilson and Roger Christian, produced by Wilson and first recorded by the Beach Boys. The band's version, a tender ballad with falsetto lead vocal by Brian, was first released on their 1964 album Shut Down Volume 2. It was also released as the B-side of...
" and "The Beach Boys Medley". However the record failed to chart.
In Australia the single peaked at number 8 on the charts in October 1963 and thus became the band's second top 10 hit in Australia.
Album and alternate releases
The song was first released on an album in 1963 on the band's Surfer Girl album.The early World Pacific Studios recordings of the song were eventually released on CD in 1991 on the archival release Lost & Found (1961-62)
Lost & Found (1961-62)
Lost & Found is a Beach Boys compilation album which was released in 1991 under DCC Compact Classics record company. The album contains some of the early recordings the band did before they were signed to their first major record label, Capitol Records.-Track listing:#"Luau" – 1:46#"Surfin'"...
as well as subsequent re-issues of that album which featured alternate album titles. A binaural mix of the song was released on the 1998 compilation Endless Harmony Soundtrack
Endless Harmony Soundtrack
Endless Harmony Soundtrack is an anthology album of previously unheard material by The Beach Boys, originally released by Capitol Records in August 1998. Named for Bruce Johnston's song on the 1980 album Keepin' the Summer Alive, it was designed as a tie-in with the band's biographical documentary...
. This mix featured the instrumental recording on one channel and the vocal recording on the other channel.
Live versions
The first live version of the song to be released was on the band's 1973 live album The Beach Boys in ConcertThe Beach Boys in Concert
The Beach Boys in Concert is the second live album officially released in the U.S. by The Beach Boys, nine years after Beach Boys Concert . Released in late 1973, the set proved to be a healthy seller in the U...
which featured Alan Jardine on lead vocal and Billy Hinsche on the falsetto vocal. In 1980, a live rendition was recorded, though not released until 2002 on the Good Timin': Live at Knebworth England 1980
Good Timin': Live at Knebworth England 1980
Good Timin': Live at Knebworth England 1980 is a CD release of a concert performance by The Beach Boys at the aforementioned venue in June 1980...
live album. Footage from the concert was also released on video and DVD format. Another live recording of the song from a concert in 1989 was released on the 2006 album Songs from Here & Back
Songs from Here & Back
Songs from Here & Back is a 2006 live album by The Beach Boys released through Hallmark Gold Crown Stores and only available for two months...
. There is also a live rehearsal of the song on the Good Vibrations box set
Good Vibrations: Thirty Years of The Beach Boys
Good Vibrations: Thirty Years of The Beach Boys is a 1993 boxed set released by Capitol Records which collects tracks spanning The Beach Boys' entire career to that point on four CDs. A fifth disc contains mostly studio session tracks, complete vocal and instrumental tracks, and rare live...
.
The band performed a live version of the song at the NBC Television Studios in Burbank, California
Burbank, California
Burbank is a city in Los Angeles County in Southern California, United States, north of downtown Los Angeles. The estimated population in 2010 was 103,340....
which was filmed on March 14, 1964. Footage of the concert was later released on the DVD The Lost Concert. The band also performed the song on The T.A.M.I. Show
The T.A.M.I. Show
T.A.M.I. Show is a 1964 concert film, released by American International Pictures. It includes performances by numerous popular rock and roll and R&B musicians from the United States and England...
which was filmed at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium on October 28 and 29, 1964 and featured other top artists of the day such as Chuck Berry
Chuck Berry
Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" , "Roll Over Beethoven" , "Rock and Roll Music" and "Johnny B...
, Marvin Gaye
Marvin Gaye
Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. , better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and musician with a three-octave vocal range....
, The Supremes
The Supremes
The Supremes, an American female singing group, were the premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s.Originally founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, The Supremes' repertoire included doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway show tunes, psychedelic soul, and disco...
, James Brown
James Brown
James Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr...
& The Famous Flames
The Famous Flames
The Famous Flames was an R&B vocal group founded by Bobby Byrd that recorded and performed with James Brown during the early years of his career...
and The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
. The concert was released as a film in 1964 featuring the Beach Boys performance. However, After the initial showing of the film Brian insisted that the band's performance be cut from the film. Because of a rights dispute the footage of the Beach Boys' performance does not appear in most versions of The T.A.M.I. Show. The footage was eventually released on the DVD Sights of Summer included with the special 2004 edition of Sounds of Summer: The Very Best of The Beach Boys
Sounds of Summer: The Very Best of The Beach Boys
Sounds of Summer: The Very Best of The Beach Boys is a 2003 compilation of music by The Beach Boys released through Capitol Records. This collection is the most expansive compilation ever issued of their music, with 30 tracks clocking in at over 76 minutes and grabbing nearly every US Top 40 hit of...
.
Brian Wilson released a live version of the song on his 2000 live album Live at the Roxy Theatre
Live at the Roxy Theatre
Live at the Roxy Theatre is a live album released by Brian Wilson in 2000. After a successful period of touring following the release of Imagination, Wilson decided to record his first ever live solo album...
. Al Jardine also released a live version of the song on his Live In Las Vegas solo album.
Cover versions
- The SentinalsThe Sentinals (band)The Sentinals were a surf rock band from San Luis Obispo, California . The band is notable for a Latino influence in some works, such as "Latin'ia" . Notable band members included drummer John Barbata and Lee Michaels on keyboards....
on their 1964 album Surfer Girl - Hollyridge Strings covered the song instrumentally on their 1966 album The Beach Boys Song Book, Volume 2
- The Fantastic BaggysThe Fantastic BaggysThe Fantastic Baggys were an American surf and hot rod group, created by P.F. Sloan and Steve Barri. The studio group released several successful singles under the leadership of Sloan and Barri, most well-known for the more popular duo Jan & Dean...
on their 1966 album Ride The Wild Surf - Little Joe Shaver & Devil Dog on their 1976 album Sing the Hits of the Beach Boys
- Papa Doo Run RunPapa Doo Run RunPapa Doo Run Run is a band from Cupertino, California, United States, that specializes in covers of songs from the heyday of surf music in the 1960s.-History:...
on their 1985 album California Project - PhrancPhrancPhranc is an American singer-songwriter whose career has spanned several decades.-Biography:She began her performing career in the late 1970s and early 1980s punk scene in Los Angeles...
on her 1991 album Positively Phranc - Cathedral City Project in 1994
- Pere UbuPere UbuPere Ubu is an experimental rock music group from Cleveland, Ohio.Père Ubu may also refer to:* Ubu, the enigmatic central figure of a series of French plays by Alfred Jarry, including Ubu Roi, and subsequent plays Ubu Cocu and Ubu Enchaîné...
on the 1995 album Ray Gun SuitcaseRay Gun SuitcaseRay Gun Suitcase is Pere Ubu's tenth studio album, which finds them returning both to indie labels, and, after a string of slickly produced, pop-oriented albums, the darker, more complex sonic landscape associated with their earlier work.-Director's Cut:... - Don GrusinDon GrusinDon Grusin , is an American songwriter, producer and keyboardist. He holds a Masters Degree in Economics from the University of Colorado and for a period of his life taught at the National Autonomous University of Mexico as well as at Foothill College, California before deciding to enter the music...
on the 1997 tribute album Wouldn't It Be Nice: A Jazz Portrait Of Brian Wilson - Philip AabergPhilip AabergPhilip Aaberg is an American pianist, keyboardist, and composer. He gained international recognition through a series of successful piano recordings released on Windham Hill Records. Although classically trained, Aaberg incorporates classical, jazz, bluegrass, rock, and new music elements into his...
& Scott MathewsScott Mathews.Scott Mathews is a multi-platinum selling music producer, composer, multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, and entrepreneur.-Early Days:...
on the 1997 various artists compilation Summer Solstice: A Windham Hill Collection - Fred Simon on his 1998 album Fred Simon's Interpretation of The Beach Boys
- John B. & The Surfin´ Safaris on their 2002 album A Tribute to the Beach Boys
- Scott CainScott CainScott Cain is the winner of the third Australian Popstars competition in 2002.In his earlier years he was a member of a band named Funkapation, who released the album Peanut Butter Brick in 2000. In the same year Funkapation competed in the Hastings Valley Battle of the Bands earning Scott the...
on his 2004 album Roller Coaster - RockapellaRockapellaRockapella is an American a cappella musical group formed in 1986 in New York City. Their name is derived from the words "rock" and "a cappella". They sing original vocal music and a cappella covers of pop and rock songs; over time, their sound has evolved from high-energy pop and world music...
on their 1996 album "Lucky Seven"
Paul Simon
Paul Simon
Paul Frederic Simon is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.Simon is best known for his success, beginning in 1965, as part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel, with musical partner Art Garfunkel. Simon wrote most of the pair's songs, including three that reached number one on the US singles...
sang a cover version of the song at An All-Star Tribute to Brian Wilson in 2001, which was later released on DVD.
OC Times
OC Times
OC Times is a barbershop quartet affiliated with the Barbershop Harmony Society; they received second place silver medals at the International Barbershop Quartet Contest at Denver's Pepsi Center on July 7, 2007, and won the International Quartet Championship on July 5, 2008 in Nashville, Tennessee...
caused consternation at the 2007 International convention of the Barbershop Harmony Society by singing a barbershop
arrangement of this song.
Charts
| Chart (1963) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart | 8 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 7 |
| U.S. Billboard R&B Best Sellers | 18 |