Surfin' USA (song)
Encyclopedia
"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, 1963. It also appeared on the 1963 album of the same name
. It debuted on network television via The Steve Allen Show broadcast two days before release with the band lip-synching it. It peaked at #2 in the chart of the Music Vendor trade paper (within a year renamed Record World), #3 in Billboard and Cash Box. The B-side of the single is "Shut Down". The song features Mike Love
on lead vocals.
It was revived in 1977 by teen idol
Leif Garrett
for a top 20 hit in the USA, and featured in the hit 1985 Michael J. Fox
comedy Teen Wolf
.
Brian Wilson claims the song was merely influenced by Berry, as well as Chubby Checker
and Jimmy Bowles, the little brother of Wilson's girlfriend Judy. Bowles came up with the list of surf spots which were included in the song.
In the song the following surfing spots are mentioned, mostly in California, with two in Hawaii and one in Australia:
". That single also hit the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at 36.
In the United Kingdom, the single was released in June 1963. The third single by the band to be issued in the UK, it became the first single to chart. It would go on to peak at 34 (28 in the New Musical Express).
In Australia, the single was released in 1963 and peaked at 9, becoming the band's first single to chart in Australia. The single was re-released in Australia in 1974 and again charted, peaking at 66. In Canada and Sweden, the single was released in 1963 and peaked on the charts at 6 in both countries. In July 1963, in the national charts used by Billboard, it peaked at #9 in Hong Kong, #8 in Austria the following month; in August 1964 at #9 for two weeks in Japan.
'." and that there are "plenty of musicologists who'd argue otherwise." Murry Wilson turned the copyright over to Berry without ever informing Brian. Brian Wilson didn't realize for more than twenty-five years that Murry also "gave away [Brian's] royalties for writing the lyrics".
Despite tensions with Berry over the controversy at the time, Carl Wilson said the Beach Boys "ran into Chuck Berry in Copenhagen and he told us he loves 'Surfin' USA'."
In May, 2003 Capitol again issued the song on an EP along with "Surfer Girl", "Don't Worry, Baby", and "The Beach Boys Medley". However, the record failed to make an impact on the charts.
A demo version of the song featuring only Brian Wilson singing and playing piano was released on the 1993 box set, Good Vibrations: Thirty Years of The Beach Boys
. A different demo version, in which Wilson is joined by drums was released on the 2001 archival release Hawthorne, CA. Both demos feature similar minor lyrical differences from the final recording. Both demos are played in the key of E major, in contrast to the final recording which was pitched in E.
The instrumental track of the final recording was also released on the Hawthorne, CA album. This version of the cut does not 'fade out', but continues on well past the original ending of the song until it ends abruptly.
album. A concert from Anaheim Stadium on July 3, 1976 which featured the song was filmed and produced by Lorne Michaels for a Beach Boys television special which first aired in the United States in August, 1976. The TV special was later released on video and DVD as Good Vibrations Tour. 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. A live version was also released on the band's 1993 box set Good Vibrations: Thirty Years of The Beach Boys.
The band also 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 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
.
Also, Alan Jardine included the song on his Live In Las Vegas album.
covered the song on their 1985 album California Project. The Jesus and Mary Chain
covered the song, which appears on their 1988 album Barbed Wire Kisses
, a compilation of B-sides and rare tracks. Typical for early style of The Jesus and Mary Chain the song features large amounts of feedback. The power metal band Blind Guardian
covered the song on their 1996 album The Forgotten Tales
. Noise punk band Melt Banana covered the song on their album 13,000 Miles At Light Velocity
. Pre-teen pop singer Aaron Carter
performed a cover of the song. It was released as a single in 1998, and also appeared on the 1998 re-release of his self titled debut album
. John B. & The Surfin´ Safaris covered the song on their 2002 album A Tribute to the Beach Boys. In an episode of The Muppet Show
, the song was performed by Kermit the Frog
(as Sinbad the Sailor
), Sweetums
, and a group of frog sailors.
Frank Sidebottom
recorded a version as Surfin Timperley
(Timperley being nowhere near the sea, and therefore not a place where surfing is possible). Redgum
parodied this track as "Servin' USA". Alvin and the Chipmunks
also released a cover version of the song. Pennywise
have also covered the song at various live performances.
Serbian rock
band Eva Braun
covered the song with lyrics in Serbian language
entitled "Zviždi Srbija" in 1997, but the song had not been officially released until 2008 on the compilation album Off the Record.
Japanese Rock band FLOW
covered the song in full English, for their American tour.
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...
with lyrics written 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...
, set to the melody from 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...
's "Sweet Little Sixteen
Sweet Little Sixteen
"Sweet Little Sixteen" is a rock and roll song written and originally performed by Chuck Berry, who released it as a single in January 1958. It reached number two on the American charts, Berry's highest position ever on the charts, with the exception of the suggestive number one hit "My...
". Berry received co-writing credit for composing the song after litigating. "Surfin' USA" was recorded by The Beach Boys and released as a single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
on March 4, 1963. It also appeared on the 1963 album of the same name
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...
. It debuted on network television via The Steve Allen Show broadcast two days before release with the band lip-synching it. It peaked at #2 in the chart of the Music Vendor trade paper (within a year renamed Record World), #3 in Billboard and Cash Box. The B-side of the single is "Shut Down". The song features 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...
on lead vocals.
It was revived in 1977 by teen idol
Teen idol
A teen idol is a celebrity who is widely idolized by teenagers; he or she is often young but not necessarily teenaged. Often teen idols are actors or pop singers, but some sports figures have an appeal to teenagers. Some teen idols began their careers as child actors...
Leif Garrett
Leif Garrett
Leif Garrett is an American singer and actor. He became famous in the late 1970s as a teen idol, but received much publicity in later life for his drug abuse and legal troubles.-Early life:...
for a top 20 hit in the USA, and featured in the hit 1985 Michael J. Fox
Michael J. Fox
Michael J. Fox, OC is a Canadian American actor, author, producer, activist and voice-over artist. With a film and television career spanning from the late 1970s, Fox's roles have included Marty McFly from the Back to the Future trilogy ; Alex P...
comedy Teen Wolf
Teen Wolf
Teen Wolf is a 1985 American fantasy comedy film released by Atlantic Releasing Corporation starring Michael J. Fox as Scott Howard, a high school student who discovers that his family has an unusual pedigree when he finds himself transforming into a werewolf...
.
Composition
Originally credited solely to Brian Wilson, the songwriting credit for the song was eventually shared with Chuck Berry, as "Surfin' USA" is very similar to Berry's song "Sweet Little Sixteen" in melody and rhythm.Brian Wilson claims the song was merely influenced by Berry, as well as Chubby Checker
Chubby Checker
Chubby Checker is an American singer-songwriter. He is widely known for popularizing the twist dance style, with his 1960 hit cover of Hank Ballard's R&B hit "The Twist"...
and Jimmy Bowles, the little brother of Wilson's girlfriend Judy. Bowles came up with the list of surf spots which were included in the song.
Surfing spots
When the song was written, Brian Wilson was dating Judy Bowles. Her brother, Jimmy Bowles, was an avid surfer. Brian thought "what about doing surf lyrics and mentioning every surf spot in the state? They're doing it here, there, in this city and that, like Chubby Checker's 'Twistin' U.S.A.'." According to Brian, "I asked [Jimmy] to make a list of every surf spot he knew, and by God he didn't leave one out."In the song the following surfing spots are mentioned, mostly in California, with two in Hawaii and one in Australia:
- "Del Mar" - Del MarDel Mar, CaliforniaDel Mar is an upscale beach town in San Diego County, California. The population was 4,161 at the 2010 census, down from 4,389 at the 2000 census. The San Diego County Fair is hosted on the Del Mar Fairgrounds every summer. Del Mar is Spanish for "of the sea" or "by the sea", because it is located...
, San Diego County, CaliforniaSan Diego County, CaliforniaSan Diego County is a large county located in the southwestern corner of the US state of California. Hence, San Diego County is also located in the southwestern corner of the 48 contiguous United States. Its county seat and largest city is San Diego. Its population was about 2,813,835 in the 2000... - "Ventura County Line" - Ventura County, CaliforniaVentura County, CaliforniaVentura County is a county in the southern part of the U.S. state of California. It is located on California's Pacific coast. It is often referred to as the Gold Coast, and has a reputation of being one of the safest populated places and one of the most affluent places in the country...
- "Santa Cruz" - Santa CruzSanta Cruz, CaliforniaSanta Cruz is the county seat and largest city of Santa Cruz County, California in the US. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, Santa Cruz had a total population of 59,946...
, Santa Cruz County, CaliforniaSanta Cruz County, CaliforniaSanta Cruz County is a county located on the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California, on the California Central Coast. The county forms the northern coast of the Monterey Bay. . As of the 2010 U.S. Census, its population was 262,382. The county seat is Santa Cruz... - "TrestlesTrestlesTrestles is a collection of surfing spots at San Onofre State Beach in San Diego County, California. Trestles consists of, from north to south, Upper Trestles , Lower Trestles , and Middle Trestles . North of Upper Trestles is the surf spot called Cottons...
" - San Onofre State ParkSan Onofre State ParkSan Onofre State Beach is a state park located in San Diego County, California, USA. The beach is south of the city of San Clemente on Interstate 5 at Basilone Road. Governor Ronald Reagan established San Onofre State Beach in 1971...
, San Diego County, CaliforniaSan Diego County, CaliforniaSan Diego County is a large county located in the southwestern corner of the US state of California. Hence, San Diego County is also located in the southwestern corner of the 48 contiguous United States. Its county seat and largest city is San Diego. Its population was about 2,813,835 in the 2000... - "Australia's Narrabeen" - Narrabeen, New South WalesNarrabeen, New South WalesNarrabeen is a beachside suburb in northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Narrabeen is located 23 kilometres north-east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Warringah Council and is part of the Northern Beaches region.-History:There are a...
- "Manhattan" - Manhattan BeachManhattan Beach, CaliforniaManhattan Beach is the wealthiest beachfront city located in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, USA. The city is on the Pacific coast, south of El Segundo, and north of Hermosa Beach. Manhattan Beach is the home of both beach and indoor volleyball, and surfing. During the winter, the...
, Los Angeles County, CaliforniaLos Angeles County, CaliforniaLos Angeles County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 9,818,605, making it the most populous county in the United States. Los Angeles County alone is more populous than 42 individual U.S. states... - "Doheny" - Doheny BeachDoheny State BeachDoheny State Beach, protected as part of the California Department of Parks and Recreation, is a beach on the Pacific coast of Orange County, in Dana Point, Southern California....
, Dana Point, Orange County, CaliforniaOrange County, CaliforniaOrange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County... - "Haggerty's" - Palos Verdes Estates, Los Angeles County, CaliforniaLos Angeles County, CaliforniaLos Angeles County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 9,818,605, making it the most populous county in the United States. Los Angeles County alone is more populous than 42 individual U.S. states...
- "Swami's" - Swami's Beach, Encinitas, San Diego County, CaliforniaSan Diego County, CaliforniaSan Diego County is a large county located in the southwestern corner of the US state of California. Hence, San Diego County is also located in the southwestern corner of the 48 contiguous United States. Its county seat and largest city is San Diego. Its population was about 2,813,835 in the 2000...
- "Pacific Palisades" - Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles County, CaliforniaLos Angeles County, CaliforniaLos Angeles County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 9,818,605, making it the most populous county in the United States. Los Angeles County alone is more populous than 42 individual U.S. states...
- "San Onofre" - San Onofre State ParkSan Onofre State ParkSan Onofre State Beach is a state park located in San Diego County, California, USA. The beach is south of the city of San Clemente on Interstate 5 at Basilone Road. Governor Ronald Reagan established San Onofre State Beach in 1971...
, San Diego County, CaliforniaSan Diego County, CaliforniaSan Diego County is a large county located in the southwestern corner of the US state of California. Hence, San Diego County is also located in the southwestern corner of the 48 contiguous United States. Its county seat and largest city is San Diego. Its population was about 2,813,835 in the 2000... - "Sunset" - Sunset BeachSunset Beach (Oahu)thumb|right|Sunset Beach on Oahu's North ShoreSunset Beach is on the North Shore of Oahu in Hawai'i and known for big wave surfing during the winter season. The original Hawaiian name for this place is Paumalū...
, Oahu, HawaiiOahuOahu or Oahu , known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast...
- or - Sunset BeachSunset Beach, CaliforniaSunset Beach is a beachfront community in Huntington Beach in Orange County, California. In 2011, it was annexed by Huntington Beach and is now part of that city. Prior to, it was a census-designated place, with a population of 971 at the 2010 census....
, Orange County, CaliforniaOrange County, CaliforniaOrange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County... - "Redondo Beach" - Redondo BeachRedondo Beach, CaliforniaRedondo Beach is one of the three Beach Cities located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 66,748 at the 2010 census, up from 63,261 at the 2000 census. The city is located in the South Bay region of the greater Los Angeles area.Redondo Beach was originally part of...
, Los Angeles County, CaliforniaLos Angeles County, CaliforniaLos Angeles County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 9,818,605, making it the most populous county in the United States. Los Angeles County alone is more populous than 42 individual U.S. states... - "L.A." - Los AngelesLos ÁngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, Los Angeles County, CaliforniaLos Angeles County, CaliforniaLos Angeles County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 9,818,605, making it the most populous county in the United States. Los Angeles County alone is more populous than 42 individual U.S. states... - "La Jolla" - La Jolla, San Diego County, CaliforniaSan Diego County, CaliforniaSan Diego County is a large county located in the southwestern corner of the US state of California. Hence, San Diego County is also located in the southwestern corner of the 48 contiguous United States. Its county seat and largest city is San Diego. Its population was about 2,813,835 in the 2000...
- "Waimea Bay" - Waimea Bay, HawaiiWaimea Bay, HawaiiWaimea Bay is located in Haleiwa on the North Shore of O‘ahu in the Hawaiian Islands at the mouth of the Waimea River. Waimea Valley extends behind Waimea Bay. Waimea means "Red Water" in Hawaiian.-History:...
Single release
The "Surfin' USA" single, backed with "Shut Down," was released under Capitol Records in the United States in March 1963. The song peaked on the Billboard pop chart at number three, the band's first top ten hit therein (see also Surfin' Safari). The B-side charted at number 23. The song was re-issued in the U.S. as a single in July 1974 backed with "The Warmth of the SunThe Warmth of the Sun
"The Warmth of the Sun" is a song written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love for the American rock band The Beach Boys. It was released on their 1964 album Shut Down Volume 2 and as the B-side of the "Dance, Dance, Dance" single, which charted at number eight in the United States and number twenty-four...
". That single also hit the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at 36.
In the United Kingdom, the single was released in June 1963. The third single by the band to be issued in the UK, it became the first single to chart. It would go on to peak at 34 (28 in the New Musical Express).
In Australia, the single was released in 1963 and peaked at 9, becoming the band's first single to chart in Australia. The single was re-released in Australia in 1974 and again charted, peaking at 66. In Canada and Sweden, the single was released in 1963 and peaked on the charts at 6 in both countries. In July 1963, in the national charts used by Billboard, it peaked at #9 in Hong Kong, #8 in Austria the following month; in August 1964 at #9 for two weeks in Japan.
Chart performance summary
| Chart (1963) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 3 |
| Australian Singles Chart | 9 |
| Canadian Singles Chart | 1 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 6 |
| UK Singles Chart | 34 |
| Chart (1974) | Peak position |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 36 |
| Australian Singles Chart | 66 |
Songwriting credit disputes
When the song was released in 1963, the original pressing listed Brian Wilson as the sole composer of the song. Wilson has written that, after the song became a hit, "Chuck Berry claimed the melody was his, an inadvertent copy of 'Sweet Little SixteenSweet Little Sixteen
"Sweet Little Sixteen" is a rock and roll song written and originally performed by Chuck Berry, who released it as a single in January 1958. It reached number two on the American charts, Berry's highest position ever on the charts, with the exception of the suggestive number one hit "My...
'." and that there are "plenty of musicologists who'd argue otherwise." Murry Wilson turned the copyright over to Berry without ever informing Brian. Brian Wilson didn't realize for more than twenty-five years that Murry also "gave away [Brian's] royalties for writing the lyrics".
Despite tensions with Berry over the controversy at the time, Carl Wilson said the Beach Boys "ran into Chuck Berry in Copenhagen and he told us he loves 'Surfin' USA'."
Musicians
- Frank DeVito - 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 ....
(uncredited) - Mike LoveMike LoveMichael 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...
- lead vocal - David MarksDavid 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...
- guitar, vocals - Brian WilsonBrian WilsonBrian 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...
- bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, 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...
, 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... - Carl WilsonCarl WilsonCarl 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...
- guitar, vocals - Dennis WilsonDennis WilsonDennis 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...
- vocals, drums
Album and alternate releases
The song was first released on an album as the title track on the band's 1963 album Surfin' USA. In July 1963, a month after the song had been issued as a single in the United States, Capitol issued the Surfin' USA EP featuring "Surfin' USA" & "Shut Down" on the A-side and "Surfer Girl" & "Surfin' Safari" on the B-side. The EP however, failed to chart.In May, 2003 Capitol again issued the song on an EP along with "Surfer Girl", "Don't Worry, Baby", and "The Beach Boys Medley". However, the record failed to make an impact on the charts.
A demo version of the song featuring only Brian Wilson singing and playing piano was released on the 1993 box set, Good Vibrations: Thirty Years of The Beach Boys
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...
. A different demo version, in which Wilson is joined by drums was released on the 2001 archival release Hawthorne, CA. Both demos feature similar minor lyrical differences from the final recording. Both demos are played in the key of E major, in contrast to the final recording which was pitched in E.
The instrumental track of the final recording was also released on the Hawthorne, CA album. This version of the cut does not 'fade out', but continues on well past the original ending of the song until it ends abruptly.
Live versions
After being released the song became a concert regular for the band. The band recorded live versions of "Surfin' USA" on several Beach Boys albums. It was first released on 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...
album. A concert from Anaheim Stadium on July 3, 1976 which featured the song was filmed and produced by Lorne Michaels for a Beach Boys television special which first aired in the United States in August, 1976. The TV special was later released on video and DVD as Good Vibrations Tour. 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. A live version was also released on the band's 1993 box set Good Vibrations: Thirty Years of The Beach Boys.
The band also 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 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, 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...
.
Also, Alan Jardine included the song on his Live In Las Vegas album.
Cover versions
Papa Doo Run RunPapa Doo Run Run
Papa 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:...
covered the song on their 1985 album California Project. The Jesus and Mary Chain
The Jesus and Mary Chain
The Jesus and Mary Chain are a Scottish alternative rock band formed in East Kilbride, Glasgow in 1983. The band revolves around the songwriting partnership of brothers Jim and William Reid...
covered the song, which appears on their 1988 album Barbed Wire Kisses
Barbed Wire Kisses
Barbed Wire Kisses is a compilation of singles, b-sides and rare tracks by Scottish alternative rock band The Jesus and Mary Chain. Throughout the 1980s the band was known for their prodigious output in these formats, often in limited editions which quickly went out of print...
, a compilation of B-sides and rare tracks. Typical for early style of The Jesus and Mary Chain the song features large amounts of feedback. The power metal band Blind Guardian
Blind Guardian
Blind Guardian is a German power metal band formed in the mid-1980s in Krefeld, West Germany. They are often credited as one of the seminal and most influential bands in the power metal and speed metal subgenres...
covered the song on their 1996 album The Forgotten Tales
The Forgotten Tales
The Forgotten Tales is a compilation album by Blind Guardian. It was published in 1996. The cover artwork was created by Andreas Marschall. "'The Forgotten Tales'" contains several cover versions of popular songs, including "Mr. Sandman", "Surfin' USA", and "Spread Your Wings" as well as alternate...
. Noise punk band Melt Banana covered the song on their album 13,000 Miles At Light Velocity
MxBx 1998/13,000 Miles at Light Velocity
MxBx 1998/13,000 Miles at Light Velocity is the first live album by Melt-Banana.The album is not a conventional "live" album: it was not recorded at a concert, but live in the studio specially for John Zorn's Tzadik Records during the band's 1998 US tour. Many of the songs are being played in...
. Pre-teen pop singer Aaron Carter
Aaron Carter
Aaron Charles Carter is an American singer. He came to fame as a pop and hip hop singer in the late 1990s, establishing himself as a star among pre-teen and teenage audiences during the early-first decade of the 21st century....
performed a cover of the song. It was released as a single in 1998, and also appeared on the 1998 re-release of his self titled debut album
Aaron Carter (album)
Aaron Carter is the first and self-titled debut album of pop singer Aaron Carter, brother of Backstreet Boys member Nick Carter. It was originally released in December 1997 in Europe and re-released the next year with a new song and a remix, as well as being released in the United States in the...
. John B. & The Surfin´ Safaris covered the song on their 2002 album A Tribute to the Beach Boys. In an episode of The Muppet Show
The Muppet Show
The Muppet Show is a British television programme produced by American puppeteer Jim Henson and featuring Muppets. After two pilot episodes were produced in 1974 and 1975, the show premiered on 5 September 1976 and five series were produced until 15 March 1981, lasting 120 episodes...
, the song was performed by Kermit the Frog
Kermit the Frog
Kermit the Frog is puppeteer Jim Henson's most famous Muppet creation, first introduced in 1955. He is the protagonist of many Muppet projects, most notably as the host of The Muppet Show, and has appeared in various sketches on Sesame Street, in commercials and in public service announcements over...
(as Sinbad the Sailor
Sinbad the Sailor
Sinbad the Sailor is a fictional sailor from Basrah, living during the Abbasid Caliphate – the hero of a story-cycle of Middle Eastern origin...
), Sweetums
Sweetums
Sweetums is a very large, imposing and hairy Muppet of about eight feet. Despite appearing menacing, he is often depicted as friendly and harmless.-Description:...
, and a group of frog sailors.
Frank Sidebottom
Frank Sidebottom
Christopher Mark Sievey was an English musician and comedian known for fronting the band The Freshies in the late 1970s and early 1980s and for his comic persona Frank Sidebottom from 1984 onwards....
recorded a version as Surfin Timperley
Timperley
Timperley is a village within the Altrincham area, of the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford in Greater Manchester, England. Situated within the historic county boundaries of Cheshire, Timperley is approximately seven miles southwest of Manchester....
(Timperley being nowhere near the sea, and therefore not a place where surfing is possible). Redgum
Redgum
Redgum were an Australian folk and political music group formed in Adelaide in 1975 by singer-songwriter John Schumann, Michael Atkinson on guitars/vocals and Verity Truman on flute/vocals; they were soon joined by Chris Timms on violin. All four had been students at Flinders University and...
parodied this track as "Servin' USA". Alvin and the Chipmunks
Alvin and the Chipmunks
Alvin and the Chipmunks is an American animated music group created by Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. in 1958. The group consists of three singing animated anthropomorphic chipmunks: Alvin, the mischievous troublemaker, who quickly became the star of the group; Simon, the tall, bespectacled intellectual;...
also released a cover version of the song. Pennywise
Pennywise (band)
Pennywise is a Californian punk rock band from Hermosa Beach, California, formed in 1988. The name is derived from the monster, It, from the Stephen King novel of the same title....
have also covered the song at various live performances.
Serbian rock
Serbian rock
Serbian rock is the rock music scene of Serbia. During the 1960s, 1970s and the 1980s, while Serbia was a constituent republic of Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Serbian rock scene was a part of the SFR Yugoslav rock scene....
band Eva Braun
Eva Braun (band)
Eva Braun is a britpop/pop rock band from Bečej, Serbia, notable as one of the most important bands of the Vojvodina pop-rock scene of the 1990s...
covered the song with lyrics in Serbian language
Serbian language
Serbian is a form of Serbo-Croatian, a South Slavic language, spoken by Serbs in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and neighbouring countries....
entitled "Zviždi Srbija" in 1997, but the song had not been officially released until 2008 on the compilation album Off the Record.
Japanese Rock band FLOW
Flow (band)
Flow is a Japanese rock band, that formed in 1998 and signed on to Sony Music Japan's Ki/oon Records label. Flow is a five-piece band made up of two vocalists, a drummer, a bassist and a guitarist...
covered the song in full English, for their American tour.