Best of the Beach Boys

Last updated
Best of the Beach Boys
BestOfBB.jpg
Greatest hits album by
ReleasedJuly 5, 1966
Recorded1963–1965
Genre Rock
Length27:47
Label Capitol
Producer Brian Wilson
The Beach Boys chronology
Pet Sounds
(1966)
Best of the Beach Boys
(1966)
Best of the Beach Boys Vol. 2
(1967)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [1]

Best of the Beach Boys is the first compilation album released by the American rock band the Beach Boys through Capitol Records in 1966. The first version was released in the United States on July 5, 1966, two months after Pet Sounds . Another version of Best of The Beach Boys was issued in the United Kingdom on November 11, 1966, with a track listing that differed from the American release.

Contents

North American release

The American release of Best of The Beach Boys includes a selection of 12 songs the band had recorded from 1963 to 1965, many of them singles or B-sides. The album reached number eight on the US charts and was certified gold by the RIAA on April 12, 1967, and double platinum on December 1, 1991. [2] Best of The Beach Boys is currently out of print.

Stereo versions of the album are labeled Duophonic on the small print and the labels, though many tracks use true stereo mixes where available.

Track listing

Side 1
No.TitleOriginal albumLength
1."Surfin' U.S.A." (Brian Wilson/Chuck Berry) Surfin' U.S.A. , 19632:28
2."Catch a Wave" (B. Wilson/Mike Love) Surfer Girl , 19632:18
3."Surfer Girl" (B. Wilson)Surfer Girl2:26
4."Little Deuce Coupe" (B. Wilson/Roger Christian)Surfer Girl1:50
5."In My Room" (B. Wilson/Gary Usher)Surfer Girl2:13
6."Little Honda" (B. Wilson/M. Love) All Summer Long , 19641:51
Side 2
No.TitleOriginal albumLength
1."Fun, Fun, Fun" (B. Wilson/M. Love) Shut Down Volume 2 , 19642:18
2."The Warmth of the Sun" (B. Wilson/M. Love)Shut Down Volume 22:50
3."Louie, Louie" (Richard Berry)Shut Down Volume 22:23
4."Kiss Me, Baby" (B. Wilson/M. Love) The Beach Boys Today! , 19652:35
5."You're So Good to Me" (B. Wilson/M. Love) Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!) , 19652:13
6."Wendy" (B. Wilson/M. Love)All Summer Long2:22

British release

Best of The Beach Boys
Best of the Beach Boys UK cover.jpg
Greatest hits album by
ReleasedNovember 11, 1966
Recorded1962–1966
Genre Rock
Label Capitol/EMI
Producer Brian Wilson
The Beach Boys UK chronology
Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!)
(1966)
Best of the Beach Boys
(1966)
Surfer Girl
(1967)

The British version of Best of The Beach Boys was released with songs that differed to its American counterpart. This version, initially compiled as a DJ sampler by EMI, sold close to 200,000 copies by September 1967 and spent a total of 142 weeks on the UK album charts, peaking at number two. [3] [4] [5]

Track listing

Side A
  1. "Surfin' Safari" (B. Wilson/Love) – 2:05
  2. "Surfin' U.S.A." (B. Wilson/Berry) – 2:28
  3. "Little Deuce Coupe" (B. Wilson/Love) – 1:50
  4. "Fun, Fun, Fun" (B. Wilson/Love) – 2:18
  5. "I Get Around" (B. Wilson/Love) – 2:12
  6. "All Summer Long" (B. Wilson/Love) – 2:05
  7. "In My Room" (B. Wilson/Usher) – 2:13
Side B
  1. "Do You Wanna Dance?" (Bobby Freeman) – 2:18
  2. "Help Me, Rhonda" (B. Wilson/Love) – 2:45
  3. "California Girls" (B. Wilson/Love) – 2:37
  4. "Barbara Ann" (Fred Fassert) – 2:05
  5. "You're So Good to Me" (B. Wilson/Love) – 2:13
  6. "Sloop John B" (trad. arr. B. Wilson/Al Jardine) – 2:55
  7. "God Only Knows" (B. Wilson/Tony Asher) – 2:49

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Beach Boys</span> American rock band

The Beach Boys are an American rock band formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Distinguished by their vocal harmonies, adolescent-oriented lyrics, and musical ingenuity, they are one of the most influential acts of the rock era. They drew on the music of older pop vocal groups, 1950s rock and roll, and black R&B to create their unique sound. Under Brian's direction, they often incorporated classical or jazz elements and unconventional recording techniques in innovative ways.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Marks</span> American rock guitarist

David Lee Marks is an American guitarist who was an early member of the Beach Boys. While growing up in Hawthorne, California, Marks was a neighborhood friend of the original band members and was a frequent participant at their family get-togethers. Following his departure from the group, Marks fronted the Marksmen and performed and recorded as a session musician.

<i>Surfin U.S.A.</i> (album) 1963 studio album by the Beach Boys

Surfin' U.S.A. is the second studio album by the American rock band the Beach Boys, released March 25, 1963 on Capitol Records. It reached number 2 in the US during a chart stay of 78 weeks, eventually being certified gold by the RIAA, and brought the group newfound national success. It was led by one single, its title track with the B-side "Shut Down". In the UK, the album was released in late 1965 and reached number 17.

<i>The Beach Boys Christmas Album</i> 1964 studio album by the Beach Boys

The Beach Boys' Christmas Album is the seventh studio album by the American rock band the Beach Boys, released November 9, 1964 on Capitol Records. It contains five original songs and seven standards on a Christmas theme. The album proved to be a long-running success during subsequent Christmas seasons, initially reaching No. 6 on Billboard's Christmas LP's chart in its initial release and eventually going gold. Music historian James Perone wrote that it is "regarded as one of the finest holiday albums of the rock era".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Good Vibrations</span> 1966 single by the Beach Boys

"Good Vibrations" is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys that was composed by Brian Wilson with lyrics by Mike Love. It was released as a single on October 10, 1966 and was an immediate critical and commercial hit, topping record charts in several countries including the United States and the United Kingdom. Characterized by its complex soundscapes, episodic structure and subversions of pop music formula, it was the most expensive single ever recorded. "Good Vibrations" later became widely acclaimed as one of the finest and most important works of the rock era.

<i>Endless Harmony Soundtrack</i> 1998 compilation album by The Beach Boys

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 of the same name. The soundtrack was re-issued in March 2000 with some remixing and different artwork, while the original 1998 edition went out of print shortly thereafter.

<i>The Greatest Hits – Volume 1: 20 Good Vibrations</i> 1995 greatest hits album by The Beach Boys

The Greatest Hits – Volume 1: 20 Good Vibrations is a compilation album of songs by American rock band The Beach Boys, released in 1995 by Capitol Records. The album features The Beach Boys' biggest hits from 1962-1966, but also includes the 1988 No. 1 hit "Kokomo".

<i>Hawthorne, CA</i> (album) 2001 compilation album by the Beach Boys

Hawthorne, CA, subtitled Birthplace of a Musical Legacy, is the second anthology collection by the Beach Boys and released through Capitol Records. A double-compact disc, it was put together after the positive reaction to the Endless Harmony Soundtrack to give hardcore Beach Boys fans more rarities and alternate versions of well-known songs. The collection features spoken word tracks from different band members recorded throughout the 1990s during production of the Endless Harmony documentary, as well as a clip from a 1969 radio show. Home recordings dating back to 1960 and a backing track from 1973's "Sail On, Sailor" were also included. It never charted in either the United States or the United Kingdom, and it is currently out of print.

<i>Sounds of Summer: The Very Best of The Beach Boys</i> 2003 greatest hits album by the Beach Boys

Sounds of Summer: The Very Best of The Beach Boys is a greatest hits album of the American rock band the Beach Boys, released on June 10, 2003 by Capitol Records. The original collection was the most comprehensive single-disc compilation of the band's music, with 30 tracks including nearly every U.S. Top 40 hit of their career, except for "The Little Girl I Once Knew" (1965) and "It's OK" (1976).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Do It Again (The Beach Boys song)</span> 1968 single by Beach Boys

"Do It Again" is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys that was released as a standalone single on July 8, 1968. It was written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love as a self-conscious callback to the group's earlier surf image, which they had not embraced since 1964. Love and Wilson also share the lead vocal on the song.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Surfin' Safari (song)</span> 1962 single by the Beach Boys

"Surfin' Safari" is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys, written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love. Released as a single with "409" in June 1962, it peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song also appeared on the 1962 album of the same name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Surfin'</span> 1961 single by the Beach Boys

"Surfin'" is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys that was written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love. It was released as the debut record by the Beach Boys in November 1961 on Candix Records and was included on the October 1962 album Surfin' Safari.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Darlin' (The Beach Boys song)</span> 1967 single by the Beach Boys

"Darlin'" is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1967 album Wild Honey. Written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love, it was inspired by singer Danny Hutton and was originally intended to be recorded by an early version of Three Dog Night. Carl Wilson ultimately sang the lead vocal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dance, Dance, Dance (The Beach Boys song)</span> 1964 single by The Beach Boys

"Dance, Dance, Dance" is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1965 album Beach Boys Today!. Written by Brian Wilson, Carl Wilson, and Mike Love, it was first issued as a single in October 1964, backed with "The Warmth of the Sun". "Dance, Dance, Dance" marked Carl's first recognized writing contribution to a Beach Boys single, his contribution being the song's primary guitar riff and solo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Beach Boys discography</span> Cataloging of published recordings by The Beach Boys

The Beach Boys are an American rock band formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. Their discography from 1961 to 1984 was originally released on the vinyl format, with the 1985 album The Beach Boys being the group's first CD release. The Beach Boys' catalogue has been released on reel-to-reel, 8-track, cassette, CD, MiniDisc, digital downloads, and various streaming services.

<i>Rarities</i> (The Beach Boys album) 1983 compilation album by The Beach Boys

Rarities is a Beach Boys compilation album released in 1983 by Capitol Records. It is a collection of outtakes, alternate mixes and B-sides recorded between 1962 and 1970. Included are songs written or made popular by the Beatles, the Box Tops, Stevie Wonder, Ersel Hickey and Lead Belly. Also featured are several standards, such as "The Lord's Prayer" and "Auld Lang Syne". The album sold poorly and quickly went out of print.

<i>Made in U.S.A.</i> (The Beach Boys album) 1986 greatest hits album by The Beach Boys

Made in U.S.A. is a 1986 double vinyl album compilation of some of The Beach Boys' biggest successes. Released by their original record label, Capitol Records, it marked a brief return to the label, with whom The Beach Boys released one further album, 1989's Still Cruisin'.

<i>The Very Best of The Beach Boys</i> 2001 greatest hits album by The Beach Boys

The Very Best of the Beach Boys is a compilation album released by the American rock and roll band the Beach Boys. The album was released by EMI in 2001 and features 30 of their greatest hits digitally remastered. It is the first compilation of the Beach Boys that makes a full retrospective of their career. Other compilations had already been released throughout the years, but only focusing on certain time periods of the band, or focusing on their complete career, but with several volumes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Surfin' U.S.A.</span> Single by the Beach Boys

"Surfin' U.S.A." is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys, credited to Chuck Berry and Brian Wilson. It is a rewritten version of Berry's "Sweet Little Sixteen" set to new lyrics written by Wilson and an uncredited Mike Love. The song was released as a single on March 4, 1963, backed with "Shut Down". It was then placed as the opening track on their album of the same name.

References

  1. Eder, Bruce (1966-07-05). "The Best of the Beach Boys, Vol. 1 - The Beach Boys : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2012-06-11.
  2. "Gold & Platinum Searchable Database - January 26, 2014". RIAA. Retrieved 2014-01-26.
  3. "Billboard - Google Books". 1967-01-07. Retrieved 2014-01-26.
  4. "Billboard - Google Books". 1967-09-16. Retrieved 2014-01-26.
  5. "BEACH BOYS | Artist". Official Charts. Retrieved 2014-01-26.