Friends (The Beach Boys song)

Last updated
"Friends"
Beach Boys - Friends (single).jpg
Single by the Beach Boys
from the album Friends
B-side "Little Bird"
ReleasedApril 8, 1968
RecordedMarch 13, 1968
Length2:30
Label Capitol
Songwriter(s) Brian Wilson, Carl Wilson, Dennis Wilson, Al Jardine
Producer(s) The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys singles chronology
"Darlin'"
(1967)		"Friends"
(1968)		"Do It Again"
(1968)
Audio sample

"Friends" is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1968 album Friends . It was written by Brian Wilson, Carl Wilson, Dennis Wilson and Al Jardine. Sung by Carl, the song was recorded in waltz time. [1] "Friends" was the first single from the album of the same name and has since been described as a "cult favorite." [2]

Contents

Background and recording

"Friends" was recorded on March 13, 1968. [3] It was recorded in 4
4 time for its first take. Immediately after, Brian rearranged the song after realizing that there were not many waltzes on the radio. [4] Brian later stated, "The cut 'Friends' was, in my opinion, a good way to keep waltzes alive." [1] As Peter Reum, a Beach Boys historian, stated "'Friends' is a waltz, and it's been used at the Berklee College of Music to teach students how to write in 3
4 time." [1]

"Friends" features a lead vocal performed by Carl Wilson, who had been gradually assuming more lead vocal duties to this point. Brian explained, "Carl had sung 'Darlin'' and some others before and now he spearheaded this cut with a heavy vocal performance." [1]

Brian called the song his favorite from the Friends album. [5] In another interview, he commented, "'Friends' is great. I though there was a lot of humor in it and I thought, y'know, songs usually don't have that much kinda humor, but 'Friends' had a lot of humor in it. So that's why I like it." [6] Bruce Johnston, who otherwise disliked the "wimpy" nature of the Friends album, described the song as "fantastic" and praised its bassline. [7]

Release and sales

"Friends" was released as a single, with "Little Bird" as the B-side. With its gentle arrangement and simple song structure, "Friends" proved to be out of step with commercial trends and underperformed commercially. [1] [2] The single peaked at number 47 in the United States, becoming their first single to miss the top 40 since "The Man with All the Toys" in 1964. [8] It fared better in the United Kingdom, peaking at number 25. [9]

An a cappella mix was sold as a vinyl single backed with Al Jardine's Beach Boys reunion song "Don't Fight the Sea" for the charity of 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami in April 2011. [10]

Critical reception

Upon release, Cash Box spoke positively of the song, writing, "Barbershop harmonizing to a soft rock backdrop provides the Beach Boys with a departure from their 'Wild Honey'/'Good Vibrations' style. Easy-throbbing waltz tempo and a unique vocal sound cast a new type of magical spell for the team, one that should have them rising rapidly on the best seller charts. Outstanding track." [11] In its 1968 review of the Friends album, Rolling Stone singled out the title track as a highlight, writing, "[It is] a more mature (in that it lacks their usual immediacy) evocation of the surfer 'pack' or 'club' vision — why go out with a girl when you can go cruising with the guys on Saturday nights? It's really warm, simple, touching, saying in not so many words that friendship isn’t about words." [12]

In Disc & Music Echo , Penny Valentine wrote of the single, "Whither the progressive Beach Boys? [...] If The Beach Boys are as bored as they sound, they should stop bothering [...] They are no longer the brilliant Beach Boys. They are grey and they are making sad little grey records." [13]

Retrospectively, biographer David Leaf praised the song's "fine melody and lovely production" and wrote, "The vocal arrangement of this track let the world know that Brian was back mixing his magical harmonic brew." [1] Donald Guarisco of Allmusic commented, "This mellow, lovely track is a good example of the Beach Boys' late-'60s output: it is far less musically complex than 'California Girls' or 'Wouldn't It Be Nice' but possesses a homespun charm all its own." [2] Dave Swanson of Ultimate Classic Rock noted the song's "calming nature." [14]

Personnel

Per Craig Slowinski. [15]

The Beach Boys

Session musicians

Related Research Articles

<i>Sunflower</i> (The Beach Boys album) 1970 studio album by the Beach Boys

Sunflower is the 16th studio album by the American rock band the Beach Boys, released on August 31, 1970, and their first on Reprise Records. It received favorable reviews, but sold poorly, reaching number 151 on the US record charts during a four-week stay and becoming the lowest-charting Beach Boys album to that point. "Add Some Music to Your Day" was the only single that charted in the US, peaking at number 64. In the UK, the album peaked at number 29.

<i>Friends</i> (The Beach Boys album) 1968 album by the Beach Boys

Friends is the fourteenth studio album by American rock band the Beach Boys, released on June 24, 1968, through Capitol Records. The album is characterized by its calm and peaceful atmosphere, which contrasted the prevailing music trends of the time, and for its brevity, with five of its 12 tracks running less than two minutes long. It sold poorly, peaking at number 126 on the Billboard charts, the group's lowest U.S. chart performance to date, although it reached number 13 in the UK. Fans generally came to regard the album as one of the band's finest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heroes and Villains</span> 1967 single by the Beach Boys

"Heroes and Villains" is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1967 album Smiley Smile and their unfinished Smile project. Written by Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks, Wilson envisioned the song as an Old West-themed musical comedy that would surpass the recording and artistic achievements of "Good Vibrations". The single was Brother Records' first release. While it failed to meet critical and commercial expectations, it was a hit record, peaking at number 12 in the U.S. and number 8 in the UK.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Help Me, Rhonda</span> 1965 song by the Beach Boys

"Help Me, Rhonda" is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys, appearing first on their 1965 album The Beach Boys Today! and subsequently in re-recorded form on the following 1965 album Summer Days . It was written by Brian Wilson, with additional lyrics by Mike Love. Unlike many other songs by the band from this period, "Help Me, Rhonda" features a lead vocal sung by Al Jardine.

<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.

"Wake the World" is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1968 album Friends. It was written by Brian Wilson and Al Jardine about getting up in the morning for work. In addition to appearing on Friends, "Wake the World" was released as B-side to "Do It Again" in July 1968. The song has since appeared multiple times on the band's live setlists and has been described as a cult favorite.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Good Timin' (The Beach Boys song)</span> 1979 single by the Beach Boys

"Good Timin’" is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys and the second single from their 1979 album L.A. . It is one of the few songs jointly credited to Brian and Carl Wilson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">She Knows Me Too Well</span> 1964 single by The Beach Boys

"She Knows Me Too Well" is a song written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love for the American rock band The Beach Boys, about a man who is engrossed and obsessed in his own jealousy and insecurity. It was released on the 1965 album The Beach Boys Today!, initially serving as the B-side of their "When I Grow Up " single in 1964. It was one of the first songs that Brian wrote while under the influence of marijuana.

<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">Cool, Cool Water</span> 1971 single by the Beach Boys

"Cool, Cool Water" is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1970 album Sunflower. It was written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love and later issued as an A-sided single in March 1971.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Add Some Music to Your Day</span> 1970 single by the Beach Boys

"Add Some Music to Your Day" is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys that was released in the US on February 23, 1970 as the lead single from their album Sunflower. It was written by Brian Wilson, Joe Knott and Mike Love. Wilson later said that Knott "was a friend of mine who wasn't a songwriter but he contributed a couple of lines. But I can't remember which ones!"

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deirdre (song)</span> 1971 single by the Beach Boys

"Deirdre" is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1970 album Sunflower. Written primarily by Bruce Johnston, it is a love song named after the sister of one of his ex-girlfriends, and is one of his two main song contributions on the album, the other being "Tears in the Morning". Johnston stated that co-writer Brian Wilson's contributions were limited to a few lyrics.

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

"Wild Honey" is a song recorded by the American rock band the Beach Boys. Written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love, it was released as the lead single from their 1967 album Wild Honey, with the B-side of the single being "Wind Chimes". The single peaked at number 31 in the U.S. and number 29 in the U.K.

"Tears in the Morning" is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1970 album Sunflower. Written by Bruce Johnston, it was issued as a single, with the B-side "It's About Time". The single failed to chart in the U.S., but reached the top 5 in the Netherlands.

"Our Sweet Love" is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1970 album Sunflower. Written by Brian Wilson, Carl Wilson, and Al Jardine, "Our Sweet Love" features a lush sound that has been compared to the band's work on Pet Sounds. Brian Wilson originally left the song unfinished, resulting in the band completing it for Sunflower. Carl Wilson sings the song's lead vocal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">California Saga/California</span> 1973 single by the Beach Boys

"California Saga/California" is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys from their January 1973 album Holland. It was written by Al Jardine and is the third and final part of the "California Saga" series of songs on Holland. In May 1973, a remixed version was issued as a single under the title "California Saga ".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You Need a Mess of Help to Stand Alone (song)</span> 1972 single by the Beach Boys

"You Need a Mess of Help to Stand Alone" is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1972 album Carl and the Passions – "So Tough". It was written by Brian Wilson and Jack Rieley, and was issued as the album's lead single with the B-side "Cuddle Up". The single failed to chart.

"Vegetables" is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1967 album Smiley Smile and their unfinished Smile project. Written by Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks, the song was conceived by Wilson as a tongue-in-cheek promotion of organic food. Another reported inspiration for the song was a humorous comment Wilson heard about the effect of marijuana turning him and his friends into a "vegetative" state.

<i>Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!)</i> 1965 studio album by the Beach Boys

Summer Days is the ninth studio album by American rock band the Beach Boys, released on July 5, 1965, on Capitol. The band's previous album, The Beach Boys Today!, represented a departure for the group through its abandonment of themes related to surfing, cars, and teenage love, but it sold below Capitol's expectations. In response, the label pressured the group to produce bigger hits. Summer Days thus returned the band's music to simpler themes for one last album, with Brian Wilson combining Capitol's commercial demands with his artistic calling.

"H.E.L.P. Is On the Way" is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys that was recorded during the making of their 1971 album Surf's Up. It was written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love about H.E.L.P., a Los Angeles restaurant that the band had frequented. The song also references Wilson's health food shop, the Radiant Radish.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Leaf, David (1990). Friends / 20/20 (CD Liner). The Beach Boys. Capitol Records.
  2. 1 2 3 Guarisco, Donald A. "Friends by The Beach Boys - Track Info". AllMusic. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  3. ↑ "Recordings sessions: 1968". Endless Summer Quarterly. Retrieved January 8, 2017.
  4. ↑ Benci, Jacopo (January 1995). "Brian Wilson interview". Record Collector. UK (185).
  5. ↑ "Brian Answer's Fans' Questions In Live Q&A". January 29, 2014. Archived from the original on 2014-07-19. Retrieved 27 June 2014.
  6. ↑ Wilson, Brian. "Brian Wilson on "Friends"". YouTube . Retrieved 30 July 2022.
  7. ↑ Sharp, Ken (September 2013). "Bruce Johnston On the Beach Boys' Enduring Legacy (Interview)". Archived from the original on September 30, 2013.
  8. ↑ "The Beach Boys". Billboard. Retrieved 23 July 2022.
  9. ↑ "Beach Boys". Official Charts. The Official UK Charts Company. Retrieved July 19, 2021.
  10. ↑ "Rare Beach Boys Single, 'Don't Fight the Sea,' To Benefit Red Cross Relief Efforts In Japan". April 18, 2011. Retrieved 2 July 2014.
  11. ↑ "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. April 13, 1968. p. 24. Retrieved 2022-01-12.
  12. ↑ Schmidt, Arthur (24 August 1968). "Friends". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  13. ↑ Badman 2004, p. 220.
  14. ↑ Swanson, Dave (24 June 2013). "45 Years Ago: The Beach Boys' 'Friends' Album Released". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  15. ↑ Slowinski, Craig (Spring 2018). "Friends". Endless Summer Quarterly.

Bibliography

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.