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 its vocal harmonies, adolescent-oriented lyrics, and musical ingenuity, the band is one of the most influential acts of the rock era. The group drew on the music of older pop vocal groups, 1950s rock and roll, and black R&B to create its unique sound. Under Brian's direction, it often incorporated classical or jazz elements and unconventional recording techniques in innovative ways.
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.
Carl Dean Wilson was an American musician who co-founded the Beach Boys. He was their lead guitarist, the youngest sibling of bandmates Brian and Dennis, and the group's de facto leader in the early to mid-1970s. He was also the band's musical director on stage from 1965 until his death.
Sunflower is the 16th studio album by the American rock band the Beach Boys, released on August 31, 1970 on Reprise Records, their first for the label. 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.
Alan Charles Jardine is an American musician who co-founded the Beach Boys. He is best known as the band's rhythm guitarist, background vocalist, and for occasionally singing lead vocals on singles such as "Help Me, Rhonda" (1965), "Then I Kissed Her" (1965), "Cottonfields" (1970), and a cover of the Del-Vikings’ "Come Go with Me" (1981). His song "Lady Lynda" was also a UK top 10 hit for the group in 1978. Other Beach Boys songs that feature Jardine on lead include "I Know There's an Answer" (1966), “Vegetables" (1967), a cover of Buddy Holly’s “Peggy Sue” (1978), and "From There to Back Again" (2012).
Friends is the fourteenth studio album by the 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 by 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.
Still Cruisin' is the twenty-sixth studio album by the Beach Boys, their thirty-fifth official album, and their last release of the 1980s. It is also the last album of new material released during a brief return to Capitol Records.
"Kokomo" is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys from the 1988 film Cocktail and album Still Cruisin'. Written by John Phillips, Scott McKenzie, Mike Love, and Terry Melcher, the song was released as a single in July 1988 by Elektra Records and became a number one hit in the US and Australia. It was the band's first original top-20 single in 20 years and their first number-one hit in 22 years as well as their final top 40 hit.
"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.
"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.
"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!"
"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.
Michael Edward Love is an American singer and songwriter who was the lead vocalist of the Beach Boys which he co-founded with his cousins Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson and their friend Al Jardine. Characterized by his nasal tenor and occasional bass-baritone singing, Love has been one of the band's vocalists and lyricists for their entire career, contributing to each of their studio albums and serving as their frontman for live performances. During the mid-1960s, he was one of Brian's main collaborators, contributing lyrics to hit records such as "Fun, Fun, Fun" (1964), "I Get Around" (1964), "Help Me, Rhonda" (1965), "California Girls" (1965), and "Good Vibrations" (1966).
"Then He Kissed Me" is a song written by Phil Spector, Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Barry. The song, produced by Spector, was initially released as a single on Philles Records (#115) in July 1963 by The Crystals. The lyrics are a narrative of a young woman's encounter, romance, and eventual engagement with a young man.
The 50th Anniversary Reunion Tour was a 2012 world concert tour by the American rock band the Beach Boys. The tour marked the first time since 1982 that founding member Brian Wilson had consistently performed on a full tour with the band. The tour also marked the first time that the Beach Boys had played at the Hollywood Bowl since 1967, having sold it out both times.
That's Why God Made the Radio is the twenty-ninth studio album by American rock band the Beach Boys, released on June 5, 2012, by Capitol Records. Produced by Brian Wilson, the album was recorded to coincide with the band's 50th anniversary. It is their first studio album since 1996's Stars and Stripes Vol. 1, the first album to feature original material since Summer in Paradise in 1992, their first album to feature guitarist and backing vocalist David Marks since Little Deuce Coupe in 1963, and their first album since the 1998 death of co-founder Carl Wilson.
A Postcard from California is the debut solo studio album by American musician and co-founder of the Beach Boys, Al Jardine. For the album, Jardine recruited several music icons including several former Beach Boys bandmates, Brian Wilson, Mike Love, David Marks, Bruce Johnston, and Carl Wilson, as well as Glen Campbell, America, Steve Miller, Flea, and Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young's David Crosby, Stephen Stills, and Neil Young. The album also contains several unreleased Beach Boys songs, including "Don't Fight the Sea", "Lookin' Down the Coast", "California Feelin'", and "And I Always Will." "Don't Fight the Sea" includes parts of a Beach Boys' recording, while "Lookin' Down the Coast", "California Feelin'", and "And I Always Will" are re-recordings. "Tidepool Interlude" features a spoken word piece written by former Beach Boys collaborator Stephen Kalinich and performed by actor Alec Baldwin.
The "Andy Paley sessions" is the unofficial name given to an unfinished recording project by American musicians Brian Wilson and Andy Paley. During the 1990s, the duo planned to record an album that would have comprised original material written and produced by themselves with participation from other members of the Beach Boys. It was the last time Brian worked with his bandmates before Carl Wilson's death in 1998.
The Beach Boys are an American rock band formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. Since then, the band has undergone many variations in composition, with representation by fill-ins onstage. As of 2021, the only principal members included in the Beach Boys' touring band are co-founder Mike Love and 1965 addition Bruce Johnston.
Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road is a 2021 documentary film about the Beach Boys' co-founder Brian Wilson directed by Brent Wilson. It follows Brian and Rolling Stone editor Jason Fine as they drive around Los Angeles and visit locations from Brian's past, interspersed with footage from recording sessions and comments from musical artists about his influence on the industry. The title comes from "Long Promised Road", a song written by Brian's brother Carl Wilson and former band manager Jack Rieley, which figures heavily in the film.
