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THE BEACH BOYS Surfin' USA Vinyl LP 1963 Capitol  RecordsT1890 Only one of them had actually ridden a surfboard. They weren’t hot rodders or drag racers and by the time the group formed in 1961 lead vocalist Mike Love was already 20 years old and arguably more a man than a “boy”. Al Jardine was 19 as was Brian Wilson. Brothers Dennis and Carl were, respectively, 17 and 15, so they qualified as “boys”. The band was The Pendletones, a name that merged “Pendleton” for the plaid wool shirts favored by surfers back in the late 1950’s when the surfing craze first made waves in Southern California, and “tone”.
Dennis was the surfer who originated the idea of a song about surfing and while he’s often regarded as the group’s “jock”, Brian played football, baseball and ran cross-country track.
Under the direction of the Wilson Brothers’ father Murry, the Pendletones recorded two demos, “Surfin’” and “Surfin’ Safari”. Murry took them to Candix Records owner Herb Newman, who signed them in early December of 1961.
A single was quickly released featuring “Surfin’” as the “A” side and “Luau” on the “B” side. That throwaway was credited to music publisher Hite Morgan, who had turned the group down after an earlier audition.
To more directly capitalize on the surfing craze, and without first seeking permission, Candix Records changed the group’s name on the single to "The Beach Boys".
(However, it’s important to keep in mind that while The Beach Boys popularized and commercialized the “surf music sound”, “The King of the Surf Guitar” Dick Dale gets most if not all of the credit for originated it. “Let’s Go Trippin” by Dick Dale and the Del-tones released in September of 1961 [but played in public as early as 1960] is considered to be the first “surf music” song. Dale credits his Lebanese heritage and interest in Arabic music and middle eastern scales as being key to the “surf sound”, so put that in your pipe from Uncle Tonoose and smoke it!))
Thanks to airplay on the two teen-centric A.M. radio stations KRLA and KFWB, before the end of that same month The Pendletones had been signed to Candix, “Surfin” quickly sold 40,000 copies and reached #3 on the local charts and #75 on the national singles charts.
In the spring of 1962 the boys were back in the studio—this time at now legendary Western Studios—to record “Lonely Sea”, “409” and a remake of “Surfin’ Safari”. The 45rpm single “Surfin’ Safari”/ “409” was issued in June of 1962.
That release brought them greater attention from the big labels. After being rejected by Sy Waronker’s Liberty Records and Dot Records, home of Pat Boone and Lawrence Welk, Nick Venet signed them to a seven year contract with Capitol Records.
The group’s sophomore effort, recorded starting in January of 1963, is altogether a big bump upward for The Beach Boys, musically, sonically and compositionally, compared to the hastily and haphazardly produced and recorded debut.
Again Nick Vanet gets producing credit but this one was a Brian and Murry Wilson production with the great Chuck Britz engineering at Bill Putnam’s Western Studios, which was a block from his United Studios (the two studios were later purchased by Allen Sides who renamed them Ocean Way).
From the first “Sweet Little Sixteen” Chuck Berry lick of the title track, you’ll hear a big sonic difference from the lackluster debut. The Beatles would later recycle The Beach Boys’ Berry recycle for “Back in the USSR”. Chuck Berry’s publisher ARC has always had publishing credits though Wilson was initially credited as the songwriter. That was later changed to Chuck Berry, who now holds the copyright to the music and lyrics, which contain terms related to surfing culture and a long list of SoCal surfing spots, at the time exotic to young ears.
The first side is strong with the somewhat salacious unintentionally comical “Farmer’s Daughter” about a drifter who offers his labor in exchange for a place to stay. It’s comical because of the lyrical juxtaposition wherein the drifter sings “glad to help you plow your fields/farmer’s daughter” (which is the“plowing” he’s really interested in). The short song has a strong melody and a gorgeous, haunting, memorable vocal performance by Brian Wilson.
The “Miserlou” cover is very good—and demonstrates that these guys could really play— but not up to Dick Dale’s manic original that Quentin Tarrantino used in “Pulp Fiction”. Speaking of which, this is a good place to quash the rumor that Dennis Wilson doesn’t play drums on these albums because for the most part he does, though not on this one but only because he was injured at the time and another drummer filled in. The great "Wrecking Crew" drummer Hal Blaine does play drums on songs like “Good Vibrations”, “California Girls” and a few other hits as well as on Pet Sounds, but Dennis was a good drummer who played on most of the songs.
“Stoked” is a decent “surf” instrumental that’s followed by Brian’s absolutely mesmerizing “Lonely Sea” that still produces chills. That alone is worth the price of admission not just to this record but into Brian’s psyche. The side ends with “Shut Down”—another great Beach Boys classic. That’s one fine side of vinyl!
The pressures to quickly produce a debut follow-up show on side two. “Noble Surfer” is formulaic lyrically and melodically, while the Bill Doggett instrumental “Honky Tonk” is just pleasant filler with Carl Wilson’s guitar lines a highlight. That the time keeping on the song is less than 100% correct and less than mechanically perfect is among the charms of a performance that’s human and real.
“Lana” is a short, tuneful Wilson composition that features vocal performances and harmonies reminiscent of The Four Seasons. A short, live, “Surf Jam” follows that again shows off the band’s tight groove, Carl’s surf guitar proficiency, and Dennis’s deft touch on the drums. A cover of “Let’s Go Trippin’” does likewise as much as it shows that idea exhaustion had set in. “Finders Keepers”, the set’s final song, probably got Bob Gaudio’s and Bob Crewe’s attention because it goes further than does “Lana” into The Four Seasons territory with a chorus and harmonies seemingly lifted from “Big Girls Don’t Cry”, which went to Number One on the Billboard Charts in November of 1962! A good song nonetheless!
CONDITION: Used VINYL: VG+ JACKET: Excellent. No Splits
TRACK LISTING:
1Surfin' U.S.A. Written-By – Brian Wilson 2:20 A2Farmer's Daughter Written-By – Brian Wilson 1:49 A3Misirlou Written-By – Wise*, Leeds*, Roubanis*, Russell* 2:02 A4Stoked Written-By – Brian Wilson 2:00 A5Lonely Sea Written-By – Brian Wilson, Gary Usher 2:20 A6Shut Down Written-By – Brian Wilson, Roger Christian 1:50 B1Noble Surfer Written-By – Brian Wilson 1:50 B2Honky Tonk Written-By – Bill Doggett 2:00 B3Lana Written-By – Brian Wilson 1:40 B4Surf Jam Written-By – Carl Wilson 2:00 B5Let's Go Trippin' Written-By – Dick Dale 1:52 B6Finders Keepers Written-By – Brian Wilson 1:43
Manufactured By – Capitol Records, Inc. Pressed By – Capitol Records Pressing Plant, Los Angeles Credits Drums, Vocals – Dennis Wilson (2) Lead Guitar – Carl Wilson Lead Vocals – Mike Love Leader – Brian Wilson Photography By [Cover] – John Severson Producer – Nick Venet Rhythm Guitar – David Marks
A Capitol Records High Fidelity Recording
1st catalog #: sleeve; 2nd: label Barcode and Other Identifiers Matrix / Runout (A Side Label): T1-1890 D1 Matrix / Runout (B Side Label): T2-1890 D2>3