The Beach Boys

Legendary bands that have set standards and made names for themselves have not been able to present a clear unmistakable impression with their style of music as this band. 

The Beach Boys, throughout the years of their music career have braced themselves as one that speaks a language that other bands find difficult to attempt. Their music is centered on the genres of rock, pop, psychedelia and their most- known, Surf.

The over 6-decade long American band has earned themselves the title as independent and self-controlled which is hardly achieved in the music industry. It has been discovered that the group’s love for the sport that translated into their choice of making Surf their popular style, motivated their latter chosen band name “The Beach Boys”.

The current line-up of the band includes Brian Douglas Wilson and the following:

• Mike Edward Love
• Alan Charles Jardine
• Bruce Arthur Johnston
  

The classic preceding line-up included Carl Dean Wilson (Late) and Dennis Carl Wilson (Late).

The Beach Boys Mini Biography

This American band that began as a garage band was formed in Hawthorne, California in mid-1961 by three brothers (Brian, Dennis & Carl Wilson) and a friend Mike Love.

The older of the three, Brian had grown up watching their father, Murry Wilson play the piano and enjoy vocal groups such as Four Fisherman and opted to teach his siblings vocals and harmonization as a hobby.

He continued to perfect his vocal skills and piano while rehearsing with his neighbor David Marks, a guitarist.

The brothers met their cousin, Mike Love, at one of their family gatherings and they soon discovered a shared love for music.

Brian met Al Jardine, his high school classmate and suggested that they form a band with him and his brothers as members.

His younger brother Dennis who was the active surfer in the family joined the band, as well as David, their neighbor. The band was named “The Pendletones”, in 1961 a “play on word” of a very well-known woolen shirt given to them by Mike Love. The Pendletones wrote songs that expressed their desire for the sport of surfing and its lifestyle.

The boys’ father, Murry began managing the band, introducing them to his publisher at the time, Hite Morgan and recorded the band’s major debut song Surfin, released on September 15, 1961.

They recorded a professional version of the song on October 3 at the World’s Pacific Studio in Hollywood. David (guitarist) was not a part of this recording.

Eventually, the group signed with the Candix Records and Era Records on December 8 1961, who released their single and renamed them, The Beach Boys.

The rising years of the band began in late 1961 when the band earned their first paying show earning each of them $300 dollars at a memorial dance in Long Beach. The band was known for their perfect vocals and harmonization which led them on through their first decade.

On the 4th of June, 1962, The Beach Boys released the single Surfin’ Safari, and it sold massively in the US. They fired their father as a manager following these events.

The band commenced recording sessions in 1966, with their album, Pet Sounds. Another single was released, Good Vibrations followed by a recording of Smile which was to be released that year.

It was however postponed because Brian suffered from delusions and paranoia and his brother Carl would not serve his time in the military service resulting in his prosecution in April 1966.

Charles Manson, a friend of Dennis’s, replaced Brian in June 1968 and produced their album 20/20 which was released in January 1969.

Brian Wilson returned in 1979 and they released Love You and Till I Die. The group signed a major contract in 1979.

By 1980, Carl and Dennis had left the band with Dennis releasing his album Pacific Ocean Blue. Brian was ejected from the group due to being overweight.

This did not end the tragedies of the brothers as Dennis drowned on December 28, 1983.

In 1992, Mike Love filed a $1.2 million lawsuit against his cousin Brian and later won $12 million in 1994 for lost royalties.

In 1997, Carl was diagnosed with brain and lung cancer caused by his habitual smoking which led to his death on February 6, 1998.

A major split occurred in 2000, when Al Jardine left to follow a career with his project band.

Brian Wilson, the only living brother of the Wilsons, released a solo album in 2014, titled Brian Wilson Presents Smile.

Since 2010, Brian Wilson has been holding on to the tail of The Beach Boys.

Interesting Facts about The Beach Boys

Renowned for their creativity, innovation and embracing of Surf bands, The Beach Boys won some notable credit for themselves. They sold over 100 million records worldwide and became major pop and rock stars in the UK, US and Australia.

They reached top ranks in “The Top Albums of All Time” and had their albums Pet Sounds and Good Vibrations featuring in the Greatest Albums of All Time.

In 1988, the brothers, together with their cousin Mike Love and friend Alan were inducted into the Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame.

Their album Pet Sound has been preserved in the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress. Their albums, Pet sounds and recordings of Good Vibration, In My Room and California Girls have been inducted into the Grammys Hall of Fame.

As a band whose brand and music were based on their love and interest in surfing, only Dennis Carl Wilson (Late) could surf.

Brian Douglas Wilson is deaf in one ear and cannot hear in stereo.

Two of the band members, Dennis Wilson and Mike, took restraining orders against each other.

Wilson’s father, Murry Wilson physically abused his sons in destructive ways in their early years.

Brian Douglas Wilson in real life has an extreme fear of water and stays as far away from it as possible.

Dennis Wilson abused the boyfriend of one of his obsessed fans by kicking him in his private part causing serious damage to his health.

Summary

The Beach Boys were obviously not perfect in their personal lives and as a group. However, they managed to pull through their tough childhood problems and depressive beginnings into the long-lasting commendable band they are now.

In records, they will forever be known as one of the most commercially successful and influential bands of all time.

Notable Songs by The Beach Boys

These songs below rank high amongst the most famous songs released by The Beach Boys:

The Beach Boys

• “409”
• “Add Some Music to Your Day”
• “All I Want to Do”
• “Baby Blue”
• “Barbara Ann”
• “Be True to Your School”
• “Bluebirds over the Mountain”
• “Break Away”
• “California Dreamin’“
• “California Girls”
• “California Saga: California”
• “Celebrate the News”
• “Child of Winter”
• “Come Go with Me”
• “Cool, Cool Water”
• “Cottonfields”
• “County Fair”
• “Crushin'” (The Fat Boys)
• “Cuddle Up”
• “Dance, Dance, Dance”
• “Darlin'”
• “Deirdre”
• “Do It Again”
• “Do You Wanna Dance?”
• “Don’t Go Near the Water”
• “Don’t Worry Baby”
• “Don’t Worry Baby” (with The Everly Brothers)
• “East Meets West” (with The Four Seasons)
• “Endless Harmony”
• “Everyone’s in Love with You”
• “Forever”
• “Friends”
• “Full Sail”
• “Fun, Fun, Fun”
• “Funky Pretty”
• “Getcha Back”
• “Girl Don’t Tell Me”
• “God Only Knows”
• “Goin’ On”
• “Good Timin'”
• “Good Vibrations“
• “Had to Phone Ya”
• “Happy Endings” (with Little Richard)
• “Help Me, Rhonda”
• “Here Comes the Night”
•  “Here Today”
• “Heroes and Villains”
• “Hey Little Tomboy”
• “Hold On Dear Brother”
• “Honkin’ Down the Highway”
• “Hot Fun in the Summertime”
• “I Can Hear Music”
• “I Can Hear Music” (with Kathy Troccoli)
• “I Get Around”
• “I Just Wasn’t Made for These Times”
• “In My Room”
• “Isn’t It Time”
• “It’s a Beautiful Day”
• “It’s About Time”
• “It’s Gettin’ Late”
• “It’s Just a Matter of Time”
• “It’s O.K.”
• “It’s OK”
• “Kiss Me, Baby”
• “Kokomo“
• “Lady Liberty”
• “Lady Lynda”
• “Let Him Run Wild”
• “Let’s Go Away for Awhile”
• “Little Bird”
• “Little Deuce Coupe”
• “Little Deuce Coupe” (with James House)
• “Little Saint Nick”
• “Livin’ with a Heartache”
• “Long Promised Road”
• “Love Surrounds Me”
• “Luau”
• “Male Ego”
• “Marcella”[F]
• “Never Learn Not to Love”
• “Oh Darlin'”
• “Only with You”
• “Peggy Sue”
• “Please Let Me Wonder”
• “Problem Child”
• “Problem Child” (Instrumental)
• “Rhapsody” (The Four Seasons)
• “Rock and Roll Music”
• “Rock ‘n’ Roll to the Rescue”
• “Sail On, Sailor”
• “Santa Ana Winds”
• “She Believes in Love Again”
• “She Knows Me Too Well”
• “Shut Down”
• “Slip On Through”
• “Sloop John B”
• “Solar System”
• “Somewhere Near Japan”
• “Still Cruisin'”
• “Sumahama”
• “Summer of Love”
• “Surfer Girl”
• “Surfin’ Safari”
• “Surfin’ U.S.A.”
• “Surfin'”
• “Surf’s Up”
• “Susie Cincinnati”
• “Susie Cincinnati”
• “Tears in the Morning”
• “Ten Little Indians”
• “Tequila Dreams” (Dave Grusin)
• “That’s Why God Made the Radio”
• “The Beach Boys Medley”
• “The Little Girl I Once Knew”
• “The Lord’s Prayer”
• “The Nearest Faraway Place”
• “The Warmth of the Sun”
• “There’s No Other (Like My Baby)”
• “This Whole World”
• “‘Til I Die”
• “TM Song”
• “Tutti Frutti” (Little Richard)
• “Wake the World”
• “When I Grow Up (To Be a Man)”
• “Why Do Fools Fall in Love”
• “Wild Honey”
• “Wind Chimes”
• “Wipeout!” (with The Fat Boys)
• “Wouldn’t It Be Nice”
• “You Need a Mess of Help to Stand Alone”
• “You’re So Good to Me”
• “You’re Welcome”