Take a Load Off Your Feet

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“Take a Load Off Your Feet”
Song by The Beach Boys
Album Surf's Up
Released August 30, 1971
Recorded January 1970
early 1971
Genre Pop
Length 2:29
Label Brother/Reprise
Composer Al Jardine, Brian Wilson, Gary Winfrey
Producer The Beach Boys
Surf's Up track listing
Long Promised Road
(2)
Take a Load Off Your Feet
(3)
Disney Girls (1957)
(4)


"Take a Load Off Your Feet" is a song written by Al Jardine, Brian Wilson and Gary Winfrey for the American pop band The Beach Boys. It was projected to be released on Add Some Music, an album which was to be released in 1970. After that album was reworked into Sunflower, "Take a Load Off Your Feet" was released on the next Beach Boys album, Surf's Up.

[edit] Composition

Gary Winfrey returned to California, after serving in the Air Force, in 1968. He and Al Jardine quickly rekindled a friendship that had begun back when both were in high school. Winfrey's wife Sandi was pregnant at the time, and her ankles were swollen. With the song Hair being popular at the time, somebody suggest writing a similar song about ankles. That song turned into "Take a Load Off Your Feet". Brian Wilson would later add some lyrics and help with the melody.

[edit] Recording

The first session for the song was during the Add Some Music sessions in January of 1970. The song was then put on hold until the early part of the next year. All of the sessions were held at Brian Wilson's home studio. Brian did the lead vocal on the first verse, before giving way to Jardine, who sang the rest of the song and also played bass guitar. The Beach Boys, with help from Winfrey, sang the backing vocals, and Brian added the sound effects.

[edit] See also