Ten Years of Harmony

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Ten Years of Harmony
Ten Years of Harmony cover
Compilation album by The Beach Boys
Released 7 December 1981
Recorded Autumn 1969–February 1980
Except: "Surf's Up": backing track recorded November 1966
Genre Rock
Length 1:34:34
Label Brother/Caribou/CBS
Producer The Beach Boys, Brian Wilson, James William Guercio, Bruce Johnston, (except "River Song": Dennis Wilson and Gregg Jakobson)
Professional reviews
The Beach Boys chronology
Keepin' the Summer Alive
(1980)		 Ten Years of Harmony
(1981)		 The Beach Boys
(1985)

Ten Years of Harmony is an official double album compilation album released by The Beach Boys in 1981, and spanning their entire Brother Records-era up to that point, (1970–1980), including some unreleased or rare material.

The Beach Boys had more or less splintered in 1981. Far from lucid, Brian Wilson would occasionally appear on stage, primarily as a replacement for brother Carl, who was concurrently embarking on a solo career. Dennis Wilson would show up to occasional concerts, but would usually be argumentative and disruptive. Mike Love, Al Jardine, and Bruce Johnston were the only stable members of a band who now had a whole cast of supporting musicians when they performed live. But the release of Ten Years of Harmony kept the pretense going and, unexpectedly, the M.I.U. Album cover of "Come Go with Me" became a U.S. top-twenty hit when released as a single from this collection.

While taking tracks from 1970's Sunflower to the previous year's Keepin' the Summer Alive, the compilers also included some oddities, rarities, and unreleased tracks. First, a handful of the songs, namely "Rock and Roll Music" and "California Saga: California" are presented in their original single mix. Moreover, Ten Years of Harmony includes a 1979 A-side "It's a Beautiful Day" (which failed to chart), a Dennis Wilson-written track called "San Miguel" (which was a Sunflower-era outtake from 1969), a cover of "Sea Cruise", which was a rejected track from the 15 Big Ones sessions, and a selection from Dennis' solo album, Pacific Ocean Blue, "River Song".

Only the five original Beach Boys (Jardine, Brian, Carl, and Dennis Wilson, and Love) appear on the gatefold cover on the original LP issue. The group vetoed the use of a photo with Bruce Johnston, who had rejoined the group in 1978 after a six-year absence, and also declined a suggestion that Johnston appear in an inset on the already-chosen photo.

Ten Years of Harmony, now deleted, sold enough in its release to make #156 in the U.S.

Contents

[edit] Track listing

[edit] Disc one

  1. "Add Some Music to Your Day" (Brian Wilson/Mike Love/Joe Knott) – 3:34
  2. "Roller Skating Child" (Brian Wilson) – 2:16
  3. "Disney Girls (1957)" (Bruce Johnston) – 4:06
  4. "It's a Beautiful Day" (Mike Love/Al Jardine) – 3:15
    The longer version of this song was on the soundtrack to the film Americathon.
  5. "California Saga: California" (Al Jardine) – 3:13
    The original LP contains the single mix whereas the US CD reissue contains the album version.
  6. "Wontcha Come Out Tonight" (Brian Wilson/Mike Love) – 2:29
  7. "Marcella" (Brian Wilson/Jack Rieley) – 3:52
  8. "Rock and Roll Music" (Chuck Berry) – 2:26
    The original LP contains the single mix whereas the US CD reissue contains the album version.
  9. "Goin' On" (Brian Wilson/Mike Love) – 3:01
  10. "It's OK" (Brian Wilson/Mike Love) – 2:08
  11. "Cool, Cool Water" (Brian Wilson/Mike Love) – 3:24
  12. "San Miguel" (Dennis Wilson/Gregg Jakobson) – 2:25
    This song was recorded in 1969 during the very early sessions for Sunflower, but was unreleased until 1981.
  13. "School Day (Ring! Ring! Goes the Bell)" (Chuck Berry) – 2:46
  14. "Good Timin'" (Brian Wilson/Carl Wilson) – 2:10
  15. "Sail On, Sailor" (Brian Wilson/Ray Kennedy/Jack Rieley/Tandyn Almer/Van Dyke Parks) – 3:17

[edit] Disc two

  1. "Darlin'" (Brian Wilson/Mike Love) – 2:22
    This is the live version from the 1973 double album The Beach Boys in Concert. The original studio version appears on the 1967 album Wild Honey.
  2. "Lady Lynda" (Al Jardine/Ron Altbach) – 3:56
  3. "Sea Cruise" (H.P. Smith/Frankie Ford) – 3:25
    This was originally an outtake from the 15 Big Ones sessions.
  4. "The Trader" (Carl Wilson/Jack Rieley) – 5:04
  5. "This Whole World" (Brian Wilson) – 1:55
  6. "Don't Go Near the Water" (Al Jardine/Mike Love) – 2:38
  7. "Surf's Up" (Brian Wilson/Van Dyke Parks) – 4:10
  8. "Come Go with Me (C.E. Quick) – 2:06
    The original LP contains the correct album mix from M.I.U. Album whereas the US CD reissue contains a previously and since unreleased version originally recorded during the sessions for 15 Big Ones.
  9. "Deirdre" (Bruce Johnston/Brian Wilson) – 3:26
  10. "She's Got Rhythm" (Brian Wilson/Mike Love/Ron Altbach) – 2:26
  11. "River Song" (Dennis Wilson/Carl Wilson) – 3:44
    This is a Dennis Wilson recording from his 1977 Pacific Ocean Blue solo album.
  12. "Long Promised Road" (Carl Wilson/Jack Rieley) – 3:29
  13. "Feel Flows" (Carl Wilson/Jack Rieley) – 4:44
  14. "Til I Die" (Brian Wilson) – 2:39

[edit] Singles

Ten Years of Harmony (Brother/Caribou/CBS Z2X 37445) reached #156 in the U.S. during a chart stay of 6 weeks.

[edit] Sources

  • "The Nearest Faraway Place: Brian Wilson, The Beach Boys and the Southern California Experience", Timothy White, c. 1994.
  • "Wouldn't It Be Nice - My Own Story", Brian Wilson and Todd Gold, c. 1991.
  • "Top Pop Singles 1955-2001", Joel Whitburn, c. 2002.
  • "Top Pop Albums 1955-2001", Joel Whitburn, c. 2002.
  • All Music Guide.com
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