| "Sail on, Sailor" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by The Beach Boys | ||||
| from the album Holland | ||||
| B-side | Only with You | |||
| Released | January 29, 1973 March 10, 1975 |
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| Format | Vinyl | |||
| Recorded | Brian Wilson's home studio November 28, 1972 |
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| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 3:18 | |||
| Label | Brother/Reprise | |||
| Writer(s) | Brian Wilson, Van Dyke Parks, Tandyn Almer, Ray Kennedy, and Jack Rieley | |||
| Producer | Carl Wilson | |||
| The Beach Boys singles chronology | ||||
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"Sail On, Sailor" was the final song recorded for the 1973 Beach Boys album Holland. The song was written by Brian Wilson, Ray Kennedy, Tandyn Almer, Jack Rieley, and Van Dyke Parks.
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When the Beach Boys submitted the original version of Holland to Warner Brothers in October 1972, the album was rejected by the company for lacking a potential hit single. After discussion among Warner executives, an associate, Van Dyke Parks, said that he had a tape of a song that he had co-written with Brian Wilson entitled "Sail On, Sailor." Warner then told the Beach Boys to drop what the company perceived as the weakest track, "We Got Love," and replace it with the Wilson-Parks tune. The song eventually featured contributions (some dating back from 1971) from Ray Kennedy and Tandyn Almer, and underwent some lyrical revision from Beach Boys manager Jack Rieley.
Vocals for "Sail On, Sailor" were recorded in late October 1972, some time after the Beach Boys had left Holland. However, Brian Wilson was not involved at all with the song's recording sessions, leaving the basic track to be recorded by Brian's brother Carl and ex-Flame and then-Beach Boys members Ricky Fataar and Blondie Chaplin. The lead vocal was first attempted by Dennis Wilson, who sang the vocal once before leaving to go surfing. Carl was the next to attempt a vocal, but he then suggested that Chaplin make an attempt. After two takes, Carl decided that Chaplin's vocal would feature as the lead.
"Sail On, Sailor" was released as a single in 1973, backed with "Only with You." However, the single only reached #79 on the singles charts. "Sail On, Sailor"/"Only with You" was re-released in 1975, and ended up charting higher, at #49.
Statements by Parks on Wilson's message board, however, suggest that the song was not really worked on by Wilson, but rather that Wilson gave him a few chords with a small melody. Parks states that part of the reason it was so heavily stressed to be a mostly Wilson composition (indeed, Parks had to sue to gain any credits at all) is because Warner Brothers had demanded Wilson return to writing music and to the front of the band—something Wilson was not willing to do.
It has also been stated by former Beach Boys engineer and mixer Steven Desper that the song was actually completed just after the release of Surf's Up in late 1971. The song was then remixed and a Blondie Chaplin vocal was re-recorded onto the original track.
The song has been done live very rarely. Blondie Chaplin performed the song during the 1973 tour. In later years the song was performed by longtime backing musicians Billy Hinsche and Bobby Figueroa. When neither was present Carl Wilson would sing lead vocals on the song.
The song has been covered by many musicians over the years.
The song was also covered by:
The song was featured in Martin Scorsese's Academy Award-winning film The Departed, and on the motion picture soundtrack CD.