Surfin' Safari

Surfin' Safari
Studio album by The Beach Boys
Released October 1, 1962
Recorded October 3, 1961, April 19, August 8, September 5–6, 1962
Genre Surf rock
Length 24:53
Label Capitol
Producer Nick Venet (except "Surfin'", Hite Morgan, and "Surfin Safari" & "409", Murry Wilson)
The Beach Boys chronology
Surfin' Safari
(1962)
Surfin' USA
(1963)
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic [1]
Rolling Stone [2]

Surfin' Safari is the debut album by The Beach Boys, released in 1962. Surfin' Safari is now paired on CD with Surfin' USA with bonus tracks from the period. Surfin' Safari peaked at #32 in its 37-week run on the US charts. It would be the lowest charting Beach Boys album until Smiley Smile in 1967.

Contents

History

In the autumn of 1961, cousins Brian Wilson and Mike Love composed a song on surfing, titled "Surfin'" at the behest of Brian's younger sibling, Dennis Wilson. They quickly formed a band, bringing in the youngest Wilson brother Carl on lead guitar and Brian's high school friend Al Jardine on rhythm guitar. Brian took up bass, Dennis the drums and Mike would be the frontman, while they all would harmonize vocals arranged by Brian. Released that December, produced by Hite Morgan, and backed by "Luau", "Surfin'" made #75 in the US Top 100 in early 1962.

Father Murry Wilson became the band's manager. He submitted a professionally-recorded demo tape to Capitol Records that spring. The Beach Boys were signed and "Surfin' Safari" b/w "409" (from the April 1962 demo tape) was released as a single that June. Al Jardine left the band before the demo session, to be replaced by a friend of Carl's, David Marks, until the fall of 1963. With both "Surfin' Safari" and "409" becoming hits (the former reaching US #14), Capitol Records approved a full album. Brian Wilson, who regularly collaborated with Mike Love and Gary Usher, contributed the songs that made up the bulk of the LP.

Surfin' Safari, despite the official credit to Nick Venet, was reportedly produced by Brian Wilson. The second single, "Ten Little Indians", was less successful, reaching only number 49, with Brian feeling that "Chug-A-Lug" would have made a far better follow-up. Though Mike and Brian are the most prominent singers, Dennis makes his first vocal appearance on "Little Girl (You're My Miss America)".

In the UK, the album wasn't released until April 1963, and failed to chart.

Front cover artwork

The front sleeve features the five-piece band on the beach at Paradise Cove, north of Malibu. The picture was taken by in-house Capitol photographer Ken Veeder.

Track listing

Side one
No. Title Writer(s) Lead vocals Length
1. "Surfin' Safari"   Brian Wilson/Mike Love Love 2:05
2. "County Fair"   B. Wilson/Gary Usher Love 2:15
3. "Ten Little Indians"   B. Wilson/Usher Love 1:26
4. "Chug-A-Lug"   B. Wilson/Usher/Love Love 1:59
5. "Little Girl (You're My Miss America)"   Vincent Catalano/Herb Alpert Dennis Wilson 2:04
6. "409"   B. Wilson/Usher/Love Love 1:59
Side two
No. Title Writer(s) Lead vocals Length
1. "Surfin'"   B. Wilson/Love Love 2:10
2. "Heads You Win - Tails I Lose"   B. Wilson/Usher Love 2:17
3. "Summertime Blues"   Eddie Cochran/Jerry Capehart Carl Wilson and David Marks 2:09
4. "Cuckoo Clock"   B. Wilson/Usher B. Wilson 2:08
5. "Moon Dawg"   Derry Weaver instrumental 2:00
6. "The Shift"   B. Wilson/Love Love 1:52

Musicians

References

Sources