Surf City (song)
| "Surf City" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Jan and Dean | ||||
| from the album Surf City and Other Swingin' Cities | ||||
| B-side | "She's My Summer Girl" | |||
| Released | May 17, 1963 | |||
| Format | 7-inch single | |||
| Recorded |
March 20, 1963 Western Recorders Hollywood, California | |||
| Genre | Surf rock, pop | |||
| Length | 2:36 | |||
| Label | Liberty Records (#55580) | |||
| Writer(s) | Brian Wilson, Jan Berry | |||
| Producer(s) | Jan Berry for Screen Gems, Inc. | |||
| Jan and Dean singles chronology | ||||
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"Surf City" is a surf song written by Jan Berry (1941–2004) and Brian Wilson (b. 1942), which, as recorded by Jan and Dean, was a #1 hit record in July 1963 for two weeks.
The first draft of the song, with the working title "Goody Connie Won't You Come Back Home", was written by Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys. He gave it to Jan Berry and Dean Torrence of Jan and Dean who finished writing and recording it with Wilson in the early 1960s. Although Torrence contributed several phrases to the song, he never insisted that he be given writing credit. "Surf City" became the first surf song to reach number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in 1963.[1] The song also crossed to #3 on Billboard's R&B charts.
"Surf City" is one of a handful of Jan and Dean songs that used the group of leading studio musicians known as The Wrecking Crew. According to the American Federation of Musicians contract, these included:
- Billy Strange - guitar, arranger
- Ray Pohlman - guitar, leader
- Glen Campbell - guitar
- Bill Pitman - bass
- Hal Blaine - drums
- Earl Palmer - drums
Two drummers was a sound preference of arranger Billy Strange.[2]
The song was covered in late 1963 by Argentinian rock band "The Red Caps" as a part of television show El Club del Clan.
In 1991, after moving to Huntington Beach, California, Torrence helped convince elected officials that the town be officially nicknamed "Surf City".[1] As of 2009, more than 65 businesses in the city included "Surf City" as part of their name.
| Preceded by "Easier Said Than Done" by The Essex |
Billboard Hot 100 number one single July 20, 1963 (two weeks) |
Succeeded by "So Much in Love" by The Tymes |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Huntington Beach, California". Surf City USA web site. Huntington Beach Conference and Visitors Bureau. Retrieved 18 June 2012.
- ↑ "Phonograph Recording Contract" (PDF). The Wrecking Crew. American Federation of Musicians. Retrieved 18 June 2012.
External links
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