"
Surfer Girl" is the title of a
songA song is a metrical composition intended or adapted for singing, especially one in rhymed stanzas; a lyric; a ballad....
written and sung by
Brian WilsonBrian Douglas Wilson is an American musician, best known as the leader and chief songwriter of the rock group The Beach Boys...
for
The Beach BoysThe Beach Boys are an American rock band. Formed in 1961, the group gained popularity for its close vocal harmonies and lyrics reflecting a Southern California youth culture of cars, surfing, and romance...
. It was released as a single and it then appeared on the 1963 album of the same name,
Surfer GirlSurfer Girl is the third studio album by The Beach Boys and their second longplayer in 1963. This was the first album by The Beach Boys for which Brian Wilson was given full production credit, a position Wilson would maintain until the end of the Smile sessions in 1967...
. The B-side of the single was
Little Deuce Coupe"Little Deuce Coupe" is a song written by Brian Wilson and Roger Christian. The song first appeared as the b-side to The Beach Boys' 1963 single "Surfer Girl"...
. The single was the first Beach Boys record to have Brian Wilson officially credited as the producer.
Written solely by Brian Wilson, the song is one of his very first compositions.
"
Surfer Girl" is the title of a
songA song is a metrical composition intended or adapted for singing, especially one in rhymed stanzas; a lyric; a ballad....
written and sung by
Brian WilsonBrian Douglas Wilson is an American musician, best known as the leader and chief songwriter of the rock group The Beach Boys...
for
The Beach BoysThe Beach Boys are an American rock band. Formed in 1961, the group gained popularity for its close vocal harmonies and lyrics reflecting a Southern California youth culture of cars, surfing, and romance...
. It was released as a single and it then appeared on the 1963 album of the same name,
Surfer GirlSurfer Girl is the third studio album by The Beach Boys and their second longplayer in 1963. This was the first album by The Beach Boys for which Brian Wilson was given full production credit, a position Wilson would maintain until the end of the Smile sessions in 1967...
. The B-side of the single was
Little Deuce Coupe"Little Deuce Coupe" is a song written by Brian Wilson and Roger Christian. The song first appeared as the b-side to The Beach Boys' 1963 single "Surfer Girl"...
. The single was the first Beach Boys record to have Brian Wilson officially credited as the producer.
Composition
Written solely by Brian Wilson, the song is one of his very first compositions. Although the song is sometimes referred to as a tribute to his then girlfriend Judy Bowles, this is untrue as the song wasn't written with anyone particular in mind. The meter of the song is identical to "
When You Wish upon a Star"When You Wish upon a Star" is a popular song written by Ned Washington and Leigh Harline and introduced in the 1940 Walt Disney movie Pinocchio, where it is sung by Cliff Edwards in the character of Jiminy Cricket, over the opening credits and again in the final scene of the film...
".
Brian explained the genesis of the song: "Back in 1961, I'd never written a song in my life. I was nineteen years old. And I put myself to the test in my car one day. I was actually driving to a hot dog stand, and I actually created a melody in my head without being able to hear it on a piano. I sang it to myself; I didn't even sing it out loud in the car. When I got home that day, I finished the song, wrote the bridge, put the harmonies together and called it 'Surfer Girl'."
Recording
The band first recorded the song at World Pacific Studios on February 8, 1962 which was one of the band's first ever recording sessions. However, the recordings from that session, engineered by Hite Morgan, would ultimately remain unreleased until later archival releases.
The instrumental track as well as the vocals for the officially released version were recorded at Western Recorders on June 12, 1963. The session was produced by Brian; the first song, along with "Little Deuce Coupe", to be credited as a Brian production. The musicians on the track are
David MarksDavid Lee Marks is a songwriter and musician. He is best known as being a member of The Beach Boys from February 1962 to October 1963, a period of time that established the band as a top-rate American rock group.- Early Biography :...
and
Carl WilsonCarl Dean Wilson was an American rock and roll singer and guitarist, best known as a founding member, lead guitarist and sometime lead vocalist of The Beach Boys. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.-Beach Boys career:Wilson played the Chuck Berry-esque guitar parts on...
on guitar; Brian Wilson on bass guitar and Dennis Wilson on drums. The finished instrumental track can be heard on the 1968 release
Stack-O-TracksStack-O-Tracks is an album release by The Beach Boys containing the backing tracks to fifteen of their songs spanning their career to that point. Considered little more than a penny pincher when it came out, Stack-O-Tracks turned out to be a very educational album for those wanted to know what went...
. The song is sung by the group - Mike Love, Carl & Dennis Wilson - with a prominent vocal by Brian. Also recorded during that session was "Little Deuce Coupe".
Single release
The "Surfer Girl" single backed with "Little Deuce Coupe" was released under Capitol Records in the United States on July 22, 1963. The single entered the
Billboard chart on August 3 and it would then hit the Top 40 on August 17 at the number 28 position. After the single had been on the charts for six weeks it peaked at number 7 on September 14, 1963. The single also peaked in the U.S.
Billboard R & B chart at number 18 in September 1963. In 1969 the World Pacific Studios sessions recording of the song was issued on Era Records as a single with another artist on the B-side, thus seeing the first official release of the early Surfer Girl recording. The single however failed to make any impact on the charts. Years later, in May 2003, the song was released on an EP under Capitol Records along with "
Surfin' USA"Surfin' U.S.A." is the title of a song with lyrics written by Brian Wilson for The Beach Boys, set to the melody from Chuck Berry's Sweet Little Sixteen. Berry has sole credit for composing the song. "Surfin' USA" was recorded by The Beach Boys released as a single on March 4, 1963 and it also...
", "
Don't Worry Baby"Don’t Worry Baby" is a song written by Brian Wilson and Roger Christian, produced by Wilson and first recorded by the Beach Boys. The band's version, a tender ballad with falsetto lead vocal by Brian, was first released on their 1964 album Shut Down Volume 2. It was also released as the B-side of...
" and "The Beach Boys Medley". However the record failed to chart.
In Australia the single peaked at number 8 on the charts in October 1963 and thus became the band's second top 10 hit in Australia.
Album and alternate releases
The song was first released on an album in 1963 on the band's
Surfer Girl album.
The early World Pacific Studios recordings of the song were eventually released on CD in 1991 on the archival release
Lost & Found (1961-62)Lost & Found is a Beach Boys compilation album which was released in 1991 under DCC Compact Classics record company. The album contains some of the early recordings the band did before they were signed to their first major record label, Capitol Records.-Track listing:#"Luau" – 1:46#"Surfin'"...
as well as subsequent re-issues of that album which featured alternate album titles. A binaural mix of the song was released on the 1998 compilation
Endless Harmony SoundtrackEndless Harmony Soundtrack is an anthology album of previously unheard material by The Beach Boys, originally released by Capitol Records in August 1998. Named for Bruce Johnston's song on the 1980 album Keepin' the Summer Alive, it was designed as a tie-in with the band's biographical documentary...
. This mix featured the instrumental recording on one channel and the vocal recording on the other channel.
Live versions
The first live version of the song to be released was on the band's 1973 live album
The Beach Boys in ConcertThe Beach Boys in Concert is the second official live album by The Beach Boys, nine years after Beach Boys Concert...
which featured Alan Jardine on lead vocal and Billy Hinsche on the falsetto vocal. In 1980, a live rendition was recorded, though not released until 2002 on the
Good Timin': Live at Knebworth England 1980Good Timin': Live at Knebworth England 1980 is a CD release of a concert performance by The Beach Boys at the aforementioned venue in June 1980...
live album. Footage from the concert was also released on video and DVD format. Another live recording of the song from a concert in 1989 was released on the 2006 album
Songs from Here & BackSongs From Here & Back is a 2006 live album by The Beach Boys released through Hallmark Gold Crown Stores and only available for two months...
. There is also a live rehearsal of the song on the
Good Vibrations box setGood Vibrations: Thirty Years of The Beach Boys is a 1993 boxed set released by Capitol Records which collects tracks spanning The Beach Boys' entire career to that point on four CDs. A fifth disc contains mostly studio session tracks, complete vocal and instrumental tracks, and rare live...
.
The band performed a live version of the song at the NBC Television Studios in
Burbank, CaliforniaBurbank is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The estimated population in 2007 was 107,921.Burbank is located in two distinct areas, with its downtown, civic center and key neighborhoods nestled on the slopes and foothills that rise to the Verdugo Mountains, and other areas...
which was filmed on March 14, 1964. Footage of the concert was later released on the DVD
The Lost Concert. The band also performed the song on
The T.A.M.I. ShowThe T.A.M.I. Show is a 1964 concert film, released by American International Pictures. It includes performances by numerous popular rock and roll and R&B musicians from the United States and England...
which was filmed at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium on October 28 and 29, 1964 and featured other top artists of the day such as
Chuck BerryCharles Edward "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter.Chuck Berry is one of the pioneers of rock and roll music...
,
Marvin GayeMarvin Pentz Gay, Jr., better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and instrumentalist with a three-octave vocal range. Starting as a member of the doo-wop group The Moonglows in the late fifties, he ventured into a solo career after the group disbanded in 1960...
,
The SupremesThe Supremes, an American female singing group, were the premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s.Originally founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, The Supremes' repertoire included doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway show tunes, psychedelic soul, and disco...
,
James BrownJames Joseph Brown , originally James Joseph Brown, Jr., also known as "The Godfather of Soul", was an American entertainer. He is recognized as one of the most influential figures in 20th century popular music and was renowned for his vocals and feverish dancing...
&
The Famous FlamesThe Famous Flames was an R&B vocal group founded by Bobby Byrd that performed with James Brown during the early years of his career. On recordings such as "Please, Please, Please", "Try Me", "Think"," I Don't Mind ","Shout and Shimmy", "Bewildered", "Oh Baby, Don't You Weep", and "I'll Go Crazy"...
and
The Rolling StonesThe Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in 1962 in London when multi-instrumentalist Brian Jones and pianist Ian Stewart were joined by vocalist Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards. Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early lineup...
. The concert was released as a film in 1964 featuring the Beach Boys performance. However, After the initial showing of the film Brian insisted that the band's performance be cut from the film. Because of a rights dispute the footage of the Beach Boys' performance does not appear in most versions of The T.A.M.I. Show. The footage was eventually released on the DVD Sights of Summer included with the special 2004 edition of
Sounds of Summer: The Very Best of The Beach BoysSounds of Summer: The Very Best of The Beach Boys is a 2003 compilation of music by The Beach Boys released through Capitol Records. This collection is the most expansive compilation ever issued of their music, with 30 tracks clocking in at over 76 minutes and grabbing nearly every US Top 40 hit of...
.
Brian Wilson released a live version of the song on his 2000 live album
Live at the Roxy TheatreLive at the Roxy Theatre is a live album released by Brian Wilson in 2000. After a successful period of touring following the release of Imagination, Wilson decided to record his first ever live solo album...
. Al Jardine also released a live version of the song on his
Live In Las Vegas solo album.
Cover versions
- The Sentinals
The Sentinals were a surf rock band from San Luis Obispo, California .Notable for Latino influence in some works such as "Latin'ia" .Drummer John Barbata later played with Jefferson Starship and The Turtles....
on their 1964 album Surfer Girl
- Hollyridge Strings covered the song instrumentally on their 1966 album The Beach Boys Song Book, Volume 2
- The Fantastic Baggys
The Fantastic Baggys were a surf and hot rod group, created by P.F. Sloan and Steve Barri. The studio group released several successful singles under the leadership of Sloan and Barri, most well-known for the more popular duo Jan & Dean...
on their 1966 album Ride The Wild Surf
- Little Joe Shaver & Devil Dog on their 1976 album Sing the Hits of the Beach Boys
- Papa Doo Run Run
Papa Doo Run Run is a band from California, United States, that specializes in covers of songs from the heyday of “surf music” in the 1960s.-History:...
on their 1985 album California Project
- Phranc
Phranc is an American singer-songwriter whose career has spanned several decades.-Biography:She began her performing career in the late 1970s and early 1980s punk scene in Los Angeles...
on her 1991 album Positively Phranc
- Cathedral City Project in 1994
- Pere Ubu
Pere Ubu is an experimental rock music group from Cleveland, Ohio.Père Ubu may also refer to:* Ubu, the enigmatic central figure of a series of French plays by Alfred Jarry, including Ubu Roi, and subsequent plays Ubu Cocu and Ubu Enchaîné...
on the 1995 album Ray Gun SuitcaseRay Gun Suitcase is Pere Ubu's tenth studio album, which finds them returning both to indie labels, and, after a string of slickly produced, pop-oriented albums, the darker, more complex sonic landscape associated with their earlier work.-Director's Cut:...
- Don Grusin
Don Grusin , is an American songwriter, producer and keyboardist. He holds a Masters Degree in Economics from the University of Colorado and for a period of his life taught at the National Autonomous University of Mexico as well as at Foothill College, California before deciding to enter the music...
on the 1997 tribute album Wouldn't It Be Nice: A Jazz Portrait Of Brian Wilson
- Philip Aaberg
Philip Aaberg is an American jazz keyboardist and composer who gained international recognition through a series of successful piano recordings released on Windham Hill Records. Although classically trained, Aaberg incorporates classical, jazz, blues, bluegrass, rock, and new music elements into...
& Scott MathewsScott Mathews is a multi-platinum selling music producer, composer, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist.-Scott as Producer, Performer, Songwriter:...
on the 1997 various artists compilation Summer Solstice: A Windham Hill Collection
- Fred Simon on his 1998 album Fred Simon's Interpretation of The Beach Boys
- John B. & The Surfin´ Safaris on their 2002 album A Tribute to the Beach Boys
- Scott Cain
Scott Cain is the winner of the third Australian Popstars competition in 2002.In his earlier years he was a member of a band named Funkapation, who released the album Peanut Butter Brick in 2000. In the same year Funkapation competed in the Hastings Valley Battle of the Bands earning Scott the...
on his 2004 album Roller CoasterRoller Coaster is the second album, released in 2004, by Scott Cain, singer-songwriter and winner of Australian Popstars 2002. It was released on the ABC Kids label and is targeted at children, but is lyrically relatively adult and not dissimilar to his debut album, Controlled Folly...
Paul SimonPaul Frederic Simon is an American singer-songwriter. He entered the public consciousness in 1965 as part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel, along with longtime artistic partner Art Garfunkel. Simon solely wrote most of duo's songs, including such memorable songs as "The Sound of Silence", "The Boxer",...
sang a cover version of the song at
An All-Star Tribute to Brian Wilson in 2001, which was later released on DVD.
OC TimesOC Times is a barbershop quartet affiliated with the Barbershop Harmony Society; they received second place silver medals at the International Barbershop Quartet Contest at Denver's Pepsi Center on July 7 2007, and won the International Quartet Championship on July 5, 2008 in Nashville, Tennessee...
caused consternation at the 2007 International convention of the Barbershop Harmony Society by singing a barbershop
arrangement of this song.
Charts
| Chart (1963) |
Peak
position |
| Australian Singles Chart |
8 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 |
7 |
| U.S. Billboard R&B Best Sellers |
18 |