Surfer Girl - WikiHQ

Surfer Girl is the third album by the American rock band the Beach Boys, released September 16, 1963 on Capitol Records. It is largely a collection of surf songs. The LP reached number 7 in the U.S. and number 13 in the UK. Lead single "Surfer Girl", backed with "Little Deuce Coupe", was also a top 10 hit. It is also the band's first release with founding member Al Jardine since their debut single, "Surfin'".

This was the first album that officially credited Brian Wilson with production. It was also the first in which he used a string section (on "The Surfer Moon") and employed Wrecking Crew session musicians (on "Hawaii" and "Our Car Club"). Original member Al Jardine, who had been replaced by David Marks in February 1962, rejoined the band during the recording of this album and contributed to recording some of its songs. The band featured a six-man lineup from this point until Marks departed in October 1963.

Surfer Girl was certified gold by the RIAA in November 1965, indicating over 1,000,000 copies sold. In 2017, it was ranked the 193rd greatest album of the 1960s by Pitchfork.

Background

thumb|upright|left|The Beach Boys at a March 1963 photoshoot. Here, they abandoned their former [[Pendleton Woolen Mills|Pendleton image in favor of matching black suits. From top: Brian Wilson, Carl Wilson, Dennis Wilson, David Marks, Mike Love.]]

The Beach Boys had become the preeminent vocal and instrumental group in America thanks to their hit single, "Surfin' U.S.A.", and the massive success of the following album of the same name. This granted Brian Wilson the leverage to convince Capitol to allow him full control over the band's productions, an unprecedented move in the music industry. Capitol signed Wilson's new girl group, the Honeys, which signaled the label's commitment to surf music.

In addition to his work with the Honeys, Wilson was focused on writing or production work with Jan and Dean and Bob Norberg. With Wilson still resistant to touring, he had ex-member Al Jardine rejoin the group as his replacement at the band's concerts from April ongoing. Jan and Dean released Jan & Dean Take Linda Surfing in the meantime, which featured the Wilson brothers and David Marks as guests on the tracks "Surfin'" and "Surfin' Safari".

Production

Wilson produced Surfer Girl at Western Studio in Hollywood from approximately May 9 to July 16, 1963. He recalled some of the sessions lasting up to "nine and ten hours, unheard-of periods of time." The 1990 CD liner notes state that the album's ten songs were recorded in one day, but this is unlikely, and since the American Federation of Musicians contracts have been lost, the exact dates and studios are not definitely known.

"The Surfer Moon" was the first Beach Boys recording with a string section. Having recruited members of the Wrecking Crew to help realize his productions with the Honeys, this album also marked the first occasion that those musicians were enlisted for certain Beach Boys tracks – specifically, on two songs, "Hawaii" and "Our Car Club". Mike Love's sister Maureen played harp on "Hawaii" and "Catch a Wave".

Retrospective assessments

Surfer Girl was ranked number 193 on Pitchforks list of the greatest album of the 1960s. Highlighting tracks such as "In My Room" and "Surfer Girl", contributor Quin Moreland wrote in the entry that "Wilson began to probe the wistfulness at his core, hinting at further genius to come."

In Richie Unterberger’s review of the album in AllMusic, he highlights "In My Room" as the most significant track. He praises "Little Deuce Coupe" and "Catch a Wave", which he asserts "could have been a substantial hit single on its own merits", and the title track. The remainder of the album he disregards as "surprisingly mediocre filler". Unterberger called "Your Summer Dream" "the most interesting of the obscure tracks" due to its "unusual harmonies".

Music historian Scott Schinder identified Surfer Girl as an advancement in "Brian's continuing growth as a composer and producer." He cited "Catch a Wave" as Wilson's "most ambitious surf number to date" and "In My Room" as "a startling demonstration of Brian's willingness to confront his fears in song."

Track listing

Notes

Mike Love was not originally credited for "Catch a Wave" and "Hawaii". His credits were awarded after a 1994 court case.
Some reissues of the album omit "Little Deuce Coupe" and "Our Car Club".