Wednesday, July 04, 2007

This Day In Music History: The Beach Boys and I Get Around



July 4th 1964, on this day in music history, the Billboard chart was topped by America's Band, the Beach Boys with I Get Around. The Beach Boys lived and promoted the American dream and often preformed on theFourth of July.

As many people know the Band was from California and originally consisted of the Wilson Brothers, Brian, Carl and Dennis, their cousin Mike Love and Brian Wilson's high school frined Al Jardine. When the Wilson boys parents were on vacation in Mexico the boys went to see music publishers Hite and Doreen Morgan about recording a song. The five boys had formed a group and were always singing on weekends at the Wilson house and felt ready to record.

Now here is where I have heard two versions of the story. The Morgans only wanted original material so the boys sat down right there and wrote the song Surfin' in their office and recorded it two days later. However, another story I read was that the song lyrics were written by Brian as a poem in his English class and later the song was finished in the Morgans office. I don't know which one is true but I am guessing it was the second one.

The group needed a new name. They were currently called the Pendletones but a promotion man, Russ Regan, for Candix records suggested the name the Beach Boys. The name stuck and Surfin' became a local hit.

Later, with the Wilson brothers father, Murray, acting as their manager they were signed to Capitol records. They had many hits for Capitol but never a #1. Brian had co-written a #1 hit for their friends Jan and Dean with the song Surf City but the Beach Boys always came up short. Until they recorded I Get Around.

I believe the beginning of the end of the group actually started duing the recording session for I Get Around. Sure the group lasted for decades and had many hits over the years but this was a family band. It was during these recording sessions where Brain and his Dad got into an arguement in the recording studio. Brian shoved his Dad and Murray left the recording studio never to return. Later, in tears, Brian apologized to Murray saying he only wanted to make I Get Around sound perfect.

The song was also the first of many hits overseas. When Mick Jagger returned to England he bragged about the Beach Boys on a British TV show. This helped push I Get Around to the top ten in England. It was the first time the Beach Boys had a top ten hit there.
If you want the 45 pictured above you can buy it here.

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