The Allman's first band The Escorts didn't really leave much of a name for itself, but the group did have one triumphant moment when it opened for The Beach Boys. This means for the first time in the three year existence of this blog, I get to do the second album of a band. How fitting, too, that this band is the same one that opened this blog with the first tour stop. There are two other times before this that I came very, very close to choosing a second album: the first at stop number 59 when I chose P.P. Arnold's backing band, The Nice, over The Rolling Stones who helped give her her start; the second much more recently at stop number 148 where I chose Relient K's K Car connection over The Beach Boys through Barenaked Ladies's homage "Brian Wilson". I keep track of these things.
The first Beach Boys blog entry was so long ago, too, that it went without any historical backdrop (as has gradually become the norm), so I'll do a quick little bit of catch up. The Beach Boys start in Southern California and surround the musical talent and interest of Brian Wilson and his brothers, Carl and Dennis, imparted to them through their musical father Murry Wilson. Brian proved to have an ear (and only one as he was deaf in the other) for music and, in particular harmonies. He built up different variations of musical groups to try and find the right sound until he settled on the definitive line-up: Brian, Carl, and Dennis Wilson with their cousin Mike Love and friend Al Jardine. Although most of them didn't play any instruments, they'd pick them up over time: Brian (bass, piano), Carl (guitar), Dennis (drums), Mike (lead vocals, saxophone), Al (guitar).
The boys, then known as The Pendeltones, were locally successful and Murry, who became the group's de facto manager, set them up a try out for a local record company. Their initial rehearsal fell flat until Dennis Wilson interjected that the boys were writing their own material called "Surfin'" despite the fact that Brian's song had yet to be finished. This song would be The Pendeltones first single in 1961, except that the publishing company changed the group's name to The Beach Boys in order to cash in even more on the surfing craze of the 1960s. "Surfin'", effectively an independent and local release, became a surprise national hit and started off The Beach Boys into a very long career. 1962 had most of the boys finishing off high school (all members were around 18 or younger at the time) and recording their debut album Surfin' Safari. Another friend, David Marks, would join the band in these early years. Their unique sound, although grouped as surf rock, combined the intricate vocal harmonies of doo-wop groups, the guitar-driven songwriting of early rock and roll, and the popular subject matter of surf, sun, cars, and girls.
Their first album came out in late 1962 and their contract with Liberty Records quickly had The Beach Boys back in the recording studio early the next year. This recording session had the boys better solidify their sound and improve all around on their instruments, harmonies, and songwriting. They also recorded more surf instrumentals in order to combat the impression that The Beach Boys were not a real surf rock band. It is also said that Brian Wilson, for the first time, worked on producing the group's work with Nick Venet and got credit for the band's first use of double-tracking on the single, "Surfin' USA". The album, also titled Surfin' USA, would come out in March of 1963 hardly six months after their first album.
Now, that I have my first second album out of the way the possibilities are endless!! I could do a third album, or 137 other second albums, or some infinite amount of other debut albums... ridiculous. I keep track of these things.
Here is the discography surrounding The Beach Boys's second album:
Surfin' USA (1963 single)
Surfin'USA
"Shut Down" by The Beach Boys
"Surf Jam" by The Beach Boys
Pass the Headphones!!
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