The Beach Boys were the most successful American pop group of the 1960s. Over the decade, they celebrated the joys and agonies of teenage romance in a Californian setting of sun, sand, and surf. Their early singles had catchy, simple melodies and words, but the production techniques and harmony singing on these records was complex and sophisticated, making them sound fresh and exciting. As the decade progressed, the group’s musical ideas became more ambitious and innovative, with albums that attracted critical success but achieved lower sales.
The group was made up of Brian Wilson (b. June 20, 1942), his two brothers, drummer Dennis (b. December 4, 1944, d. December 28, 1983) and guitarist Carl (b. December 22, 1946, d. February 7, 1998), together with their cousin Mike Love (b. March 15, 1941) and neighbour Al Jardine (b. September 3, 1942). Brian Wilson was the most musically gifted of the group, despite being deaf in one ear. His particular talent was for intricate vocal harmony arrangements. He was deeply influenced by the work of producer Phil SPECTOR, who, in the early 1960s, had been creating hit singles that featured his trademark “Wall of sound,” such as the Ronettes’ “Be My Baby,” which Wilson cited as one of his favourite records. Like Spector, Wilson’s aim was to take simple, accessible teen pop songs and create a massive symphony of sound around them.
The Beach Boys’ first hit single was “Surfin,” released in 1961. Between 1962 and 1966, they went on to have over 30 major hits, including three that reached No. 1. The group had an appealing image as healthy, clean-living, ail-American boys having fun on the California coast. However, the reality was very different: none of the boys except Dennis actually liked surfing, and Brian especially was the antithesis of the fun-loving, sporty type.
By the middle of the decade, despite—or perhaps because of—the group’s huge success, problems had begun to surface. The group members were regularly experimenting with hallucinogenic drugs, and Brian Wilson suffered a nervous breakdown. It later emerged that Brian had for many years had a difficult relationship with his father, an amateur songwriter named Murray Wilson, who had scorned his son as effeminate and over-sensitive.
After his breakdown, Wilson stopped touring with the Beach Boys and worked only in the studio. In 1966, he recorded what many critics believe to be the band’s masterpiece, Pet Sounds, which has since been recognised as one of the most technically innovative albums of its time. The album appeared before the BEATLES’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, and Paul McCartney has acknowledged it as a major influence on that record and the Beatles’ direction from then on. Although the track “Good Vibrations,” was a No. 1 hit, Pet Sounds did not sell well. Brian Wilson began a collaboration album with lyricist Van Dyke Parks, but it was never finished. Later albums such as Wild Honey failed to impress the public. During the 1970s, Wilson became something of a recluse, although the Beach Boys—minus Brian—were still one of America’s top touring acts.
In 1988, the group had a No. 1 American hit with “Kokomo,” a song featured in the film Cocktail Compilations of the group’s hit songs also proved a huge commercial success. Two of the group are now dead: Dennis, who died as the result of a swimming accident, and guitarist Carl, who died in 1998. Having survived recurring mental illness, drug abuse, and legal wrangles, Brian Wilson continues to record intermittently as a solo artist. He is now regarded as one of the most influential figures in modern popular music.
Charlotte Greig
SEE ALSO:
DOO-WOP; POP MUSIC; PRODUCERS; SURF MUSIC
FURTHER READING
Gaines, Steven. Heroes and Villains (New York: Da Capo Press, 1995);
White, Timothy. The Nearest Faraway Place (London: Macmillan, 1996).
SUGGESTED LISTENING
All Summer Long; The Beach Boys Today!-, Friends; Pet Sounds; Smiley Smile; Sunflower; Surfs Up.