Beach Boys Sessiongraphy
Last updated: 13th August 1998
written and compiled by Snopes
(mikkelson@breakr.enet.dec.com)
HTML-ized and expanded by John McIver
(john@sabotage.demon.co.uk)
This sessionography lists all Beach Boys tracks recorded between 1961-81
that have been officially released. It does not include tracks that were
recorded but remain unreleased, or tracks that appear on
less-than-legitimate releases (i.e., bootlegs). This list covers all
tracks that were released under the name "Beach Boys", regardless of how
many members actually appeared on the recording; it does not include songs
that were released on solo albums by the various members.
In cases where the group released more than one version of a song, the
alternate versions are listed separately. I have only noted alternate
versions when the two versions of the songs differ in both the
instrumental and vocal tracks (such as the two versions of "Help Me,
R[h]onda"). I have not made any effort to list all the various mixes or
other slight differences in songs (such as the single and LP versions of
"Fun, Fun, Fun) that have appeared over the years. I have footnoted
tracks that are somewhat obscure; the footnotes detail which releases
contained the tracks in question.
An accurate sessionography of the tracks recorded from the "Pet Sounds"
era onward is extremely difficult. Many tracks were started but not
finished until years later; fragments of songs were often combined or
incorporated into other tracks that were recorded at widely-varied times.
In general, tracks are listed under the recording date of the earliest
session involved in the production of any portion of the track.
Recording date
9-61
10-03-61
02-08-62
Judy
Beach Boy Stomp (aka "Karate")
Surfin' Safari
Surfer Girl (*B)
03-08-62
Barbie
What Is A Young Girl Made Of (*C)
04-19-62 (Capitol Demo Tape)
Surf + Safari (unreleased?) - one of these is the released version of Surfin' Safari
Surf + Safari (unreleased?)
Judy (unreleased?)
Lonely Sea
409 (on tape box as Four-Oh-Nine)
Their Hearts Were Full of Spring (Demo)
08-08-62
Ten Little Indians
Chug-A-Lug
The Shift
09-05-62
County Fair
Heads You Win, Tails I Lose
Cuckoo Clock
Moon Dawg
09-06-62
Little Girl (You're My Miss America)
Summertime Blues
Land Ahoy
09-13-62
1963
Surfin' U.S.A. (Demo Version)
Little Surfer Girl
Things We Did Last Summer
01-02-63
01-31-63
Surfin' USA
Farmer's Daughter
Shut Down
Lana
02-11-63
Misirlou
Noble Surfer
Honky Tonk
Let's Go Trippin'
02-12-63
Stoked
Surf Jam
Finders Keepers
03-07-63
06-12-63
Surfer Girl
Little Deuce Coupe
07-16-63
Catch A Wave
The Surfer Moon
South Bay Surfer
The Rocking Surfer
In My Room
Hawaii
Surfer's Rule
Our Car Club
Your Summer Dream
Boogie Woodie
09-02-63
Ballad Of Ole' Betsy
Be True To Your School (LP version)
Car Crazy Cutie
Cherry, Cherry Coupe
Spirit Of America
No-Go Showboat
A Young Man Is Gone
Custom Machine
Sep 63
Be True To Your School (45 version)
Pamela Jean (*1)
After The Game (*1)
11-06-63
Nov 63
Little Saint Nick
The Lord's Prayer
12-21-63
Long, Tall Texan
In My Room
Let's Go Trippin'
The Wanderer
Hawaii
Graduation Day (all live) (*2)
01-01-64
Fun, Fun, Fun
The Warmth Of The Sun
01-07-64
Why Do Fools Fall In Love?
02-20-64
Pom Pom Play Girl
Don't Worry Baby
In The Parkin' Lot
This Car Of Mine
"Cassius" Love Vs. "Sonny" Wilson
Denny's Drums
Keep An Eye On Summer
Shut Down, Part II
Louie Louie
03-03-64
In My Room (German version) (*4)
04-02-64
I Get Around
Little Honda
Little Honda (alternate version)
04-29-64
Hushabye
We'll Run Away
Carl's Big Chance
Wendy
Drive-In
Don't Back Down
Don't Back Down (alternate version)
05-06-64
All Summer Long
Do You Remember?
Our Favorite Recording Sessions
05-19-64
06-08-64
06-22-64
Don't Hurt My Little Sister
July 64
Little Saint Nick
The Man With All The Toys
Santa's Beard
Merry Christmas, Baby
Christmas Day
Frosty The Snowman
We Three Kings Of Orient Are
Blue Christmas
White Christmas
Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town
I'll Be Home For Christmas
Auld Lang Syne
08-01-64
Fun, Fun, Fun
The Little Old Lady From Pasadena
Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow
Little Deuce Coupe
Monster Mash
Don't Worry Baby
I Get Around
Johnny B. Goode (all live) (*3)
08-05-64
When I Grow Up (To Be A Man)
09-09-64
I'm So Young (alternate version)
09-16-64
All Dressed Up For School
09-22-64
Dance, Dance, Dance (alternate version)
10-09-64
12-16-64
01-07-65
01-08-65
Help Me, Ronda (LP version)
01-11-65
01-13-65
Good To My Baby
In The Back Of My Mind
Bull Session With "Big Daddy"
01-18-65
02-24-65
03-30-65
Salt Lake City
Let Him Run Wild
Let Him Run Wild (alt. version)
04-06-65
04-30-65
05-03-65
05-05-65
Amusement Parks, U.S.A.
Graduation Day
05-15-65
05-24-65
The Girl From New York City
You're So Good To Me
I'm Bugged At My Ol' Man
And Your Dreams Come True
07-12-65
Sep 65
Beach Boys Party (album)
Ruby Baby (Party LP Outtake)
10-13-65
The Little Girl I Once Knew
Nov 65
11-17-65
01-18-66
01-22-66
01-24-66
01-31-66
02-09-66
I Know There's An Answer
Hang On To Your Ego
02-14-66
I Just Wasn't Made For These Times
02-15-66
03-06-66
03-09-66
03-10-66
March 1966
04-03-66
Don't Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder)
Apr 66
Good Vibrations
Good Vibrations (alternate version) (*4)
May 66
Heroes And Villains
Heroes And Villains (alternate version)
08-03-66
09-01-66
09-19-66
10-03-66
10-18-66
10-22-66
Good Vibrations (Live at Michigan State University)
12-15-66
03-01-67
Heroes and Villains (Intro) (a.k.a. Fire Intro)
04-12-67
05-16-67
Jul 67
Vegetables
She's Goin' Bald
Fall Breaks And Back To Winter
Little Pad
With Me Tonight
Wind Chimes
Gettin' Hungry
Wonderful
Whistle In
You're Welcome (*5)
08-25-67
Heroes And Villains
Their Hearts Were Full Of Spring (live) (*6)
Sep 67
Oct-Nov 67
Aren't You Glad
I Was Made To Love Her
Country Air
A Thing Or Two
Darlin'
I'd Love Just Once To See You
Here Comes The Night (#1)
Let The Wind Blow
How She Boogalooed It
Mama Says
With A Little Help From My Friends (*4)
The Letter (*4)
09-29-67
Bluebirds Over The Mountain
Feb 68
Mar 68
Friends
Wake The World
Be Here In The Morning
Passing By
When A Man Needs A Woman
Apr 68
Meant For You
Anna Lee, The Healer
Be Still
Busy Doin' Nothin'
Diamond Head
Transcendental Meditation
05-26-68
Walk On By
Old Folks At Home
Jun 68
Do It Again
I Went To Sleep
06-20-68
The Nearest Faraway Place
09-11-68
Never Learn Not To Love
We're Together Again
10-01-68
10-02-68
11-11-68
11-18-68
Cotton Fields (version 1) (*7)
11-21-68
11-30-68
All I Want To Do (live) (*4)
12-01-68
circa 1969
Jan 69
Cotton Fields (version 2) (*7)
02-25-69
03-31-69
May 69
Late 69
Add Some Music To Your Day
Susie Cincinnati
Rel. 6/70
This Whole World
Slip On Through
Rel. 8/70
Got To Know The Woman
Deirdre
It's About Time
Tears In The Morning
All I Wanna Do
Forever
Our Sweet Love
At My Window
1970
Good Time
When Girls Get Together
Oct 70
Wouldn't It Be Nice (live) (*8)
Early 71
Mid 71
Don't Go Near The Water
Disney Girls
Take A Load Off Your Feet
Student Demonstration Time
Feel Flows
Lookin' At Tomorrow
A Day In The Life Of A Tree
'Til I Die
Cool, Cool Water
1971
Dec 71
You Need A Mess Of Help To Stand Alone
Here She Comes
He Come Down
Apr 72
Marcella
Hold On, Dear Brother
All This Is That
Jun-Sep 72
Steamboat
California Saga
The Trader
Leaving This Town
Only With You
Funky Pretty
Mount Vernon And Fairway
We Got Love (*9)
11-28-72
Winter 72 - Summer 73
The Beach Boys In Concert (album)
1973
Fall 74
1974
Child Of Winter
Here Comes Santa Claus
Fall 75
Jan-May 76
I Wanna Pick You Up
Rock And Roll Music
Had To Phone Ya
Chapel Of Love
Everyone's In Love With You
Talk To Me
Peggy Sue
Tallahassee Lassie
That Same Song
TM Song
Palisades Park
A Casual Look
Blueberry Hill
In The Still Of The Night
Just Once In My Life
Come Go With Me
Fall 1976
Let Us Go On This Way
Roller Skating Child
Mona
Johnny Carson
Honkin' Down The Highway
Solar System
The Night Was So Young
I'll Bet He's Nice
Let's Put Our Hearts Together
Airplane
Love Is A Woman
Hey, Little Tomboy
My Diane
Early 77
Fall 1977
She's Got Rhythm
Kona Coast
Wontcha Come Out Tonight?
Sweet Sunday Kinda Love
Belles Of Paris
Pitter Patter
Match Point Of Our Love
Winds Of Change
Spring 78
Summer 78
Jul-Nov 78
Lady Lynda
Full Sail
Angel, Come Home
Love Surrounds Me
Sumahama
Here Comes The Night (#2)
Baby Blue
Goin' South
Summer 79
Nov 79 - Jan 80
Keepin' The Summer Alive
Oh, Darlin'
Some Of Your Love
Livin' With A Heartache
Goin' On
Endless Harmony
Footnotes:
- (*A)
"Surfin'" and "Luau" were originally released on the X and Candix labels
(X-301 and Candix-301,331). The liner notes from the Capitol "Surfin'
Safari" CD claim that the song "Surfin'" was re-recorded for the Beach
Boys' first album. This is not true. The version of "Surfin'" that
appears on the "Surfin' Safari" album is the original X/Candix version
speeded up one whole tone.
- (*B)
"Judy" and "Beach Boy Stomp" have appeared on discs issued by various
small record labels. The versions of "Surfin' Safari" and "Surfer Girl"
recorded at this session were intended for release on the Candix label,
but the single was not issued because the group had already signed with
Capitol records. These songs were subsequently re-recorded for their
Capitol releases.
- (*C)
"Barbie" and "What Is A Young Girl Made Of" were vocals supplied by Brian,
Carl, Al, and the Wilsons' mother Audree to pre-recorded instrumental
tracks in order to fulfill a contractual obligation to their original
label after the boys signed with Capitol (see footnote B above). The
single was released under the name Kenny and the Cadets on the single
Randy-422.
All the tracks mentioned in the footnotes above can be found on the DCC CD
"The Beach Boys/Lost and Found (1961-62)" (DCC DZS-054).
- (*1)
"Pamela Jean" b/w "After The Game" was released by Capitol as a single by
a group called The Survivors. This group was either the Beach Boys or
Brian Wilson and friends, most likely the latter. "Pamela Jean" was later
re-worked as "Car Crazy Cutie"
- (*2)
These tracks from the "Beach Boys Concert" LP were recorded at a 1963
concert, according to the book "Surf's Up". The Capitol CD booklet claims
all the tracks on the album were recorded at a 1964 concert. I believe
the former is correct.
- (*3)
Tracks from the "Beach Boys Concert" LP.
- (*4)
Tracks from "The Beach Boys Rarities" Capitol LP (Capitol ST-512293). This
album is currently available on a Japanese CD.
- (*5)
Tracks recorded in 1966-67 for the original "Smile" album. Some of these
tracks appeared on the "Smiley Smile" LP, and others turned up with
portions re-recorded on subsequent Beach Boys albums.
- (*6)
These two tracks were part of a proposed live album recorded in Hawaii in
1967. The album was never released, and these two songs later turned up
as CD bonus tracks.
- (*7)
Two versions of "Cotton Fields" were recorded. The first version was
produced by Brian Wilson, and the second version was produced by Al
Jardine. The latter version can be distinguished by its use of a pedal
steel guitar.
- (*8)
This track was recorded live at the Big Sur Folk Festival and was released
on the "Celebration" LP (Ode SPX 77008).
- (*9)
The studio version of "We Got Love" was released only on early German
pressings of the "Holland" album.
Sources:
"Surf's Up -- The Beach Boys On Record"
Brad Elliott, Pierian Press, 1982. ISBN 0-87650-118-8
Booklets included with Capitol CD re-issues (1990).
Booklet included with DCC "Lost and Found" CD.
Paul W. Urbahns, 1991.
Please feel free to send any amendations, corrections, comments, or
accolades to
mikkelson@breakr.enet.dec.com
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Last updated: 13th August 1998