Beach Boys' Party!

Beach Boys' Party! is the third album release by The Beach Boys in 1965, and their eleventh overall. Recorded in the studio, it is presented as an impromptu live recording of a party, consisting of acoustic versions other artists' songs, notably, three by The Beatles. Recorded mainly to have something to offer for the lucrative Christmas season, Beach Boys' Party! turned out to be one of the band's most interesting albums.

In August, following the release of Summer Days (and Summer Nights!!) as leader Brian Wilson had already begun contemplating his next studio album - but conscious that he didn't want to rush it, Capitol Records requested a new album for the holiday season. A live album was a moot point (Beach Boys Concert having already filled that need), as was a Christmas album. The band didn't want to issue a greatest hits collection either, so after some deliberation, the idea was sprung to throw a party with The Beach Boys singing their favorite songs and it was considered an ideal solution.

Sporadically throughout September, Brian Wilson led the band and their friends through spirited renditions of current or older hits (including revisiting The Rivingtons' "Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow"). Although presented as a live recording, the individual songs were all cut carefully with laughter and background chatter all added on afterwards.

Among the highlights were versions of The Beatles' "Tell Me Why", in addition to The Everly Brothers' "Devoted To You", Phil Spector's "There's No Other (Like My Baby)" and a send-up of their own "I Get Around" and "Little Deuce Coupe". Beach Boys' Party! was meant as a fun album created without having to have a hit single. The reason for this was that Brian Wilson was readying "The Little Girl I Once Knew" for single release concurrently with the album. But things turned out differently than planned.

Despite its brilliance, the new single's inventive use of silence didn't please radio programmers, causing "The Little Girl I Once Knew" to stop at US #20. The last track of Party!, a cover of The Regents's "Barbara Ann" was promptly issued, edited down, on single and stunned everyone when it became a #2 smash in early 1966.

Beach Boys' Party! served its purpose, reaching #6 in the US (though it never went gold) and filling the void that would have otherwise remained empty. More importantly, it gave Brian Wilson more time to devise what he was going to do for The Beach Boys' next album, something that became clearer to him once he heard The Beatles' Rubber Soul that December.

Unexpectedly, Beach Boys' Party! and its surprise hit single became The Beach Boys' biggest successes yet in the UK, both reaching #3 in early 1966 and suddenly making them stars in The Beatles' homeland.

Track Listing

"Hully Gully" (Fred Smith/Cliff Goldsmith) - 2:22
"I Should Have Known Better" (John Lennon-Paul McCartney) - 1:40
"Tell Me Why" (John Lennon-Paul McCartney) - 1:46
"Papa Oom Mow Mow" (Carl White/Al Frazier/Sonny Harris/Turner Wilson Jr.) - 2:18
"Mountain Of Love" (Harold Dorman) - 2:51
"You've Got To Hide Your Love Away" (John Lennon-Paul McCartney) - 2:56
"Devoted To You" (Bodlieaux Bryant) - 2:13
"Alley Oop" (Dallas Frazier) - 2:56
"There's No Other (Like My Baby)" (Phil Spector/Leroy Bates) - 3:05
"Medley: I Get Around/Little Deuce Coupe (Brian Wilson/Mike Love/Roger Christian) - 3:12
"The Times They Are A-Changin'" (Bob Dylan) - 2:23
"Barbara Ann" (Fred Fassert) - 3:23
- Featuring Dean Torrence of Jan and Dean on co-lead vocal with Brian Wilson

Singles

"The Little Girl I Once Knew" b/w "There's No Other (Like My Baby)" (Capitol 5540), 8 November 1965 #20

("The Little Girl I Once Knew" never featured on a regular Beach Boys studio album)

"Barbara Ann" b/w "Girl Don't Tell Me" (from Summer Days (and Summer Nights!!) (Capitol 5561), 20 December 1965, US #2; UK #3

Beach Boys' Party! is now paired on CD with Stack-O-Tracks with bonus instrumental tracks.

Beach Boys' Party! (Capitol (D)MAS 2398) hit #6 in the US during a chart stay of 24 weeks. It reached #3 in the UK in March 1966.