By Howie Edelson
Although renowned for being America’s foremost “Boys Of Summer” – there are plenty of autumnal winds blowing through The Beach Boys’ ageless career – especially in the 1960’s.
October 1st, 1962, saw the release of the band’s debut long player – Surfin’ Safari. Still a fan favorite and bona fide garage-rock classic, out of the gate this group made their mark with their first Top 40 LP and the early-’60s definitive call to arms in the Brian Wilson / Mike Love-written title track.
Fans were in for an unexpected treat during the fall of ’63 with a double shot of Beach Boys albums issued a scant 21 days apart – Surfer Girl and Little Deuce Coupe. It shows not only the brilliance of the music but the sheer prowess of the band that half an album of new songs (featuring “Spirit Of America” and “Ballad of Ole’ Betsy”) would see fruition just as listeners were reveling in classics like “Surfer Girl,” “In My Room,” and “Catch a Wave.” Three weeks later, the Boys returned to the Top 10 with their Wilson/Love anthem “Be True To Your School,” and also recorded rock’s most original Christmas song, “Little Saint Nick,” a holiday perennial for 60 years!
Fall ’64 will forever be remembered by the exuberant single “Dance, Dance, Dance” – driven by Carl Wilson’s forward-thinking riff – backed by Wilson / Love’s perfect ballad “The Warmth Of The Sun.” On October 29, 1964, The Beach Boys filmed their iconic appearance at The T.A.M.I. Show at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in front of 3,000 screaming fans – alongside Chuck Berry, The Supremes, James Brown, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, The Rolling Stones, Marvin Gaye, and more. The landmark film was the first theatrically released rock ’n’ roll concert movie and a testament to early-’60s rock’s power.
That same month, October 1964, saw the release of the band’s only 1960s chart-topper, the groundbreaking Beach Boys Concert. Among its highlights was Mike Love & the gang’s take on Bobby “Boris” Pickett’s “Monster Mash,” a Halloween favorite.
October 1965 found The Beach Boys finishing the Beach Boys Party! album and releasing “The Little Girl I Once Knew,” with TV appearances on NBC’s The Andy Williams Show and Jack Benny Hour.
Released October 10, 1966 was Brian Wilson’s most ambitious production to date, resulting in the band’s third Number One hit and first million-selling single. As Mike Love recalled: “I think 'Good Vibrations' was probably the height of our creativity in the '60s... Rolling Stone even called it 'Single of the Century.'”
October ‘66 also saw the SMiLE sessions in full swing with tracks like “Our Prayer,” “Heroes And Villains,” “Cabin Essence,” and more committed to tape.
On October 21, The Beach Boys premiered “Good Vibrations” live at Jenison Field House, while Brian Wilson supervised recordings at Ann Arbor’s Hill Auditorium – later released as Graduation Day 1966.
Weeks after the Smiley Smile album, October ’67 saw the band on tour and in the studio working on Wild Honey, recording favorites like “Darlin’,” “Time To Get Alone,” and more at Bellagio and Wally Heider.
The following October, sessions for the 20/20 album included “I Can Hear Music,” “Be With Me,” and their second appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show.
October 5, 1974: the beloved Capitol compilation Endless Summer became The Beach Boys’ only studio chart-topper on the Billboard 200, nearly a decade after their debut.
As Al Jardine noted, “Each song... conveys a certain optimism and reminds us of a more positive time.”
Enjoy the autumn leaves while you can—soon, fall breaks (and back to winter).