Decade after decade, The Beach Boys – the ambassadors of a universal "endless summer" – continue to play a HUGE part in every year's holiday season. It was over 60 years ago, on November 9th, 1964, that the perennial holiday collection, The Beach Boys' Christmas Album, was released and helped redefine what a yuletide album could mean during rock's most exciting era.
The Brian Wilson-produced set dropped only three weeks after their soon-to-be chart-topping Beach Boys Concert collection. The album was constructed to honor music lovers both young and old — something The Beach Boys could do simply by crowding around a microphone. Featuring the group's already classic 1963 Christmas favorite "Little Saint Nick," The Beach Boys' Christmas Album was specifically designed as a family affair, becoming an instant fan favorite. As the eggnog flowed, it played a significant role in introducing a broader fanbase to the group's talents.
Brian Wilson recalled aiming to please everyone around the Yule Log for the band's first Christmas album by having one musical foot on either side of the generational divide:
"We more or less made one side (of the album) in our own style and the other side in a more traditional style. Dick Reynolds, arranger for The Four Freshmen, handled the arrangements on the traditional side of the album, and I did the arrangements on the other side. Dick did a wonderful job. He was like a god to me. My memory of recording that album was that it was a really happy time for us. It took about a month to record at Western. I liked that studio because they had good-sounding bass and good-sounding highs."
Al Jardine remembered the historic sessions starting out as a case of trial and error:
"I remember singing with the orchestra. We set up a mic in Studio A at Capitol, and it was terribly difficult to sync up with the orchestra. That was our first problem with recording the Christmas Album, because we (usually) played to a rhythm section and there was no rhythm section there – just an orchestra and a conductor and a baton, and that didn't work. So, they recorded the basic tracks of the orchestra and we went in and did the overdubs afterwards."
It was 13 years later, in November 1977, when The Beach Boys tackled their second Christmas-themed project at Maharishi International University in Fairfield, Iowa.
With the Iowa Christmas album sessions, The Beach Boys made their first extended break from recording in Los Angeles since their legendary move to Europe to record 1973's Holland. Mike Love felt that getting the band out of town was important to reinvigorate the creative process:
"The whole idea was, 'Let's go somewhere.' We figured Maharishi International University would be a nice getaway in a nice environment in which we could be creative as a group."
At the time, Mike shed light on how the process worked in Iowa:
"The thing is about writing songs, at least with The Beach Boys, everything isn't totally set when we walk in the studio. I kinda like it that way because it leaves a certain amount of spontaneity. When you do it by yourself, that's one expression. But when you write and you're communicating with another person, we challenge each other's syllables (laughs). It's just amazing. And there's a certain amount of on-the-spot creativity that I really like about recording."
Out now is The Beach Boys' 2025 EP collection - A Little Saint Nick Christmas With The Beach Boys. The digital package includes such evergreens as the Brian Wilson / Mike Love classic "Little Saint Nick," with "Frosty The Snowman," "I'll Be Home For Christmas," "Melekalikimaka" -- from the 'Boys '77 Iowa sessions -- and is rounded out with "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town," another favorite from the 1964 holiday collection.
December Beach Boys Highlights
December has always remained a busy time for The Beach Boys. Take a look at but a few of the group's most memorable "December Moments" over the past 60 years. . .
Capitol issues "Barbara Ann" from the then-recent Beach Boys' Party! LP backed with "Girl Don't Tell Me." The single goes on to peak at Number Two in the New Year.
The Beach Boys play on New Year's Eve at Tacoma, Washington's UPS Fieldhouse with support from Gary Lewis & The Playboys, The Yardbirds, The Beau Brummels, Vejitables, Alexys, and The Mojo Men.
While Brian Wilson remains in Los Angeles working on the group's SMiLE album, The Beach Boys score their third Number One hit with "Good Vibrations." Within four days of release, the record sold over 230,000 copies in America and went on to become the group's first million-selling single.
The Beach Boys close out 1966 in Northern California's Bay Area, hitting San Francisco's Civic Auditorium, topping a bill featuring the soon-to-be legendary Jefferson Airplane, The Seeds, Sopwith Camel, Music Machine, and The Royal Guardsmen.
With no less than John Lennon and George Harrison in the house, The Beach Boys perform in Paris, France, at the UNICEF Variety Gala at L'Olympia Bruno Coquatrix. Also appearing are Lena Horne, Victor Borge, Johnny Halliday, Ravi Shankar, Marlon Brando, Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, and Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. It was during rehearsals for the show that the band first met and connected with the famed guru.
The Brian Wilson / Mike Love-penned single "Darlin'" b/w "Country Air" single and the Wild Honey album are released.
The Beach Boys kick off an 11-date European tour in Great Britain at The London Palladium.
At brother Brian Wilson's home studio in Bel Air's Bellagio Drive, Dennis Wilson records the demo for his long-unreleased classic "(Wouldn't It Be Nice To) Live Again" under the working title, "Dennis' Piano Interlude."
Dennis Wilson and Beach Boys sideman Daryl Dragon, billed as Dennis Wilson & Rumbo, release the single, "Sound Of Free" – co-written with Mike Love – backed with "Lady." Although never released in the U.S., the seven-inch was issued on EMI's Stateside label in Britain.
During The Beach Boys' concert at Long Beach, California's Long Beach Arena, the then-reclusive Brian Wilson appeared onstage to play organ while the band's manager and collaborator Jack Rieley sang the pair's "A Day In The Life Of A Tree" – their beautiful curio from the band's then-recent Surf's Up album. To date, it remains the only live performance of the group's infamous deep cut.
The Beach Boys finally made their long-awaited debut at New York City's Madison Square Garden, with Bruce Johnston returning to join the band for the final songs of the night. The show, which included a rare performance of "Little Saint Nick," marked Blondie Chaplin's final gig as a Beach Boy.
Months before joining forces for the historic 1975 "Beachago" tour, The Beach Boys (minus Dennis) perform with Chicago on ABC's New Year's Rockin' Eve. The pre-recorded appearance was taped the previous month in L.A. at MGM Studios. The 'Boys lip-synched vocals on their hit Chicago team-up, "Wishing You Were Here," while Chicago supplied horns on "Darlin.'" The Beach Boys also performed "Surfer Girl" and "Good Vibrations" -- with the track finally escaping the vaults for its eventual release on 2006's Hallmark collection, Songs From Here And Back.
The Beach Boys celebrated both their 15th anniversary and New Years with a sold-out hometown concert in front of 20,000 fans at The Forum in Los Angeles.
The Beach Boys wrapped the year hard at work on their L.A. (Light Album) -- their first album as part of their new deal with CBS/Caribou Records. In both Los Angeles and Monterey, they laid down tracks for their disco remake of 1967's "Here Comes The Night," Dennis' "Love Surrounds Me," Carl's "Full Sail," Al and Brian's "Santa Ana Winds," Carl's "Goin' South," and Mike's "Sumahama."
While recording their first album of the 1980s -- Keepin' The Summer Alive -- the band closed out the decade with a session at Red Barn Studios on Al Jardine's Big Sur, California ranch by tracking the Brian Wilson / Mike Love co-write "Some Of Your Love."
The Beach Boys (minus Bruce Johnston) sit for a rare group interview on ABC's Good Morning America.
Ahead of their upcoming 20th anniversary, the band performs live on a beach for the first time in Honolulu, Hawaii, while appearing on the syndicated Mike Douglas Show. The program, which featured the band performing "California Girls" and "Help Me, Rhonda," aired the following day.
The Beach Boys receive their star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
CBS/Caribou releases the double-album collection, Ten Years Of Harmony. The decade-spanning set features choice cuts – including several rarities and two unreleased tracks. The album garners The Beach Boys a surprise Top 20 hit, when the Al Jardine-driven cover of The Del-Vikings' "Come Go With Me" peaks at Number 18 in early 1982.
The group tapes their star-studded silver anniversary celebration, The Beach Boys: 25 Years Together on Waikiki Beach, Hawaii. Musical guests included The Everly Brothers, Ray Charles, Glen Campbell, Three Dog Night, Belinda Carlisle, Paul Shaffer, Jefferey Osborne, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, and Gloria Loring. The special, which closed with a then-still-unreleased Brian Wilson song, "The Spirit Of Rock And Roll," aired on ABC on March 13th, 1987.
Have a wonderful holiday season and a happy and healthy New Year.
Here's to a fantastic 2026 with some mind-blowing projects and career celebrations on the horizon!!!
P.S. - Don't forget to Add Some Music To Your YEAR!!!