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The Beach Boys - Surfin' Safari

The Beach Boys

Surfin' Safari

Released: June 3rd, 1962

Tracks The Beach Boys

The events we write about at Gaslight Records happened in some form or another 50 years ago to the day. Roll along with us and imagine you are back in 1974.

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"Early in the morning we'll be startin' out, some honey's will be coming along. We're loading up our woody with our boards inside and headin' out singing our song."Lyrically, early Beach Boys material depends almost exclusively on the topical grounds of being a free wheeling beach bum; they effectively projected the carefree, politically detached attitude of the 50′s/early 60′s American youth and with early singles like 'surfin' safari', it struck a chord big time.

Surf rock was a burgeoning genre under the likes of Dick Dale and his Mosrite guitar twang. However, it wasn't until the Boys came along in 62 with their intrinsically Californian lyrical approach, nice guy attitudes, and teen-pop sensibilities that the genre really hit the broader national consciousness. The release of George Lucas's American Graffiti, which features this tune prominently, could also be credited for the propulsion.

Where the Beach Boys – particularly Brian Wilson – displayed almost unparalleled skills even as early as 1962, was in their arrangement of vocal harmonies. Wilson was truly a master at heightening the pay-off points throughout any given tune by layering a number of different and enthralling vocal textures.

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