Legends of Rock & Roll: The Beach Boys

By James Hoag

Welcome to another in the Legends of Rock & Roll series.

This is, like the others, really a mini-biography of one the greatest of American bands, The Beach Boys. To the author, it is the music that is the most important.

The author has had a lifelong passion for the music of the Fifties and Sixties and Pop music in general. He enjoys listening to the music of rock and roll and enjoys writing about the people who created it. This series is his way of honoring the artists that have brought so much joy to our lives over the years.

It is an unauthorized fan tribute.

The Beach Boys has been writing and performing since 1961. They were raised in California (where else) and developed into the nations number
one band. They appealed to the teenagers of the day by singing about sun, surf, cars and girls.

The Beach Boys have had a rocky career and while the fame was hard on them at times, they became one of the most beloved bands in American
music. Their album "Pet Sounds", while not being recognized as the masterpiece it was in the beginning, eventually became the number two
greatest album of all time.

The Chapters include:

Introduction - Remarks about The Beach Boys in general and a kick-off for the book
Before The Beach Boys - a brief biography of the five original members of the band
The Beach Boys Are Born - The coming together of the five and their first recordings
"Surfin'" - The first recording, not a big hit, but a start
The Band Comes Together - Their first recording contract resulting in their first album
"Surfin' Safari" - The second album, what do the Beach Boys and Chuck Berry have in common?
"Surfer Girl" - The third album and the beginning of problems in the group
"Little Deuce Coupe" - One of their famous car songs and the fourth album
The British Invasion - How did the Beatles and other English groups affect the Beach Boys?
Brian's Breakdown - Brian Wilson finally stops performing and retreats to his studio
"Pet Sounds" - What is the story behind one of the greatest albums of all time?
The Lost Album: "Smile" - Why the followup to "Pet Sounds" never really materialized
Charles Manson - What does Manson and the Beach Boys have in common?
New Label - Brother/Reprise - Leaving Capitol and starting their own label
"Endless Summer" - Their first album to become number one
"15 Big Ones" - The return of Brian Wilson
Difficult Years - Brian drops deeper into mental illness
The Eighties - What did President Reagan think of the Beach Boys?
"Kokomo" - Their last number one record ... so far
Getting Back Together - The reunion in 2006
50th Anniversary Tour and New Album - Bringing the band up to the present
Legacy of The Beach Boys - Every Legends book has a Legacy section where we review the awards and contributions of the artist
Afterword - My closing thoughts
Discography - A list of the major work by The Beach Boys

• Language: English
• Publisher: James Hoag
• Release date: May 5, 2016
• ISBN: 9781310995194

James Hoag

James Hoag has always been a big fan of Rock & Roll. Most people graduate from high school and then proceed to "grow up" and go on to more adult types of music. James got stuck at about age 18 and has been an avid fan of popular music ever since. His favorite music is from the Fifties, the origin of Rock & Roll and which was the era in which James grew up. But he likes almost all types of popular music including country music.After working his entire life as a computer programmer, he is now retired and he decided to share his love of the music and of the performers by writing books that discuss the life and music of the various people who have meant so much to him over the years.He calls each book a "love letter" to the stars that have enriched our lives so much. These people are truly Legends.

Book preview

Legends of Rock & Roll – The Beach Boys

By

James Hoag

~~~

Smashwords Edition

Copyright © 2012 by James Hoag

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Cover by James Hoag

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Publishers Notes

Disclaimer

Legends of Rock & Roll – The Beach Boys Copyright 2012 James Hoag.

All rights reserved.

No parts of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems without written permission from the publisher. The only exception is for a reviewer. A reviewer may quote brief passages in a review.

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Table of Contents

Introduction

Before The Beach Boys

The Beach Boys Are Born

Surfin’

The Band Comes Together

Surfin’ Safari

Surfer Girl

Little Deuce Coupe

The British Invasion

Brian’s Breakdown

Pet Sounds

The Lost Album: Smile

Charles Manson

New Label – Brother/Reprise

Endless Summer

15 Big Ones

Difficult Years

The Eighties

KoKomo

Getting Back Together

50th Anniversary Tour and New Album

Legacy of The Beach Boys

Afterword

Selected Discography

About the Author

Introduction

Anyone who has read any of the other Legends of Rock & Roll series knows that I am not a surfer. I grew up in Michigan, and the only waves in Michigan are those on TV. Oh, how I longed to move to California and partake in the scene out there. Of course, my body was shaped more like a pear than a surfer dude, but I still wanted to try it. In the Sixties, when the Beach Boys came on the scene along with Jan & Dean and The Ventures and other bands that played the music of California, I was into it big time. Let’s go surfin’ now, everybody’s learning how… was playing on every radio station that I listened to.

I was out of high school by this time and in the Air Force, but that didn’t keep me from listening to the great music of the Beach Boys. Of course, the boys didn’t just sing about surfing. There were also cars. Do you remember what a Woodie was? And, you couldn’t go to the beach without your best girl, so a lot of Beach Boy songs are about romance and doing right by your best girlfriend.

The original Beach Boys was made up of five guys, Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, who were all brothers. They were joined by Mike Love, a cousin and a friend Al Jardine. Their vocal harmonies were easy to recognize, and they swiftly became a super band. They were probably the one single band from America that gave the most competition to the Beatles. Let’s follow the career of one of the best and most beloved bands in America. The Beach Boys still perform and while the personnel have changed over the years, the music remains the same.