Endless Summer (album)

:"This article is about the Beach Boys album. For other uses, including the Donna Summer album, see Endless Summer". Infobox Album | Name = Endless Summer
Type = Compilation Album
Artist = The Beach Boys


Released = 24 June 1974 (US)
Recorded = April 1962 -
June 1965
(CD bonus track, "Good Vibrations": February-September 1966)
Genre = Rock
Length = 51:09
Label = Capitol Records
Producer = Brian Wilson
and Nick Venet
Reviews =
* Allmusic Rating|5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:umf2zf0heh5k link]
Last album =
This album = "Endless Summer"
(1974)
Next album = "Spirit of America"
(1975)

"Endless Summer" is a pop compilation album by The Beach Boys, released on June 24, 1974 (see 1974 in music).

A collection of hits from the pre-"Pet Sounds" period, "Endless Summer" (reportedly named by Mike Love), was compiled by their old label Capitol Records while The Beach Boys were contracted with Reprise Records. The compilation displays a number of oddities, including the inclusion of album versions of "Be True To Your School", "Help Me Ronda", and "Fun, Fun, Fun" instead of the hit-single versions, a difference which is subtle in the last case, but more prominent in the first two. Initial pressings of this album contained a poster depicting an airplane flying a Beach Boys banner. While the album is limited entirely to the band's sixties material, the cover artwork reflected the Beach Boys' seventies appearance.

"Endless Summer" is notable, however, for reclaiming the band's commercial glory at home, spending 155 weeks on the Billboard album chart, and peaking at #1, selling over three million copies.

Although released as a 'double album' (two LPs in a gatefold sleeve) in the USA, in the UK, the album was released on one LP with ten songs on each side.

Track listing

All songs by Brian Wilson/Mike Love, except where noted.

ide 1

#"Surfin' Safari" – 2:05
#"Surfer Girl" (Brian Wilson) – 2:26
#"Catch a Wave" – 2:07
#"The Warmth of the Sun" – 2:51
#"Surfin' USA" (Chuck Berry/Brian Wilson) – 2:27

ide 2

#"Be True to Your School" (Album Version) – 2:07
#"Little Deuce Coupe" (Brian Wilson/Roger Christian) – 1:38
#"In My Room" (Brian Wilson/Gary Usher) – 2:11
#"Shut Down" (Brian Wilson/Roger Christian) – 1:49
#"Fun, Fun, Fun" – 2:16

ide 3

#"I Get Around" – 2:12
#"Girls on the Beach" – 2:24
#"Wendy" – 2:16
#"Let Him Run Wild" – 2:20
#"Don't Worry Baby" (Brian Wilson/Roger Christian) – 2:47

ide 4

#"California Girls" – 2:38
#"Girl Don't Tell Me" – 2:19
#"Help Me, Ronda" – 3:08
#"You're So Good to Me" – 2:14
#"All Summer Long" – 2:06

Bonus CD track

#"Good Vibrations", was added to the end of "Endless Summer" in the 1980s for its CD edition.

"Endless Summer" (Capitol SVBB 11307) hit #1 in the US during a chart stay of 155 weeks.

The 2-record set was pressed with Side 1 backed with Side 4 and Side 2 backed with Side 3

The cassette version differs slightly as to the sequence of tracks. Side 1 features all tracks from Sides 1 & 2 in the same order plus "I Get Around" from Side 3. Side 2 includes the remaining tracks from Sides 3 & 4 in the same order with the exception of "Girls On The Beach" and "Wendy" which were "swapped".

The song "Help Me, Rhonda" included in this album was also featured as one of 2 Beach Boys tracks in a promotional-only various artists compilation album issued by Capitol records entitled "The Greatest Music Ever Sold" (Capitol SPRO-8511/8512), that was distributed to record stores during the 1976 Holiday season as part of Capitol's "Greatest Music Ever Sold" campaign, which promoted 15 "Best Of" albums released by the record label. "Dance, Dance, Dance" from "Spirit Of America" was the other Beach Boys song to be included.

Chart positions