The Beach Boys

Released: July 13, 1964

Songwriter: Brian Wilson

Producer: Brian Wilson

[Verse 1]
Little Richard sang it and Dick Clark brought it to life
Danny and the Juniors hit a groove, stuck as sharp as a knife

[Chorus]
Well now do you remember all the guys that gave us rock and roll

[Verse 2]
Chuck Berry's got to be the greatest thing that's come along
(Hum diddy waddy, hum diddy wadda)
He made the guitar beats and wrote the all-time greatest song
(Hum diddy waddy, hum diddy wadda)

[Chorus]
Well now do you remember all the guys that gave us rock and roll
(Hum diddy waddy doo)

[Verse 3]
Elvis Presley is the king
He's the giant of the day
Paved the way for the rock and roll stars
Yeah the critics kept a knocking
But the stars kept a rocking
And the chopping didn't get very far
Goodness gracious great balls of fire
Nothing's really moving until the saxophone's ready to blow
(Do you remember, do you remember)
And the beat's not jumping until the drummer says he's ready to go
(Do you remember, do you remember)

[Chorus]

[Outro]
Let's hear the high voice wail (oooooooooo)
And hear the voice down low (wah-ah ah-ah)
Let's hear the background
Um diddy wadda, Um diddy wadda
Um diddy wadda, Um diddy wadda
They gave us rock and roll
Um diddy wadda, Um diddy wadda
They gave us rock and roll
Um diddy wadda, Um diddy wadda
They gave us rock and roll

The Beach Boys are one of the world’s best-selling bands of all time and the first American pop band to reach the 50-year milestone. Their vocal harmonies are among the most unmistakable and enduring of the rock and roll era.

Formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California, by Brian Wilson, his two brothers Carl and Dennis, their cousin Mike Love, and classmate Al Jardine, the group’s first single “Surfin'” got them signed to Capitol Records and they quickly became one of the most popular and successful artists of the surf music craze of the 1960s. From 1962 to 1966, The Beach Boys scored over twenty top 40 hits in the US including the chart-toppers “I Get Around”, “Help Me Rhonda” & “Good Vibrations” along with the top 5’s “Surfin USA”, “Fun, Fun, Fun”, “California Girls”, “Barbara Ann” & “Sloop John B”. Several of the band’s singles also found top 40 success in Canada, Australia, Sweden and the UK. In 1965, de facto leader Brian Wilson suffered a mental breakdown due to the stress of writing, producing & touring combined with substance abuse issues, causing him to step down and stop traveling with the band on tour.

Inspired by producer Phil Spector and The Beatles' Rubber Soul, Brian focused on studio work, determined to keep the group relevant as the surf music scene was fading with their 1966 album Pet Sounds. Despite tension between members in the studio about this new direction, lack of faith from the record label, mixed reviews, and comparatively lukewarm reception initially in the US, the album still found massive success in the UK and earned accolades from fellow artists including The Beatles, who acknowledged that the album was their inspiration to further push the boundaries of pop music with their landmark album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Eventually Pet Sounds would be acknowledged as one of the greatest albums ever recorded by several media outlets like The Times, Mojo Magazine, The Guardian, VH1, BBC and Rolling Stone.

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