The Beach Boys

Released: October 31, 2011

Songwriter: Brian Wilson

Producer: Alan Boyd Mark Linett

Dennis:
Hey, I have a- This police-officer-friend-of-mine said he could play a song on his, uh electric siren.

Jim Hockman:
"Bag of Tricks" Take 1.

Brian:
Okay, here we go. Count it out.

Carl:
You can- you can do melody with a touch- touch tones too.

Brian:
One, two. One, two, three...

[Bag of Tricks: Take 1]

Brian:
Is it too loud?

Jim Hockman:
Well you wouldn't where is, ah...it looks like the woodblock is a little too loud I mean, so you might...

Brian:
Okay, so I’ll turn it- I'll stand over here. Alright, here we go. Let's...

Al:
Not you, Brian.

Jim Hockman:
No, not you, Brian. No, I think it’s, ah, woodblock.

Brian:
Oh, Mike. Are we ready? Could we lock the outside doors to the studio, please? Nothing- nothing coming into the studio. They gotta be at least two doors away from where- where we are now.

Carl:
Here we go. One, two. One, two, three...

[Bag of Tricks: Take 2]

Brian:
What's the matter man? I think it's a little too loud. Just don't- a little bit softer.

Claude Sherry:
Yeah, I wish I can get it soft. It's hard to get it soft.

Brian:
Let me hear it. It's okay. It's- it's a good sound, man. Let’s go! Come on.

Claude Sherry:
I could lower it:

Jim Hockman:
Take 7!

Brian:
Hey, listen. Remember one thing, there’s no rules to this because...

Alan Robinson:
Is this mic on, right here? Okay.

Brian:
Here we go.

Bruce:
Sounds like, someone eating vegetables.

Brian:
One, two. One, two, three...

[Bag of Tricks: Take 7]

Jim Hockman:
Take 2.

Brian:
One, two. One, two, three...

[Bag of Tricks: Take 2]

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.

more tracks from the album

The Smile Sessions

From the album

The Smile Sessions (2011)

The Beach Boys popular songs

Heroes and Villains: Bag of TricksThe Beach Boys

The Beach Boys

The Smile Sessions