Surf City (song)
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| "Surf City" | |
|---|---|
| Single by Jan and Dean | |
| from the album Surf City (#7314) | |
| B-side | She's My Summer Girl |
| Released | June 1963 |
| Format | vinyl single |
| Genre | surf rock, pop |
| Length | 2:42 |
| Label | Liberty Records (#55580) |
| Writer(s) | Brian Wilson, Jan Berry |
| Producer | Jan Berry |
"Surf City" is a surf song written by Jan Berry and Brian Wilson, which, as recorded by Jan and Dean, was a #1 hit record in July 1963 for two weeks.
The first draft of the song, with the working title "Goody Connie Won't You Come Back Home", was written by Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys. He gave it to Jan Berry and Dean Torrence of Jan and Dean who finished writing and recording it with Wilson in the early 1960s.[citation needed] Although Torrence contributed several phrases to the song, he never insisted that he be given writing credit.[citation needed] "Surf City" became the first surf song to reach number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in 1963.[1] The song also crossed to #3 on Billboard's R&B charts.
Surf City is one of a handful of Jan and Dean songs that used the group of leading studio musicians known as The Wrecking Crew. According to the AFM (Freelance Musicians) contracts, these included:
- Billy Strange - guitar, arranger
- Ray Pohlman - guitar, leader
- Glen Campbell - guitar
- Carol Kaye - guitar
- Bill Pittman - bass
- Hal Blaine - drums
- Earl Palmer - drums
Two drummers was a sound preference of arranger Billy Strange. [2]
In 1991, after moving to Huntington Beach, California, Torrence helped convince elected officials that the town be officially nicknamed "Surf City".[1] As of 2009, more than 65 businesses in the city included "Surf City" as part of their name.
The Ramones covered "Surf City" on their album Acid Eaters. The Go-Go's sang a cover version at An All-Star Tribute to Brian Wilson (2001). They substituted the lyrics "Two girls for every boy" with "Two boys for every girl". The Meteors sang a cover version as well. The Beach Boys have also covered the song in their live concerts.[3]
| Preceded by "Easier Said Than Done" by The Essex |
Billboard Hot 100 number one single July 20, 1963 (two weeks) |
Succeeded by "So Much in Love" by The Tymes |
References
- ^ a b "About HB". Surf City USA web site. Huntington Beach Conference and Visitors Bureau. http://www.surfcityusa.com/huntington-beach-vacation/legend.aspx.
- ^ http://www.wreckingcrewfilm.com/afmcontracts/Jan+Dean_SurfCity.pdf
- ^ http://members.tripod.com/~fun_fun_fun
External links
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