Heads You Win–Tails I Lose

"Heads You Win–Tails I Lose" is a song written by Brian Wilson and Gary Usher for the American rock band The Beach Boys. It was released on their 1962 album Surfin' Safari.[1]

"Heads You Win–Tails I Lose"
Song by The Beach Boys
from the album Surfin' Safari
ReleasedOctober 1, 1962 (1962-10-01)
RecordedSeptember 6, 1962 (1962-09-06)
Capitol Studios
GenreSurf rock
Length2:17
LabelCapitol
Songwriter(s)Brian Wilson
Gary Usher
Producer(s)Nik Venet

Composition

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According to lyricist Gary Usher, "Heads You Win–Tails I Lose" resulted from an effort to turn contemporary expressions into songs.[2] The song is in AABA form. In the A sections, the typical doo-wop chord patterns are split in half, and then repeated: I-vi-I-vi-IV-V-IV-V. The B section is a more traditional pattern, much like other songs from Surfin' Safari.[3]

Recording

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"Heads You Win–Tails I Lose" was recorded at the last Surfin' Safari session, on September 6, 1962.[4] While Nik Venet is officially credited as producer, some of the participants claim that Brian Wilson did the production work.[5]

Personnel

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The Beach Boys

References

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  1. ^ Elliott, Brad: "Surf's Up! The Beach Boys On Record 1961-1981", page 18. Popular Culture Ink, 1991.
  2. ^ Lambert, Philip: Inside the Music of Brian Wilson, page 48. Continuum Publishing, 2007.
  3. ^ Lambert, Philip: Inside the Music of Brian Wilson, page 48-49. Continuum Publishing, 2007.
  4. ^ Doe, Andrew G.: "gigs6162." Bellagio 10452. Retrieved on 2012-02-08.
  5. ^ Doe, Andrew G.: "Album Archive Archived 2012-03-24 at the Wayback Machine." Bellagio 10452. Retrieved on 2012-02-08.