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Surf Music Phase
- The Beach Boys became synonymous with Beach Music
- three Wilson Brothers (Brian, Carl, & Dennis)
- cousin Mike Love
- friend Al Jardine
- played local gigs as the Pendletones, Kenny & the Cadets
(Brian was "Kenny"), and Carl & the Passions
- 1961 - Love & Brian wrote "Surfin'"
- Chuck Berry guitar licks (Carl's primary influence)
- clean, sophisticated, jazz-influenced Four Freshman style vocal
harmonies (Brian's influence)
A timeline of Beach Boys albums from 1962 to 1975
Surfin'
(regional hit)
- Murray Wilson (father) managed the band & landed them a contract with
Capitol
- it was later revealed that he was psychologically & physically abusive
to his sons
- the hits began ...
review (visualize) musical texture in the context of:
Surfin'
USA
(#3 in 1963; lead vocal by Mike Love)
[listen to the early
demo of "Surfin' USA" - Brian at the piano)
- nearly a note-for-note copy of "Sweet Little Sixteen"
- lyrics rewritten by Brian to fit the surfing theme
- song was rereleased in 1974 (reached #36) listing Chuck Berry as composer
lest you think Surf music is only fast with twangy guitars ...
Surfer Girl (musicians move to LA
)
(#7 in 1963)
note texture changes throughout this song:
- intro - prominent lead vocal over
supporting vocal harmonies (melody/acc homophony)
- A section - all voices move together
on block chords (chordal homophony)
- melody in top voice
- voicings illustrate Four Freshmen influence
- end of A section - polyphony
- voices split into different parts with the high voice moving independently
of the lower voices singing "surfer girl ..."
- bridge (B) - midrange lead voice, accompanied
by background vocals ("aah"); at "everywhere I go" voices
rejoin into block chords with high voice dominant
- A section repeated - this time, the
vocals parts exemplify chordal homophonic texture, though the overall
texture remains melody/accompaniment homophony
Fun
Fun Fun
(#5, 1964)
texture changes in "Fun Fun Fun" ...
- A section -
- begins with midrange voices in
unison (monophonic)
- until "Fun, Fun, Fun"
(full chordal homophonic texture over wide range), answered by a second
group of chordal homophonic voices ... resulting in a polyphonic texture
- end of song -
- high voice soars off on its own
while accompanying voices repeat "Fun, Fun, Fun now that Daddy took
the T-bird away" providing a complex polyphonic texture
obvious Chuck Berry influence ... compare guitar intro to Johnny B. Goode
"I Get Around" (#1, 1964) (the group's reaction to the Beatles)
lead vocals: Mike Love on verses, Brian Wilson on choruses