"County Fair" is a song written by Brian Wilson and Gary Usher for the American rock band The Beach Boys. It was originally released as the second track on their 1962 album Surfin' Safari. On November 26 of that year, it was released as the B-side to The Beach Boys' third single, "Ten Little Indians".[1] The same single was released in the UK in January 1963.[2]
| "County Fair" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by The Beach Boys | ||||
| from the album Surfin' Safari | ||||
| A-side | "Ten Little Indians" | |||
| Released | November 26, 1962 | |||
| Recorded | September 6, 1962 | |||
| Studio | Capitol Studios, Los Angeles, California | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 2:15 | |||
| Label | Capitol | |||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) | Nik Venet | |||
| The Beach Boys singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
The melody of "County Fair" was later recycled into the song "I Do".[3]
Composition
edit"County Fair" was the second song Brian Wilson and Gary Usher wrote together. In the song, the singer takes his girlfriend to the county fair, where she leaves him for a stronger man; one who can ring the bell on a high striker game. The song culminates in the tag, as the girl leaves the singer, calling him a loser. The song is in verse-chorus form, though the choruses consist of spoken-word narration of the girlfriend and a carnival barker over an organ melody.[4]
Recording
edit"County Fair" was recorded by The Beach Boys on September 6, 1962, during the last recording session for their first album, Surfin' Safari. Nik Venet produced the session at Capitol Studios.[5]
Personnel
editAccording to Keith Badman[6]
- The Beach Boys
- Mike Love – vocals
- David Marks – guitar
- Brian Wilson – bass guitar, organ, vocals
- Carl Wilson – guitar, vocals
- Dennis Wilson – drums, vocals
- Additional musicians and production staff
- Andrea Carlo – voice of girlfriend
- Nik Venet – carnival barker
Reception
editWith "County Fair" as its B-side, "Ten Little Indians" charted at #49 on the Billboard Hot 100.[7] This was the lowest placement of any Beach Boys single until "Bluebirds Over the Mountain" in 1968.[8] The single did not chart in the UK.[2]
Cash Box said that the Beach Boys "sock out with coin-catching authority" on "County Fair."[9]
References
edit- ^ Elliott, Brad: "Surf's Up! The Beach Boys On Record 1961-1981", page 15. Popular Culture Ink, 1991.
- ^ a b Doe, Andrew G.: "INDEX." Retrieved on 2011-08-08. Archived September 8, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Doe, Andrew G. & Tobler, John: "Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys: The Complete Guide to their Music", page 9. Omnibus Press, 2004.
- ^ Lambert, Philip: Inside the Music of Brian Wilson, page 49. Continuum Publishing, 2007.
- ^ Doe, Andrew G.: "gigs6162." Retrieved on 2011-08-08. Archived September 28, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Badman, Keith: The Beach Boys, page 25. Backbeat Books, 2004.
- ^ Billboard: "Ten Little Indians - The Beach Boys". Billboard.com. Retrieved on 2011-08-08. Archived January 17, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Billboard: "The Beach Boys Album & Song Chart History". Billboard.com. Retrieved on 2011-08-08. Archived January 17, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. November 17, 1963. p. 12. Retrieved February 4, 2022.