Sounds of Summer: The Very Best of the Beach Boys is a greatest hits album of the American rock band the Beach Boys, released on June 10, 2003 by Capitol Records. The original collection was the most comprehensive single-disc compilation of the band's music, with 30 tracks including nearly every U.S. Top 40 hit of their career, except for "The Little Girl I Once Knew" (1965) and "It's OK" (1976).
| Sounds of Summer: The Very Best of The Beach Boys | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Greatest hits album by | ||||
| Released | June 10, 2003 | |||
| Recorded | 1962–1988 | |||
| Length | 74:39 | |||
| Label | Capitol | |||
| The Beach Boys chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |  [1] |
| Encyclopedia of Popular Music |  [2] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [3] |
On June 17, 2022, foreshadowing the band's 60th anniversary celebration, Capitol released an expanded three-disc edition of the compilation, including newly-remastered (and, in some cases, remixed) versions of the classic tracks.[4]
Release and reissues
editBefore Sounds of Summer: The Very Best of The Beach Boys, The Beach Boys had released compilations including Endless Summer (1974) and three Greatest Hits volumes: Volume 1: 20 Good Vibrations (1995), Volume 2: 20 More Good Vibrations (1999), and Volume Three: Best of the Brother Years 1970–1986 (2000). Sounds of Summer reached number 16 on the US charts (their highest peak since 15 Big Ones in 1976), and stayed for 104 weeks. Currently certified triple platinum, The Very Best of The Beach Boys: Sounds of Summer was re-issued with a DVD component in 2004 with the regular edition remaining available.[citation needed]
In 2007, a follow-up album, The Warmth of the Sun, was released which contains other songs that were not included on Sounds of Summer.[citation needed]
In 2011, Mike Love stated, "Sounds of Summer: The Very Best of The Beach Boys is fast approaching selling three million copies – if it's triple-platinum, which is, you know, pretty good. And by the time this 50th celebration is over, it'll probably be more than triple-platinum."[5]
The album was re-released on February 7, 2012 as the Celebration Merch Set which featured the original CD along with a T-shirt celebrating the band's 50th anniversary.[6]
2022 remix and remaster
editA three-disc expanded edition of the compilation was released on June 17, 2022, as part of the band's 60th anniversary, and contains 50 additional (previously released) Beach Boys songs.[7] The reissue was curated by Mark Linett and Alan Boyd.[8]
The collection features 24 new mixes including two first-time stereo mixes, as well as 22 "new and improved" stereo mixes, based on a new digital stereo technology, allowing for a separation the original mono backing tracks for the first time.[9] The new edition is available on three CDs or six vinyl records. All tracks from the original Sounds of Summer album were included in a new Dolby Atmos remix on the expanded Sounds of Summer.
In a perfect review for the reissue, Lee Zimmerman of American Songwriter said the effect of "leaving the listener breathless while experiencing ... seamless harmonies" was intensified by the "new stereo mix and the addition of lesser-known tracks", concluding that the collection could "never be bested."[10] While Gillian G. Gaar of Goldmine did lament how a major expansion "undercuts Sounds of Summer’s original concept", she praised the new mixes, complementing the newfound freshness and clarity of the handclaps in "I Get Around" and the tambourine in "Help Me Rhonda" in particular. Gaar gave the reissue a score of four out of five stars.[11]
Track listing
edit2003 – Original release
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Original release | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "California Girls" (2001 Stereo Mix) | Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!), 1965 | 2:44 | |
| 2. | "I Get Around" (Mono) |
| All Summer Long, 1964 | 2:13 |
| 3. | "Surfin' Safari" (Mono) |
| Surfin' Safari, 1962 | 2:05 |
| 4. | "Surfin' U.S.A." |
| Surfin' U.S.A., 1963 | 2:27 |
| 5. | "Fun, Fun, Fun" (Mono Single Version) |
| Shut Down Volume 2, 1964 | 2:18 |
| 6. | "Surfer Girl" | B. Wilson | Surfer Girl, 1963 | 2:27 |
| 7. | "Don't Worry Baby" (Mono) |
| Shut Down Volume 2, 1964 | 2:47 |
| 8. | "Little Deuce Coupe" |
| Surfer Girl, 1963 | 1:38 |
| 9. | "Shut Down" (2003 Stereo Mix) |
| Surfin' U.S.A., 1963 | 1:48 |
| 10. | "Help Me, Rhonda" (Mono Single Version) |
| The Beach Boys Today!, 1965 | 2:46 |
| 11. | "Be True to Your School" (Mono Single Version) |
| Little Deuce Coupe, 1963 | 2:08 |
| 12. | "When I Grow Up (To Be a Man)" (Mono) |
| The Beach Boys Today!, 1965 | 2:02 |
| 13. | "In My Room" |
| Surfer Girl, 1963 | 2:12 |
| 14. | "God Only Knows" (Stereo Mix from The Pet Sounds Sessions) |
| Pet Sounds, 1966 | 2:51 |
| 15. | "Sloop John B" (Stereo Mix from The Pet Sounds Sessions) | Traditional, arranged by B. Wilson | Pet Sounds, 1966 | 2:57 |
| 16. | "Wouldn't It Be Nice" (2001 Stereo Mix) |
| Pet Sounds, 1966 | 2:31 |
| 17. | "Getcha Back" |
| The Beach Boys, 1985 | 3:00 |
| 18. | "Come Go with Me" | C.E. Quick | M.I.U. Album, 1978 | 2:05 |
| 19. | "Rock and Roll Music" (Album Version) | Berry | 15 Big Ones, 1976 | 2:27 |
| 20. | "Dance, Dance, Dance" (2003 Stereo Mix) |
| The Beach Boys Today!, 1965 | 2:00 |
| 21. | "Barbara Ann" (Mono Single Version) | Fred Fassert | Beach Boys' Party!, 1965 | 2:11 |
| 22. | "Do You Wanna Dance?" (Mono) | Bobby Freeman | The Beach Boys Today!, 1965 | 2:18 |
| 23. | "Heroes and Villains" (2001 Stereo Mix) |
| Smiley Smile, 1967 | 3:38 |
| 24. | "Good Timin'" |
| L.A. (Light Album), 1979 | 2:12 |
| 25. | "Kokomo" |
| Still Cruisin', 1988 | 3:35 |
| 26. | "Do It Again" (Mono Single Version) |
| 20/20, 1969 | 2:18 |
| 27. | "Wild Honey" (Mono) |
| Wild Honey, 1967 | 2:37 |
| 28. | "Darlin'" (Mono) |
| Wild Honey, 1967 | 2:12 |
| 29. | "I Can Hear Music" | 20/20, 1969 | 2:36 | |
| 30. | "Good Vibrations" (Mono) |
| Non-album single, 1966 (intended for Smile and later included on Smiley Smile, 1967) | 3:36 |
| Total length: | 74:39 | |||
2004 – Bonus DVD
editDVD: Sights of Summer
- "Surfin' U.S.A." (Live on the T.A.M.I. Show, 1964)
- "I Get Around" (Live on the T.A.M.I. Show, 1964)
- "Surfer Girl" (Live on the T.A.M.I. Show, 1964)
- "Dance, Dance, Dance" (Live on the T.A.M.I. Show, 1964)
- "Little Deuce Coupe" (Live from the Lost Concert, 1964)
- "Sloop John B" (Promotional Video, 1966)
- "Pet Sounds promo film" (1966)
- "God Only Knows" (Live montage, 1967 & 1968)
- "Good Vibrations" (Live on The Ed Sullivan Show, 1968)
- "Do It Again" (Live on The Ed Sullivan Show, 1968)
2022 – Expanded edition
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Original release | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "California Girls" (2001 Stereo Mix) | Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!), 1965 | 2:44 | |
| 2. | "I Get Around" (2021 Stereo Mix) |
| All Summer Long, 1964 | 2:13 |
| 3. | "Surfin' Safari" (2021 Stereo Mix) |
| Surfin' Safari, 1962 | 2:05 |
| 4. | "Surfin' U.S.A." (2021 Stereo Mix) |
| Surfin' U.S.A., 1963 | 2:27 |
| 5. | "Fun, Fun, Fun" (2013 Stereo Mix) |
| Shut Down Volume 2, 1964 | 2:13 |
| 6. | "Surfer Girl" (2021 Stereo Mix) | B. Wilson | Surfer Girl, 1963 | 2:27 |
| 7. | "Don't Worry Baby" (2021 Stereo Mix) |
| Shut Down Volume 2, 1964 | 2:47 |
| 8. | "Little Deuce Coupe" |
| Surfer Girl, 1963 | 1:38 |
| 9. | "Shut Down" (2021 Stereo Mix) |
| Surfin' U.S.A., 1963 | 1:48 |
| 10. | "Help Me, Rhonda" (2021 Stereo Mix) |
| The Beach Boys Today!, 1965 | 2:46 |
| 11. | "Be True to Your School" (Mono) |
| Little Deuce Coupe, 1963 | 2:08 |
| 12. | "When I Grow Up (To Be a Man)" (2021 Stereo Mix) |
| The Beach Boys Today!, 1965 | 2:02 |
| 13. | "In My Room" (2021 Stereo Mix) |
| Surfer Girl, 1963 | 2:12 |
| 14. | "God Only Knows" (1996 Stereo Mix) |
| Pet Sounds, 1966 | 2:51 |
| 15. | "Sloop John B" (Stereo Remastered Mix) | Traditional, arranged by B. Wilson | Pet Sounds, 1966 | 2:57 |
| 16. | "Wouldn't It Be Nice" (2013 Stereo Mix) |
| Pet Sounds, 1966 | 2:31 |
| 17. | "Getcha Back" |
| The Beach Boys, 1985 | 3:00 |
| 18. | "Come Go with Me" | C.E. Quick | M.I.U. Album, 1978 | 2:05 |
| 19. | "Rock and Roll Music" (2013 Stereo Mix) | Berry | 15 Big Ones, 1976 | 2:34 |
| 20. | "Dance, Dance, Dance" (2021 Stereo Mix) |
| The Beach Boys Today!, 1965 | 2:00 |
| 21. | "Barbara Ann" (2021 Stereo Mix) | Fred Fassert | Beach Boys' Party!, 1965 | 2:11 |
| 22. | "Do You Wanna Dance?" (2021 Stereo Mix) | Bobby Freeman | The Beach Boys Today!, 1965 | 2:34 |
| 23. | "Heroes and Villains" (2017 Stereo Mix) |
| Smiley Smile, 1967 | 3:38 |
| 24. | "Good Timin'" |
| L.A. (Light Album), 1979 | 2:12 |
| 25. | "Kokomo" |
| Still Cruisin', 1988 | 3:35 |
| 26. | "Do It Again" (2021 Stereo Mix) |
| 20/20, 1969 | 2:18 |
| 27. | "Wild Honey" (2021 Stereo Mix) |
| Wild Honey, 1967 | 2:37 |
| 28. | "Darlin'" (2021 Stereo Mix) |
| Wild Honey, 1967 | 2:12 |
| 29. | "I Can Hear Music" | 20/20, 1969 | 2:36 | |
| 30. | "Good Vibrations" (2019 Stereo Mix) |
| Non-album single, 1966 (intended for Smile and later included on Smiley Smile, 1967) | 3:44 |
| Total length: | 75:05 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Original release | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "All Summer Long" (2012 Stereo Mix) |
| All Summer Long, 1964 | 2:08 |
| 2. | "Good to My Baby" (2012 Stereo Mix) |
| The Beach Boys Today!, 1965 | 2:20 |
| 3. | "This Whole World" | B. Wilson | Sunflower, 1970 | 1:57 |
| 4. | "All I Wanna Do" |
| Sunflower, 1970 | 2:36 |
| 5. | "Disney Girls (1957)" | Bruce Johnston | Surf's Up, 1971 | 4:08 |
| 6. | "Kiss Me, Baby" (2012 Stereo Mix) |
| The Beach Boys Today!, 1965 | 2:44 |
| 7. | "Let the Wind Blow" (2017 Stereo Mix) |
| Wild Honey, 1967 | 2:34 |
| 8. | "Forever" | Sunflower, 1970 | 2:44 | |
| 9. | "Sail On, Sailor" | Holland, 1973 | 3:18 | |
| 10. | "Long Promised Road" |
| Surf's Up, 1971 | 3:32 |
| 11. | "Cotton Fields (The Cotton Song)" (2020 Stereo Mix) | Huddie Ledbetter | 20/20, 1970 | 3:19 |
| 12. | "Pom Pom Play Girl" |
| Shut Down Volume 2, 1964 | 1:31 |
| 13. | "Wind Chimes" (Smile Version) | B. Wilson | Recorded 1966, intended for Smile (later re-recorded for Smiley Smile, 1967; original version released on Good Vibrations: Thirty Years of The Beach Boys, 1993) | 3:10 |
| 14. | "I Went to Sleep" |
| 20/20, 1969 | 1:40 |
| 15. | "Farmer’s Daughter" |
| Surfin' U.S.A., 1963 | 1:50 |
| 16. | "Let Us Go on This Way" (2021 Mix) |
| The Beach Boys Love You, 1977 | 2:02 |
| 17. | "You Need a Mess of Help to Stand Alone" (2021 Mix) |
| Carl and the Passions – "So Tough", 1972 | 3:25 |
| 18. | "The Night Was So Young" | C. Wilson | The Beach Boys Love You, 1977 | 2:16 |
| 19. | "Marcella" (2021 Mix) |
| Carl and the Passions – "So Tough", 1972 | 3:45 |
| 20. | "You're So Good to Me" (2012 Stereo Mix) |
| Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!), 1965 | 2:15 |
| 21. | "Aren't You Glad" (2017 Stereo Mix) |
| Wild Honey, 1967 | 2:18 |
| 22. | "Baby Blue" (2021 Mix) |
| L.A. (Light Album), 1979 | 3:24 |
| 23. | "It’s About Time" |
| Sunflower, 1970 | 2:58 |
| 24. | "Do You Like Worms? (Roll Plymouth Rock)" (2021 Stereo Mix) |
| Recorded 1966, intended for Smile and later included on Good Vibrations: Thirty Years of The Beach Boys, 1993 | 3:34 |
| 25. | "Surf's Up" |
| Surf's Up, 1971 | 4:14 |
| Total length: | 69:42 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Original release | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Add Some Music to Your Day" (2000 Remastered Mix) |
| Sunflower, 1970 | 3:34 |
| 2. | "It's OK" (Alternate Mix) |
| 15 Big Ones, 1976 | 2:11 |
| 3. | "Goin' On" |
| Keepin' the Summer Alive, 1980 | 3:03 |
| 4. | "San Miguel" (2021 Mix) |
| Ten Years of Harmony, 1981 | 2:21 |
| 5. | "The Warmth of the Sun" (2021 Mix) |
| Shut Down Volume 2, 1964 | 3:04 |
| 6. | "Everyone’s in Love with You" (2000 Remastered Mix) | Love | 15 Big Ones, 1976 | 2:43 |
| 7. | "All This Is That" (2012 Remastered Mix) |
| Carl and the Passions – "So Tough", 1972 | 3:57 |
| 8. | "California Saga (On My Way to Sunny Californ-i-a)" (2012 Remastered Mix) | Jardine | Holland, 1973 | 3:23 |
| 9. | "Feel Flows" |
| Surf's Up, 1971 | 4:46 |
| 10. | "Wendy" (2013 Stereo Mix) |
| All Summer Long, 1964 | 2:20 |
| 11. | "Girl Don't Tell Me" (2012 Remastered Stereo Mix) | B. Wilson | Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!), 1965 | 2:20 |
| 12. | "Let Him Run Wild" (2007 Remastered Stereo Mix) |
| Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!), 1965 | 2:20 |
| 13. | "All I Want to Do" (Alternate Take, 2021 Mix) |
| 20/20, 1969 | 2:13 |
| 14. | "Susie Cincinnati" (2021 Mix) | Jardine | "Add Some Music to Your Day" single, 1970 | 3:01 |
| 15. | "Vegetables" (2012 Remastered Stereo Mix) |
| Smiley Smile, 1967 | 2:10 |
| 16. | "Time to Get Alone" | B. Wilson | 20/20, 1969 | 2:39 |
| 17. | "Where I Belong" (2000 Remastered Mix) |
| The Beach Boys, 1985 | 2:56 |
| 18. | "I Just Wasn't Made for These Times" (1996 Stereo Mix, 2012 Remastered Mix) |
| Pet Sounds, 1966 | 3:19 |
| 19. | "Little Bird" |
| Friends, 1968 | 1:59 |
| 20. | "'Til I Die" | B. Wilson | Surf's Up, 1971 | 2:32 |
| 21. | "(Wouldn’t It Be Nice to) Live Again" | D. Wilson | (Recorded 1971) Made in California, 2013 | 4:37 |
| 22. | "Friends" |
| Friends, 1968 | 2:33 |
| 23. | "Devoted to You" (Party! Unplugged Sessions Version 2021 Stereo Mix) | Felice and Boudleaux Bryant | (Recorded 1965) Beach Boys' Party! Uncovered and Unplugged, 2015 | 2:21 |
| 24. | "Can't Wait Too Long" (2021 Mix) | B. Wilson | (Recorded 1968) Smiley Smile/Wild Honey, 1990 | 3:46 |
| 25. | "California Feelin'" (2021 Mix) | B. Wilson | (Recorded 1978) Brian Wilson solo version originally released on Classics Selected by Brian Wilson, 2002; 1978 Beach Boys recording originally released on Made in California, 2013 | 2:55 |
| Total length: | 73:03 | |||
Charts
edit|
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
|
Certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[26] | Platinum | 100,000^ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[27] | Silver | 60,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[28] | 3× Platinum | 3,000,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
edit- ^ AllMusic review
- ^ Larkin, Colin, ed. (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4th ed.). London: Oxford University Press. p. 479. ISBN 978-0-19-531373-4.
- ^ Brackett, Nathan; with Hoard, Christian, eds. (2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). New York, NY: Fireside/Simon & Schuster. p. 47. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
- ^ Kreps, Daniel (2022-04-28). "Beach Boys Kick Off 60th-Anniversary Celebration With Expanded 'Sounds of Summer' Comp". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2022-07-10.
- ^ Doyle, Patrick (2011-12-19). "Exclusive: Mike Love 'Looking Forward' to Beach Boys 50th Anniversary Tour". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2011-12-20.
- ^ "Sounds of Summer: Celebration Merch Set". Amazon. 2011-12-28.
- ^ "The Very Best Of The Beach Boys". The Beach Boys. Retrieved 2022-07-10.
- ^ Krueger, Jonah (2022-06-24). "The Beach Boys' Al Jardine on New Sounds of Summer Compilation and Why "It'd Be Nice to Have a Reunion": Interview". Consequence. Retrieved 2022-07-10.
- ^ Sinclair, Paul (2022-04-29). "The Beach Boys / Sounds of Summer expanded reissue – SuperDeluxeEdition". Super Deluxe Edition. Retrieved 2022-07-10.
- ^ Zimmerman, Lee (2022-06-20). "Review: 'The Very Best of the Beach Boys'—A Remarkable Return to the American Dream". American Songwriter. Retrieved 2024-04-06.
- ^ Gaar, Gillian G. (2022-07-07). "Beach Boys 'Sounds of Summer' a perfect mix of hits and deep album cuts". Goldmine Magazine: Record Collector & Music Memorabilia. Retrieved 2024-04-06.
- ^ "Australiancharts.com – The Beach Boys – The Very Best Of The Beach Boys - Sounds Of Summer". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
- ^ "The Beach Boys Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
- ^ "Longplay-Chartverfolgung at Musicline" (in German). Musicline.de. Phononet GmbH. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
- ^ "Italiancharts.com – The Beach Boys – The Very Best Of The Beach Boys - Sounds Of Summer". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
- ^ "Charts.nz – The Beach Boys – The Very Best Of The Beach Boys - Sounds Of Summer". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – The Beach Boys – The Very Best Of The Beach Boys - Sounds Of Summer". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
- ^ "The Beach Boys Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
- ^ "2003 The Year in Music". Billboard. Vol. 115, no. 52. December 27, 2003. p. YE-26. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
- ^ "2004 The Year in Music". Billboard. Vol. 116, no. 52. December 25, 2004. p. YE-20. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
- ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2005". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 27, 2014. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
- ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2019". Billboard. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
- ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2020". Billboard. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
- ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2021". Billboard. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
- ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2022". Billboard. Retrieved December 4, 2022.
- ^ "Canadian album certifications – The Beach Boys – Sounds of Summer". Music Canada. Retrieved February 1, 2024.
- ^ "British album certifications – The Beach Boys – Sounds of Summer: The Very Best of The Beach Boys". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved February 1, 2024.
- ^ "American album certifications – The Beach Boys – Sounds of Summer: The Very Best of The Beach Boys". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved February 1, 2024.