Friends (The Beach Boys song)

"Friends"
"Friends"
Single by The Beach Boys
from the album Friends
B-side	"Little Bird"
Released	April 8, 1968
Recorded	March 13, 1968
Length	2:30
Label	Capitol
Songwriter(s)	Brian Wilson, Carl Wilson, Dennis Wilson, Al Jardine
Producer(s)	The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys singles chronology
Audio sample
	"Friends" file; help;

"Friends" is a song written by Brian Wilson, Carl Wilson, Dennis Wilson and Al Jardine for the American rock band The Beach Boys. It was released on their 1968 album Friends. It was also released as a single, with "Little Bird" as the B-side. The single peaked at No. 47 in the United States and No. 25 in the United Kingdom. The song was recorded on March 13, 1968.^[1]

Background[]

The song was recorded in ⁴
₄ time for its first take. Immediately after, Brian rearranged the song after realizing that there were not many waltzes on the radio.^[2] Brian Wilson once stated, "The cut 'Friends' was, in my opinion, a good way to keep waltzes alive. Carl had sung...before and now he spearheaded this cut with a heavy vocal performance." As Peter Reum, a Beach Boys historian, stated "'Friends' is a waltz, and it's been used at the Berklee College of Music to teach students how to write in ³
₄ time."^{[citation needed]}

Brian called the song his favorite from the Friends album.^[3] Cash Box said that "barbershop harmonizing to a soft rock backdrop provides the Beach Boys with a departure from their 'Wild Honey'/'Good Vibrations' style.."^[4]

An a cappella mix was sold as a vinyl single backed with Al Jardine's Beach Boys reunion song "Don't Fight the Sea" for the charity of 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami in April 2011.^[5]

Personnel[]

Per Craig Slowinsky.^[6]

The Beach Boys

Carl Wilson - lead vocals, backing vocals, guitar
Brian Wilson - lead vocals, backing vocals
Dennis Wilson - backing vocals
Alan Jardine - backing vocals
Bruce Johnston - backing vocals

Session musicians

Jim Ackley - keyboard
Jimmy Bond - upright bass
Norm Jeffries - drums
Alan Estes - vibes
Tommy Morgan - standard & bass harmonicas
Jim Horn - sax & clarinet
Jay Migliori - sax & clarinet
Arnold Belnick, William Kurasch, Leonard Malarsky - violins
Norman Botnick - viola

References[]

^ "Recordings sessions: 1968". Endless Summer Quarterly. Retrieved January 8, 2017.
^ Benci, Jacopo (January 1995). "Brian Wilson interview". Record Collector. UK (185).
^ "Brian Answer's Fans' Questions In Live Q&A". January 29, 2014. Retrieved 27 June 2014.
^ "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. April 13, 1968. p. 24. Retrieved 2022-01-12.
^ "Rare Beach Boys Single, 'Don't Fight the Sea,' To Benefit Red Cross Relief Efforts In Japan". April 18, 2011. Retrieved 2 July 2014.
^ Endless Summer Quarterly, Spring 2018 Edition^{[full citation needed]}

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[1] "Recordings sessions: 1968". Endless Summer Quarterly. Retrieved January 8, 2017.

[2] Benci, Jacopo (January 1995). "Brian Wilson interview". Record Collector. UK (185).

[3] "Brian Answer's Fans' Questions In Live Q&A". January 29, 2014. Retrieved 27 June 2014.

[4] "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. April 13, 1968. p. 24. Retrieved 2022-01-12.

[5] "Rare Beach Boys Single, 'Don't Fight the Sea,' To Benefit Red Cross Relief Efforts In Japan". April 18, 2011. Retrieved 2 July 2014.

[6] Endless Summer Quarterly, Spring 2018 Edition^{[full citation needed]}

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