BEACH BOYS - DO IT AGAIN

Released: July 8, 1968

Charts:  US: #20   UK: #1 (1 week) 

"Do It Again" is a song by the Beach Boys, released as a standalone single on July 8, 1968. Written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love, the track is a nostalgic homage to the group's earlier surf music style, which they had largely moved away from by 1964. Both Wilson and Love share lead vocals on the song. 

Originally titled "Rendezvous", Mike Love wrote the lyrics as a nostalgic reflection on his youthful days of sun, surfing, and enjoying the California beach lifestyle. Inspired by a trip to San Onofre Beach with his old high school friends, Love explained that the track is autobiographical, capturing the joy of a perfect day spent surfing and appreciating the beauty of the beach, including the attraction of "good-looking girls" who frequented the area. 

Mike Love shared that the distinctive drum effect at the beginning was created by the Beach Boys' engineer, Stephen Desper. Desper achieved this by blending the original drum sound with a delayed repetition of one strike, which he accomplished using tape delay units he had commissioned from Phillips in Holland. By moving the tape heads closer together, Desper made a single drum hit repeat four times, each about 10 milliseconds apart, resulting in the unique effect heard in the track. The innovative sound was well-received, and Desper credited it with contributing to the single's commercial success. 

A promotional film directed by Peter Clifton, was filmed in Los Angeles. The color video depicts the Beach Boys arriving at a surf shop in a van before heading to the beach for a surfing session. This film aired on BBC One's Top of the Pops in August 1968 and later in Germany on Hits A Go Go on ZDF TV in September. It was also featured in Clifton's 1969 surfing film “Fluid Journey”. There were initial plans for an alternate version featuring Paul McCartney as a shop clerk, but this idea was dropped due to McCartney's busy schedule.