BEACH BOYS - THE WARMTH OF THE SUN

Released: October 26, 1964

Album: Shut Down Volume 2

"The Warmth of the Sun" is a song by the Beach Boys, written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love. It was released in 1964 on the album “Shut Down Volume 2” and also served as the B-side to the single "Dance, Dance, Dance," which became a hit, reaching number eight in the US. and number twenty-four in the UK. Brian Wilson produced both the song and the rest of the album. 

"The Warmth of the Sun" was written in November 1963, just before the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Although the song's lyrics were written beforehand, the emotional weight of the tragic event influenced the atmosphere during its recording. Mike Love explained that the song is about the loss of love, describing the experience of being in love with someone who no longer feels the same. The melancholy and reflective mood of the song, combined with the charged emotions following Kennedy’s assassination.

In a 2008 interview Mike Love reflected on the inspiration behind the lyrics of the song. He explained that the melancholy melody Brian Wilson composed led him to write lyrics about unreciprocated love, drawing from a personal experience where a girl he liked did not feel the same. Despite the heartbreak, Love chose to focus on the positive, seeing the memory of love as "the warmth of the sun." His goal was to create music that offered listeners a "sonic oasis," much like in "In My Room," where they could escape or find solace in their troubles.

Fred Vail, former manager and promoter for The Beach Boys, shared his recollection of November 22, 1963, the day President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, in the Forgotten Hits newsletter. He described the day as starting like any other, with people preparing for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday and going about their daily routines. At the time, Vail was a 19-year-old college student and concert promoter, preparing for a Beach Boys "dance and show" event that evening in Marysville, California. The Beach Boys were rising stars, with hits like "Surfin' USA," "Surfer Girl," and "Little Deuce Coupe" already under their belts, and their recent singles "Be True to Your School" and "In My Room" climbing the charts. Vail emphasized how the events of that day, much like Pearl Harbor for the previous generation and 9/11 for the next, marked a loss of innocence for the baby boomer generation.