BEACH BOYS - SURFIN’ SAFARI

Released: June 4, 1962

Charts:  US: #14     

"Surfin' Safari" is a song written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love, and released as a single in June 1962 with "409" as the B-side. It peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was also included on their album of the same name. 

The song is one of many early Beach Boys tracks centered on surfing, a popular theme that became their signature style, but Dennis Wilson was the only actual surfer in the band, though the others embraced the image for promotional purposes. The band was initially almost named "The Surfers" by their first record label.

"Surfin' Safari" was the Beach Boys' second single and their first release with Capitol Records. Their debut single, "Surfin'," had been issued on the independent Candix Records. Murry Wilson, the group's manager and father of Brian, Carl, and Dennis, sold the masters of "Surfin' Safari," "Lonely Sea," and "409" to Capitol for $100 each, along with a 2.5% royalty for the band. 

"Surfin' Safari" acts as a travelogue, naming popular surf spots like Huntington, Malibu, and Rincon in California, as well as Cerro Azul in Peru. The song was influenced by Chuck Berry's style of combining simple chord progressions with references to place names, as seen in "Back in the U.S.A." and "Sweet Little Sixteen." Surfer Jimmy Bowles, brother of Brian Wilson's girlfriend Judy Bowles, provided many of the surfing locations and terms featured in the lyrics, giving the song an authentic surf culture feel.

In the DVD “Brian Wilson Songwriter 1962 - 1969”, Mike Love credits Murry Wilson, father of Beach Boys members Brian, Carl, and Dennis Wilson, with contributing to the distinctive treble-heavy guitar sound on "Surfin' Safari." When Brian left the control room to record his bass parts, Murry, who saw himself as a producer, would adjust the guitar settings to his preferred treble sound. Love believes this sharp, cutting guitar tone played a key role in helping "Surfin' Safari" become a commercial success.