The Beach Boys - Barbara Ann

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The Beach Boys are an American rock band, formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California. The group was initially composed of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Managed by the Wilsons' father Murry, The Beach Boys signed to Capitol Records in 1962. The band's early music gained popularity across the United States for its close vocal harmonies and lyrics reflecting a Southern California youth culture of surfing, cars, and romance. By the mid 1960s, Brian Wilson's growing creative ambition and songwriting ability would dominate the group's musical direction. The primarily Wilson-composed Pet Sounds album and "Good Vibrations" single (both released in 1966) featured a complex, intricate and multi-layered sound that was a far cry from the simple surf rock of The Beach Boys' early years.

However, Wilson would soon lose control of the band due to mental-health and substance-abuse issues. Subsequently, although it released a number of popular albums (in various musical styles, with different line-ups) in ensuing years, the group never managed to reclaim its mid-'60s peak when The Beach Boys briefly challenged The Beatles both in terms of commercial and critical appeal. Since the 1980s, there has been much legal-wrangling among the group members over royalties, songwriting credits, and use of the band's name. While The Beach Boys released their last studio album in 1996, a number of versions of the band, each fronted by a surviving member of the original quintet (Dennis and Carl Wilson died in 1983 and 1998, respectively), continue to tour.

The Beach Boys have often been called "America's Band", and Allmusic has stated that "the band's unerring ability... made them America's first, best rock band." The group has had 36 United States Top 40 hits (the most by an American rock band) and 56 Hot 100 hits, including four number-one singles.[2] Rolling Stone magazine listed The Beach Boys at number 12 on their 2004 list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". The core quintet of the three Wilsons, Love and Jardine was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.

"Barbara Ann" is a song written by Fred Fassert and performed (as "Barbara Anne") by The Regents in 1961. The recording reached a peak position of #13 on the Billboard Hot 100 record chart.

The most famous cover version is by the American rock band The Beach Boys. The song was released as a single on December 20, 1965, with the B-side "Girl Don't Tell Me". The song peaked at #2 in the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 (#1 in Cash Box and Record World) and at #3 in the U.K. It also topped the charts in Germany, Switzerland and Norway. It was The Beach Boys' biggest hit in Italy, reaching #4. The song was also released on the 1965 album Beach Boys' Party!. Brian Wilson and Dean Torrence, who had previously recorded the song as one half of Jan and Dean, are featured on lead vocals. Dean is not credited on the album jacket but "Thanks, Dean" is said by Carl at the end of the track.

A version recorded by the Beach Boys without the Beach Boys' Party! effects can be found on the Hawthorne, CA album. The Beach Boys made a false start on the Party! album by singing "Baa Baa Black Sheep" instead of "Baa Baa Baa Baa Barbara Ann". The Beach Boys sang this song as an encore on their Live In London album. Brian Wilson has a rendition on his live Roxy CD, and in 2001, performed it himself, with the ensemble, on An All-Star Tribute to Brian Wilson.

SOURCE: Wikipedia

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• pop
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• california
• surf
• car
• hot
• rod
• oldies