NEW LP
New sealed copy. 2024 60th anniversary numbered limited edition reissue on sunfire orange coloured vinyl.
All Summer Long marked a turning point for the Beach Boys, both artistically and thematically. Released in the middle of the British Invasion, the album moved beyond the surf and car motifs of earlier records to focus on broader, more reflective glimpses of teenage life in Southern California. It was their first album to embrace a cohesive vision, a loosely autobiographical concept unified in tone and imagery—both in the title track and in the now-iconic photo collage on the cover.
Produced and largely written by Brian Wilson, All Summer Long pushed the group’s songwriting and vocal arrangements into more sophisticated territory. Tracks like “Wendy,” “Drive-In,” and “Don’t Back Down” showed a growing emotional range, while their cover of the Mystics’ “Hushabye” paid homage to doo-wop roots. “I Get Around,” the album’s lead single, became the group’s first number one hit in the US and helped solidify their place in a market then dominated by British bands.
The album’s release coincided with the Beach Boys’ first major tour, as well as the unexpected success of “Little Honda” by studio project the Hondells. Though the album failed to chart in the UK upon its 1965 release, it had already earned Gold certification in the US and set the stage for more ambitious records to follow.
Brian Wilson later referred to All Summer Long as the band’s first album that could compete with the Beatles and Phil Spector. While the Beach Boys would continue to evolve dramatically in the coming years, this record captured the moment they began shedding their early image and aiming for something greater.
TRACKLIST:
A1 I Get Around
A2 All Summer Long
A3 Hushabye
A4 Little Honda
A5 We'll Run Away
A6 Carl's Big Dance
B1 Wendy
B2 Do You Remember
B3 Girls On The Beach
B4 Drive-In
B5 Our Favorite Recording Sessions
B6 Don't Back Down
