Various Artists – The Songs that Shaped The Beach Boys

• When it came to revealing their principal sources and inspirations, THE BEACH BOYS wore their hearts on their (invariably, stripey) sleeves.
• Their early LPs were crammed with revivals and/or covers, notably albums like “Beach Boys Concert!” and “Beach Boys Party”, which were comprised almost entirely of their interpretations of hits of the era.
• Leader Brian Wilson’s major influences came from extreme opposites of Pop Music’s wide spectrum, viz: the complex, close harmonies of The Four Freshmen and The Everly Brothers at one end, to the guitar-propelled R&R of Chuck Berry and Eddie Cochran at the other.
• They also drew on early Surf classics like The Gamblers’ ‘Moon Dawg’ and Dick Dale’s ‘Misirlou’.
• This compilation presents thirty of their favourites / inspirations, all being songs which the Beach Boys would go on to record themselves, in most cases by the mid 60s.

Track Listing

1. THE GAMBLERS - MOON DAWG
2. EDDIE COCHRAN - SUMMERTIME BLUES
3. DICK DALE & THE DEL-TONES - MISIRLOU
4. DANTE & HIS FRIENDS - (You're My) MISS AMERICA
5. BILL DOGGETT - HONKY TONK (part 1)
6. CHUCK BERRY - SWEET LITTLE SIXTEEN
7. DICK DALE & THE DEL-TONES - LET'S GO TRIPPIN'
8. THE FOUR FRESHMEN - THEIR HEARTS WERE FULL OF SPRING
9. FRANKIE LYMON & THE TEENAGERS - WHY DO FOOLS FALL IN LOVE
10. RICHARD BERRY - LOUIE LOUIE
11. THE MYSTICS - HUSHABYE
12. THE FOUR FLICKERS - LONG TALL TEXAN
13. BOBBY BORIS PICKETT & THE CRYPT KICKERS - MONSTER MASH
14. THE RIVINGTONS - PAPA-OOM-MOW-MOW
15. DION - THE WANDERER
16. THE FOUR FRESHMEN - GRADUATION DAY
17. CHUCK BERRY - JOHNNY B GOODE
18. BOBBY FREEMAN - DO YOU WANNA DANCE
19. THE STUDENTS - I'M SO YOUNG
20. THE OLYMPICS - HULLY GULLY
21. HAROLD DORMAN - MOUNTAIN OF LOVE
22. THE EVERLY BROTHERS - DEVOTED TO YOU
23. THE HOLLYWOOD ARGYLES - ALLEY OOP
24. THE CRYSTALS - THERE'S NO OTHER (Like My Baby)
25. THE REGENTS - BARBARA-ANN
26. THE ROBINS - RIOT IN CELL BLOCK NUMBER NINE
27. THE KINGSTON TRIO - SLOOP JOHN B
28. THE HIGHWAYMEN - COTTON FIELDS
29. CHUCK BERRY - ROCK AND ROLL MUSIC
30. BUDDY HOLLY & THE CRICKETS - PEGGY SUE