Friends (The Beach Boys album)
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{{Infobox Album | <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Albums -->
Name = Friends |
Type = [[Album]] |
Artist = [[The Beach Boys]] |
Cover = BeachBoysFriends.jpg |
Released = [[24 June]] [[1968]] |
Recorded = February-April 1968 |
Genre = [[pop music|Pop]] |
Length = 25:30|
Label = [[Capitol Records]] |
Producer = [[The Beach Boys]] |
Reviews = *[[Allmusic]] {{rating-5|4}} [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:oz0qoaeabijb link]
*[[Blender (magazine)|Blender]] {{rating-5|4}} [http://www.blender.com/guide/reviews.aspx?id=2248 link]|
Last album = ''[[Wild Honey (album)|Wild Honey]]''<br />(1967) |
This album = ''Friends'' <br /> (1968) |
Next album = ''[[Best of The Beach Boys Vol. 3]]''<br />(1968) |
}}
'''''Friends''''' was the only studio album released by [[The Beach Boys]] in 1968.
As work on the album began in February 1968, [[Mike Love]], a recent convert to [[transcendental meditation]], departed on a two week trip to [[India]] (alongside [[The Beatles]] and [[Donovan]]) to study TM further with his new master, [[Maharishi Mahesh Yogi]]. In his absence, the remaining Beach Boys, [[Brian Wilson]], [[Dennis Wilson]], [[Carl Wilson]], [[Al Jardine]] and - now an official member - [[Bruce Johnston]] recorded the bulk of ''Friends'' along with selected members of [[The Wrecking Crew (music)|The Wrecking Crew]].
''Friends'' was the first Beach Boys album to feature significant songwriting contributions from Dennis Wilson, "Little Bird" and "Be Still"; the former's bridge incorporated elements of "Child Is The Father Of The Man", a then-unreleased song from the aborted ''Smile''. Although production was credited to the group as a whole, this was the band's last album until 1977's ''[[Love You (The Beach Boys album)|Love You]]'' to feature Brian Wilson as a dominant creative force, writing or co-writing every song with the exception of his younger brother's contributions and actively participating in recording sessions.
In mid-March, Mike Love returned from his TM retreat and contributed to the subsequent vocal sessions, with leads on the brief "Meant for You", which opens the album, and the understated "Anna Lee, the Healer", who was in reality a spiritual healer and not a masseuse as has been claimed (that was Marcella, on a later album). Almost immediately, The Beach Boys embarked on two US tours, one with the [[Strawberry Alarm Clock]], and another with, most controversially, [[Maharishi Mahesh Yogi]] himself (as a lecturer). Both were commercial failures, and were swiftly canceled (after they famously drew only 200 people in [[New York City]]).
The first Beach Boys album to be released only in stereo, ''Friends'' was issued in June. It reached only #126 on American charts, as an indication of the band's depleted commercial fortunes at the time, but its later UK release was more popular, reaching #13.
==Track listing==
#"[[Meant for You]]" ([[Brian Wilson]]/[[Mike Love]]) – 0:38
#* ''Features Mike Love on lead vocals''
#"[[Friends (Beach Boys song)|Friends]]" (Brian Wilson/[[Carl Wilson]]/[[Dennis Wilson]]/[[Al Jardine]]) – 2:30
#* ''Features Carl Wilson on lead vocals''
#"[[Wake the World]]" (Brian Wilson/Al Jardine) – 1:28
#* ''Features Brian Wilson and Carl Wilson on lead vocals''
#"[[Be Here in the Mornin']] " (Brian Wilson/Carl Wilson/Mike Love/Dennis Wilson/Al Jardine) – 2:16
#* ''Features Alan Jardine [sped-up], Brian Wilson and Carl Wilson on lead vocals''
#"[[When a Man Needs a Woman]]" (Brian Wilson/Dennis Wilson/Carl Wilson/Al Jardine/Steve Korthof/Jon Parks) – 2:06
#* ''Features Brian Wilson on lead vocals''
#"[[Passing By]]" (Brian Wilson) – 2:23
#* ''Features Brian Wilson and Al Jardine on lead vocals''
#"[[Anna Lee, the Healer]]" (Brian Wilson/Mike Love) – 1:51
#* ''Features Mike Love on lead vocals''
#"[[Little Bird (Beach Boys song)|Little Bird]]" (Dennis Wilson/Steve Kalinich) – 1:57
#* ''Features Dennis Wilson on lead vocals''
#"[[Be Still]]" (Dennis Wilson/Steve Kalinich) – 1:22
#* ''Features Dennis Wilson on lead vocals''
#"[[Busy Doin' Nothin']]" (Brian Wilson) – 3:04
#* ''Features Brian Wilson on lead vocals''
#"[[Diamond Head (song)|Diamond Head]]" (Al Vescovo/Lyle Ritz/Jim Ackley/Brian Wilson) – 3:37
#* ''Instrumental''
#"[[Transcendental Meditation (song)|Transcendental Meditation]]" (Brian Wilson/Mike Love/Al Jardine) – 1:49
#* ''Features Brian Wilson and Alan Jardine on lead vocals''
== Foreign Editions ==
The Australian release of '''Friends''' had "[[Good Vibrations]]" replace "[[Diamond Head (song)|Diamond Head]]" on Side 2.
The Japanese release of '''Friends''' added "[[Do It Again (Beach Boys song)|Do It Again]]" as the first song on Side 2.
===Singles===
* "Friends" b/w "Little Bird" (Capitol 2160), 8 April 1968 '''US #47'''; '''UK #25'''
* "Wake the World" featured as the B-side of "Do It Again"
''Friends'' is now paired on CD with ''[[20/20 (album)|20/20]]'', with bonus tracks from that period.
===Sources===
* ''Friends/20/20'' CD booklet notes, David Leaf, c.1990.
* "The Nearest Faraway Place: Brian Wilson, The Beach Boys and the Southern California Experience", [[Timothy White]], c. 1994.
* "Wouldn't It Be Nice - My Own Story", [[Brian Wilson]] and Todd Gold, c. 1991.
* "Top Pop Singles 1955-2001", Joel Whitburn, c. 2002.
* "Top Pop Albums 1955-2001", Joel Whitburn, c. 2002.
* Allmusic.com
==External links==
*[http://www.surfermoon.com/lyrics/friends.html ''Friends'' lyrics]
*[http://matthewasprey.wordpress.com/2008/06/16/friends/ Article by Matthew Asprey]
{{The Beach Boys}}
[[Category:The Beach Boys albums]]
[[Category:Capitol Records albums]]
[[Category:1968 albums]]
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