The Beach Boys vinyl record memories returns to 1961 where it all started, singing about California girls, surfing, custom cars and hot rods.
The Beach Boys Songs have been around for over fifty years. One of my favorite album covers by the Beach Boys is Little Deuce Coupe. Not necessarily my favorite album, but I love car songs so it remains a favorite album in my collection.
In addition to Deuce Coupe the album has one of my all time favorite car songs, 409. The album further expanded the band's subject matter in 1963 to include America's love affair with street rods and racing.
A high point on the album was a tribute to screen legend James Dean with the song, "A Young Man Is Gone," a prime example of Wilson's arranging genius and the band's superior vocal range.
If you will notice I have a picture of my 1961 Hot Rod magazine with
the Little Deuce Coupe on the cover. I purchased the magazine many years ago when the Danbury Mint released their Little Deuce Coupe replica, a perfect reproduction of the original '32 Ford.
The Little Deuce Coupe album
was purchased from a private collector in 2009 and I actually paid more
for the 1961 magazine than I did the album. I did contact the collector after I received the album and informed him that I purchased the album new in 1963 and over the years I lost the album.
I
wanted to add it to my collection because of the magazine cover and the perfectly detailed Little Deuce Coupe Hot Rod replica that I now owned. He also sent me The Beach Boys #1 album from 1974, "Endless Summer." That matched perfectly with
my other Beach Boys' 1964 #1 Album, "Beach Boys' Concert."
The collector said he was selling all his albums so someone else could enjoy their vinyl record memories, and thought my collection was pretty cool.
He sent the second album to me at no charge. That also was pretty cool.
The song was written by Brian Wilson and Roger Christian and first appeared as the B-side to The Beach Boys' single "Surfer Girl" in 1963.
"Surfer Girl" reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100, and "Little Deuce Coupe" became The Beach Boys' highest charting B-side at #15.
After being released on the "Surfer Girl" album it was then released on the "Little Deuce Coupe" album as the title track in October of 1963.
It was The Boys' fourth album in less than a year and reached #4 during a 46 week stay on the charts. Be sure to check out the links below so you don't miss my "Little Deuce Coupe Story."
In the 1990 CD re-release of the original Surfer Girl album, Brian Wilson had commented on the song in the liner notes:
"We loved doing 'Little Deuce Coupe'. It was a good 'shuffle' rhythm, which was not like most of the rhythms of the records on the radio in those days. It had a bouncy feel to it. Like most of our records, it had a competitive lyric. This record was my favorite Beach Boys car song."
While on tour in 1963 Mike Love came up with the idea to use short instrumental segments to introduce the band to the audience before actually launching into the song.
Mike would start with Dennis Wilson on drums, then add Al Jardine on rhythm guitar, Carl Wilson on lead guitar and finally the leader of the group, Brian on the bass. The group would then step up to the microphone and jump into "Little Deuce Coupe."
Follow the Little Deuce Coupe link below and enjoy the Little Deuce Coupe song and the owner's son talking about the magical presence of this classic '32 Ford coupe. And don't forget to check out the added stories below on some great Beach Boys cover songs performed by some very famous artists.
The Beach Boys' were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Class of 1988.
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Quality Video showing where Little Deuce Coupe is located. See the Deuce Coupe here...
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Pink Shoe Laces was a cute #
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