Friends (The Beach Boys song)

"Friends" is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1968 album Friends. It was written by Brian Wilson, Carl Wilson, Dennis Wilson and Al Jardine. Sung by Carl, the song was recorded in waltz time. "Friends" was the first single from the album of the same name and has since been described as a "cult favorite."

Background and recording

"Friends" was recorded on March 13, 1968. It was recorded in
₄ time for its first take. Immediately after, Brian rearranged the song after realizing that there were not many waltzes on the radio. Brian later stated, "The cut 'Friends' was, in my opinion, a good way to keep waltzes alive." As Peter Reum, a Beach Boys historian, stated "'Friends' is a waltz, and it's been used at the Berklee College of Music to teach students how to write in
₄ time."

"Friends" features a lead vocal performed by Carl Wilson, who had been gradually assuming more lead vocal duties to this point. Brian explained, "Carl had sung 'Darlin'' and some others before and now he spearheaded this cut with a heavy vocal performance."

Brian called the song his favorite from the Friends album. In another interview, he commented, "'Friends' is great. I though there was a lot of humor in it and I thought, y'know, songs usually don't have that much kinda humor, but 'Friends' had a lot of humor in it. So that's why I like it." Bruce Johnston, who otherwise disliked the "wimpy" nature of the Friends album, described the song as "fantastic" and praised its bassline.

Release and sales

"Friends" was released as a single, with "Little Bird" as the B-side. With its gentle arrangement and simple song structure, "Friends" proved to be out of step with commercial trends and underperformed commercially. The single peaked at number 47 in the United States, becoming their first single to miss the top 40 since "The Man with All the Toys" in 1964. It fared better in the United Kingdom, peaking at number 25.

An a cappella mix was sold as a vinyl single backed with Al Jardine's Beach Boys reunion song "Don't Fight the Sea" for the charity of 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami in April 2011.

Critical reception

Upon release, Cash Box spoke positively of the song, writing, "Barbershop harmonizing to a soft rock backdrop provides the Beach Boys with a departure from their 'Wild Honey'/'Good Vibrations' style. Easy-throbbing waltz tempo and a unique vocal sound cast a new type of magical spell for the team, one that should have them rising rapidly on the best seller charts. Outstanding track." In its 1968 review of the Friends album, Rolling Stone singled out the title track as a highlight, writing, " a more mature (in that it lacks their usual immediacy) evocation of the surfer 'pack' or 'club' vision — why go out with a girl when you can go cruising with the guys on Saturday nights? It's really warm, simple, touching, saying in not so many words that friendship isn’t about words."

In Disc & Music Echo, Penny Valentine wrote of the single, "Whither the progressive Beach Boys? If The Beach Boys are as bored as they sound, they should stop bothering They are no longer the brilliant Beach Boys. They are grey and they are making sad little grey records."

Retrospectively, biographer David Leaf praised the song's "fine melody and lovely production" and wrote, "The vocal arrangement of this track let the world know that Brian was back mixing his magical harmonic brew." Donald Guarisco of Allmusic commented, "This mellow, lovely track is a good example of the Beach Boys' late-'60s output: it is far less musically complex than 'California Girls' or 'Wouldn't It Be Nice' but possesses a homespun charm all its own." Dave Swanson of Ultimate Classic Rock noted the song's "calming nature."

Personnel

Per Craig Slowinski.

The Beach Boys

Carl Wilson - lead vocals, backing vocals, guitar
Brian Wilson - lead vocals, backing vocals
Dennis Wilson - backing vocals
Alan Jardine - backing vocals
Bruce Johnston - backing vocals

Session musicians

Jim Ackley - keyboard
Jimmy Bond - upright bass
Norm Jeffries - drums
Alan Estes - vibes
Tommy Morgan - standard & bass harmonicas
Jim Horn - sax & clarinet
Jay Migliori - sax & clarinet
Arnold Belnick, William Kurasch, Leonard Malarsky - violins
Norman Botnick - viola

References

^ Leaf, David (1990). Friends / 20/20 (CD Liner). The Beach Boys. Capitol Records.
^ Guarisco, Donald A. "Friends by The Beach Boys - Track Info". AllMusic. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
"Recordings sessions: 1968". Endless Summer Quarterly. Retrieved January 8, 2017.
Benci, Jacopo (January 1995). "Brian Wilson interview". Record Collector (185). UK.
"Brian Answer's Fans' Questions In Live Q&A". January 29, 2014. Archived from the original on 2014-07-19. Retrieved 27 June 2014.
Wilson, Brian. "Brian Wilson on "Friends"". YouTube. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
Sharp, Ken (September 2013). "Bruce Johnston On the Beach Boys' Enduring Legacy (Interview)". Archived from the original on September 30, 2013.
"The Beach Boys". Billboard. Retrieved 23 July 2022.
"Beach Boys". Official Charts. The Official UK Charts Company. Retrieved July 19, 2021.
"Rare Beach Boys Single, 'Don't Fight the Sea,' To Benefit Red Cross Relief Efforts In Japan". April 18, 2011. Archived from the original on 30 July 2018. Retrieved 2 July 2014.
"CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. April 13, 1968. p. 24. Retrieved 2022-01-12.
Schmidt, Arthur (24 August 1968). "Friends". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
Badman 2004, p. 220.
Swanson, Dave (24 June 2013). "45 Years Ago: The Beach Boys' 'Friends' Album Released". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
Slowinski, Craig (Spring 2018). "Friends". Endless Summer Quarterly.

Bibliography

Badman, Keith (2004). The Beach Boys: The Definitive Diary of America's Greatest Band, on Stage and in the Studio. Backbeat Books. ISBN 978-0-87930-818-6.

Friends

Songs

Side one	"Meant for You" "Friends" "Wake the World" "Be Here in the Mornin'" "When a Man Needs a Woman" "Passing By"
Side two	"Anna Lee, the Healer" "Little Bird" "Be Still" "Busy Doin' Nothin'" "Diamond Head" "Transcendental Meditation"

Non-album single

"Do It Again"

Outtakes

The Beach Boys singles

1960s

1961	"Surfin'" / "Luau"
1962	"Surfin' Safari" / "409" "Ten Little Indians" / "County Fair"
1963	"Surfin' U.S.A." / "Shut Down" "Surfer Girl" / "Little Deuce Coupe" "Be True to Your School" / "In My Room" "Little Saint Nick" / "The Lord's Prayer"
1964	"Fun, Fun, Fun" / "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" "I Get Around" / "Don't Worry Baby" "When I Grow Up (To Be a Man)" / "She Knows Me Too Well" "Dance, Dance, Dance" / "The Warmth of the Sun" "The Man with All the Toys" / "Blue Christmas"
1965	"Do You Wanna Dance?" / "Please Let Me Wonder" "Help Me, Rhonda" / "Kiss Me, Baby" "California Girls"/ "Let Him Run Wild" "The Little Girl I Once Knew" / "There's No Other (Like My Baby)" "Barbara Ann" / "Girl Don't Tell Me"
1966	"Sloop John B" / "You're So Good to Me" "Wouldn't It Be Nice" / "God Only Knows" "Good Vibrations" / "Let's Go Away for Awhile"
1967	"Then I Kissed Her" / "Mountain of Love" "Heroes and Villains" / "You're Welcome" "Wild Honey" / "Wind Chimes" "Darlin'" / "Here Today"
1968	"Friends" / "Little Bird" "Do It Again" / "Wake the World" "Bluebirds over the Mountain" / "Never Learn Not to Love"
1969	"I Can Hear Music" / "All I Want to Do" "Break Away" / "Celebrate the News"

1970s

1970	"Add Some Music to Your Day" / "Susie Cincinnati" "Cottonfields" / "The Nearest Faraway Place" "Slip On Through" / "This Whole World" "Tears in the Morning" / "It's About Time"
1971	"Cool, Cool Water" / "Forever" "Wouldn't It Be Nice" (live) / "The Times They Are a-Changin'" (by Merry Clayton) "Long Promised Road" / "Deirdre" "Long Promised Road" / "'Til I Die" "Student Demonstration Time" / "Don't Go Near the Water" "Surf's Up" / "Don't Go Near the Water"
1972	"You Need a Mess of Help to Stand Alone" / "Cuddle Up" "Marcella" / "Hold On Dear Brother"
1973	"Sail On, Sailor" / "Only with You" "California Saga/California" / "Funky Pretty"
1974	"Surfin' U.S.A." / "The Warmth of the Sun" "Child of Winter (Christmas Song)" / "Susie Cincinnati"
1975	"Sail On, Sailor" / "Only with You"
1976	"Rock and Roll Music" / "T M Song" "It's O.K." / "Had to Phone Ya" "Everyone's in Love with You" / "Susie Cincinnati"
1977	"Honkin' Down the Highway" / "Solar System"
1978	"Peggy Sue" / "Hey Little Tomboy"
1979	"Here Comes the Night" / "Baby Blue" "Good Timin'" / "Love Surrounds Me" "Lady Lynda" / "Full Sail" "It's a Beautiful Day" / "Sumahama"

1980s

1980	"Goin' On" / "Endless Harmony" "Livin' with a Heartache" / "Santa Ana Winds"
1981	"The Beach Boys Medley" / "God Only Knows" "Come Go with Me" / "Don't Go Near the Water"
1985	"Getcha Back" / "Male Ego" "It's Gettin' Late" / "It's O.K." "She Believes in Love Again" / "It's Just a Matter of Time"
1986	"Rock 'n' Roll to the Rescue" / "Good Vibrations" (live) "California Dreamin'" / "Lady Liberty"
1987	"Happy Endings" (with Little Richard) / "California Girls" (live)
1988	"Kokomo" / "Tutti Frutti" (Little Richard)
1989	"Still Cruisin'" / "Kokomo"

1990s

1990	"Somewhere Near Japan" / "Kokomo" "Problem Child" / "Problem Child (Instrumental)"
1992	"Hot Fun in the Summertime" / "Summer of Love"
1996	"I Just Wasn't Made for These Times" / "Wouldn't It Be Nice" / "Here Today"

2010s

2011	"Good Vibrations" / "Heroes and Villains" "Don't Fight the Sea" / "Friends"
2012	"That's Why God Made the Radio" / "That's Why God Made the Radio" (instrumental) "Isn't It Time" / Live in Chicago

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