Best of The Beach Boys is the first compilation album by The Beach Boys

The Beach Boys

The Beach Boys are an American rock band, formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California. The group was initially composed of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Managed by the Wilsons' father Murry, The Beach Boys signed to Capitol Records in 1962...

, released in the summer of 1966 just two months after Pet Sounds

Pet Sounds

Pet Sounds is the eleventh studio album by the American rock band The Beach Boys, released May 16, 1966, on Capitol Records. It has since been recognized as one of the most influential records in the history of popular music and one of the best albums of the 1960s, including songs such as "Wouldn't...

. It includes many of their most popular songs from 1963 to '65. The album reached #8 on the US charts and soon went gold. Brian Wilson

Brian Wilson

Brian Douglas Wilson is an American musician, best known as the leader and chief songwriter of the group The Beach Boys. Within the band, Wilson played bass and keyboards, also providing part-time lead vocals and, more often, backing vocals, harmonizing in falsetto with the group...

 is said to have been irritated by the label's decision to release a compilation of the group's older material at a time when the group's music was rapidly becoming more complex and sophisticated.

The UK edition of the album, with a revised track order, was issued later in the year, reaching #2 on the UK charts.

Although Best of The Beach Boys is currently certified double platinum in the US, it is now out of print, supplanted by more comprehensive compilation albums.

Track listing

1. "Surfin' USA
   Surfin' USA
   -Singles:* "Surfin' USA" b/w "Shut Down" , 4 March 1963, US #3; #34 UK-Personnel:*Brian Wilson - Vocals, bass, keyboards*Mike Love - Vocals, saxophone*Dennis Wilson - Vocals, drums...
   
   " (Brian Wilson/Chuck Berry
   Chuck Berry
   Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" , "Roll Over Beethoven" , "Rock and Roll Music" and "Johnny B...
   
   ) – 2:28
2. "Catch a Wave
   Catch a Wave
   "Catch a Wave" is a song written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love for the American rock band, The Beach Boys. It was released on their 1963 album Surfer Girl. This song was recorded on July 14 and 16, 1963. This song is notable for the use of a harp played by Mike Love's sister, Maureen...
   
   " (Brian Wilson/Mike Love
   Mike Love
   Michael Edward "Mike" Love is an American singer/songwriter and musician with The Beach Boys. He was a founding member of the band along with his cousins Brian, Carl, and Dennis Wilson, and their friend Al Jardine, and continues to perform with the band to the present day...
   
   ) – 2:18
3. "Surfer Girl
   Surfer Girl
   Surfer Girl is the third studio album by The Beach Boys and their second longplayer in 1963. This was the first album by The Beach Boys for which Brian Wilson was given full production credit, a position Wilson would maintain until the end of the The Smile Sessions in 1967...
   
   " (Brian Wilson) – 2:26
4. "Little Deuce Coupe
   Little Deuce Coupe
   Little Deuce Coupe is The Beach Boys' fourth album, and third overall LP release in 1963. Almost unintentionally, the album was rush-recorded and compiled when leader Brian Wilson sought to protect his band from exploitation from Capitol Records....
   
   " (Brian Wilson/Roger Christian) – 1:50
5. "In My Room" (Brian Wilson/Gary Usher
   Gary Usher
   Gary Usher was an American surf rock musician, songwriter, and record producer.-Biography:Usher's early life was spent in Grafton, Massachusetts. He attended Norcross Grammar School with his sister, Sandra, who was in the same class and was likely his twin. Gary was kiddingly called "Chicken Feed"...
   
   ) – 2:13
6. "Little Honda
   Little Honda
   "Little Honda" is a song written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love for the American rock band The Beach Boys. It was released on their 1964 album All Summer Long, and it was also featured on their EP, Four by The Beach Boys. It was covered by The Hondells, whose recording peaked at #9 on the U.S. pop...
   
   " (Brian Wilson/Mike Love) – 1:51
7. "Fun, Fun, Fun
   Fun, Fun, Fun
   "Fun, Fun, Fun", written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love, was a hit single by The Beach Boys that was released in 1964 on the band's album Shut Down Volume 2.- Composition :...
   
   " (Brian Wilson/Mike Love) – 2:18
8. "The Warmth of the Sun
   The Warmth of the Sun
   "The Warmth of the Sun" is a song written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love for the American rock band The Beach Boys. It was released on their 1964 album Shut Down Volume 2 and as the B-side of the "Dance, Dance, Dance" single, which charted at number eight in the United States and number twenty-four...
   
   " (Brian Wilson/Mike Love) – 2:50
9. "Louie, Louie" (Richard Berry) – 2:23
10. "Kiss Me, Baby
    Kiss Me, Baby
    "Kiss Me, Baby" is a song written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love. It was released as the B-side of The Beach Boys number-one U.S. hit "Help Me, Rhonda". It was also released by The Beach Boys on their 1965 album Today!.- Recording :...
    
    " (Brian Wilson/Mike Love) – 2:35
11. "You're So Good to Me" (Brian Wilson/Mike Love) – 2:13
12. "Wendy
    Wendy
    Wendy is a given name generally given to females in English-speaking countries.The name is found in United States records from the 19th century; Wendy Gram, a female resident of Ohio, was born in 1828, and the name Wendy appeared over twenty times in the U.S. Census of 1880...
    
    " (Brian Wilson/Mike Love) – 2:22

British version

The British version of Best of The Beach Boys was released in mid-1966 with 14 songs, instead of the usual 12 found on American albums.

The following songs were found on the British version of Best of The Beach Boys:

1. "Surfin' Safari
   Surfin' Safari
   -Musicians:*Alan Jardine - vocals, acoustic bass *Mike Love - vocals*David Marks - rhythm guitar, vocals *Brian Wilson - bass guitar, piano, vocals*Carl Wilson - lead guitar, vocals*Dennis Wilson - drums, vocals...
   
   " – 2:05
2. "Surfin' USA" – 2:28
3. "Little Deuce Coupe" – 1:50
4. "Fun, Fun, Fun" – 2:18
5. "I Get Around
   I Get Around
   "I Get Around" is a song written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love for The Beach Boys. The song features Love on lead vocal for the verse, and Wilson for the chorus. It is noteworthy for its back-to-front structure - it starts with a chorus and has two short verses...
   
   " – 2:12
6. "All Summer Long
   All Summer Long
   All Summer Long is the sixth studio album by The Beach Boys and their second in 1964. Recorded in the aftermath of the British Invasion, spearheaded by The Beatles, the album marked a major turning point in The Beach Boys' career, and in leader/prime songwriter Brian Wilson as an artist.All Summer...
   
   " – 2:05
7. "In My Room" – 2:13
8. "Do You Wanna Dance?
   Do You Wanna Dance?
   "Do You Wanna Dance?" is a song written by Bobby Freeman , and recorded by him in 1958. It is also popular in a version performed by the Beach Boys, which was released in 1965, and in a version recorded by Bette Midler in 1972...
   
   " – 2:18
9. "Help Me, Rhonda
   Help Me, Rhonda
   "Help Me, Rhonda" is a song written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love for their American rock band The Beach Boys. The song is the first Beach Boys song to feature a lead vocal by Al Jardine. It was released in March 1965 on the album Today! as "Help Me, Ronda"...
   
   " – 2:45
10. "California Girls
    California Girls
    "California Girls" is a song by American rock band The Beach Boys, featured on their ninth studio album Summer Days . Written by band-members Brian Wilson and Mike Love, the song features contrasting verse-chorus form...
    
    " – 2:37
11. "Barbara Ann
    Barbara Ann
    "Barbara Ann" is a song written by Fred Fassert and performed by The Regents in 1961. The recording reached a peak position of #13 on the Billboard Hot 100 record chart....
    
    " – 2:05
12. "You're So Good To Me" – 2:13
13. "Sloop John B
    Sloop John B
    "Sloop John B" is the seventh track on The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds album and was also a single which was released in 1966 on Capitol Records. It was originally a traditional West Indies folk song, "The John B. Sails," taken from a collection by Carl Sandburg . Alan Lomax made a field recording of...
    
    " – 2:55
14. "God Only Knows
    God Only Knows
    "God Only Knows" is a song by American rock band The Beach Boys. It is the eighth track on the group's 11th studio album, Pet Sounds , and one of their most widely recognized songs. "God Only Knows" was composed and produced by Brian Wilson with lyrics by Tony Asher and lead vocal by Carl...
    
    " – 2:49