I Get Around
Encyclopedia
"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. It was a single which was released in 1964 through Capitol Records
; the B-side of the single was "Don’t Worry Baby", which itself charted at number 24 in the United States
. "I Get Around" was The Beach Boys' first number-one hit song in the United States. The single charted at number seven in the United Kingdom
, and was the band's first top ten single there. The song's first album release was on All Summer Long
in 1964.
.
The vocals were recorded during a session eight days later on April 10. The lead vocal features Mike Love on the verses and Brian Wilson on the choruses with backing vocals from Brian, Carl & Dennis Wilson, Mike Love and Alan Jardine (the soaring falsetto is Brian Wilson).
", was released as a single in the United States on May 11, 1964. The single entered the Billboard chart on June 6 at #17. The song reached the #1 spot on the Billboard charts on July 4, replacing "A World Without Love
" by Peter and Gordon and becoming the band's first #1 hit in the United States. The song remained at #1 for two weeks before being replaced by "Rag Doll" by The Four Seasons
. The single also reached #1 on the United States Variety charts on July 1.
Released in June 1964 in the United Kingdom the single peaked at #7 on the Record Retailer chart and thus becoming the band's first top ten hit in the United Kingdom. According to some sources, Mick Jagger
, when appearing on the UK television show Ready Steady Go!
, stated that he thought the song was a great record. This most likely played a part in boosting the singles success, while also helping the band become more popular in the United Kingdom.
In Germany the single peaked at #38 on the Hit Bilanz chart, which was only the band's second single to chart in Germany. The single was the band's first charting single in the Netherlands, charting at #38 on the Netherlands singles charts. The single reached the top 10 in both the Canadian and Swedish singles charts, peaking at #10 in both countries.
album. In the following year, the band re-recorded the song as a medley along with "Little Deuce Coupe
" for their 1965 Beach Boys' Party!
album. The medley was a send-up of the original recording. The mock recording replaces lyrics such as "we always take my car cause it's never been beat" with "we always take my car although it's a heap". The original recording of the song was later re-released on the band's 1989 studio album Still Cruisin'
. On the 1996 country styled studio release Stars and Stripes Vol. 1
the band re-recorded the song for the album which featured country band Sawyer Brown
as guests on the track who played several of the instruments on the recording as well as featuring a lead vocal by band member Mark Miller. The harmonies on the re-recorded track were provided by Brian & Carl Wilson, Alan & Matt Jardine, Mike Love and Bruce Johnston.
The song frequently appears on many of the groups Greatest Hits compilations including the 1974 #1 hit compilation album Endless Summer; the 1999 compilation The Greatest Hits - Volume 1: 20 Good Vibrations
; the 2002 compilation Classics Selected by Brian Wilson
, which was hand-picked by Brian Wilson himself; the 2003 compilation Sounds of Summer: The Very Best of The Beach Boys
as well as the 1993 box set Good Vibrations: Thirty Years of The Beach Boys
.
" on their first television appearance in Britain on Ready Steady Go! Several live renditions of the song have been officially released on various Beach Boys releases. It was first released on their first live album Beach Boys Concert in 1964. A concert from Anaheim Stadium on July 3, 1976 which featured the song was filmed and produced by Lorne Michaels for a Beach Boys television special which first aired in the United States in August, 1976. The TV special was later released on video and DVD as Good Vibrations Tour. In 1980, a live rendition was recorded, though not released until 2002 on the Good Timin': Live at Knebworth England 1980
live album. Footage from the concert was released on video and DVD format. Another live recording of the song from a concert in 1989 was released on the 2006 album Songs from Here & Back
. Westlife
have live version of the song for their 2003 concert tour.
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...
and 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...
for 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...
. 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. It was a single which was released in 1964 through Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
; the B-side of the single was "Don’t Worry Baby", which itself charted at number 24 in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. "I Get Around" was The Beach Boys' first number-one hit song in the United States. The single charted at number seven in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, and was the band's first top ten single there. The song's first album release was on 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...
in 1964.
Copyright ownership
In November 1969, the Wilsons' father, Murry Wilson, sold the copyrights to the band's songs to Irving Almo for approximately $700,000. Many years later in April 1992, just after Brian Wilson had won a lawsuit which recovered many of the copyrights to his songs, Mike Love filed a lawsuit against Brian Wilson claiming that he had not been given credit, and therefore had not received royalties, on over thirty of the band's songs, many of them hit singles. One of these songs was "I Get Around". The original credit only credited Wilson, but Love insisted that he had a hand in writing the lyrics. In an interview with Goldmine, published September 18, 1992, Love insisted that he and not Wilson "came up with 'round round get around'". Mike Love won the lawsuit and the song-writing credit was amended, therefore ensuring future royalties on all of the songs that he had claimed he had a hand in writing.Recording
The instrumental track for "I Get Around" was recorded on April 2, 1964. The session, produced by Brian Wilson, was notable as being the session that most likely saw the sacking of the band's manager and the Wilsons' father, Murry Wilson. The bed instrumental track of the song without any Vocal Overdubs was released on the 1993 five-disc box set Good Vibrations: Thirty Years of The Beach BoysGood Vibrations: Thirty Years of The Beach Boys
Good Vibrations: Thirty Years of The Beach Boys is a 1993 boxed set released by Capitol Records which collects tracks spanning The Beach Boys' entire career to that point on four CDs. A fifth disc contains mostly studio session tracks, complete vocal and instrumental tracks, and rare live...
.
The vocals were recorded during a session eight days later on April 10. The lead vocal features Mike Love on the verses and Brian Wilson on the choruses with backing vocals from Brian, Carl & Dennis Wilson, Mike Love and Alan Jardine (the soaring falsetto is Brian Wilson).
Single release
"I Get Around", backed with "Don't Worry BabyDon't Worry Baby
"Don’t Worry Baby" is a song written by Brian Wilson and Roger Christian, produced by Wilson and first recorded by the Beach Boys. The band's version, a tender ballad with falsetto lead vocal by Brian, was first released on their 1964 album Shut Down Volume 2. It was also released as the B-side of...
", was released as a single in the United States on May 11, 1964. The single entered the Billboard chart on June 6 at #17. The song reached the #1 spot on the Billboard charts on July 4, replacing "A World Without Love
A World Without Love
"A World Without Love" is a song recorded by the English duo Peter and Gordon and released as their first single in February 1964, reaching number one in the UK Singles Chart in April. The song was written by Paul McCartney and attributed to Lennon–McCartney. The B-side was "If I Were You" written...
" by Peter and Gordon and becoming the band's first #1 hit in the United States. The song remained at #1 for two weeks before being replaced by "Rag Doll" by The Four Seasons
The Four Seasons (group)
The Four Seasons are an American rock and pop band who became internationally successful in the mid-1960s. The Vocal Group Hall of Fame has stated that the group was the most popular rock band before The Beatles...
. The single also reached #1 on the United States Variety charts on July 1.
Released in June 1964 in the United Kingdom the single peaked at #7 on the Record Retailer chart and thus becoming the band's first top ten hit in the United Kingdom. According to some sources, Mick Jagger
Mick Jagger
Sir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger is an English musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and a founding member of The Rolling Stones....
, when appearing on the UK television show Ready Steady Go!
Ready Steady Go!
Ready Steady Go! or simply RSG! was one of the UK's first rock/pop music TV programmes. It was conceived by Elkan Allan, head of Rediffusion TV. Allan was assisted by record producer/talent manager Vicki Wickham, who became the producer. It was broadcast from August 1963 until December 1966...
, stated that he thought the song was a great record. This most likely played a part in boosting the singles success, while also helping the band become more popular in the United Kingdom.
In Germany the single peaked at #38 on the Hit Bilanz chart, which was only the band's second single to chart in Germany. The single was the band's first charting single in the Netherlands, charting at #38 on the Netherlands singles charts. The single reached the top 10 in both the Canadian and Swedish singles charts, peaking at #10 in both countries.
Album and alternate releases
The song was first released on an album in 1964 on the band's All Summer LongAll 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...
album. In the following year, the band re-recorded the song as a medley along with "Little Deuce Coupe
Little Deuce Coupe (song)
"Little Deuce Coupe" is a song written by Brian Wilson and Roger Christian. The song first appeared as the b-side to The Beach Boys' 1963 single "Surfer Girl"...
" for their 1965 Beach Boys' Party!
Beach Boys' Party!
Beach Boys' Party! is an album of cover songs by American rock and roll band The Beach Boys that was marketed during the lucrative Christmas season. The original album release included a sheet of photographs of the band 'appearing' to be at the party at hand. It was The Beach Boys' tenth album...
album. The medley was a send-up of the original recording. The mock recording replaces lyrics such as "we always take my car cause it's never been beat" with "we always take my car although it's a heap". The original recording of the song was later re-released on the band's 1989 studio album Still Cruisin'
Still Cruisin'
-Singles:* "Kokomo" b/w "Tutti Frutti" , July 18, 1988 US #1; UK #25* "Still Cruisin' " b/w "Kokomo" , August 7, 1989 US #93* "Somewhere Near Japan" b/w "Kokomo" , January 1990...
. On the 1996 country styled studio release Stars and Stripes Vol. 1
Stars and Stripes Vol. 1
Stars and Stripes Vol. 1 is an album by The Beach Boys. Released in 1996, it is, despite its 'Volume 1' sub-title, their only venture into the genre of country pop music....
the band re-recorded the song for the album which featured country band Sawyer Brown
Sawyer Brown
Sawyer Brown is an American country music band founded in 1981 in Apopka, Florida, by five members of country pop singer Don King's road band: Bobby Randall and Jim Scholten , both from Midland, Michigan; Joe Smyth , Gregg "Hobie" Hubbard , and Mark Miller...
as guests on the track who played several of the instruments on the recording as well as featuring a lead vocal by band member Mark Miller. The harmonies on the re-recorded track were provided by Brian & Carl Wilson, Alan & Matt Jardine, Mike Love and Bruce Johnston.
The song frequently appears on many of the groups Greatest Hits compilations including the 1974 #1 hit compilation album Endless Summer; the 1999 compilation The Greatest Hits - Volume 1: 20 Good Vibrations
The Greatest Hits - Volume 1: 20 Good Vibrations
The Greatest Hits – Volume 1: 20 Good Vibrations is a 1999 single disc compilation by The Beach Boys and released through Capitol Records. Initially, the collection was released in 1995 without its volume number and with a slight difference in sequencing...
; the 2002 compilation Classics Selected by Brian Wilson
Classics Selected by Brian Wilson
Classics selected by Brian Wilson is a compilation of songs by The Beach Boys and released through Capitol Records in mid-2002. It was compiled by the Brian Wilson that February...
, which was hand-picked by Brian Wilson himself; the 2003 compilation Sounds of Summer: The Very Best of The Beach Boys
Sounds of Summer: The Very Best of The Beach Boys
Sounds of Summer: The Very Best of The Beach Boys is a 2003 compilation of music by The Beach Boys released through Capitol Records. This collection is the most expansive compilation ever issued of their music, with 30 tracks clocking in at over 76 minutes and grabbing nearly every US Top 40 hit of...
as well as the 1993 box set Good Vibrations: Thirty Years of The Beach Boys
Good Vibrations: Thirty Years of The Beach Boys
Good Vibrations: Thirty Years of The Beach Boys is a 1993 boxed set released by Capitol Records which collects tracks spanning The Beach Boys' entire career to that point on four CDs. A fifth disc contains mostly studio session tracks, complete vocal and instrumental tracks, and rare live...
.
Live versions
After the song became the band's first United States number one hit song, it immediately became a regular in The Beach Boys live set. During the band's first British tour in 1964, they performed this song as well as "When I Grow Up (To Be a Man)When I Grow Up (To Be a Man)
"When I Grow Up " is a song written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love for the American rock band The Beach Boys. It was released on their 1965 album Today! and as a single the previous year hit number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, number seven in Cash Box. It spent two weeks at number one in...
" on their first television appearance in Britain on Ready Steady Go! Several live renditions of the song have been officially released on various Beach Boys releases. It was first released on their first live album Beach Boys Concert in 1964. A concert from Anaheim Stadium on July 3, 1976 which featured the song was filmed and produced by Lorne Michaels for a Beach Boys television special which first aired in the United States in August, 1976. The TV special was later released on video and DVD as Good Vibrations Tour. In 1980, a live rendition was recorded, though not released until 2002 on the Good Timin': Live at Knebworth England 1980
Good Timin': Live at Knebworth England 1980
Good Timin': Live at Knebworth England 1980 is a CD release of a concert performance by The Beach Boys at the aforementioned venue in June 1980...
live album. Footage from the concert was released on video and DVD format. Another live recording of the song from a concert in 1989 was released on the 2006 album Songs from Here & Back
Songs from Here & Back
Songs from Here & Back is a 2006 live album by The Beach Boys released through Hallmark Gold Crown Stores and only available for two months...
. Westlife
Westlife
Westlife are an Irish boy band established on 3 July 1998. They are to disband in 2012. The group's line-up was Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan, Mark Feehily, Shane Filan, and Brian McFadden . The group are the only act in British and Irish history to have their first seven singles peak at number one...
have live version of the song for their 2003 concert tour.
Charts
| Chart (1964) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian RPM Singles Chart | 1 |
| Dutch Singles Chart | 38 |
| German Singles Chart | 38 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 10 |
| UK Singles Chart | 7 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 1 |