Little Deuce Coupe (song)
Encyclopedia
"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
". It was released on the Surfer Girl
album and then again as the title track of the album Little Deuce Coupe.
"Surfer Girl" reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100
, while "Little Deuce Coupe" became The Beach Boys' highest charting b-side, making it to #15. It was the first of the Beach Boys' b-sides to receive a million spins on US radio. Internationally, it was reported by a French internet publication to be the 20th biggest hit of 1963 in that country.
According to author Jon Stebbins
in his book The Lost Beach Boy, while the group was on tour in July 1963 Mike Love
hit on the idea to use short instrumental segments of the song in the Beach Boys' live set as a way to introduce the bandmembers to the audience, starting with Dennis Wilson
on drums, then adding David Marks
(and later Al Jardine
) on rhythm guitar, Carl Wilson
on lead guitar, and finally Brian on the bass, before launching the song from the top.
with the lyric
by local radio
station DJ Roger Christian; it typified the Beach Boys' "car songs" which along with "surfing
", glamorized the teenage 1960s Californian lifestyle. The car referred to is the Ford Model B; the 1932 model was referred to as a "deuce coupe". Model Bs were readily available and easily modified, as auto enthusiasts (or "hot rodders") removed spare weight and improved the engine
.
Brian Wilson commented on the song in the liner notes of the 1990 CD re-release of the original Surfer Girl album: "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."
on June 12, 1963, at the same recording session as "Surfer Girl". The two songs were the first songs recorded for The Beach Boys' third album, Surfer Girl. This was the first Beach Boys recording session where Brian Wilson
served as the official producer, and also one of the last sessions before Al Jardine
rejoined the band.
have released four live versions of "Little Deuce Coupe", on Beach Boys Concert
, Good Timin': Live at Knebworth England 1980
, Songs from Here & Back
, and as part of a medley on Endless Harmony Soundtrack
. Al Jardine
included this song on his solo album Live in Las Vegas.
A demo version surfaced on the 2001 compilation Hawthorne, CA
.
Alvin and the Chipmunks
covered the song for their TV series
episode "Carsick."
It was also recorded as part of a medley with "I Get Around
" on Beach Boys' Party!
. On their 1996 album Stars and Stripes Vol. 1
, the Beach Boys re-recorded this song with country music artist James House
.
An instrumental cover version with some popularity on its own was published the same year as the original by The Defenders.
In the 2005 film, War of the Worlds
directed by Steven Spielberg
, Ray Ferrier (played by Tom Cruise
) sings part of the song to his daughter (Dakota Fanning
) as a lullaby when she is too afraid to sleep.
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 Roger Christian. The song first appeared as the b-side to 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...
1963 single "Surfer Girl
Surfer Girl (song)
"Surfer Girl" is the title of a song written and sung by Brian Wilson for The Beach Boys. It was released as a single and it then appeared on the 1963 album of the same name, Surfer Girl. The B-side of the single was "Little Deuce Coupe"...
". It was released on the 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...
album and then again as the title track of the album Little Deuce Coupe.
"Surfer Girl" reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, while "Little Deuce Coupe" became The Beach Boys' highest charting b-side, making it to #15. It was the first of the Beach Boys' b-sides to receive a million spins on US radio. Internationally, it was reported by a French internet publication to be the 20th biggest hit of 1963 in that country.
According to author Jon Stebbins
Jon Stebbins
-Music career:Stebbins was a member of a music band called 'The Point' which was active on the Los Angeles club circuit from 1979 to 1985.The Point were often described as part of L.A.'s psychedelic revival scene known as the Paisley Underground. They released a self-titled four song EP in 1981...
in his book The Lost Beach Boy, while the group was on tour in July 1963 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...
hit on the idea to use short instrumental segments of the song in the Beach Boys' live set as a way to introduce the bandmembers to the audience, starting with Dennis Wilson
Dennis Wilson
Dennis Carl Wilson was an American rock and roll musician best known as a founding member and the drummer of The Beach Boys. He was a member of the group from its formation until his death in 1983...
on drums, then adding David Marks
David Marks (musician)
David Marks is an American songwriter and musician. He is best known as being a member of The Beach Boys from February 1962 to October 1963. Marks was part of the Beach Boys line-up, at age 13, when they signed with Capitol Records on July 16, 1962...
(and later Al Jardine
Al Jardine
Alan Charles "Al" Jardine is a founding member of top-selling American music group The Beach Boys, a guitarist and occasional lead vocalist. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.-Early life:...
) on rhythm guitar, Carl Wilson
Carl Wilson
Carl Dean Wilson was an American rock and roll singer and guitarist, best known as a founding member, lead guitarist and sometime lead vocalist of The Beach Boys...
on lead guitar, and finally Brian on the bass, before launching the song from the top.
Composition
The music was written by Brian WilsonBrian 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...
with the lyric
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
by local radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
station DJ Roger Christian; it typified the Beach Boys' "car songs" which along with "surfing
Surfing
Surfing' is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore...
", glamorized the teenage 1960s Californian lifestyle. The car referred to is the Ford Model B; the 1932 model was referred to as a "deuce coupe". Model Bs were readily available and easily modified, as auto enthusiasts (or "hot rodders") removed spare weight and improved the engine
Internal combustion engine
The internal combustion engine is an engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs with an oxidizer in a combustion chamber. In an internal combustion engine, the expansion of the high-temperature and high -pressure gases produced by combustion apply direct force to some component of the engine...
.
Brian Wilson commented on the song in the liner notes of the 1990 CD re-release of the original Surfer Girl album: "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."
Recording
The song was recorded at Western StudiosUnited Western Recorders
United Western Recorders, often abbreviated to UWR, was a renowned recording studio complex in Hollywood, California, which became one of the most successful independent recording studios in the world in the late 1950s and 1960s....
on June 12, 1963, at the same recording session as "Surfer Girl". The two songs were the first songs recorded for The Beach Boys' third album, Surfer Girl. This was the first Beach Boys recording session where 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...
served as the official producer, and also one of the last sessions before Al Jardine
Al Jardine
Alan Charles "Al" Jardine is a founding member of top-selling American music group The Beach Boys, a guitarist and occasional lead vocalist. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.-Early life:...
rejoined the band.
Musicians
- Mike LoveMike LoveMichael 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...
- lead vocals - David MarksDavid Marks (musician)David Marks is an American songwriter and musician. He is best known as being a member of The Beach Boys from February 1962 to October 1963. Marks was part of the Beach Boys line-up, at age 13, when they signed with Capitol Records on July 16, 1962...
- guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... - Brian WilsonBrian WilsonBrian 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...
- bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, piano, vocals - Carl WilsonCarl WilsonCarl Dean Wilson was an American rock and roll singer and guitarist, best known as a founding member, lead guitarist and sometime lead vocalist of The Beach Boys...
- lead guitar, vocals - Dennis WilsonDennis WilsonDennis Carl Wilson was an American rock and roll musician best known as a founding member and the drummer of The Beach Boys. He was a member of the group from its formation until his death in 1983...
- drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, vocals
Alternative versions
The Beach BoysThe 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...
have released four live versions of "Little Deuce Coupe", on Beach Boys Concert
Beach Boys Concert
Beach Boys Concert is a live album by The Beach Boys, released in 1964. It is their seventh album in all, and their third alone in the same year...
, 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...
, 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...
, and as part of a medley on Endless Harmony Soundtrack
Endless Harmony Soundtrack
Endless Harmony Soundtrack is an anthology album of previously unheard material by The Beach Boys, originally released by Capitol Records in August 1998. Named for Bruce Johnston's song on the 1980 album Keepin' the Summer Alive, it was designed as a tie-in with the band's biographical documentary...
. Al Jardine
Al Jardine
Alan Charles "Al" Jardine is a founding member of top-selling American music group The Beach Boys, a guitarist and occasional lead vocalist. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.-Early life:...
included this song on his solo album Live in Las Vegas.
A demo version surfaced on the 2001 compilation Hawthorne, CA
Hawthorne, CA (album)
Hawthorne, CA, subtitled Birthplace of a Musical Legacy, is the second anthology collection by The Beach Boys and released through Capitol Records...
.
Alvin and the Chipmunks
Alvin and the Chipmunks
Alvin and the Chipmunks is an American animated music group created by Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. in 1958. The group consists of three singing animated anthropomorphic chipmunks: Alvin, the mischievous troublemaker, who quickly became the star of the group; Simon, the tall, bespectacled intellectual;...
covered the song for their TV series
Alvin and the Chipmunks (TV series)
Alvin and the Chipmunks is an American animated television series featuring The Chipmunks, produced by Bagdasarian Productions in association with Ruby-Spears Enterprises from 1983–87, and DIC Entertainment from 1988-90....
episode "Carsick."
It was also recorded as part of a medley with "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...
" on 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...
. On their 1996 album 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 Beach Boys re-recorded this song with country music artist James House
James House (singer)
James Andrew House is an American country music artist. Originally a member of a group called the House Band, James began his country music career in 1990 on MCA Records, recording two albums for that label. He later penned singles for Diamond Rio and Dwight Yoakam, before finding another record...
.
An instrumental cover version with some popularity on its own was published the same year as the original by The Defenders.
In the 2005 film, War of the Worlds
War of the Worlds (2005 film)
War of the Worlds is a 2005 American science fiction film adaptation of H. G. Wells' novel of the same name, directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Josh Friedman and David Koepp. It is one of three film adaptations of War of the Worlds released that year, alongside The Asylum's version and...
directed by Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg
Steven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur. In a career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as an...
, Ray Ferrier (played by Tom Cruise
Tom Cruise
Thomas Cruise Mapother IV , better known as Tom Cruise, is an American film actor and producer. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards and he has won three Golden Globe Awards....
) sings part of the song to his daughter (Dakota Fanning
Dakota Fanning
Hannah Dakota Fanning , better known as Dakota Fanning, is an American actress. Fanning's breakthrough performance was in I Am Sam in 2001. As a child actress, she appeared in high-profile films such as Man on Fire, War of the Worlds, and Charlotte's Web...
) as a lullaby when she is too afraid to sleep.
See also
- List of songs by The Beach Boys
- Little Deuce CoupeLittle Deuce CoupeLittle 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....