Merry Christmas from the Beach Boys
Merry Christmas from the Beach Boys is an unreleased studio album by American rock band the Beach Boys. Planned for issue in November/December 1978,[1] the content was a mixture of original songs penned by the group and traditional standards, similar to their 1964 release The Beach Boys' Christmas Album.
| Merry Christmas from the Beach Boys | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album (unreleased) by | ||||
| Recorded | 1970–1977 | |||
| Genre | Christmas | |||
| Length | 33:38 | |||
| Producer | Brian Wilson, Al Jardine, Ron Altbach, Dennis Wilson, Terry Jacks | |||
| The Beach Boys recording chronology | ||||
| ||||
The album was produced by Brian Wilson[2] during the same sessions as M.I.U. Album (1978),[1] but ultimately rejected by Warner Bros. Records[3] who were reportedly "highly skeptical" that Wilson was anywhere on it.[4] Some of its recordings were later released on the 1998 compilation Ultimate Christmas.[5]
Recording
Merry Christmas from the Beach Boys was mostly recorded between November and December 1977 at the Maharishi International University in Iowa. Exceptions are "Seasons in the Sun", "Santa's On His Way", "Michael Rowed the Boat Ashore", "Child of Winter (Christmas Song)" and "Christmas Time Is Here Again", all of which were variously recorded between 1970 and 1976.[1] Other songs worked on during these sessions were alternate versions of tracks included on M.I.U. Album. These include that album's "Belles of Paris" ("Bells of Christmas") and "Kona Coast" ("Melekalikimaka" or "Kona Christmas").[1]
Track listing
Track sequencing adapted from Andrew Doe.[1]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Christmas Time Is Here Again" | Buddy Holly, Norman Petty, Jerry Allison, Al Jardine | Brian Wilson | 3:05 |
| 2. | "Child of Winter (Christmas Song)" | Brian Wilson, Stephen Kalinich | B. Wilson | 2:51 |
| 3. | "Winter Symphony" | B. Wilson | B. Wilson | 3:02 |
| 4. | "Michael Row the Boat Ashore" | traditional | B. Wilson | 3:40 |
| 5. | "Seasons in the Sun" | Jacques Brel, Rod McKuen | Terry Jacks | 3:21 |
| 6. | "Morning Christmas" | Dennis Wilson | Dennis Wilson | 3:26 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Alone on Christmas Day" | Love, Ron Altbach | Al Jardine and Ron Altbach | 2:52 |
| 2. | "Go and Get That Girl" | Ed Tuleja, Ron Altbach | Jardine and Altbach | 3:15 |
| 3. | "Santa's On His Way" | B. Wilson, Jardine, Love | B. Wilson | 3:25 |
| 4. | "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" | Tommie Connor | B. Wilson | 2:24 |
| 5. | "Xmas Carol Medley" | Jardine and Altbach | 2:26 |
See also
References
- Doe, Andrew G. "Unreleased Albums". Bellagio 10452. Endless Summer Quarterly. Retrieved November 9, 2015.
- Preiss, Byron (1979). The Beach Boys. Ballantine Books. ISBN 978-0-345-27398-7.
- Badman, Keith (2004). The Beach Boys: The Definitive Diary of America's Greatest Band, on Stage and in the Studio. Backbeat Books. p. 372. ISBN 978-0-87930-818-6.
- Musician. Amordian Press. 1985. p. 47.
- Lambert, Philip (2007). Inside the Music of Brian Wilson: The Songs, Sounds, and Influences of the Beach Boys' Founding Genius. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 315. ISBN 978-1-4411-0748-0.
