A Cork on the Ocean: Beach Boys and Wilson Brothers song-by-song

Albums discussed so far:

1. Surfin' Safari 2.7907
2. Surfin' U.S.A. 2.7875
3. Surfer Girl 3.752

Albums ranked:

1. Surfer Girl 3.752
2. Surfin' Safari 2.7907
3. Surfin' U.S.A. 2.7875

 

Today’s song is “The Things We Did Last Summer”, written by Sammy Cahn & Jule Styne. Produced by Brian Wilson.

The Beach Boys – Things We Did Last Summer Lyrics | Genius Lyrics

“The Things WE Did Last Summer” was an old song that had hit the Top Ten in 1946, performed by Jo Stafford and more recently had charted at #44 for Shelly Fabares.

The Beach Boys recorded their version on April 21st for the Red Skelton TV show, along with a version of “Surfin' U.S.A.”. This was the first national TV show The Beach Boys appeared on. The songs were meant to highlight their then-current single, and Murry and Brian included this song to appeal to the parents as well as their children.

However the program did not air until August, and by that time, the “Surfin' U.S.A.” single had already fallen off the chart. It was recorded with backing from the CBS house orchestra. Although the vocal arrangement is in the Four Freshmen style, The Four Freshmen did not do a version of this song.

Line UP:
Brian Wilson, Carl Wilson, Mike Love and Al Jardine: vocals
Other personnel unknown.

James B. Murphy indicates in Becoming the Beach Boys 1961-1963 that David and Dennis were present at the recording but did not perform on this track, but doesn’t mention Al; WillJC wrote on another site that Al sang on this track.

An acetate of “The Things We Did Last Summer” was made, but the song was not released until 1993, when it appeared on Good Vibrations: Thirty Years of The Beach Boys.

It was also released as a jukebox only single with “Be True To Your School" on the flip-side in 1993.

 

The actual TV performance:

 

“The Things We Did Last Summer” - the arrangement is snoozy, but the boys’ harmonies are nice. 3/5

 

Things We Did Last Summer
Pretty song, nice vocal arrangement. Can't find any fault with it but doesn't float my boat.
Rating 2

 

Oh that's nice. It would have held up just with a simple rhythm section backing. The full orchestra gives it that extra layer of cheese that doesn't do it many favors.

 

The Things We Did Last Summer

A lot of early and not-so-early rock n' rollers were highly influenced by doo wop, but is there anyone who was influenced by this kind of mainstream "traditional pop" vocal music to anything close to the extent of the Beach Boys? It's so cool what they were able to make of it, and, as here, it's pretty cool too how fully they were able to recreate it. But that doesn't mean I want to listen.

2/5

 

A couple of years later, labelmates The Lettermen would record a similar arrangement:

 

I love it. It is certainly not rock ‘n’ roll, but it’s so pretty.

I include this on my Alternate All Summer Long playlist. I’ll let you guess which track it replaces.

4.2/5

 

The pants. I just can't get enough.

 

Exactly. It's hard to imagine anyone -- any teen or rock 'n roll fan I mean -- thinking this was anything but completely square and retro, even in 1963.

 

The Things We Did Last Summer
Beautifully sung, and the lyrics are certainly of their time. It's so far removed from the surfing and hot rod themes we would expect when this was recorded, but it shows the boys are nothing if not versatile, 3/5

 

If the radio was on and I was hearing this from a distance I'm sure I could confuse it for Graduation Day. It sounds an awful lot the same.

 

This actually "rocks" lots harder than The Beach Boys live version. I could almost tap my foot to this. Almost.

 

Here's Rick Nelson mining the same vibe in 1961 with "That Warm Summer Night":

 

Nice vocals and the kind of thing a fan might hunt for on a multi artist compilation album: 2.5/5.

 

I've never thought this was a great song, no matter who's doing it, but this is a very nice and fairly convincing version. it's as convincing as any older version, really, which is something and on that count maybe I'm hiking the score and perhaps too much but hey, they, or Brian, had a goal and look, listen (don't SMiLE, not yet*) they reached it. (*oh darn, speaking of goals that's one they never…).
4.18/5

here's another rendition for y'all to enjoy

 

Things We Did Last Summer

This is pleasant enough though I can't really say that this is really my kind of thing musically but the harmony is nice.

2.5/5

 

One out of three, Will, but I now feel I've been slightly harsh on Summer Dream and I should have a top four!

 

Summer - 3. Beautifully arranged vocals

 

I like the BB's Things We Did Last Summer less than Their Hearts Were Full of Spring, but IMHO they are both better than the renditions of A Taste of Honey and Til There Was You by that other band. But none of them are anywhere close to the magic of the Flamingos doing I Only Have Eyes For You.

 

Things We Did Last Summer
Pairing this with "Surfin' USA" is a real show of versatility.
The best I can say about this is that it doesn't have Christmassy lyrics so I won't have to listen to it while shopping in December.
2/5

Probably McCartney.

 

'The Things We Did Last Summer' - I appreciate this was done to appeal to the parents but the problem is I'm not even the generation of the then hip young things! Unfortunately, this is a retro stage too far for me; this is so polite in its smooth stylings that if I'd eaten breakfast it would be on its way back up... Gimme more songs about car parts that I don't understand! 1/5

 

Not for rating but....

 

It's pleasant enough, but I never really listen to it. It doesn't really fit with the other material the group were recording at the time and stands alone during this era.

The voices are strong, as always, and you can hear again how important Mike's voice was to the harmonies.

2.5/5.