Best of The Beach Boys Vol. 3

Infobox Album | Name = Best of The Beach Boys Vol. 3
Type = Compilation Album
Artist = The Beach Boys


Released = 19 August 1968
Recorded = October 1961 -
November 1967
Genre = Rock
Length = 28:11
Label = Capitol Records
Producer = Brian Wilson and
The Beach Boys
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|2|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:sxkxikp6bb89 link]
Last album = "Friends"
(1968)
This album = "Best of The Beach Boys Vol. 3"
(1968)
Next album = "Stack-O-Tracks"
(1968) |

"Best of The Beach Boys Vol. 3" is the third in a series of hits compilations of music by The Beach Boys released by Capitol Records. It would prove to be the last official "best of" package by the band on their first record label.

Released in August 1968, "Best of The Beach Boys Vol. 3" was primarily put together to compensate for the disastrous U.S. sales of The Beach Boys' "Friends" album. Containing another helping of hits, the album had its good points and bad ones.

This album was the LP debut of the pre-"Pet Sounds" single "The Little Girl I Once Knew". Also featured are "She Knows Me Too Well" from "The Beach Boys Today!", their very first charted hit from 1962, "Surfin'", and the passage of time that enabled the inclusions of "Good Vibrations", "Heroes and Villains" and "Darlin'". However, the appearance of "Frosty The Snowman" from "The Beach Boys' Christmas Album" is indeed puzzling and out of place. Another odd inclusion is "409", which had already been placed on "Vol. 2". Among the hits that were not included in any of the original "Best Of" packages were: "Be True To Your School", "Shut Down", "Do You Wanna Dance", "Sloop John B.", and "Wouldn't It Be Nice". These (among many others) would appear later in several 2-record compilations issued by Capitol in the 70's and 80's. Long out of print, "Best of The Beach Boys Vol. 3" limped to an embarrassing #153 in the U.S. before expiring. Once again, the UK fans were more charitable, sending it to #9 there.

Track listing

ide 1

#"God Only Knows" (Brian Wilson/Tony Asher) – 2:49
#"Dance, Dance, Dance" (Brian Wilson/Carl Wilson/Mike Love) – 1:59
#"409" (Brian Wilson/Mike Love/Gary Usher) – 1:59
#"The Little Girl I Once Knew" (Brian Wilson) – 2:36
#"Frosty The Snowman" (Steve Nelson/Jack Rollins) – 1:54
#"Girl Don't Tell Me" (Brian Wilson/Mike Love) – 2:19

ide 2

#"Surfin' " (Brian Wilson/Mike Love) – 2:11
#"Heroes And Villains" (Brian Wilson/Van Dyke Parks) – 3:37
#"She Knows Me Too Well" (Brian Wilson/Mike Love) – 2:27
#"Darlin' " (Brian Wilson/Mike Love) – 2:12
#"Good Vibrations" (Brian Wilson/Mike Love) – 3:36

"Best of The Beach Boys Vol. 3" (Capitol (D) T 2945) hit #153 in the U.S. during a 6 week chart stay. In the UK, it reached #9.

British Version

The British version of "Best of The Beach Boys Vol. 3" was released in mid-1968 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 Vol. 3":

#"409" – 1:58
#"The Lonely Sea" – 2:23
#"Catch A Wave" – 2:08
#"The Warmth Of The Sun" – 2:52
#"Long Tall Texan" – 2:27
#"Please Let Me Wonder" – 2:44
#"Let Him Run Wild" – 2:21
#"I Know There's An Answer" – 3:08
#"Heroes And Villains" – 3:36
#"Wild Honey" – 2:36
#"Darlin'" – 2:11
#"Country Air" – 2:19
#"Friends" – 2:32
#"Do It Again" – 2:18

ources

* "Friends/20/20" CD booklet notes, David Leaf, c.1990.
* "The Nearest Faraway Place: Brian Wilson, The Beach Boys and the Southern California Experience", Timothy White, c. 1994.
* "Wouldn't It Be Nice - My Own Story", Brian Wilson and Todd Gold, c. 1991.
* "Top Pop Singles 1955-2001", Joel Whitburn, c. 2002.
* "Top Pop Albums 1955-2001", Joel Whitburn, c. 2002.
* Allmusic.com