- Don't Go Near the Water (The Beach Boys song)
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"Don't Go Near the Water" Song by The Beach Boys from the album Surf's Up Released August 30, 1971 Recorded April 3, 1971 Genre Rock Length 2:39 Label Brother/Reprise Composer Mike Love/Al Jardine Producer The Beach Boys Surf's Up track listing "Don't Go Near the Water"
(1)Long Promised Road
(2)"Don't Go Near the Water" is a song written by Mike Love and Al Jardine for the American rock band The Beach Boys. It was the first track on their 1971 album Surf's Up.
Contents
Composition
The Beach Boys hired Jack Rieley as their manager in 1970. In order to make the band more relevant, Rieley suggested that the band write songs that were more political. "Don't Go Near the Water" is the first example of this. The song puts an ironic, ecological spin on the traditional Beach Boys beach- and surf- based songs: instead of enjoying surfing and other fun activities, this time the listener is advised to avoid the water for environmental reasons.
Recording
The song was recorded at the same session as "Long Promised Road" and "4th of July", both also recorded for the Surf's Up album. The lead vocals are by the song's composers, Love and Jardine. Brian Wilson contributed the dissonant piano part, according to Peter Ames Carlin's book Catch a Wave (Rodale, 2006), page 159.
Releases
The song was chosen to be the B-side of the "Surf's Up" single, released on November 8, 1971. It did not chart. It was later released on November 2, 1981 as the B-side of the "Come Go with Me" single. The single charted at #18 in the US but never charted in the UK.
See also
- List of songs by The Beach Boys
Surf's Up track listing Don't Go Near the Water • Long Promised Road • Take a Load Off Your Feet • Disney Girls (1957) • Student Demonstration Time • Feel Flows • Lookin' at Tomorrow (A Welfare Song) • A Day in the Life of a Tree • 'Til I Die • Surf's UpCategories:- 1971 songs
- The Beach Boys songs
- Songs written by Al Jardine
- Songs written by Mike Love
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