'' is the first 1980s
Album by
The Beach Boys , and their second release under their contract with CBS Records (now
Sony Music ). After ''
L.A. (Light Album) '' failed to live up to expectations, the executives at CBS expected
Brian Wilson 's full involvement, and thus, there was another attempt to lure him back into the producer's chair.
In July 1979, after Brian and
Mike Love quickly composed some new original songs, the Beach Boys all reconvened at Western Recorders in
Los Angeles (where most of the band's classic 1960s material had been produced by Brian) and hoped for the best. Things did not work out as planned, however.
Dennis Wilson , at odds with the rest of the group, lasted a couple of sessions before leaving and taking no further part in the album. The initial sessions themselves were halted when Brian only wanted to work on oldies (hence the inclusion of a cover of
Chuck Berry 's "School Days").
The band took a small break to re-think the project, with
Bruce Johnston taking complete control of the album, and placing the songs in a contemporary-sounding (for 1980) context. The album ended up as a mixture of brand new songs and older songs from the archives that hadn't been released up until that point. Of the new songs, "Keepin' the Summer Alive" and "Livin' With a Heartache" were written by
Carl Wilson and
Randy Bachman (of
The Guess Who and
Bachman-Turner Overdrive ). The rest of the new songs, "Oh Darlin'", "Some of Your Love", "Goin' On" and "Sunshine" were written by Mike Love and Brian Wilson. The older songs date back to 1970 ("When Girls Get Together"), 1972 ("Endless Harmony", the only track on the album where Dennis is heard) and 1978 ("Santa Ana Winds").
''Keepin' the Summer Alive'' was released in March 1980, reaching #75 in the U.S. and #54 in the UK. After this album, the Beach Boys would put their recording career on hiatus for five years.
#"
Keepin' The Summer Alive " (
Carl Wilson /
Randy Bachman ) – 3:43
- ''Features Carl Wilson and Mike Love on lead vocals''
#" Some Of Your Love " (Brian Wilson/Mike Love) – 2:36
- ''Features Alan Jardine on lead vocals''
#" Goin' On " (Brian Wilson/Mike Love) – 3:00
- ''Features Mike Love and Carl Wilson on lead vocals''
#" Sunshine " (Brian Wilson/Mike Love) – 2:52
- ''Features Carl Wilson and Bruce Johnston on lead vocals''
- "Goin' On" b/w "Endless Harmony" (Brother/Caribou), 11 March 1980
- "Livin' with a Heartache" b/w "Santa Ana Winds" (Brother/Caribou), 20 May 1980
''Keepin' the Summer Alive'' is now paired on CD with ''
The Beach Boys ''.
''Keepin' the Summer Alive'' (Brother/Caribou/CBS JZ 36283) reached in the U.S. during a chart stay of 6 weeks. It reached '''#54''' in the UK
- ''Keepin' the Summer Alive''/''The Beach Boys'' CD booklet notes, Andrew G. Doe, c.2000.
- "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.
- All Music Guide.com
