Sloop John B
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"Sloop John B" was a single which was released by The Beach Boys in 1966 on Capitol Records. The B-side of this single was "You're So Good To Me". It was originally a traditional West Indies folk song and the song was originally recorded by The Kingston Trio.
Contents
Beach Boys version
Idea for the song
Alan Jardine, who was a keen folk music fan suggested to Brian Wilson that the Beach Boys should do a cover version of Sloop John B. As Jardine explains, "Brian was at the piano. I asked him if I could sit down and show him something. I laid out the chord pattern for 'Sloop John B'. I said, 'Remember this song?' I played it. He said, 'I'm not a big fan of the Kingston Trio.' He wasn't into folk music. But I didn't give up on the idea. So what I did was to sit down and play it for him in the Beach Boys idiom. I figured if I gave it to him in the right light, he might end up believing in it. So I modified the chord changes so it would be a little more interesting. The original song is basically a three-chord song, and I knew that wouldn't fly. So I put some minor changes in there, and it stretched out the possibilities from a vocal point of view. Anyway, I played it, walked away from the piano and we went back to work. The very next day, I got a phone call to come down to the studio. Brian played the song for me, and I was blown away. The idea stage to the completed track took less than 24 hours."The Pet Sounds Sessions: "The Making Of Pet Sounds" booklet, pg. 25-26Choosing the lead vocalist
Al Jardine then explains that Brian "then lined us up one at a time to try out for the lead vocal. I had naturally assumed I would sing the lead, since I had brought in the arrangement. It was like interviewing for a job. Pretty funny. He didn't like any of us. My vocal had a much more mellow approach because I was bringing it from the folk idiom. For the radio, we needed a more rock approach. Brian and Mike ended up singing it. But I had a lot of fun bringing the idea to the band. It was very rewarding in every way but one; I was never given label credit for my contribution."The Pet Sounds Sessions: "The Making Of Pet Sounds" booklet, pg. 26Lyric Changes
Brian Wilson changed the lyrics in two of the lines of the song. He changed the lyric "This is the worst trip since I've been born" to "This is the worst trip I've ever been on". He also changed the lyric "I feel so break up" to "I feel so broke up".Details
- Written by: Traditional
- Album: Pet Sounds
- Time: 2 min 56 sec
- Produced by: Brian Wilson
- Instrumental track: recorded July 12, 1965 at Western Recorders, Hollywood, California. Engineered by Chuck Britz.
- Vocals track: recorded December 22 1965 at Western Recorders, Hollywood, California.
- New lead vocal and 12 string electric guitar overdub: recorded December 29, 1965 at Western Recorders, Hollywood, California
- High harmony lead and additional backing tracks: recorded January 1966 at Western Recorders, Hollywood, California
- Single: released March 21, 1966 as the Capitol single Sloop John B which also featured You're So Good To Me. Entered Billboard "Hot 100" on April 2, 1966; remained on chart 11 weeks; peaked at #3 in the U.S. on May 7, 1966.
Performers
- Brian Wilson: Lead Vocals
- Mike Love: Lead Vocals
- Hal Blaine: Drums
- Ron Swallow: Tambourine
- Lyle Ritz: String Bass
- Carol Kaye: Electric Bass
- Al Casey: Guitar
- Jerry Cole: Guitar
- Billy Strange: Guitar
- Al de Lory: Organ
- Frank Capp: Glockenspiel
- Jay Migliori: Clarinet
- Steve Douglas: Flute
- Jim Horn: Flute
- Jack Nimitz: Baritone Saxophone
Cultural References
Liverpool FC adopted the tune of this song to the chant "We won it five times" Which refers to the fifth European trophy they won in Istanbul 2005.See also
Sources
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