After MIU Album was a flop in every way, the Beach Boys decided to bring back Bruce Johnston to produce their next single, a disco remake of their song Here Comes The Night (not the Them song, a seperate song from the 1968 Wild Honey album).

Actually, for a Beach Boys single, this had remarkably little Beach Boy input - Brian Wilson was in hospital and Dennis Wilson would have nothing to do with what he correctly saw as a stupid, disastrous idea, preferring to concentrate on his second (unreleased) solo album.

The basic track was put down by Curt Boettcher's California Music band, with Carl Wilson, Al Jardine, Mike Love and Bruce Johnston only adding a few of the many vocal tracks. The ten minute long track was a disaster.

However, from this sprang the last half-decent Beach Boys album. Johnston stayed to produce the last album to have songwriting contributions from all five original members, although it was in effect a Wilson brothers album. The only original contribution by Brian Wilson was Good Timin' (co-written with Carl Wilson and in truth showing more of the latter's fingerprints), but he also contributed a guitar-heavy arrangement of Shortenin' Bread.

Dennis Wilson contributed the two best tracks from his second solo album, scuttling his album in the interests of the group. Baby Blue featured Carl, and love Surrounds Me featured Christine McVie of Fleetwood Mac.

Mike and Al contributed a track each, respectively the faux-oriental Sumahama and Lady Lynda, a big European hit based of J.S. Bach's Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring. The rest of the album is written by Carl Wilson with Gregg Cushing-Murray.

A rather bland album, but with some highpoints, and compared to what came later a miracle...

Track listing:

  1. Good Timin'
  2. Lady Lynda
  3. Full Sail
  4. Angel Come Home
  5. Love Surrounds Me
  6. Sumahama
  7. Here Comes The Night (12" version)
  8. Baby Blue
  9. Goin' South
  10. Shortenin' Bread

The album is currently available on a Capitol records twofer with MIU Album

Band line-up for the album - Brian Wilson, Carl Wilson, Dennis Wilson, Al Jardine, Mike Love
Bruce Johnston, while a former and future member, and performer on the album, was not credited as a member for this album officially.

Produced by Bruce Johnston, The Beach Boys and Jim Guercio - Here Comes The Night produced by Bruce Johnston, The Beach Boys and Curt Boettcher

Previous album - MIU Album
Next album - Keepin' The Summer Alive

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