Sound Grammar

The Beach Boys' 9th studio album, and 2nd of 3 albums released in 1965 (following The Beach Boys Today! released in March), appeared in stores on 5 July 1965.

After the disappointing sales of Today! (which sold more than 500,000 copies and peaked at #4 in the US), Capitol records blamed it on a change of direction by then 22-year-old Brian Wilson (he would turn 23 in June) and pressured him to return to the "old" simpler sound of the Beach Boys, with songs about cars and surf and teenage romance. Wilson worked to please Capitol's demands, but also infused the songs with the complexity and sophistication that had appeared on Today!, evidenced Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!) 2nd single, "California Girls," which included an orchestral prelude (the song would be an international hit, peak at #3 in the US and be considered one of rock music's greatest songs).

The first single was a re-recorded version of "Help Me, Rhonda," which hit #1 in the US (knocking the Beatles' "Ticket to Ride" from the top spot).

Ronnie Self 

Ronnie Self 

Owen Gray

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