Who is ‘Barbara Ann’?
When deeply ensconced in their surfy doo-wop era, The Beach Boys produced many hits that echoed the sunny, happy-go-lucky essence of their home state, California. From ‘Surfin’ USA’ to ‘I Get Around’, songs such as these were quintessential highlights of the pre-countercultural period.
One of the other staples of The Beach Boys in their optimistic early form was ‘Barbara Ann’, which was released on 1965’s in-house live album, Beach Boys’ Party. Issued as a single in December that year, with the B-side ‘Girl Don’t Tell Me’, it peaked at number two in the group’s home country and number three across the Atlantic in the UK.
The Beach Boys recorded their version of the song on September 23rd, 1965. Band director Brian Wilson took on the lead vocals, and Dean Torrence of rock duo Jan and Dean duets with him. Strangely, though, Torrence isn’t officially credited on the album, despite Carl Wilson being heard saying “Thanks, Dean” when the track finishes. It is also reported that Capitol Records’ vice president rushed the release of Barbara Ann without telling the group due to the somewhat disappointing performance of ‘The Little Girl I Once Knew’.
Despite the harmonious chimes of ‘Barbara Ann’ being one of the most famous early Beach Boys songs, it was actually a cover. Even more ironic is that Barbara Ann is a real person and the little sister of the original songwriter, Fred Fassert.
Who wrote ‘Barbara Ann’?
Inspired by his sister, Fred Fassert originally wrote the track ‘Barbara-Ann’ in 1958. He penned it for his New York doo-wop group, The Regents, featuring his brother, Charles. Although the group had been mostly inactive since 1959, the surprise release of ‘Barbara Ann’ saw them get back together and ultimately climb to 13th place on the Billboard Hot 100. However, the hyphen in the track’s title was added by the record label Roulette/Gee. It would be removed for The Beach Boys version.
It is said that Jan and Dean also inspired The Beach Boys to record their classic version of the song, as they covered it in 1962. It was also only fitting then that when Dean found himself down the hall in the studio, Western, Hollywood, and visited his friends in The Beach Boys, he was drafted into the vocal booth to share the falsetto with Brian Wilson on ‘Barbara Ann’.
Although Capitol might have released The Beach Boys single without the band knowing, it didn’t matter so much to them. During this period, Brian Wilson started experimenting with his sound and pushing his band toward his masterpiece, 1966’s Pet Sounds. The almost simplistic sound of this era would soon pale in comparison to what his complex psyche was brewing deep down.
How many number ones did The Beach Boys have?
While The Beach Boys have released numerous singles in their time, they’ve had ten number-one singles worldwide and on all applicable charts. Ranging from the early 1970s to 1988, it reflects the cross-generational appeal of the Californian outfit despite their sound and lineup changes.
The first number one the band secured was ‘Surfin’ Safari’ in 1962, which went to the top spot in Sweden. Their next chart-topper was ‘I Get Around’ two years later in both the US and Canada, which was followed by another one, this time only in Canada, in ‘Don’t Worry Baby’. Subsequent ones include highlights such as ‘Help Me, Rhonda’, 1970’s ‘Cottonfields’ and their final one to hit the summit, 1988’s ‘Kokomo’.
