The Beach Boys announce new album with Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Surfin’ on strings

Great news for fans of The Beach Boys as they have announced new album, The Beach Boys With The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

Pairing The Beach Boys’ original vocal performances with new symphonic arrangements, newly recorded by The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at Abbey Road Studios, the new album is produced by Don Reedman and Nick Patrick, who were at the helm of the hugely successful albums A Love So Beautiful: Roy Orbison with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and The Wonder of You: Elvis Presley with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

In March earlier this year, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra convened in Studio 2 at Universal Music Group’s Abbey Road Studios in London, the storied room where The Beatles, Pink Floyd, and other legendary artists have recorded some of the world’s most cherished music. There, they recorded new orchestral arrangements to complement The Beach Boys’ classic vocal harmonies from the legendary group’s original recordings.

Conducted by Steve Sidwell and Sally Herbert, who also wrote several of the album’s new symphonic arrangements, the orchestra dove into The Beach Boys classics, including the new album’s earliest hit, 1964’s “Fun, Fun, Fun”, and its most recent hit, 1988’s “Kokomo”.

Beach Boys co-founder Brian Wilson said: “I always knew the vocal arrangements I did back in the 1960s would lend themselves perfectly for a symphony and there is no better one in the world than the Royal Philharmonic. I am both proud and humbled by what they have created using our songs and I hope everyone falls in love with it like I have.”

Mike Love added: “This album is one of a kind. I think the fact that the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra has accompanied The Beach Boys with these great arrangements is just a phenomenal thing. It’s a whole other dimension to our music.”

The album will feature the orchestra’s new turns on the signature classics “Good Vibrations”, “California Girls”, “Wouldn’t It Be Nice”, “God Only Knows”, “Sloop John B”, “Help Me”, “Rhonda”, “In My Room”, “Disney Girls”, and several more. The resulting album, The Beach Boys With The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra honours The Beach Boys’ artistry and innovation in an inspired new way with the group’s first album collaboration with a full orchestra.

“I’m a complete and utter fan of The Beach Boys and the way their music makes you feel,” said co-producer of the album, Nick Patrick. “The Beach Boys’ music is so multi-layered; you can experience it on so many levels. You’ve got the obvious harmonies, which are amazing. But what we found making this record is when you dig down into the arrangements, they’re extraordinary. They’re fresh, new, complex, beautiful and constructed in a completely original way.”

The Beach Boys With The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra tracklist is as follows:

1. 1. California Suite
   2. California Girls
   3. Wouldn’t It Be Nice
   4. Fun, Fun, Fun
   5. Don’t Worry Baby
   6. God Only Knows
   7. Sloop John B
   8. Heroes And Villains
   9. Disney Girls
   10. Here Today
   11. In My Room
   12. Kokomo
   13. The Warmth Of The Sun
   14. Darlin’
   15. Help Me, Rhonda
   16. You Still Believe In Me
   17. Good Vibrations

   Released on June 8th, you can pre-order the album here.