Spirit of America (The Beach Boys album) (original) (raw)

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1975 greatest hits album by the Beach Boys

Spirit of America
Greatest hits album by the Beach Boys
Released April 14, 1975
Recorded April 1962–April 1969
Genre Rock
Length 49:36
Label Capitol
Producer Brian Wilson, The Beach Boys and Nick Venet
The Beach Boys chronology
Endless Summer(1974) Spirit of America(1975) Good Vibrations – Best of The Beach Boys(1975)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source Rating
AllMusic [1]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music [2]
MusicHound 3/5[3]

Spirit of America is a compilation album by the American rock band the Beach Boys. The follow-up to the compilation Endless Summer (1974), it was released on April 14, 1975, by Capitol Records. Although it features only a handful of genuine hits, instead composed of album tracks from the band's early LPs, Spirit of America proved to be another success for the Beach Boys' former label, reaching No. 8 in the US during a chart stay of 43 weeks and going gold.

After the success of its predecessor Capitol rounded up the few remaining early hits that were not released on Endless Summer, as well as some album tracks, in addition to two rare singles, "The Little Girl I Once Knew" (1965) and "Break Away" (1969). As with Endless Summer, Spirit of America was compiled and released while the Beach Boys were contracted to Reprise Records and, as such, is not considered an "official" album.

The song "Dance, Dance, Dance" featured in this album was also one of two Beach Boys tracks included in a promotional-only various artists compilation album issued by Capitol Records entitled "The Greatest Music Ever Sold" (Capitol SPRO-8511/8512), which was distributed to record stores during the 1976 Holiday season, as part of Capitol's "Greatest Music Ever Sold" campaign which promoted 15 "Best Of" albums that were released by the record label. "Help Me, Rhonda" (the retitled original "Help Me, Ronda") from "Endless Summer" was the other Beach Boys song included.

As with the Endless Summer compilation, the 2-record set was pressed with Sides 1 & 4 on one disc and Sides 2 & 3 on the other.

The Spirit of America (and Endless Summer) cover art illustrator was Keith McConnell.

Side 1 of the cassette version features all tracks from Sides 1 & 2 except "Tell Me Why", which was placed on Side 2 as the first track, followed by Sides 3 & 4

The Capitol Records 8-track tape (8XWW-11384) running order differs from the LP and cassette, and is as follows:

PROGRAM 1: Dance, Dance, Dance : Break Away : A Young Man Is Gone : The Little Girl I Once Knew : Spirit Of America

PROGRAM 2: Little Honda : Hushabye : Hawaii : Drive-In : Good To My Baby : Tell Me Why

PROGRAM 3: 409 : Do You Remember? : This Car Of Mine : Please Let Me Wonder : Why Do Fools Fall In Love : Barbara Ann

PROGRAM 4: Custom Machine : Salt Lake City : Don't Back Down : When I Grow Up (To Be A Man) : Do You Wanna Dance? : Graduation Day

The album was also released as a limited-edition Gold CD by DCC Compact Classics, catalog number GZS-1089. It was mastered by Steve Hoffman and included 2 bonus tracks: "Darlin" and "I Can Hear Music". In addition, the live recording of "Graduation Day" was substituted with the studio version.

All songs by Brian Wilson and Mike Love, except where noted.

Chart (1975) Peakposition US Billboard 200[4] 8 Chart (1975) Position US Billboard 200[5] 43
  1. ^ Eder, Bruce. Spirit of America at AllMusic
  2. ^ Larkin, Colin, ed. (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4th ed.). London: Oxford University Press. p. 479. ISBN 978-0-19-531373-4.
  3. ^ Graff, Gary; Durchholz, Daniel, eds. (1999). MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Farmington Hills, MI: Visible Ink Press. p. 84. ISBN 1-57859-061-2.
  4. ^ "The Beach Boys Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  5. ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1975". Billboard. 2 January 2013. Retrieved October 28, 2021.