When I Grow Up (To Be a Man)

Infobox Single
Name = When I Grow Up (to Be a Man)


Artist = The Beach Boys
from Album = The Beach Boys Today!
Released = August 24, 1964
Format = Vinyl
Recorded = track: August 5, 1964
vocals & guitar solo: August 10, 1964
Genre = Pop
Length = 2:01
Label = Capitol Records
Producer = Brian Wilson
Chart position = • #9 (US)• #27 (UK)
Last single = "I Get Around"/"Don’t Worry Baby"
(1964)
This single = "When I Grow Up (To Be a Man)"/"She Knows Me Too Well"
(1964)
Next single = "Dance, Dance, Dance"/"The Warmth of the Sun"
(1964)|

"When I Grow Up (to Be a Man)" is a song written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love for the American pop band The Beach Boys. It was released on their 1965 album "The Beach Boys Today!" and hit an impressive No. 9 on the charts. It was also released as a single in 1964 with the B-side of the single being "She Knows Me Too Well". The lead vocal is sung by both Brian Wilson and Mike Love.

Composition

In November 1969, the Wilson's father Murry Wilson, sold the copyrights to the band's songs to Irving Almo for approximately $700,000. [http://www.btinternet.com/~bellagio/1969.html Beach Boys Timeline - 1969] ] Many years later in April 1992, just after Brian Wilson had won a lawsuit which recovered many of the copyrights to his songs, Mike Love filed a lawsuit against Brian Wilson claiming that he had not been given credit, and therefore hadn't received royalties, on over thirty of the band's songs, many of them hit singles. [http://www.btinternet.com/~bellagio/1992.html Beach Boys Timeline - 1992] ] One of these songs was "When I Grow Up (To Be A Man)". The song was originally credited solely to Brian Wilson but Mike Love claimed that he had a hand in writing the lyrics. Mike Love won the lawsuit and the song-writing credit was amended, therefore ensuring future royalties on all of the songs that he had claimed he had a hand in writing.

Recording

The song was recorded over two sessions in 1964 at Western Recorders. The instrumental track was most likely recorded on August 5 with the vocals being overdubbed five days later on August 10. The instrumental track, arranged by Brian Wilson, features Carl Wilson on lead and rhythm guitars; Al Jardine on electric bass guitars; Brian Wilson on acoustic piano & harpsichord; Carrol Lewis on harmonica and Dennis Wilson on drums. The song features both Mike Love and Brian Wilson on the lead vocals with backing vocals by Brian, Carl & Dennis Wilson, Mike Love and Al Jardine.

Album and alternate releases

The song was first released on an album in 1965 on the band's "The Beach Boys Today!" album. A binaural mix of the song was released on the 1993 box set "". This mix featured the instrumental recording on one channel and the vocal recording on the other channel allowing the listener to hear the complexity of both the instrumental and vocal track.

Live versions

During the band's first British tour in 1964, they performed this song as well as "I Get Around" on their first television appearance in Britain on Ready Steady Go. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCYouoLKxjo Live on Ready Steady Go! 1964] ] However, the song was scarcely performed live by the band.

References

See also

*List of songs by The Beach Boys

External links

* [http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=33:aifuxqrrldke "When I Grow Up (To Be a Man)"] review at Allmusic