"Sloop John B" is a traditional folk song from The Bahamas, "The John B.
Sails", which was included in Carl Sandburg's 1927 collection of folk
songs, The American Songbag. It is best known as a recording by the Beach
Boys—the seventh track on their 1966 album Pet Sounds. Brian Wilson sang,
produced, and arranged the Beach Boys' recording. Released as an A-sided single
two months before Pet Sounds, it peaked at number 3 in the US and number 2 in
the UK. In several other countries, the single was a number one hit.
The group's folk rock adaptation of "Sloop John B" was ranked #271 on
Rolling Stone's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
Arrangement The Kingston Trio's 1958 recording of
"The John B. Sails" recorded under the title "The Wreck of the John B" was the
direct influence on the Beach Boys' version. The Beach Boys' Al Jardine, who
was a keen folk music fan, suggested to Brian Wilson that the Beach Boys should
do a cover version of "Sloop John B". As Jardine explains:
"Brian was at the piano. I asked him if I could sit down and show him something.
I laid out the chord pattern for 'Sloop John B.' I said, 'Remember this song?' I
played it. He said, 'I'm not a big fan of the Kingston Trio.' He wasn't into
folk music. But I didn't give up on the idea. So what I did was to sit down and
play it for him in the Beach Boys idiom. I figured if I gave it to him in the
right light, he might end up believing in it. So I modified the chord changes
so it would be a little more interesting. The original song is
basically a three-chord song, and I knew that wouldn't fly. So I put some minor
changes in there, and it stretched out the possibilities from a vocal point of
view. Anyway, I played it, walked away from the piano and we went back to work.
The very next day, I got a phone call to come down to the studio. Brian played
the song for me, and I was blown away. The idea stage to the completed track
took less than 24 hours." Working in the key of A-flat major,
Jardine updated the chord progression by having the IV move to its relative minor
before returning to the tonic, altering a portion of the song's progression from
IV — I to IV — ii — I. This device is heard immediately after the lyric "into
a fight" and "leave me alone". Wilson elected to change some lyrics: "this is
the worst trip since I've been born" to "this is the worst trip I've ever been
on", "I feel so break up" to "I feel so broke up", and "broke into the people's
trunk" to "broke in the captain's trunk". The first lyric change has been
suggested by some to be a subtle nod to the 1960s psychedelia subculture.
Recording The instrumental section of the song was
recorded on July 22, 1965 at United Western Recorders, Hollywood,
California, the session being engineered by Chuck Britz and produced by Brian
Wilson. The master take of the instrumental backing took fourteen takes
to achieve. The vocal tracks were recorded over two
sessions. The first was recorded on December 22, 1965, at Western Recorders,
produced by Wilson. The second, on December 29, added a new lead vocal and
Billy Strange's 12-string electric guitar part. Jardine explained that
Wilson "lined us up one at a time to try out for the lead vocal. I had naturally
assumed I would sing the lead, since I had brought in the arrangement. It was
like interviewing for a job. Pretty funny. He didn't like any of us. My
vocal had a much more mellow approach because I was bringing it from the folk
idiom. For the radio, we needed a more rock approach. Wilson and Mike ended up
singing it." On the final recording Brian Wilson sang the first and third
verses and Mike Love sang the second. During the summer of 1965 Wilson met
future Smile collaborator Van Dyke Parks after he was invited by David Crosby to
listen to an early mix of "Sloop John B".
= Personnel= Sourced from liner notes included with
the 1999 mono/stereo reissue of Pet Sounds, except where otherwise noted.
The Beach Boys Brian Wilson – lead vocals
Mike Love – lead vocals Dennis Wilson - vocals
Al Jardine - vocals Carl Wilson - 12-string guitar, vocals
Additional musicians and production staff
Release history The single, backed with the B-side
"You're So Good to Me", was released on March 21, 1966. It entered the Billboard
Hot 100 chart on April 2, and peaked at #3 on May 7, remaining on the chart, in
total, for 11 weeks. It charted highly throughout the world, remaining as one
of the Beach Boys' most popular and memorable hits. It was #1 in Germany,
Austria, and Norway—all for five weeks each—as well as Sweden, Switzerland, the
Netherlands, South Africa, and New Zealand. It placed #2 in the UK,
Ireland, Canada, and in Record World. It was the fastest Beach Boys seller to
date, moving more than half a million copies in less than two weeks after
release. = Variations=
In 1968, the recording's instrumental was released on Stack-O-Tracks. Along
with sessions highlights, the box set The Pet Sounds Sessions includes two
alternative takes, one with Carl Wilson singing lead on the first verse, and one
with Brian singing all parts. Context in Pet Sounds
"Sloop John B" closes the first side of Pet Sounds, an album commonly
interpreted as a romantic and introspective concept album. This
decision is argued by many to contradict the album's lyrical flow, as author Jim
Fusilli explains: "It's anything but a reflective love song, a stark confession
or a tentative statement of independence like the other songs on the album. And
it's the only song on Pet Sounds Brian didn't write." However, Fusilli posits
that the track fits musically with the album, citing the track's chiming
guitars, doubletracked basses, and staccato rhythms.
Author Jim DeRogatis suggested that the song does fit in the album due to its
key lyric "I want to go home" reflecting other songs themed around an escape to
somewhere peaceful — namely "Let's Go Away for Awhile" and "Caroline, No".
Promotional film A music video was filmed set to "Sloop
John B" for the UK's Top of the Pops, directed by newly employed band
publicist Derek Taylor. It was filmed at Brian's Laurel Way home with Dennis
Wilson acting as cameraman. Charts
Cover versions Brian Wilson's arrangement has since
become the basis for many subsequent versions of "The John B. Sails". As a
solo artist, Jardine recorded new versions of "Sloop John B" for Live in
Las Vegas and A Postcard from California. Brian released a new version
for his album Pet Sounds Live. References
External links Full lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics