Listen to a stunning a capella version of the Beach Boys 'Surf's Up'

5 August 2021, 13:43 | Updated: 20 September 2023, 13:42

The Beach Boys release the Feel Flows – The Sunflower & Surf's Up Sessions 1969-1971 box set soon.

The Beach Boys have unveiled a stunning a capella version of their classic single 'Surf's Up'.

Written by Brian Wilson with words by Van Dyke Parks, 'Surf's Up' was originally meant to feature on Smile, the band's scrapped follow-up to Pet Sounds.

The song didn't appear on the downscaled Smiley Smile, and the Beach Boys didn't try to squeeze it on to follow-ups Wild Honey, Friends, 20/20 or Sunflower either.

Surf's Up (A Cappella)

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Instead, the song closed 1971's Surf's Up album, and was also its third single.

Widely acknowledged as one of the band's very best post-1960s songs (and one of their best songs altogether), the released version was pieced together from the 1966 tapes with new lead vocals by Carl Wilson.

The newly-released a capella version of 'Surf's Up' is taken from the upcoming 5CD box set Feel Flows – The Sunflower & Surf's Up Sessions 1969-1971.

The Beach Boys: Feel Flows – The Sunflower & Surf's Up Sessions 1969-1971

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The compilation is released on August 27 and features remastered versions of the Sunflower and Surf's Up albums plus 108 outtakes, sessions, live recordings and a capella snippets

The box-set features a live version of 'Surf's Up' from 1973, and the Beach Boys failed 1971 re-recording of the song grafted on to Brian's original 1966 vocals.

Brian Wilson eventually re-recorded 'Surf's Up' for his 2004 album Brian Wilson Presents Smile.

A new documentary about Brian Wilson premiered in June at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York.

Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road is directed by Brent Wilson and combines studio, interview and concert footage along with input from the likes of Al Jardine, Don Was, Bruce Springsteen, Elton John and Linda Perry, among others.

It also features a brand new song, 'Right Where I Belong', written especially for the film.