Let Him Run Wild

"Let Him Run Wild"
Single by the Beach Boys
from the album Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!)
A-side"California Girls"
ReleasedJuly 12, 1965 (1965-07-12)
RecordedMarch 20 – May 28, 1965
StudioWestern and Columbia, Hollywood
GenreSunshine pop[1]
Length2:20
LabelCapitol
Songwriter(s)Brian Wilson, Mike Love
Producer(s)Brian Wilson
The Beach Boys singles chronology
"Help Me, Rhonda"
(1965) 		"Let Him Run Wild"
(1965) 		"The Little Girl I Once Knew"
(1965)

"Let Him Run Wild" is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1965 album Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!). Written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love, it was issued as the B-side to "California Girls".

Background and lyrics

"Let Him Run Wild" was one of the first songs that Brian Wilson wrote while under the influence of marijuana.[2] According to Wilson, the song is "about a girl who was dating a guy who didn’t stay close to her. The guy singing wants the girl to let her boyfriend run around and eventually leave her so he can come in and get her. He wants a bad thing to happen so that it’ll turn into a good thing."[3]

Biographer Peter Ames Carlin suggested that the song was inspired by the extramarital affairs of Brian's father Murry.[4]

Production

A soulful ballad,[5] the song is said to have been inspired by Burt Bacharach[6][7] while also foreshadowing the relatively complex music dynamics of Pet Sounds several months later.[8][9] Author Jim Fusilli explained, "[it] is a gorgeous track, albeit a bit busy at the chorus when compared to what's ahead, with major seventh chords that ring beautifully. The song's subtle horn charts, prominent tremolo bass, the vibraphone, and the sweet, pensive section after the chorus portend the sounds of a forthcoming classic."[10] MOJO wrote: "With key and tempo changes bolder and weirder than anything before, this was Brian's signpost to the psychedelic country up ahead."[11]

With production by Brian Wilson and engineering by Chuck Britz,[12] the instrumental was recorded on March 20, 1965, at United Western Recorders, Hollywood.[13] A few weeks later, vocals were overdubbed at CBS Columbia Square with a final mix occurring on May 28.[12] Brian later reflected that his vocal on the track was too shrill, saying, "I sounded like a little girl,"[14] and "I sounded like a fairy," naming it his least favorite Beach Boys recording.[15] This caused Brian Wilson to remake the song on Imagination.[16]

Reception

Cash Box described it as an "interesting weeper which blends in generous portions of counterpoint and harmony."[17] Record World called it a "full-sounding number" that would get plays despite being a B-side.[18] George Harrison kept the record on his jukebox at the time.[19]

Among the band members, Carl and Dennis Wilson reflected on "Let Him Run Wild" as the point where they began to take notice of their eldest brother's true talents as a writer and arranger.[20][21] Al Jardine expressed a similar sentiment, stating, "In terms of the musical direction Brian was going, I always thought that 'Let Him Run Wild' was the turning point, the beginning of that phase when things began to get more complicated."[22]

Variations

  • An instrumental version is found on the 1968 Stack-O-Tracks compilation.
  • The 1990–2001 reissue of Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!) includes among the bonus tracks a version of the song with alternate backing vocals.[9]
  • The 2007 compilation The Warmth of the Sun featured the first stereo mix of the song.

Personnel

Sourced from Musician's Union AFM contract sheets and surviving session audio, documented by Craig Slowinski.[12][23]

The Beach Boys

Additional musicians

References

  1. ^ Davidson, Chris (2001). "Sunshine Pop". In Cooper, Kim; Smay, David (eds.). Bubblegum Music is the Naked Truth. Los Angeles: Feral House. pp. 190–191.
  2. ^ Wilson, Brian; Greenman, Ben (2016). I Am Brian Wilson: A Memoir. Da Capo Press. p. 191. ISBN 978-0-306-82307-7.
  3. ^ Wilson & Greenman 2016, p. 90.
  4. ^ Dillon, Mark (2012). Fifty Sides of the Beach Boys: The Songs That Tell Their Story. ECW Press. p. 56. ISBN 978-1-77090-198-8.
  5. ^ Bogdanov, Vladimir; Woodstra, Chris; Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (2002). All Music Guide to Rock: The Definitive Guide to Rock, Pop, and Soul. Backbeat Books. p. 72. ISBN 978-0-87930-653-3.
  6. ^ Kent, Nick; Pop, Iggy (2009-03-01). The Dark Stuff: Selected Writings on Rock Music Updated Edition. Perseus Books Group. p. 14. ISBN 978-0-7867-3074-2.
  7. ^ Hoskyns, Barney (2009). Waiting for the Sun: A Rock 'n' Roll History of Los Angeles. Backbeat Books. p. 105. ISBN 978-0-87930-943-5.
  8. ^ Greenwalk, Matthew. "Song review". Allmusic. Retrieved 12 August 2014.
  9. ^ a b Leaf, David (1990). Today/Summer Days (CD Liner). The Beach Boys. Capitol Records.
  10. ^ Fusilli, Jim (2005-02-11). The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 62. ISBN 978-1-4411-4099-9.
  11. ^ Mojo Staff (April 24, 2015). "The Beach Boys' 50 Greatest Songs". MOJO.
  12. ^ a b c Slowinski, Craig (2007). "The Beach Boys – The Beach Boys Today!" (PDF). Retrieved October 27, 2012.
  13. ^ Doe, Andrew G. (2013). "GIG65". Retrieved March 10, 2013.
  14. ^ Carlin, Peter Ames. Catch a Wave: The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson. p. 73.
  15. ^ Sharp, Ken (January 2006). "Christmas with Brian Wilson". Record Collector. United Kingdom: 72–76.
  16. ^ Bolin, Matthew (25 January 2017). "Over the Covers: Ten Artists Who Covered Their Own Songs". PopDose. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
  17. ^ "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. July 17, 1965. p. 12. Retrieved 2022-01-12.
  18. ^ "Singles Reviews" (PDF). Record World. July 17, 1965. p. 10. Retrieved 2023-07-21.
  19. ^ Richards, William (February 27, 2023). "Check out this playlist of George Harrison's jukebox from 1965". NME.
  20. ^ "Comments by Carl Wilson". The Pet Sounds Sessions (Booklet). The Beach Boys. Capitol Records. 1997.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  21. ^ Felton, David (November 4, 1976). "The Healing of Brother Brian: The Rolling Stone Interview With the Beach Boys". Rolling Stone.
  22. ^ "Comments by Al Jardine". The Pet Sounds Sessions (Booklet). The Beach Boys. Capitol Records. 1997.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  23. ^ Slowinski, Craig (2009). "The Beach Boys – The Beach Boys Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!)" (PDF). Retrieved October 27, 2012.