Sloop John B by The Beach Boys

Drinking all night. Got into a fight.

10/10

Sloop John B—The Beach Boys

Topped the NZ charts for 2 weeks, starting on 24 June 1966.

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Sloop John B

The song ‘Sloop John B’ originates from Nassau in the Bahamas. It has some basis in history – a 19th-century vessel was named after Captain John Bethel. He built it and sailed it until it was wrecked.

It was first published in 1916 as ‘The John B. Sails’ and became a folk standard, recorded by Johnny Cash, Lonnie Donegan, and The Weavers.

The Beach Boys’ version

Al Jardine first heard the song from the Kingston Trio. Their version is a little awkward, particularly the cod-West Indian accents.

Jardine presented the song to Brian Wilson, the Beach Boys’ resident genius.

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.

Al Jardine, The Pet Sound Sessions Booklet

Wilson quickly completed the basic track.

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.

Al Jardine, The Pet Sound Sessions Booklet

My Verdict

It didn’t even make my list of 10 Best Beach Boys Songs, but Wilson was at the peak of his powers in 1966 and ‘Sloop John B’ is a stone-cold classic.

The shift in gears into the second verse is terrific, with Hal Blaine on drums. And there’s a great a capella breakdown on the bridge, showcasing the group’s impeccable harmonies.

The aftermath

Brian Wilson struggled after failing to complete Smile in the 1960s. But the collective continued to make worthwhile, if uneven, albums in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The phenomenally popular Endless Summer compilation cemented them as America’s band.

Wilson finally completed a solo version of Smile in 2004, and it felt like a lap of honour for a legendary artist.