The Beach Boys recorded a myriad of songs, instrumentals, and alternate versions of tracks that have never been officially released. Only recordings that have been reliably confirmed to have existed are listed here. Some of these tracks circulate on bootlegs, but many of the tapes have been lost since their creation.
This list is ordered chronologically, by recording date, and does not include non-substantial rehearsal tapes or jam sessions recorded by the group. Live recordings are included if there is no studio equivalent. Some tracks listed under certain album subheaders may not have been recorded for that particular album, but are listed as such simply to note the band's then-current album project at the time of recording.
| White denotes an unreleased alternate or early version of a released track | ||||
| Pink denotes a recording that has been reported lost, missing, or out of circulation | ||||
| Cyan denotes a recording that has been confirmed to still exist | - | Lime denotes a recording that circulates on bootleg---> | ||
| No color denotes a recording that lacks sources on this article to support whether it still exists or not |
See main article: Surfin' Safari, Surfin' U.S.A., Surfer Girl and Little Deuce Coupe.
| Song | Writer(s) | Recording date(s) | Additional notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Beginning of the End" | Brian Wilson,, | April 16, 1962 |
| |
| "My Only Alibi" (also known as "Human") | B. Wilson, Usher | |||
| "One Way Road to Love" | ||||
| "Visions" (also known as "Number One") | ||||
| "Recreation" | B. Wilson, Bob Norberg, | data-sort-value="1962-09-04" | September 4, 1962 |
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| "Pink Champagne" | Al Jardine | data-sort-value="1963-02" | February 1963 |
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| "Chopsticks Boogie" | B. Wilson, Jan Berry | data-sort-value="1963-04" | April–June 1963 | |
| "Rockin' Roadster" | B. Wilson, Christian | data-sort-value="1963-06-20" | June–September 1963 | |
| "Malibu Sunset" | B. Wilson, Usher, Christian | data-sort-value="1963-05" | May–August 1963 | |
| "Hot Harp" | B. Wilson | data-sort-value="1963-08-05"; rowspan="3" | August 5, 1963 |
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| "Witch Stand" |
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| "Girlie" |
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| "A Joy Ride Cruise" | data-sort-value="1963-08" | August 1963 | ||
| "Sandy Baby" | B. Wilson, Russ Titelman | 1964 |
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| "Boys Will Be Boys" | B. Wilson | data-sort-value="1964-01"; rowspan="2" | January 1964 |
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| "What'll I Wear to School Today?" | B. Wilson, Christian |
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See main article: Smile (The Beach Boys album), Smiley Smile and 20/20 (The Beach Boys album).
| Song | Writer(s) | Recording date(s) | Additional notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "How Deep Is the Ocean?" | Irving Berlin | data-sort-value="1965-10-05"; rowspan="2" | October 15, 1965 | ||
| "Stella by Starlight" | Victor Young | ||||
| "Heroes and Villains" | B. Wilson, Van Dyke Parks | data-sort-value="1966"; rowspan="2" | 1966–1967 | ||
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| "Look" | B. Wilson | data-sort-value="1966-10-13" | October 13, 1966 |
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| "I'm in Great Shape" | B. Wilson, Parks | data-sort-value="1966-10-17" | October 17, 1966 |
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| "Surf's Up" | data-sort-value="1967-01-23" | January 23, 1967 | |||
| "Crack the Whip" | B. Wilson | data-sort-value="1967-02"; rowspan="2" | February–March 1967 |
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| "When I Get Mad (I Just Play My Drums)" | |||||
| "Tones" | C. Wilson | data-sort-value="1967-03-13" | March 13 – April 13, 1967 |
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| "On Top of Old Smoky" | data-sort-value="1967-04-11" | April 11, 1967 |
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| "Good Time Mama" | B. Wilson (uncertain) | data-sort-value="1967-06-25" | June 25–26, 1967 |
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| "Sunflower Maiden" | B. Wilson, Parks | data-sort-value="1967" | 1967 |
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| "Tale of Man" | Dennis Wilson, Stephen Kalinich | data-sort-value="1968" | 1968 |
| Song | Writer(s) | Recording date(s) | Additional notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Song to God" | B. Wilson |
| That's between me and God!"[5]
| |
| "What Can the Matter Be" | data-sort-value="1969-02-24" | February 24 – May 24, 1969 | ||
| "Raspberries, Strawberries" | Will Holt | data-sort-value="1969-11-11" | November 11, 1969 |
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| "Symphony of Frogs" | data-sort-value="1970-06" | June 1970 |
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| "A Day in the Life of a Tree" | B. Wilson, Rieley |
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See main article: Holland (album).
| Song | Writer(s) | Recording date(s) | Additional notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Silly Walls" | B. Wilson, David Sandler | data-sort-value="1971-11" | November 1971 |
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| "Change Partners" | Stephen Stills | data-sort-value="1971-12" | December 1971 | |
| "Beatrice from Baltimore" | B. Wilson, Tandyn Almer | data-sort-value="1971-12-06" | December 6, 1971 – January 31, 1972 |
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| "Burlesque" | B. Wilson, Jack Rieley | data-sort-value="1972"; rowspan="3" | 1972 |
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| "Slow Song" | D. Wilson | |||
| "Is Jack Rieley Really Superman?" | B. Wilson |
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| "Funky Fever" | B. Wilson, Sandler | data-sort-value="1972-02-28" | February 28, 1972 | |
| Song | Writer(s) | Recording date(s) | Additional notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Child of Winter (Christmas Song)" | B. Wilson, Kalinich |
| |||
| "Brian's Jam" | data-sort-value="1973-03-02" | March 2, 1973 |
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| "Dr. Tom" | Jardine | data-sort-value="1973-03-12" | March 12, 1973 |
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| "Canyon Summer" | Jardine | data-sort-value="1973-05" | May 1973 |
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| "Pattycake" | B. Wilson | data-sort-value="1973-06" | June–September 1973 |
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| "Honeycomb" | Bob Merrill | data-sort-value="1974"; rowspan="2" | 1974 |
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| "Miller Drive" | D. Wilson, Gerry Beckley | ||||
| "Dennis' Symphony" | D. Wilson | data-sort-value="1974-02-22" | February 22, 1974 | ||
| "Clangin'" | B. Wilson | data-sort-value="1974-03-02" | March 2, 1974 – September 1976 |
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| "String Bass Song" | D. Wilson | data-sort-value="1974-03-05" | March 5, 1974 |
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| "Just an Imitation" | B. Wilson | data-sort-value="1974-05" | May–September 1974 |
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| "Why Don't You Try Me?" | data-sort-value="1974-05" | May–September 1974 | |||
| "Earthquake Time" | Love | data-sort-value="1974-10" | October–November 1974 | ||
| "Brian's Tune" (also known as "Rollin' Up to Heaven",[7] "Hard Times", or "Hard Time") | B. Wilson B. Wilson, Roger McGuinn (depending on sources) | data-sort-value="1974-11" | November 1974 |
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| "Battle Hymn of the Republic" | William Steffe, Julia Ward Howe | data-sort-value="1974-11-05" | November 5, 1974 |
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| "You're Riding High On the Music" | B. Wilson, Kalinich | data-sort-value="1974-12"; rowspan="3" | December 1974 | ||
| "Don't Let Me Go" | C. Wilson, Love | ||||
| "Our Life, Our Love, Our Land" | Love | ||||
| "Don't Want Much, Just A Country Or Two, Maybe A Planet Before It's Through" | D. Wilson, Kalinich | data-sort-value="1975"; rowspan="5" | 1975 | ||
| "Helen Keller" | |||||
| "Marble Sittin' On A Kitchen Table" | |||||
| "Our Love Remains" | |||||
| "Grateful Are We for Little Children" | B. Wilson, Kalinich |
| |||
| "Slow Blues" | D. Wilson, Gregg Jakobson | data-sort-value="1975-02-12" | February 12, 1975 | ||
| "Feelin' Stronger Every Day" | Peter Cetera, James Pankow | data-sort-value="1975-05" | May–June 1975 |
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| "Carl's Song" | C. Wilson | data-sort-value="1975-09" | September–December 1975 |
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| "Come to the Sunshine" | Parks | data-sort-value="1975-10" | October 1975 |
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See main article: 15 Big Ones.
| Song | Writer(s) | Recording date(s) | Additional notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Life Symphony" | D. Wilson, Kalinich | data-sort-value="1976" | 1976 |
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| "11th Bar Blues" | B. Wilson | 1976 |
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| "Gold Rush" | Jardine | January 30–May 15, 1976 | |||
| "Lisa" | Love | January 30-May 15, 1976 |
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| "Secret Love" | Sammy Fain, Paul Francis Webster | January 30-May 15, 1976 | |||
| "On Broadway" | Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller | data-sort-value="1976-03-03" | March 3, 1976 |
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| "Mony Mony" | Tommy James, Bo Gentry,, Bobby Bloom | data-sort-value="1976-03-15" | March 15, 1976 |
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| "Runnin' Bear" | J.P. Richardson | data-sort-value="1976-04-13" | April 13–14, 1976 |
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| "Shake, Rattle & Roll" | data-sort-value="1976-04-14" | April 14, 1976 |
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| "Michael Row the Boat Ashore" | data-sort-value="1976-04-16" | April 16–29, 1976 |
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| "Let's Dance" | Jim Lee | data-sort-value="1976-04-27" | April 27, 1976 | ||
| "Short Skirts" | B. Wilson | data-sort-value="1976-05-08" | May 8, 1976 |
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| "Marilyn Rovell" | B. Wilson | data-sort-value="1976-08-21" | August 21, 1976 |
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| "Lazy Lizzie" | data-sort-value="1976-09"; rowspan="4" | September–November 1976 | |||
| "We Gotta Groove" |
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| "That Special Feeling" |
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| "Little Children" |
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| "Ruby Baby" | Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller | data-sort-value="1976-09-01" | September 1 – October 2, 1976 |
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| "Hey There Momma" | B. Wilson | data-sort-value="1976-10-27" | October 27, 1976 |
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See main article: Adult/Child.
| Song | Writer(s) | Recording date(s) | Additional notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Deep Purple" | Peter DeRose, May Singhi | data-sort-value="1977-02-25" | February 25 – March 11, 1977 |
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| "Everybody Wants to Live" | B. Wilson | data-sort-value="1977-02"; rowspan="2" | February – March 1977 |
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| "It's Trying to Say" |
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| "New England Waltz" | data-sort-value="1977-03" | March 1977 |
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| "Life is for the Living" | data-sort-value="1977-03-11" | March 11, 1977 |
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| "Lines" | data-sort-value="1977-04-12" | April 12, 1977 |
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| "Gimme Some Lovin'" | Winwood | data-sort-value="1977-06-23" | June 23, 1977 |
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See main article: M.I.U. Album and L.A. (Light Album).
| Song | Writer(s) | Recording date(s) | Additional notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Mike, Come Back to L.A." | B. Wilson | data-sort-value="1977-10"; rowspan="2" | October–November 1977 |
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| "Xmas Carol Medley" |
| |||
| "How's About a Little Bit of Your Sweet Lovin'?" | B. Wilson, Love, Diane Rovell, Ron Altbach | data-sort-value="1977-11-15" | November 15, 1977 – November 29, 1979 |
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| "Beach Burlesque" | data-sort-value="1977-11-17" | November 17, 1977 |
| |
| "Go and Get That Girl" | Ed Tuleja, Altbach | data-sort-value="1977-11-17" | November 17–21, 1977 |
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| "Alone on Christmas Day" | Love, Altbach | data-sort-value="1977-11-17" | November 17–23, 1977 |
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| "Egypt" | B. Wilson (uncertain) | data-sort-value="1977-11-18" | November 18, 1977 | |
| "Sad, Sad Christmas" | Love | data-sort-value="1977-11-23" | November 23, 1977 |
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| "TM Siddhi Program" | Love | data-sort-value="1977-11" | November 1977 | |
| "10,000 Years" | D. Wilson, Love (uncertain) | data-sort-value="1977" | 1977–1978 | |
| "It Could Be Anything" (also known as "Where We Are") | C. Wilson | data-sort-value="1978-02-11" | February 11, 1978 | |
| "I Really Love You" | B. Wilson | data-sort-value="1978-04-21" | April 21, 1978 |
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| "Ride Arabian, Ride" | Jardine | data-sort-value="1978-05-11" | May 11, 1978 |
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| "Rubles" | Jardine | data-sort-value="1978-05-11" | May 11, 1978 |
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| "Basketball Rock" | B. Wilson | data-sort-value="1978-05-13"; rowspan="2" | May 13, 1978 |
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| "Bowling" | ||||
| "Lookin' Down The Coast/Monterey" | Jardine | data-sort-value="1978-07-27" | July 27, 1978 |
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| "Calendar Girl" | Neil Sedaka, Howard Greenfield | data-sort-value="1978-09" | Late 1978 |
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| "I'm Begging You Please" | B. Wilson | data-sort-value="1978-06" | June – October 6, 1978 |
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| "Drip Drop" | Leiber, Stoller | data-sort-value="1978-10-19" | October 19, 1978 |
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See main article: Keepin' the Summer Alive.
| Song | Writer(s) | Recording date(s) | Additional notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "California Beach" | Jardine, Love | data-sort-value="1979-03"; rowspan="3" | Spring 1979 |
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| "Skatetown U.S.A." |
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| "Little Girl" |
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| "Jamaica Farewell" | Harry Belafonte | data-sort-value="1979-07-23" | July 23, 1979 |
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| "Stranded in the Jungle" | The Jay Hawks | data-sort-value="1979-07-24" | July 24, 1979 |
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| "Johnny B. Goode" | Chuck Berry | data-sort-value="1979-10-15" | October 15 – November 13, 1979 |
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| "Surfer Suzie" | Ed Carter | data-sort-value="1979-10-10" | October 10 – December 14, 1979 |
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| "Smoky Places" | The Corsairs (or A. Spector) | data-sort-value="1979-10-18" | October 18, 1979 |
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| "Boys and Girls" | B. Wilson | data-sort-value="1979-10-19" | October 19, 1979 – November 18, 1980 |
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| "I'll Always Love You" | Barry Mann | data-sort-value="1979-11-19" | November 19, 1979 – January 1980 |
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| "Starbaby" | Love | data-sort-value="1979-11-29" | November 29, 1979 |
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| Song | Writer(s) | Recording date(s) | Additional notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Song Within a Song" | B. Wilson ("My Solution"); traditional, arr. B. Wilson ("Shortenin' Bread") | data-sort-value="1980-05-21" | May 21, 1980 |
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| "River Deep – Mountain High" | Greenwich, Barry, Spector | data-sort-value="1980-07"; rowspan="4" | July 1980 |
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| "Be My Baby" | Greenwich, Barry, Spector |
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| "Greenback Dollar" | Hoyt Axton, Kennard Ramsey | ||||
| "I'm a Man" | B. Wilson | ||||
| "Fly" | data-sort-value="1980-10-31" | October 31, 1980 | |||
| "Up Again" | B. Wilson (uncertain) | data-sort-value="1980-11-18"; rowspan="2" | November 18, 1980 | ||
| "Candlesticks" | B. Wilson (uncertain) | ||||
| "Oh Lord" | B. Wilson | data-sort-value="1981-1"; rowspan="2" | January 1981[14] |
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| "Stevie" | B. Wilson, D. Wilson, Garby Leon (or B. Wilson) |
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| "I Ran (All The Way Home)" | data-sort-value="1981-03"; rowspan="2" | Spring 1981 |
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| "Sweetie" | B. Wilson |
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| "The Boogie's Back in Town" | B. Wilson | data-sort-value="1983-11" | November 1983 |
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| "Water Builds Up" | data-sort-value="1984-07"; rowspan="2" | July 1984[18] | |||
| "Buzz-Buzz-Buzz" | The Hollywood Flames (or Byrd, Gray) |
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| "Down By The Pier" | data-sort-value="1984-06"; rowspan="2" | June 1984 – November 1984 |
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| "At the Hop" | Artie Singer, John Medora, David White |
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| "And I Always Will"[19] | Jardine | data-sort-value="1984-10"; rowspan="1" | October-November 1984 |
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| "Rings" | B. Wilson | data-sort-value="1986-03"; rowspan="3" | Spring 1986 |
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| "Walking on Water" | |||||
| "Wouldn't That Be Cool" | |||||
| "Heavenly Bodies" | B. Wilson, Usher | data-sort-value="1986-07" | July 17 – August 18, 1986 | ||
| "The Spirit of Rock and Roll" | B. Wilson | data-sort-value="1986-08" | August 19 – December 11, 1986[20] | ||
| "Heavenly Lover" | B. Wilson, Andy Paley | data-sort-value="1987-01" | 1987–88 | ||
| "Groovin'" | Felix Cavaliere, David Brigati | Spring 1992 |
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| "Wish" | Jardine, Larry Dvoskin | May–June 1994; July 7, 1995 |
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| "Grace of My Heart" | B. Wilson, Love | March 3, 1995 | |||
| "It's Not Easy Being Me" | B. Wilson, Paley | November 7-8, 1995 | |||
| "Must Be A Miracle" | B. Wilson, Paley | November 7-8, 1995 | |||
| "Turn on Your Love Light" | B. Wilson, Paley | March 3, 1995 |
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| "Dancin' the Night Away" | B. Wilson, Paley | data-sort-value="1995-11" | November 1995 |
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See main article: That's Why God Made the Radio. A total of 28 songs were written and recorded for the album.[21] Discounting the 2011 rerecording of "Do It Again", only twelve tracks saw release.
| Song | Writer(s) | Recording date(s) | Additional notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Waves of Love" | Jardine, Larry Dvoskin |
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| "I'd Go Anywhere" | B. Wilson, Joe Thomas |
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| "She Believes in Love Again" | Bruce Johnston | 2012[24] |
For historical interest, the following is a list of studio outtakes and live recordings that later appeared on Beach Boys compilation albums. It is partially adapted from Andrew Doe[25] and Phillip Lambert.
Some of these releases are currently out of print. California Feeling 2 was a limited-edition CD offered with a 2015 issue of Endless Summer Quarterly, an unofficial Beach Boys fan/collector's magazine. Misc Tracks 1971 and 1972 Release were among several releases (the others not being listed here), most of which were briefly offered online (commonly through Bandcamp, YouTube, and/or AllMusic) and then quickly taken down, to preserve copyright under the 2013 European Union copyright extension legislation.
Citations
Bibliography