“He (Brian Wilson) remembers it being at my house. I remember it as being at his house. He starts pounding at the piano, I was summoning up the words and we got a chorus together, which was basically a bunch of doo-wop inspired harmonies. We created that whole song in fifteen minutes“.
– Mike Love
This is when music made people smile. Released in 1968 Do It Again was the Beach Boys attempt to channel their earlier surf image which they had not embraced since 1964. So it was back to the sun-drenched days of surf, sand, and carefree living that had defined the group’s early success. Although they were hardly what you’d call ‘grommets’, however in reality one of the founding members Dennis Wilson in 1983 was found dead in the waters after diving off a boat slip.
Carl Wilson recalled:
‘Yes, I suppose it has got the old Beach Boys surfing sound. It’s back to that surfing idea with the voice harmony and the simple, direct melody and lyrics. We didn’t plan the record as a return to the surf or anything‘..
By the late 1960s, the Beach Boys had ventured far beyond their early surf-rock roots. With Brian Wilson steering the ship, their sound had evolved into intricate studio masterpieces like Pet Sounds (1966). However, by 1968, the group found itself at a crossroads. Psychedelic rock was in full bloom, and their signature style was seen as something of a relic from a bygone era. So Do It Again as the title suggests is a song born out of pure nostalgia.
The following contains extracts from the Wikipedia article below:
Originally titled “Rendezvous“, the lyrics to the song were inspired after a day Mike Love had spent at the beach in which he had gone surfing with an old friend named Bill Jackson. Mike then showed the lyrics to his cousin Brian Wilson, who proceeded to write the music to Mike’s lyrics of nostalgia. Brian stated that he believes the song was the best collaboration that he and Mike ever worked on.
During the mixdown, engineer Stephen Desper came up with the drum effect heard at the beginning of the track. He explained that he had “commissioned Philips, in Holland, to build two tape delay units for use on the road (to double live vocals). [he] moved four of the Philips PB heads very close together so that one drum strike was repeated four times about 10 milliseconds apart, and blended it with the original to give the effect you hear.”
The single peaked at number one on the UK Singles Chart on August 28, 1968, 40 days after its release, and thus became the band’s second number-one hit in the UK after Good Vibrations two years earlier. Love remembered thinking that the song’s success in Britain “was unbelievable. It showed how many fans we had there and how attractive the whole California lifestyle is.” It remained at the top for only one week, after which it was supplanted by the Bee Gees‘ I’ve Gotta Get a Message to You.
[Verse 1]
It’s automatic when I talk with old friends
The conversation turns to girls we knew
When their hair was soft and long
And the beach was the place to go
[Verse 2]
With suntanned bodies and waves of sunshine
The California girls and a beautiful coastline
And warmed-up weather, let’s
Get together and do it again
[Chorus]
Do-do-do, do-do-do
Do, do-do-do-do
Do-do-do, do-do-do
Do, do-do-do-do
Do-do-do, do-do-do
Dum-de-doo-ron
Do-do-do, do-do-do
Do, do-do-do-do
[Bridge]
With a girl, the lonely sea looks good
With moonlight
Makes your night times warm
And out of sight (Been so long)
Do, do, do-do-do (Been so long)
Do, do, do-do-do (So long, been so long)
Been so long
[Guitar Solo]
Hey now, hey now, hey now, hey now
Hey now, hey now, hey now, hey now
Hey now, hey now, hey now, hey now
[Verse 3]
Well, I’ve been thinking ’bout all the places
We surfed and danced and all the faces
We miss, so let’s get
Back together and do it again
(Come and do it)
References:
1. The Beach Boys – Wikipedia
“The more I live, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realize, the less I know.”- Michel Legrand
Observation Blogger 
Good song Matt! For me one of the best of their late 60s output.
While early Beach Boys songs tend to sound very similar, I still like them because of their amazing vocals.
The first version I ever heard of “Do It Again” was just the music – no vocals. In my early teens I bought this odd Beach Boys compilation (I forgot the title), not realizing none of the tracks came with vocals. “Do It Again” was one of them.
Perhaps that stupid compilation was meant for karaoke? Who knows, I was so ticked! 🙂
The surf theme musically does sound similar in their early tunes, but as you mentioned the Vocals are always wonderful and the new drum sound incorporated here whets my musical senses.
Yes, that would have been hugely disappointing upon receiving what you thought a BB record to find only the instrumentals. I think that has happened to me as well with other artists.
It was my mother who bought all The Beach Boys on 45s. They were a staple in our house. 🙂
Where about did you grow up Maddie? Thanks for sharing that.
I don’t recall The Beach Boys music played much in our household, but the few times I did hear them especially ‘I Get Around’ and ‘Barbara Ann’ it left an indelible impression.
I grew up in NE Ohio and am still here. 🙂 All throughout our youth, none of us children (five of us) had to buy the music we loved hearing on the radio. My mother bought Top 40 all the time. My father built her a cabinet to hold racks of 45s on top and albums in the bottom. Loads of music in our house.
You were fortunate to have a mother so obsessed with remaining musically current and storing her vast collection in your father’s custom built cabinet ideal for perusing and later listening-to. Such sweet recollections and lovely of you to pass-on here.
Matt…did I not comment? Anyway I love this song and it was one of my favorites from the late sixties.
I just sent you an email. I was reconnected to this song from your article on it if memory serves me correct. The gift that keeps on giving. Cheers.
I replied Matt! Thank you!