Stars and Stripes Vol. 1

Stars and Stripes Vol. 1
Studio album by
The Beach Boys and various artists
ReleasedAugust 19, 1996
RecordedOctober 5, 1995 – June 12, 1996
Genre
Length37:47
LabelRiver North
Producers
The Beach Boys chronology
Good Vibrations: Thirty Years of The Beach Boys
(1993)		 Stars and Stripes Vol. 1
(1996)		 The Pet Sounds Sessions
(1997)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusicStarHalf star[1]
Encyclopedia of Popular MusicStar[2]
Entertainment WeeklyD[3]

Stars and Stripes Vol. 1 is the twenty-eighth studio album by American rock band the Beach Boys, released on August 19, 1996, by River North Records. Produced by Joe Thomas and Brian Wilson, Stars and Stripes is a collaborative album between the Beach Boys and various country acts.

Recording

The idea for the album was conceived by Thomas,[4] who was then the owner of River North Records.[5] According to Mike Love, sessions for the album "began in late 1995 at Willie Nelson's studio outside of Austin, Texas".[6] In June 1996, the Beach Boys went to Nashville to complete the album.[7]

According to Brian Wilson's wife Melinda, during the album's recording, "They [the Beach Boys] treated [Brian] like an invalid, all the time saying, 'Do this, don't do that, are you okay?'"[8]

Al Jardine wanted his song "Island in the Sun" to be included on the album. In 2025, Jardine stated, "We happened to be in the studio, and we cut it in about five minutes and went home, and it stayed on the shelf. That's how it evolves in our world." Jardine later completed the track for his 2025 EP of the same title.[9]

Tammy Wynette recorded a duet version of "In My Room" with Brian Wilson during the sessions. According to Mike Love, the recording "was held back for a planned second country album by the Beach Boys, which never happened." Wynette's version of the song appeared on the 1998 compilation album Tammy Wynette Remembered.[4]

Release

A documentary on the making of the album, The Beach Boys: Nashville Sounds, aired on November 23, 1996 on The Disney Channel. A music video was also produced for Doug Supernaw and the Beach Boys' cover of "Long Tall Texan".[10]

Critical reception and legacy

In music critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine's description, the release was "an unmitigated disaster and an outright embarrassment for all involved".[11] The album's failure prevented Brian from securing a record contract, leaving his highly anticipated recording collaborations with Andy Paley in limbo.[12] Stars and Stripes became the last studio album to feature Carl Wilson, who died in 1998.

Track listing

Stars and Stripes Vol. 1 track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Lead vocals / featured artistLength
1."Don't Worry, Baby"Brian Wilson, Roger ChristianLorrie Morgan3:16
2."Little Deuce Coupe"Wilson, ChristianJames House2:50
3."409"Wilson, Mike Love, Gary UsherJunior Brown2:20
4."Long, Tall Texan"Henry StrzeleckiDoug Supernaw4:02
5."I Get Around"Wilson, LoveSawyer Brown2:29
6."Be True to Your School"Wilson, LoveToby Keith3:18
7."Fun, Fun, Fun"Wilson, LoveRicky Van Shelton2:20
8."Help Me, Rhonda"Wilson, LoveT. Graham Brown3:10
9."The Warmth of the Sun"Wilson, LoveWillie Nelson3:18
10."Sloop John B"Traditional; arranged by WilsonCollin Raye3:45
11."I Can Hear Music"Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich, Phil SpectorKathy Troccoli3:14
12."Caroline, No"Wilson, Tony AsherTimothy B. Schmit3:19

Personnel

Credits from album liner notes.[13]

The Beach Boys

Special guests

Additional musicians

  • Matt Jardine – harmony and backing vocals, handclaps on "I Get Around", second verse lead vocals on "Sloop John B."
  • Brent Rowan – acoustic guitar on "Don't Worry Baby", "Little Deuce Coupe", "Long Tall Texan", "I Get Around", "Fun, Fun, Fun", "Help Me, Rhonda", "The Warmth of the Sun", "Sloop John B.", "I Can Hear Music" and "Caroline, No"; electric guitar on "Little Deuce Coupe", "409" and "Long Tall Texan", "I Get Around", "Be True To Your School", "Fun, Fun, Fun", "Help Me, Rhonda", "The Warmth of the Sun", and "Sloop John B."; Dobro on "Long Tall Texan"
  • Greg Leisz – electric guitar on "I Get Around", "Be True To Your School", "Help Me, Rhonda" and "Caroline, No"; acoustic guitar on "I Get Around"; pedal steel on "Don’t Worry Baby", "The Warmth of the Sun" and "Caroline, No"
  • Eddie Bayers – drums; percussion on "The Warmth of the Sun"
  • Michael Rhodes – bass
  • Jackie Bertoni – percussion on "Don't Worry Baby" and "Caroline, No"
  • Joe Thomas – piano on "409"; additional keyboards on "I Get Around" and "I Can Hear Music"; percussion on "Sloop John B." and "I Can Hear Music"; handclaps on "I Get Around"; producer
  • Larry Franklin – fiddle on "Long Tall Texan", "The Warmth of the Sun", and "Sloop John B."
  • Steve Nathan – piano on "I Get Around" and "Be True To Your School"; organ on "I Get Around"; B3 on "Help Me Rhonda"; keyboards on "Sloop John B"
  • Richie Cannata – saxophone on "I Get Around" and "I Can Hear Music", handclaps on "I Get Around"
  • Mickey Raphael – harmonica on "The Warmth of the Sun"
  • Sonny Garrish – pedal steel on "Sloop John B."
  • Henry Gross – additional harmony and backing vocals on "I Can Hear Music"
  • Bill Ruppert – electric guitar on "I Can Hear Music"
  • Drew Jardine – finger snaps on "I Can Hear Music"
  • Robbie Jardine – finger snaps on "I Can Hear Music"
  • Steve Eisen – flute on "Caroline, No"
  • Jimmy Webb – string arrangements on "Caroline, No"
  • Nashville String Machine – orchestra on "Caroline, No"

Charts

Album
Chart (1996) Peak
Position
U.S. Billboard 200 Albums 101
U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums 12
Canadian RPM Country Albums 11
Singles
Year Single Chart Positions
US AC US Country CAN Country
1996 "I Can Hear Music" (with Kathy Troccoli) 16
"Don't Worry Baby" (with Lorrie Morgan) 73
"Little Deuce Coupe" (with James House) 69 41
"Long Tall Texan" (with Doug Supernaw) 69 82

References

  1. ↑ Stars and Stripes Vol. 1 at AllMusic
  2. ↑ Larkin, Colin, ed. (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4th ed.). London: Oxford University Press. p. 479. ISBN 978-0-19-531373-4.
  3. ↑ Nash, Alanna. "Stars and Stripes, Vol. 1". Entertainment Weekly.
  4. 1 2 Love 2016, p. 384.
  5. ↑ Giles, Jeff (August 15, 2013). "Mike Love Wasn't Happy With the Beach Boys Reunion".
  6. ↑ Love 2016, p. 383.
  7. ↑ Love 2016, pp. 383–384.
  8. ↑ Carlin 2006, p. 285.
  9. ↑ Willman, Chris (May 30, 2025). "Al Jardine of the Beach Boys on Doing a Rare Solo Project, 'Islands in the Sun,' and Fronting Brian Wilson's Road Band for Upcoming Tour". Variety. Retrieved July 23, 2026.
  10. ↑ Sandler, Adam (November 21, 1996). "The Beach Boys: Nashville Sounds". Variety. Retrieved July 23, 2026.
  11. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Stars and Stripes, Vol. 1". AllMusic.
  12. ↑ Crisafulli, Chuck (June 1997). "Why Can't Brian Wilson Get a Record Deal?" (PDF). Request. Archived from the original on June 30, 1998.
  13. ↑ Stars and Stripes, Vol. 1 (booklet). The Beach Boys. California. 1996.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)

Bibliography

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