The Hollyridge Strings were inveterate hit-takers during the '60s and '70s, covering the hits of the era's top acts with a layer of symphonic touches -- strings, muted brass, occasional solos -- spread upon the basic melodies. After an LP devoted to
the Beatles became a big hit, the group returned with a volume on
the Beach Boys. (The fact that all three artists were on the same label, Capitol, was mostly a coincidence;
the Beach Boys and
Beatles were, after all, the two biggest rock acts of the mid-'60s.) Released in 1964,
The Beach Boys Song Book featured stately versions of 11 standards from the repertoire, although given the relatively early date in
the Beach Boys' career, there were far more novelty songs than anything else. Still,
Brian Wilson's compositional abilities had risen quickly, and this record balances a few of the uptempo hits ("Shut Down," "I Get Around," "Surfin' U.S.A.") with more reflective material that suits the strings treatment -- "Don't Worry, Baby," "The Warmth of the Sun," and "Girls on the Beach" (the latter of which sounds like a dead-ringer for "Moon River" here). Obviously, this isn't going to be much of a treat except for
Beach Boys fanatics or easy listening mavens, but the songs are well-handled by arranger
Stu Phillips.