''L.A. (Light Album)'' is the 23rd studio album by the American rock band
the Beach Boys
The Beach Boys are an American Rock music, rock band formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian Wilson, Brian, Dennis Wilson, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and their f ...
, released on March 16, 1979, and their first issued through
CBS Records CBS Records may refer to:
* CBS Records, a former name of Sony Music, a global music company
* CBS/Sony, a former name of Sony Music Entertainment Japan, a Japanese music company division of Sony
* CBS Records International, a label for Columbia Re ...
. Recorded during a period of acrimony between the band members, it was a critical and commercial failure, peaking at number 100 in the U.S. and number 32 in the UK.
The album largely consists of solo recordings by the individual band members, including two from
Dennis Wilson
Dennis Carl Wilson (December 4, 1944 – December 28, 1983) was an American musician, singer, and songwriter who co-founded the Beach Boys. He was their drummer and the middle brother of bandmates Brian Wilson, Brian and Carl Wilson as well as ...
("Love Surrounds Me" and "Baby Blue") that were lifted from his unreleased second solo album, ''
Bambu''.
Brian Wilson
Brian Douglas Wilson (June 20, 1942 – June 11, 2025) was an American musician, songwriter, singer and record producer who co-founded the Beach Boys. Often Brian Wilson is a genius, called a genius for his novel approaches to pop compositio ...
was not present for much of the ''L.A.'' sessions. The production was credited to returning Beach Boy
Bruce Johnston
Bruce Johnston (born Benjamin Baldwin; June 27, 1942) is an American singer, songwriter and musician who is a member of the Beach Boys. He also collaborated on many records with Terry Melcher (his bandmate in Bruce & Terry, the Rip Chords, and ...
, the band itself, and their manager
James William Guercio
James William Guercio (born July 18, 1945) is an American music producer, musician, songwriter and director. He is best known for his work as the producer of Chicago's first eleven studio albums. He also produced the early recordings of The Buckin ...
.
''L.A.'' produced three singles: an 11-minute
disco
Disco is a music genre, genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the late 1960s from the United States' urban nightclub, nightlife, particularly in African Americans, African-American, Italian-Americans, Italian-American, LGBTQ ...
rerecording of "
Here Comes the Night
"Here Comes the Night" is a 1964 song, written by Bert Berns. It became a hit for Northern Irish band Them, fronted by Van Morrison, in March 1965, charting at No. 2 in the UK and No. 24 in the US. Them's single is listed at either No. 33 or No ...
" from their 1967 album ''
Wild Honey'', the Brian and
Carl Wilson
Carl Dean Wilson (December 21, 1946 – February 6, 1998) was an American musician, singer, and songwriter who co-founded the Beach Boys. He was their lead guitarist, the youngest sibling of bandmates Brian Wilson, Brian and Dennis Wilson, ...
collaboration "
Good Timin'", and
Al Jardine
Alan Charles Jardine (born September 3, 1942) is an American musician who co-founded the Beach Boys. He is best known as the band's rhythm guitarist, background vocalist, and for occasionally singing lead vocals on singles such as number-one hit ...
's "
Lady Lynda". "Here Comes the Night" and "Good Timin" charted at numbers 44 and 40, respectively, while "Lady Lynda" was a top 10 hit in several territories abroad, including the UK.
Background
In the late 1970s, the Beach Boys were in a state of professional and personal disarray, with the Wilson brothers struggling with drug abuse and, alongside
Mike Love
Michael Edward Love (born March 15, 1941) is an American singer and songwriter who is one of the vocalists of the Beach Boys, of which he was an original member alongside his cousins Brian Wilson, Dennis Wilson, and Carl Wilson and their frien ...
, each facing an imminent or ongoing divorce from their wives. In March 1977, the group signed an $8 million deal with
CBS Records CBS Records may refer to:
* CBS Records, a former name of Sony Music, a global music company
* CBS/Sony, a former name of Sony Music Entertainment Japan, a Japanese music company division of Sony
* CBS Records International, a label for Columbia Re ...
, with their first album expected for delivery before January 1, 1978.
Dennis Wilson
Dennis Carl Wilson (December 4, 1944 – December 28, 1983) was an American musician, singer, and songwriter who co-founded the Beach Boys. He was their drummer and the middle brother of bandmates Brian Wilson, Brian and Carl Wilson as well as ...
released his first solo album, ''
Pacific Ocean Blue
''Pacific Ocean Blue'' is the only solo studio album by American musician Dennis Wilson, co-founder of the Beach Boys. When released in August 1977, it was warmly received critically, and noted for outselling the Beach Boys' contemporary efforts ...
'', in September 1977, after which the band recorded ''
M.I.U. Album
''M.I.U. Album'' is the 22nd studio album by the American rock band the Beach Boys, released on September 25, 1978. Characterized for its easy-listening sound, the album was produced by Al Jardine and touring member Ron Altbach during one of th ...
'' to finish off their contract with
Reprise
In music, a reprise ( , ; from the verb 'to resume') is the repetition or reiteration of the opening material later in a composition as occurs in the recapitulation of sonata form, though—originally in the 18th century—was simply any re ...
.
The Beach Boys missed their CBS album deadline and, from February to March 1978, embarked on a three-week tour of Australia and New Zealand. While the tour was a commercial success, tensions within the band were disastrous and nearly resulted in another breakup when the group discovered Dennis had purchased heroin for
Brian Wilson
Brian Douglas Wilson (June 20, 1942 – June 11, 2025) was an American musician, songwriter, singer and record producer who co-founded the Beach Boys. Often Brian Wilson is a genius, called a genius for his novel approaches to pop compositio ...
with funds allegedly acquired from
Carl Wilson
Carl Dean Wilson (December 21, 1946 – February 6, 1998) was an American musician, singer, and songwriter who co-founded the Beach Boys. He was their lead guitarist, the youngest sibling of bandmates Brian Wilson, Brian and Dennis Wilson, ...
. During an argument regarding this incident, Brian's bodyguard
Rocky Pamplin
Rushton Pamplin (August 3, 1949 – December 10, 2022) was an American model who, together with Stan Love, was employed as a bodyguard and caretaker for the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson from 1977 to 1979.
Background
Rushton Pamplin was born in 19 ...
punched Carl in the face. Band manager and business advisor Stephen Love, who felt that Pamplin's actions were justified, was subsequently fired.
After returning to Los Angeles, Brian ran away on a days-long drug binge and was later discovered lying under a tree at
Balboa Park in San Diego without shoes, money, or a wallet. Biographer
Steven Gaines
Steven Gaines (born 1946) is an American author, journalist, and radio show host. His books include ''Philistines at the Hedgerow: Passion and Property in the Hamptons'', '' The Love You Make: An Insider's Story of The Beatles'', '' Heroes and Vi ...
writes that Brian was then admitted to a local hospital, and when discharged, immediately joined his bandmates at
Criteria Studios
Criteria Studios is a recording studio in North Miami, Florida, founded in 1958 by musician Mack Emerman. Hundreds of gold, platinum, and diamond singles and albums have been recorded, mixed or mastered at Criteria, for many notable artists and ...
in Miami, where they were recording their long-overdue first album for CBS.
Peter Ames Carlin
Peter Ames Carlin (born March 14, 1963) is an American journalist, critic and biographer who has written for publications such as ''People'' magazine, ''The New York Times Magazine'', '' The Los Angeles Times Magazine'', and ''The Oregonian''. Sev ...
, another biographer, supports that sessions had already been underway in Miami, but Mike's 2016 memoir, ''
Good Vibrations
"Good Vibrations" is a song by the American rock music, rock band the Beach Boys, produced and composed by Brian Wilson with lyrics by Mike Love. Released as a single on October 10, 1966, it achieved immediate critical and commercial success, ...
'', gives a different timeline:
Production
From January 11 to August 22, 1978, members of the band held sessions at various studios in Los Angeles.
In Dennis' case, he was focused on recording his second solo album, ''
Bambu''. From August 28 to September 1, the group recorded at Criteria Studios in Miami and subsequently compiled a tape of their work for CBS.
Yetnikoff and CBS vice president
Tony Martell then visited the studio and were previewed the songs. Carlin writes that the sessions and the meeting "did not go well". Martell remembered, "We sat there and listened to the tunes. ... At one point, it was a little volatile, because of what we heard. They told us it was one of their finest efforts." Brian's other bodyguard,
Stan Love, said that when Yetnikoff heard the tapes, "he turned to the group and said, 'I think I've been fucked.'"
The Wilson brothers' cousin Steve Korthof recalled, "Brian was real weird then, real quiet, not saying much. Real depressed. I think he just realized he wasn't going to be able to pick up the slack. Brian eventually suggested that
Bruce Johnston
Bruce Johnston (born Benjamin Baldwin; June 27, 1942) is an American singer, songwriter and musician who is a member of the Beach Boys. He also collaborated on many records with Terry Melcher (his bandmate in Bruce & Terry, the Rip Chords, and ...
be brought back in to help produce the album." His bandmates agreed to the suggestion based on the strength of Johnston's success writing the 1975 hit "
I Write the Songs". According to Gaines, "When everyone else returned to Los Angeles to continue recording at
Western Studios, Brian wanted to stay in Florida by himself. The group agreed that this was out of the question and forced him to return to L.A."
Sessions resumed at various other studios from September 18, 1978, to January 24, 1979.
In between these sessions, Mike also recorded two unreleased solo albums, ''First Love'' and ''Country Love''.
Brian, who is barely present on ''L.A.'', was institutionalized at Brotzman Memorial Hospital from November 1978 to early 1979 following an incident in which he attacked his doctor during a visit. In Carlin's description, "if Brian sang a note anywhere on the album, his voice is so far down in the mix as to be completely unidentifiable."
Songs and outtakes
Love described ''L.A.'' as "mainly a collection of solo efforts". These included songs from Mike Love’s unreleased album “First Love” and Dennis Wilson’s in progress album “Bambu”. The album's centerpiece was "
Here Comes the Night
"Here Comes the Night" is a 1964 song, written by Bert Berns. It became a hit for Northern Irish band Them, fronted by Van Morrison, in March 1965, charting at No. 2 in the UK and No. 24 in the US. Them's single is listed at either No. 33 or No ...
", an 11-minute
disco
Disco is a music genre, genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the late 1960s from the United States' urban nightclub, nightlife, particularly in African Americans, African-American, Italian-Americans, Italian-American, LGBTQ ...
reworking of an original
R&B song that the band had released on their 1967 album ''
Wild Honey''. Dennis was opposed to the recording, and Brian did not participate. Another older song, "
Good Timin'", had dated from the band's
aborted 1974 sessions at
Caribou Ranch
Caribou Ranch was a recording studio built by producer James William Guercio in 1972 in a converted barn on ranch property in the Rocky Mountains near Nederland, Colorado, on the road that leads to the ghost town of Caribou. The studio was in op ...
. Brian's rendition of "
Shortenin' Bread" featured Dennis on lead, and was a different recording from the version on the unreleased Adult/Child album.
Among the newer songs, Carl contributed three – "Angel Come Home", "Full Sail", and "Goin' South" – that he wrote with songwriter
Geoffrey Cushing-Murray, whom he had met through touring member
Billy Hinsche
William Hinsche (June 29, 1951 – November 20, 2021) was an American musician who was a co-founding member of the singing trio Dino, Desi & Billy and a keyboardist for the Beach Boys' backing band.
Early life
Hinsche was born in Manila, the Ph ...
.
Dennis' two songs – "Baby Blue" and "Love Surrounds Me" – were lifted from his in-progress ''Bambu'' album. Biographer
Jon Stebbins
Jon Stebbins is a Los Osos, California-based musician, songwriter, documentary producer and author of four books about The Beach Boys, as well as two other books.
Music career
Stebbins was a member of a music band called 'The Point' which was ac ...
states that the songs were included at the insistence of Dennis' bandmates, and quotes music journalist
Domenic Priore
Domenic Priore (born January 15, 1960) is an American author, historian and television producer whose focus is on popular music and its attendant youth culture.
Biography
He has written extensively about the Beach Boys' album ''Smile'', including ...
, who surmised, "They obviously didn't have enough good material for their debut album on their new label, so they nicked some of the better
ongs from ''Bambu''.
Love's "
Sumahama" is lyrically inspired by his fiancé at the time, a woman named Sumako, and is "about a young girl who wants to go with her mother to a place called 'Sumahama' in search of her father." Sumahama was re-recorded from the version recorded on his unreleased album First Love. Although some of the lyrics are in Japanese, Sumako was of Korean descent.
Al Jardine
Alan Charles Jardine (born September 3, 1942) is an American musician who co-founded the Beach Boys. He is best known as the band's rhythm guitarist, background vocalist, and for occasionally singing lead vocals on singles such as number-one hit ...
's "
Lady Lynda" is a tribute to his then-wife that is based musically on
Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach (German: �joːhan zeˈbasti̯an baχ ( – 28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his prolific output across a variety of instruments and forms, including the or ...
's "
Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring
"Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" is the popular English title of the chorale from the 1723 Advent cantata ''Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben'' (Heart and Mouth and Deed and Life), BWV 147, by Johann Sebastian Bach. The chorale occurs twice in the ca ...
".
Among the outtakes, a re-recorded version of "Santa Ana Winds" appeared on their next album, ''
Keepin' the Summer Alive'' (1980),
"
Brian's Back" (another First Love outtake) was released on the 1998 compilation ''
Endless Harmony'',
and "
California Feelin'
"California Feelin" is a song written by Brian Wilson and Stephen Kalinich that was recorded by the Beach Boys in the early 1970s and recorded for the first time from Brian Wilson on November 12, 1974. Wilson recorded a solo version in 2002 for ...
" was released on the 2013 compilation ''
Made in California
''Made in California (1962–2012)'' is a compilation album, compilation box set by the Beach Boys, released on August 27, 2013. The set, released through Capitol Records, was designed by Mark London in a form emulating a high school yearbook. Th ...
''.
"
Rock Plymouth Rock/Roll" , a song from the band's unfinished ''
Smile
A smile is a facial expression formed primarily by flexing the muscles at the sides of the mouth. Some smiles include a contraction of the muscles at the corner of the eyes, an action known as a Duchenne smile.
Among humans, a smile expresses d ...
'' album, was also considered for inclusion as the opening track of ''L.A.''. Still-unreleased tracks from the ''L.A.'' sessions include "Looking Down the Coast/Monterey", "I'm Begging You Please", "Basketball Rock", "Bowling", "There’s a Feeling Through the Air", and renditions of "
Calendar Girl" and "
Drip Drop".
Packaging
In the liner notes, it is explained that the ''L.A. (Light Album)'' title refers to the "awareness of, and the presence of, God here in this world as an ongoing loving reality".
The initials also allude to
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
, the band's native home.
Carlin writes that the title "evoked both Los Angeles and the city's long-standing position as a capital of vaguely
New Age
New Age is a range of Spirituality, spiritual or Religion, religious practices and beliefs that rapidly grew in Western world, Western society during the early 1970s. Its highly eclecticism, eclectic and unsystematic structure makes a precise d ...
religions".
The sleeve design features an assortment of illustrations drawn individually by
Gary Meyer ("The Beach Boys"), Jim Heimann ("Light Album"),
Drew Struzan
Drew Struzan (; born March 18, 1947) is an American retired artist, illustrator and cover designer. He is known for his more than 150 movie posters, which include ''The Shawshank Redemption'', ''Blade Runner'', ''E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial'', as ...
("Sumahama"), Dave McMacken ("Lady Lynda"),
Steve Carver
Steve Carver (April 5, 1945 – January 8, 2021) was an American film director, producer, and photographer.
Biography
Carver attended Manhattan's High School of Music and Art and received his BA from Cornell University and his Master of Fine Art ...
("Full Sail"), Nick Taggart ("Here Comes the Night"), Howard Carriker ("Angel Come Home"), Peter Green ("Good Timin"),
Neon Park
Neon Park (born Martin Muller, December 28, 1940 – September 1, 1993) was an American artist, comics artist and illustrator, best known for the images that have strongly defined covers for nearly every Little Feat album except for the band's ...
("Baby Blue"), Blue Beach ("Shortenin' Bread"),
Mick Haggerty
Mick Haggerty is an English graphic designer, illustrator, art director, video director and artist. Haggerty has received four Grammy Award nominations for Best Recording Package for the album Worship and Tribute and in 1980 was jointly awarded, w ...
("Here Comes the Night"), and
William Stout
William Stout (born September 18, 1949) is an American fantasy artist and illustrator with a specialization in paleontological art. His paintings have been shown in over seventy exhibitions, including twelve one-man shows. He has worked on over ...
("Goin' South"). Troy Lane is credited as "cover artist", while Gary Meyer is credited with art direction and design.
Release

Lead single "Here Comes the Night" (backed with "Baby Blue") was issued on February 19, 1979, and peaked at number 44. ''L.A. (Light Album)'' followed on March 16 and reached number 100 in the U.S. The next month, "Good Timin'" (backed with "Love Surrounds Me") was issued as a second single and reached number 40, becoming the band's first top 40 hit since "
It's OK" in 1976. Stebbins summarized this juncture in the band's career,
In April, the group appeared on ''
The Midnight Special'', where they performed their past hits alongside "Baby Blue", "Here Comes the Night", and "Angel Come Home". In August, "Lady Lynda" (backed with "Full Sail") was issued as the album's third and final single. It failed to chart in the U.S., but was a top 10 hit in several territories abroad, including the UK.
Critical reception
The album received mostly unfavorable reviews from music critics. In his review for ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason.
The magazine was first known fo ...
'',
Dave Marsh
Dave Marsh (born ) is an American music critic and radio talk show host. He was an early editor of '' Creem'' magazine, has written for various publications such as ''Newsday'', ''The Village Voice'', and ''Rolling Stone'', and has published num ...
wrote, "The Beach Boys have not made great rock music since ''Wild Honey''
nd have notmade competent pop music since ''
Holland
Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former provinces of the Netherlands, province on the western coast of the Netherland ...
''", concluding that the album "is worse than awful. It is irrelevant."
''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' concluded that "the songs here are better than some recent albums by the group; they're gentle, tuneful and innocently charming... But they're pretty trivial, too."
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
reviewer John Bush felt, "The Beach Boys ended the decade by releasing the worst album of their career", describing it as "yet another oddball attempt to push the Beach Boys into the contemporary mainstream despite their many songwriting and production flaws."
[ '']Blender
A blender (sometimes called a mixer (from Latin ''mixus, the PPP of miscere eng. to Mix)'' or liquidiser in British English) is a kitchen and laboratory appliance used to mix, crush, purée or emulsify food and other substances. A stationary ...
''s Douglas Wolk
Douglas Wolk (born 1970) is a Portland, Oregon-based author and critic. He has written about comics and popular music for publications including ''The New York Times'', ''Rolling Stone'', ''The Washington Post'', ''The Nation'', ''The New Republi ...
decreed that ''L.A.'' was "practically a self-parody" with "Here Comes the Night" being the only enjoyable track. Jeff Tamarkin
Jeff Tamarkin is an American editor, author and historian specializing in music and popular culture.
Career
For 15 years Tamarkin was editor of '' Goldmine'', a magazine for record and CD collectors. Prior to that, he served as the first editor o ...
, who penned liner notes for the 2000 CD reissue, said of the album: "There is undeniable brilliance here if one dares to look." Stebbins praised the Wilson brothers' contributions and derided the songs by Love and Jardine, calling the album "an uneven and disappointing affair. If you liked one part of it, then you were sure to hate others." Carlin opined that ''L.A.'' was "a big improvement over ''M.I.U..'' ... the album's strength came largely from its diversity of voices". Critic Richard Williams referred to "Angel Come Home" as "the most beautifully textured and exquisitely pain-racked white soul music ever made".
Track listing
Personnel
Credits from Craig Slowinski.
The Beach Boys
*Al Jardine
Alan Charles Jardine (born September 3, 1942) is an American musician who co-founded the Beach Boys. He is best known as the band's rhythm guitarist, background vocalist, and for occasionally singing lead vocals on singles such as number-one hit ...
– lead (2) and backing vocals (1, 2, 7, 10); 12-string guitar
A twelve-string guitar (or 12-string guitar) is a steel-string guitar with 12 strings in six courses, which produces a thicker, more ringing tone than a standard six-string guitar. Typically, the strings of the lower four courses are tuned in ...
(2)
*Bruce Johnston
Bruce Johnston (born Benjamin Baldwin; June 27, 1942) is an American singer, songwriter and musician who is a member of the Beach Boys. He also collaborated on many records with Terry Melcher (his bandmate in Bruce & Terry, the Rip Chords, and ...
– backing vocals (all tracks); Fender Rhodes
The Rhodes piano (also known as the Fender Rhodes piano) is an electric piano invented by Harold Rhodes, which became popular in the 1970s. Like a conventional piano, the Rhodes generates sound with keys and hammers, but instead of strings, t ...
(1, 2?, 10)
*Mike Love
Michael Edward Love (born March 15, 1941) is an American singer and songwriter who is one of the vocalists of the Beach Boys, of which he was an original member alongside his cousins Brian Wilson, Dennis Wilson, and Carl Wilson and their frien ...
– lead (6) and backing vocals (1–4, 6, 7, 9, 10)
*Brian Wilson
Brian Douglas Wilson (June 20, 1942 – June 11, 2025) was an American musician, songwriter, singer and record producer who co-founded the Beach Boys. Often Brian Wilson is a genius, called a genius for his novel approaches to pop compositio ...
– backing vocals (2?, 4); piano (1, 10); harpsichord
A harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a musical keyboard, keyboard. Depressing a key raises its back end within the instrument, which in turn raises a mechanism with a small plectrum made from quill or plastic that plucks one ...
and organ (1); Moog synthesizer
The Moog synthesizer ( ) is a modular synthesizer invented by the American engineer Robert Moog in 1964. Moog's company, R. A. Moog Co., produced numerous models from 1965 to 1981, and again from 2014. It was the first commercial synthesizer ...
(10)
*Carl Wilson
Carl Dean Wilson (December 21, 1946 – February 6, 1998) was an American musician, singer, and songwriter who co-founded the Beach Boys. He was their lead guitarist, the youngest sibling of bandmates Brian Wilson, Brian and Dennis Wilson, ...
– lead (1, 3, 7–10) and backing vocals (all tracks); guitars (1, 4, 10?); Fender Rhodes (3, 9); Wurlitzer electric piano
The Wurlitzer electronic piano is an electric piano manufactured and marketed by Wurlitzer from 1954 to 1983. Sound is generated by striking a metal reed with a hammer, which induces an electric current in a pickup. It is conceptually similar to ...
(4)
*Dennis Wilson
Dennis Carl Wilson (December 4, 1944 – December 28, 1983) was an American musician, singer, and songwriter who co-founded the Beach Boys. He was their drummer and the middle brother of bandmates Brian Wilson, Brian and Carl Wilson as well as ...
– lead (4, 5, 8, 10) and backing vocals (5, 8); Oberheim
Oberheim is an American synthesizer manufacturer founded in 1969 by Tom Oberheim.
Beginning in 1975, Oberheim developed some of the first commercially available polyphonic synthesizers and was a prominent synthesizer and drum machine manufacture ...
synthesizers (5, 8); Fender Rhodes and Moog synthesizer (5); piano (8); drums (1, 10); additional drums and timpani (5)
Touring members
*Michael Andreas – saxophone (10)
*Ed Carter – guitars (2, 5); bass guitar (2)
*Bobby Figueroa – drums (2, 4, 5, 8); percussion (2); backing vocals (3)
*Billy Hinsche
William Hinsche (June 29, 1951 – November 20, 2021) was an American musician who was a co-founding member of the singing trio Dino, Desi & Billy and a keyboardist for the Beach Boys' backing band.
Early life
Hinsche was born in Manila, the Ph ...
– guitars (10)
*Mike Meros
Michael Meros (September 29, 1950 – December 26, 2007) was an American keyboardist best known as a member of the Beach Boys touring band from 1979 until July 4, 2001.
Meros hailed from the Brooklyn Park neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland. His ...
– Clavinet
The Clavinet is an electric clavichord invented by Ernst Zacharias and manufactured by the Hohner company of Trossingen, West Germany, from 1964 to 1982. The instrument produces sounds with rubber pads, each matching one of the keys and respond ...
and Wurlitzer electric piano (7)
* Carli Muñoz – piano (5)
*Rod Novak – saxophone (8, 10)
*Sterling Smith – harpsichord and possible Fender Rhodes (2); Hammond organ
The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond and John M. Hanert, first manufactured in 1935. Multiple models have been produced, most of which use sliding #Drawbars, drawbars to vary sounds. Until 1975, sound was created ...
(10)
Guests
*Curt Boettcher
Curtis Roy Boettcher (January 7, 1944 – June 14, 1987), sometimes credited as Curt Boetcher or Curt Becher, was an American singer, songwriter, arranger, musician, and record producer from Wisconsin. He was a pivotal figure in what is now t ...
– guitars (7)
* Geoffrey Cushing-Murray – backing vocals (3)
*James William Guercio
James William Guercio (born July 18, 1945) is an American music producer, musician, songwriter and director. He is best known for his work as the producer of Chicago's first eleven studio albums. He also produced the early recordings of The Buckin ...
– bass guitar (1, 3, 10)
*Christine McVie
Christine Anne McVie (; Perfect; 12 July 1943 – 30 November 2022) was an English musician. She was the keyboardist and one of the vocalists and songwriters of the rock band Fleetwood Mac.
McVie was a member of several bands, notably Chic ...
– backing vocals (5)
Additional session musicians
*Robert Adcock – cello (8)
*Murray Adler – violin (2, 3, 6, 7, 9)
*Mike Baird
Michael Bruce Baird (born 1 April 1968) is an Australian investment banker and former politician who was the 44th Premier of New South Wales, the Minister for Infrastructure, the Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney, Mini ...
– drums and percussion (7)
*Roberleigh Barnhart – cello (6, 9)
*Myer Bello – viola (6, 7, 9)
*Arnold Belnick – violin (2, 3)
*Samuel Boghossian – viola (2, 3)
* Jimmy Bond – double bass (2, 3)
*Alfred Breuning – violin (6, 9)
*Verlye Mills Brilhart – harp (2, 3)
*Joe Chemay
Joseph Chemay is an American bassist and backing vocalist, known for his recording session work.
Biography
Chemay started out working as a session and touring support musician in Los Angeles, but moved to Nashville in 1989.
Chemay has worked ...
– bass guitar (5, 7); additional bass guitar (8, 10)
*Ronald Cooper – cello (4)
*Isabelle Daskoff – violin (2, 3, 6, 8, 9)
*Jim Decker – French horn (2, 3, 6)
*Harold Dicterow – violins (2, 3)
*Earle Dumler – oboe (6)
*Marcia Van Dyke – violin (7)
*Arni Egilsson – double bass (8)
*Jesse Ehrlich – cello (2, 3, 6, 7, 9)
*Gene Estes
The Wrecking Crew, also known as the Clique and the First Call Gang, was a loose collective of American session musicians based in Los Angeles who played on many studio recordings in the 1960s and 1970s, including hundreds of top 40 hits. The ...
– Clavinet and vibraphone (7); percussion (4)
*Bob Esty – synthesizer and percussion (7)
*Victor Feldman
Victor Stanley Feldman (7 April 1934 – 12 May 1987) was an English jazz musician who played mainly piano, vibraphone, and percussion. He began performing professionally during childhood, eventually earning acclaim in the UK jazz scene as ...
– percussion (7)
*Henry Ferber – violin (2, 3, 7)
*Bernard Fleischer – saxophone (10)
*Richard Folsom – violin (2, 3, 7, 8)
*Steve Forman – percussion (3–5)
*Bryan Garofalo – bass guitar (6)
*James Getzoff – violin (2, 3, 7, 8)
*Harris Goldman – violin (2, 3, 8)
*Anne Goodman – cello (4)
*Allan Harshman – viola (7)
*Igor Horoshevsky – cello (6, 9)
*Bill House – guitar (6)
*Harry Hyams – viola (8)
* Dick Hyde – trombones and bass trombone (2)
*William Hymanson – viola (8)
*Raymond Kelley – cello (2, 3, 7, 8)
*Jerome Kessler – cello (2, 3)
*Chuck Kirkpatrick – guitar (10)
*William Kurasch – violin (2, 3, 6–9)
*Bernard Kundell – violin (6, 9)
* Neil LeVang – dobro
Dobro () is an American brand of resonator guitars owned by Gibson and manufactured by its subsidiary Epiphone. The term "dobro" is also used as a generic term for any wood-bodied, single-cone resonator guitar.
The Dobro was originally a gui ...
(5)
*Jeff Legg – guitar (8)
*Gayle Levant – harp (6, 8, 9)
*Joel Levin – cello (8)
*Marvin Limonick – violin (2, 3, 7)
*Charles Loper – French horn (2, 3)
*Edgar Lustgarten – cello (4)
*Kathleen Lustgarten – cello (4)
*Joy Lyle – violin (6, 7, 9)
* Jimmy Lyon – lead guitar (10)
* Arthur Maebe – French horn (2, 3)
*Gary Mallaber
Gary Mallaber (born October 11, 1946, in Buffalo) is an American musician from Los Angeles, mostly known as a drummer, but plays percussion, vibraphone, and keyboards. In addition, he is a songwriter, arranger, composer, producer, engineer, a ...
– drums (3, 9); timpani (3); shaker (9); percussion (4)
*Peter Mercurio – double bass (8)
*Jay Migliori
Jay Migliori (November 14, 1930 – September 2, 2001) was an American saxophonist, best known as a founding member of Supersax, a tribute band to Charlie Parker.
Biography
Migliori started playing the saxophone after he received one as a birthday ...
– flutes (2)
*David Montagu – violin (7)
*Ira Newborn
James Ira Newborn (born December 26, 1949) is an American musician, actor, orchestrator and composer, best known for his work composing motion picture soundtracks.
Life and career
Newborn was born in New York City.
He has scored or written son ...
– guitars (7)
*Michael Nowak – viola (7)
*Brian O’Connor – French horn (6)
*Earl Palmer
Earl Cyril Palmer (October 25, 1924 – September 19, 2008) was an American drummer. Considered one of the inventors of rock and roll, he is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Palmer was one of the most prolific studio musicians of al ...
– drums (6)
* Dennis F. Parker – bass guitar (4)
*Judy Perett – cello (7)
*Joel Peskin – alto saxophone (7, 9); flute (6)
* Ray Pizzi – bassoons (2)
*Jack Redmond – French horn (2, 3)
* William Reichenbach – French horn (2, 3)
*Lyle Ritz
Lyle Joseph Ritz (January 10, 1930 – March 3, 2017) was an American musician, known for his work on ukulele and bass (both double bass and bass guitar). His early career in jazz as a ukulele player made him a key part of the Hawaii music scene ...
– double bass (2, 3, 9)
*Jay Rosen – violin (2, 3, 6, 9)
*Nathan Ross – violin (7)
*David Schwartz – viola (2, 3, 7)
*Fred Selden – saxophone (10)
*Sid Sharp – violin (6, 7, 9)
*John Philip Shenale
John Philip Shenale (often mentioned as Phil Shenale) is a Canadian composer, arranger, musician and producer based in Los Angeles.
Background
Shenale was born in Canada in 1951. His family relocated to the United States in the late-1950s. ...
– Oberheim synthesizers (4, 5)
*Harry Shlutz – cello (2, 3, 7)
*Linn Subotnick – viola (2, 3, 7, 8)
*Barbara Thomason – viola (6, 9)
*Wayne Tweed – bass guitar (8)
*Tommy Vig
Tommy Vig (born July 14, 1938) is a percussionist, arranger, bandleader, and composer.
Life and work
Since 2006, Vig has lived with his wife Mia (of The Kim Sisters) in Hungary, where they performed concerts, appeared on radio and televisi ...
– vibraphone (6)
*Wah Wah Watson
Melvin M. Ragin (December 8, 1950 – October 24, 2018), known professionally as Wah Wah Watson, was an American guitarist who was a member of the Funk Brothers, the studio band for Motown Records. He also worked extensively as a session musician ...
– lead guitar (7)
*Jai Winding – Fender Rhodes (6)
*Herschel Wise – viola (2, 3, 6–8)
*Dan Wyman
Daniel Wyman is an American musician, educator, and composer for film & television. He currently serves as an Emeritus Professor at San Jose State University, and perhaps is best known for his collaborations with director John Carpenter on films s ...
– synthesizer programming (7)
*Tibor Zelig – violin (2, 3, 6–9)
*Richie Zito
Richie Zito (born August 21, 1952) is an American songwriter, composer and record producer from Los Angeles. In a career spanning more than 50 years, Zito has experienced success as a prolific session musician, being featured on a wide array of ...
– lead guitar (7)
Charts
Notes
References
Bibliography
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
External links
*
''L.A. (Light Album)''
on YouTube
YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
*
*
{{Authority control
The Beach Boys albums
Caribou Records albums
1979 albums
Albums produced by James William Guercio
Brother Records albums
Columbia Records albums
Albums produced by Bruce Johnston
Albums produced by the Beach Boys