''L.A. (Light Album)'' is the 23rd studio album by the American rock band

the Beach Boys The Beach Boys are an American rock band that formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Distinguished by the ...

, released on March 16, 1979, and their first issued through

CBS Records CBS Records may refer to: * CBS Records or CBS/Sony, former name of Sony Music, a global record company * CBS Records International, label for Columbia Records recordings released outside North America from 1962 to 1990 * CBS Records (2006), founde ...

. 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 is best remembered as their drummer and as the middle brother of bandmates Brian and Carl Wilson. ...

("Love Surrounds Me" and "Baby Blue") that were lifted from his unreleased second solo album, '' Bambu''.

Brian Wilson Brian Douglas Wilson (born June 20, 1942) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer who co-founded the Beach Boys. Often Brian Wilson is a genius, called a genius for his novel approaches to pop music, pop composition, ex ...

was not present for much of the ''L.A.'' sessions. The production was credited to former Beach Boy

Bruce Johnston Bruce Arthur Johnston (born Benjamin Baldwin; June 27, 1942) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer who is a member of the Beach Boys. Johnston also collaborated on many records with Terry Melcher (his bandmate in Bru ...

, the band itself, and their manager James William Guercio. ''L.A.'' produced three singles: an 11-minute

disco Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric p ...

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 guitar Lead guitar (also known as solo guitar) is a musical part for a guitar in ...

collaboration " Good Timin'", and

Al Jardine Alan Charles Jardine (born September 3, 1942) is an American musician, singer, and songwriter who co-founded the Beach Boys. He is best known as the band's rhythm guitarist and for occasionally singing lead vocals on singles such as " Help Me, Rh ...

'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

The Beach Boys Konzert Michigan 1978 (cropped)

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, each facing an imminent or ongoing divorce from their wives. In March 1977, the group signed an $8 million deal with

, with their first album expected for delivery before January 1, 1978.

released his first solo album, ''

Pacific Ocean Blue ''Pacific Ocean Blue'' is the only 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. Two ...

'', in September 1977, after which the band recorded ''

M.I.U. Album ''M.I.U. Album'' is the 22nd studio album by 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 the m ...

'' 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 repe ...

. 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. The tour, while highly successful, was disastrous and nearly resulted in another breakup when the group discovered that Dennis had purchased heroin for

with funds allegedly acquired from

. During an argument regarding this incident, Brian's bodyguard

Rocky Pamplin Rushton "Rocky" Pamplin (born August 3, 1949) is an American former college football player and model who was employed as a bodyguard and caretaker for the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson from 1977 to 1979. He was also the Playgirl cover and centerfold ...

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 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, another biographer, supports that sessions had already been underway in Miami, but Mike's 2016 memoir, '' Good Vibrations'', 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 Tony Martell (June 23, 1926 – November 27, 2016) was an American music industry executive and philanthropist. He was the founder of the T.J. Martell Foundation, the music industry's largest foundation for leukemia, cancer and AIDS research. Care ...

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

be brought back in to help produce the album." His bandmates agreed to the suggestion based on the strength of Johnston's success penning the 1975 hit "

I Write the Songs "I Write the Songs" is a popular song written by Bruce Johnston in 1975 and released on his album '' Going Public'' in 1977. Barry Manilow's version reached number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart in January 1976 Bronson, Fred (2003). '' ...

". 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". The album's centerpiece was "

", an 11-minute

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. Among the newer songs, Carl contributed three – "Angel Come Home", "Full Sail", and "Goin' South" – that he wrote with songwriter

Geoffrey Cushing-Murray Geoffrey Cushing-Murray (born 1946 in New York, United States) is an American songwriter. He served as a decorated Army officer in Vietnam and studied English at UCLA, where he was a member of the varsity fencing team. He has written songs such as ...

, 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. Background Hinsche was born in Manila, the Phi ...

. 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 a ...

states that the songs were included at the insistence of Dennis' bandmates, and quotes music journalist Domenic Priore, 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." Although some of the lyrics are in Japanese, Sumako was of Korean descent.

's " Lady Lynda" is a tribute to his then-wife that is based musically on

Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the ''Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard wor ...

's "

Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" (or simply "Joy"; German: ''Jesus bleibet meine Freude'') is the most common English title of a piece of music derived from a chorale setting from the cantata ''Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben'', BWV 147 ("Heart and ...

". Among the outtakes, "Santa Ana Winds" appeared on their next album, ''

Keepin' the Summer Alive ''Keepin' the Summer Alive'' is the 24th studio album by American rock band the Beach Boys, released March 24, 1980 on Brother, Caribou and CBS Records. Produced by Bruce Johnston, the album peaked at number 75 in the US, during a chart stay of 6 ...

'' (1980), "

Brian's Back ''15 Big Ones'' is the 20th studio album by the American rock band the Beach Boys, released July 5, 1976 on Brother/Reprise. It includes a mix of original songs and renditions of rock 'n' roll and R&B standards. The LP was the band's first al ...

" 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 1970s. Wilson recorded a solo version in 2002 for the Beach Boys compilation '' Classics Selected by Brian Wilson''. Two composit ...

" was released on the 2013 compilation ''

Made in California ''Made in California (1962–2012)'' is a 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. The set contains six ...

''. " 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 ...

'' 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 ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

, 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 spiritual or religious practices and beliefs which rapidly grew in Western society during the early 1970s. Its highly eclectic and unsystematic structure makes a precise definition difficult. Although many scholars consi ...

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 artist, illustrator and cover designer. He is known for his more than 150 movie posters, which include ''The Shawshank Redemption'', ''Blade Runner'', ''Mallrats'', as well as films in the ''In ...

("Sumahama"), Dave McMacken ("Lady Lynda"), Steve Carver ("Full Sail"), Nick Taggart ("Here Comes the Night"), Howard Carriker ("Angel Come Home"), Peter Green ("Good Timin"), Neon Park ("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, and in 1980 was jointly awarded, with Mike Doud, the Grammy for Sup ...

("Here Comes the Night"), and William Stout ("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

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. It was first known for its ...

'',

Dave Marsh Dave Marsh (born March 1, 1950) 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 ...

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."

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 Music ...

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 or liquidiser in British English) is a kitchen and laboratory appliance used to mix, crush, purée or emulsify food and other substances. A stationary blender consists of a blender container with a rotating me ...

''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". Angel Come Home was later covered by Mick Fleetwood's Zoo on their 1983 album I'm Not Me.

Track listing

Personnel

Credits from Craig Slowinski The Beach Boys *

- lead and backing vocals; 12-string guitar on “Lady Lynda” *

- backing vocals;

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 ...

on “Good Timin’”, “Shortenin’ Bread” & possibly “Lady Lynda” * Mike Love - lead and backing vocals *

- backing vocals; piano on “Good Timin’” & “Shortenin’ Bread”; harpsichord & organ on “Good Timin’”;

Moog synthesizer The Moog synthesizer is a modular synthesizer developed by the American engineer Robert Moog. Moog debuted it in 1964, and Moog's company R. A. Moog Co. (later known as Moog Music) produced numerous models from 1965 to 1981, and again from 20 ...

on “Shortenin’ Bread” *

- lead and backing vocals; guitars on “Good Timin’”, “Angel Come Home” & possibly “Shortenin’ Bread”; Fender Rhodes on “Full Sail” & “Goin’ South”;

Wurlitzer electric piano The Wurlitzer electronic piano is an electric piano manufactured and marketed by Wurlitzer from the mid-1950s to mid-1980s. Sound is generated by striking a metal reed with a hammer, which induces an electric current in a pickup. It is concept ...

on “Angel Come Home” *

- lead and backing vocals;

Oberheim Oberheim is an American synthesizer manufacturer founded in 1969 by Tom Oberheim. History and products Tom Oberheim founded the company in 1969, originally as a designer and contract manufacturer of electronic effects devices for Maestro (most ...

synthesizers on “Love Surrounds Me” & “Baby Blue”; Fender Rhodes & Moog synthesizer on “Love Surrounds Me”; piano on “Baby Blue”; drums on “Good Timin’” & “Shortenin’ Bread”; additional drums & timpani on “Love Surrounds Me” Additional musicians *Robert Adcock - cello on “Baby Blue” *Murray Adler - violin on “Lady Lynda”, “Full Sail”, “Sumahama”, “Here Comes The Night” & “Goin’ South” *Michael Andreas - saxophone on “Shortenin’ Bread” *

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 Western Sydney, and the Leader of the New South ...

- drums & percussion on “Here Comes The Night” *Roberleigh Barnhart - cello on “Sumahama” & “Goin’ South” *Myer Bello - viola on “Sumahama”, “Here Comes The Night” & “Goin’ South” *Arnold Belnick - violin on “Lady Lynda” & “Full Sail” *

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 on “Here Comes The Night” *Samuel Boghossian - viola on “Lady Lynda” & “Full Sail” * Jimmy Bond - double bass on “Lady Lynda” & “Full Sail” *Alfred Breuning - violin on “Sumahama” & “Goin’ South” *Verlye Mills Brilhart - harp on “Lady Lynda” & “Full Sail” *Ed Carter - guitars on “Lady Lynda” & “Love Surrounds Me”; bass guitar on “Lady Lynda” *

Joe Chemay Joe Chemay is an American bassist and background singer, 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 wi ...

- bass guitar on “Love Surrounds Me” & “Here Comes The Night”; additional bass guitar on “Baby Blue” & “Shortenin’ Bread” *Ronald Cooper - cello on “Angel Come Home” *

- backing vocals on “Full Sail” *Isabelle Daskoff - violin on “Lady Lynda”, “Full Sail”, “Sumahama”, “Baby Blue” & “Goin’ South” *Jim Decker - French horn on “Lady Lynda”, “Full Sail” & “Sumahama” *Harold Dicterow - violins on “Lady Lynda” & “Full Sail” *Earle Dumler - oboe on “Sumahama” *Marcia Van Dyke - violin on “Here Comes The Night” *Arni Egilsson - double bass on “Baby Blue” *Jesse Ehrlich - cello on “Lady Lynda”, “Full Sail”, “Sumahama”, “Here Comes The Night” & “Goin’ South” *

Gene Estes The Wrecking Crew was a loose collective of Los Angeles-based session musicians whose services were employed for a great number of studio recordings in the 1960s and 1970s, including hundreds of top 40 hits. The musicians were not publicly rec ...

Clavinet The Clavinet is an electrically amplified clavichord invented by Ernst Zacharias and manufactured by the Hohner company of Trossingen, West Germany, from 1964 to 1982. The instrument produces sounds by a rubber pad striking a point on a tens ...

& vibraphone on “Here Comes The Night”; percussion on “Angel Come Home” *Bob Esty - synthesizer & percussion on “Here Comes The Night” *

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 on “Here Comes The Night” *Henry Ferber - violin on “Lady Lynda”, “Full Sail” & “Here Comes The Night” *Bobby Figueroa - drums on “Lady Lynda”, “Angel Come Home”, “Love Surrounds Me” & “Baby Blue”; percussion on “Lady Lynda”; backing vocals on “Full Sail” *Bernard Fleischer - saxophone on “Shortenin’ Bread” *Richard Folsom - violin on “Lady Lynda”, “Full Sail”, “Here Comes The Night” & “Baby Blue” *Steve Forman - percussion on “Full Sail”, “Angel Come Home” & “Love Surrounds Me” *Bryan Garofalo - bass guitar on “Sumahama” *James Getzoff - violin on “Lady Lynda”, “Full Sail”, “Here Comes The Night” & “Baby Blue” *Harris Goldman - violin on “Lady Lynda”, “Full Sail” & “Baby Blue” *Anne Goodman - cello on “Angel Come Home” * James William Guercio - bass guitar on “Good Timin’”, “Full Sail” & “Shortenin’ Bread” *Allan Harshman - viola on “Here Comes The Night” *

- guitars on “Shortenin’ Bread” *Igor Horoshevsky - cello on “Sumahama” & “Goin’ South” *Bill House - guitar on “Sumahama” *Harry Hyams - viola on “Baby Blue” * Dick Hyde - trombones and bass trombone on “Lady Lynda” *William Hymanson - viola on “Baby Blue” *Raymond Kelley - cello on “Lady Lynda”, “Full Sail”, “Here Comes The Night” & “Baby Blue” *Jerome Kessler - cello on “Lady Lynda” & “Full Sail” *Chuck Kirkpatrick - guitar on “Shortenin’ Bread” *William Kurasch - violin on “Lady Lynda”, “Full Sail”, “Sumahama”, “Here Comes The Night”, “Baby Blue” & “Goin’ South” *Bernard Kundell - violin on “Sumahama” & “Goin’ South” *Neil LaVang - dobro on “Love Surrounds Me” *Jeff Legg - guitar on “Baby Blue” *Gayle Levant - harp on “Sumahama”, “Baby Blue” & “Goin’ South” *Joel Levin - cello on “Baby Blue” *Marvin Limonick - violin on “Lady Lynda”, “Full Sail” & “Here Comes The Night” *Charles Loper - French horn on “Lady Lynda” & “Full Sail” *Edgar Lustgarten - cello on “Angel Come Home” *Kathleen Lustgarten - cello on “Angel Come Home” *Joy Lyle - violin on “Sumahama”, “Here Comes The Night” & “Goin’ South” *Jimmy Lyon - lead guitar on “Shortenin’ Bread” *

Arthur Maebe ''Freak Out!'' is the debut studio album by American rock band the Mothers of Invention, released on June 27, 1966, by Verve Records. Often cited as one of rock music's first concept albums, it is a satirical expression of frontman Frank Zappa's ...

- French horn on “Lady Lynda” & “Full Sail” *

Gary Mallaber Gary Mallaber (born October 11, 1946 in Buffalo) is a Los Angeles session drummer, percussionist and singer. He attended Lafayette High School, where he and Bobby Militello, along with other musicians, were mentored by saxophonist Sam Scam ...

- drums on “Full Sail” & “Goin’ South”; timpani on “Full Sail”; shaker on “Goin’ South”; percussion on “Angel Come Home” *

Christine McVie Christine Anne McVie (; née Perfect; 12 July 1943 – 30 November 2022) was an English musician and songwriter. She was best known as keyboardist and one of the vocalists of the band Fleetwood Mac. McVie was a member of several bands, nota ...

- backing vocals on “Love Surrounds Me” *Peter Mercurio - double bass on “Baby Blue” *

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 & Wurlitzer electric piano on “Here Comes The Night” *

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 on “Lady Lynda” *David Montagu - violin on “Here Comes The Night” *

Carli Muñoz Carli Muñoz, better known as Carli Munoz (full name: Carlos C. Muñoz; born October 16, 1948), is a self-taught Puerto Rican jazz and rock pianist, best known for touring with the Beach Boys in the 1970s. Biography Although born and raised in Sa ...

- piano on “Love Surrounds Me” *

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. References to him as James I ...

- guitars on “Here Comes The Night” *Rod Novak - saxophone on “Baby Blue” & “Shortenin’ Bread” *Michael Nowak - viola on “Here Comes The Night” *Brian O’Connor - French horn on “Sumahama” *

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 a ...

- drums on “Sumahama” * Dennis F. Parker - bass guitar on “Angel Come Home” *Judy Perett - cello on “Here Comes The Night” *Joel Peskin - alto saxophone on “Here Comes The Night” & “Goin’ South”; flute on “Sumahama” *Ray Pizzi - bassoons on “Lady Lynda” *Jack Redmond - French horn on “Lady Lynda” & “Full Sail” *William Reichenbach - French horn on “Lady Lynda” & “Full Sail” *

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 on “Lady Lynda”, “Full Sail” & “Goin’ South” *Jay Rosen - violin on “Lady Lynda”, “Full Sail”, “Sumahama” & “Goin’ South” *Nathan Ross - violin on “Here Comes The Night” *David Schwartz - viola on “Lady Lynda”, “Full Sail” & “Here Comes The Night” *Fred Selden - saxophone on “Shortenin’ Bread” *Sid Sharp - violin on “Sumahama”, “Here Comes The Night” & “Goin’ South” *Phil Shenale - Oberheim synthesizers on “Angel Come Home” & “Love Surrounds Me” *Harry Shlutz - cello on “Lady Lynda”, “Full Sail” & “Here Comes The Night” *Sterling Smith - harpsichord and possible Fender Rhodes on “Lady Lynda”; Hammond organ on “Shortenin’ Bread” *Linn Subotnick - viola on “Lady Lynda”, “Full Sail”, “Here Comes The Night” & “Baby Blue” *Barbara Thomason - viola on “Sumahama” & “Goin’ South” *Wayne Tweed - bass guitar on “Baby Blue” *

Tommy Vig Tommy may refer to: People * Tommy (given name) * Tommy Atkins, or just Tommy, a slang term for a common soldier in the British Army Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Tommy'' (1931 film), a Soviet drama film * ''Tommy'' (1975 fil ...

- vibraphone on “Sumahama” * Wah Wah Watson - lead guitar on “Here Comes The Night” *Jai Winding - Fender Rhodes on “Sumahama” *Herschel Wise - viola on “Lady Lynda”, “Full Sail”, “Sumahama”, “Here Comes The Night” & “Goin’ South” * Dan Wyman - synthesizer programming on “Here Comes The Night” *Tibor Zelig - violin on “Lady Lynda”, “Full Sail”, “Sumahama”, “Here Comes The Night”, “Baby Blue” & “Goin’ South” *

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 on “Here Comes The Night”

Charts

Notes

References

Bibliography

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External links

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''L.A. (Light Album)''
on

YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...

* * {{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