"Lady Lynda" is a song written by vocalist/guitarist

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 ...

and touring keyboardist

Ron Altbach Ronald Steven Altbach (December 24, 1946 – February 21, 2023) was an American keyboardist and songwriter who co-founded French-American rock band King Harvest, and played the Wurlitzer electric piano intro on their single " Dancing in the Moon ...

for 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 ...

. It was released on the band's 1979 album ''

L.A. (Light Album) ''L.A. (Light Album)'' is the 23rd studio album by the American rock band the Beach Boys, released on March 16, 1979, and their first issued through Sony Music, CBS Records. Recorded during a period of acrimony between the band members, it was a ...

''. Its melody is based on " Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" by J. S. Bach. The opening harpsichord is played by Sterling Smith. The lyrics to the song refer to Jardine's then-wife, Lynda Jardine. After the two divorced, the song was rewritten as "Lady Liberty", a tribute to the

Statue of Liberty The Statue of Liberty (''Liberty Enlightening the World''; ) is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, within New York City. The copper-clad statue, a gift to the United States from the people of French Thir ...

. ''

Record World ''Record World'' magazine was one of three major weekly music industry trade magazines in the United States, with ''Billboard'' and '' Cashbox''. It was founded in 1946 as ''Music Vendor''. In 1964, it was changed to ''Record World'' under the ...

'' said it has "a big production sound and liberal synthesizer/string textures." The song peaked at No. 6 on the UK Singles Chart. It also reached No. 39 on the U.S.

adult contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the 1980s to the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul ...

chart. The song was edited for single release with the single version dropping the harpsichord introduction present on the album version.

Personnel

Credits from Craig Slowinski

Lady Lynda

The Beach Boys *

– lead and backing vocals, 12-string guitar *

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; possible

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 ...

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 ...

- backing vocals *

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 ...

- possible backing vocals *

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, ...

- backing vocals *

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 ...

– co-arrangement Additional musicians *Murray Adler - violin *Arnold Belnick - violin *Samuel Boghossian - viola * Jimmy Bond - double bass *Verlye Mills Brilhart - harp *Ed Carter - guitar, bass guitar *Isabelle Daskoff - violin *Jim Decker - French horn *Harold Dicterow - violin *Jesse Ehrlich - cello *Henry Ferber - violin *Bobby Figueroa – drums, tambourine, tubular bells *Richard Folsom - violin *James Getzoff - violin *Harris Goldman - violin * Dick Hyde - trombones and bass trombone *Raymond Kelley - cello *Jerome Kessler - cello *William Kurasch - violin *Marvin Limonick - violin *Charles Loper - French horn *Arthur Maebe - French horn *

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 *Ray Pizzi - bassoons *Jack Redmond - French horn *William Reichenbach - French horn *

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 *Jay Rosen - violin *David Schwartz - viola *Bobby Shew - trumpets *Harry Shlutz - cello *Sterling Smith - harpsichord; possible Fender Rhodes *Linn Subotnick - viola *Herschel Wise - viola *Tibor Zelig - violin

Full Sail

The Beach Boys *

- backing vocals *

- lead and backing vocals, Fender Rhodes Additional musicians *Murray Adler - violin *Arnold Belnick - violin *Samuel Boghossian - viola * Jimmy Bond - double bass *Verlye Mills Brilhart - harp * Geoffrey Cushing-Murray - backing vocals *Isabelle Daskoff - violin *Jim Decker - French horn *Harold Dicterow - violin *Jesse Ehrlich - cello *Henry Ferber - violin *Bobby Figueroa – backing vocals *Richard Folsom - violin *Steve Forman - percussion *James Getzoff - violin *Harris Goldman - violin * Jim Guercio - bass guitar *Raymond Kelley - cello *Jerome Kessler - cello *William Kurasch - violin *Marvin Limonick - violin *Charles Loper - French horn *Arthur Maebe - French horn *

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, timpani *Jack Redmond - French horn *William Reichenbach - French horn *

- double bass *Jay Rosen - violin *David Schwartz - viola *Harry Shlutz - cello *Linn Subotnick - viola *Herschel Wise - viola *Tibor Zelig - violin

References

1979 singles The Beach Boys songs Songs written by Al Jardine Song recordings produced by James William Guercio Song recordings produced by Bruce Johnston Popular songs based on classical music {{1970s-single-stub