History of Wild Honey (album) in Timeline

Wild Honey, the Beach Boys' thirteenth studio album released in December 1967, marked a shift towards soul music, drawing inspiration from Motown and Stax Records' R&B sound. Despite this stylistic departure, it became their lowest-selling album up to that point in the US, peaking at number 24. The lead single, "Wild Honey," reached number 31, while "Darlin'" fared slightly better at number 19. The album found more success in the UK, reaching number seven.

1965: Mike Love Returns as Songwriter

In 1965, Mike Love returned as Brian Wilson's main songwriting collaborator for the first time since Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!).

1965: The Beach Boys Cover "The Game of Love"

In 1965, the band recorded a cover version of Clint Ballard Jr.'s "The Game of Love".

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1966: Recording "Good Vibrations"

The recording sessions for Wild Honey lasted only several weeks, compared to the several months required for their 1966 hit "Good Vibrations".

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July 1967: "I Was Made to Love Her" Hit by Wonder

In July 1967, Stevie Wonder's version of "I Was Made to Love Her" reached number 2.

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July 1967: Capitol Records Plans Smile Follow-Up

In July 1967, an internal memo circulated within Capitol Records outlining plans to follow up the Smiley Smile album with a 10-track version of the original Smile album; however, this never came to fruition.

September 1967: Smiley Smile Peaks on US Billboard Charts

In September 1967, The Beach Boys' previous LP Smiley Smile peaked at number 41 on US Billboard charts, marking their worst-performing album to date.

October 13, 1967: Capitol Announces Wild Honey

On October 13, 1967, Capitol Records announced the upcoming release of the Beach Boys' album Wild Honey, providing the track listing, even though some songs were not yet recorded.

October 23, 1967: "Wild Honey" Single Release

On October 23, 1967, the lead single "Wild Honey" was released with "Wind Chimes" as the B-side. The single reached number 31 in the US and number 20 in the UK.

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December 18, 1967: Wild Honey Album Release

On December 18, 1967, The Beach Boys released "Wild Honey", their thirteenth studio album, through Capitol Records. This marked the band's initial exploration into soul music, drawing heavily from the R&B styles of Motown and Stax Records. Despite this shift, the album was their lowest-selling to date in the US, reaching number 24, while the lead single, also named "Wild Honey," peaked at number 31. In the UK, the album fared better, reaching number seven.

1967: The Beach Boys Cover Songs

In 1967, The Beach Boys recorded cover versions of The Letter by The Box Tops, and With a Little Help from My Friends by The Beatles.

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1967: Wild Honey Presages Back-to-Basics Approach

In 1967, Wild Honey presaged a back-to-basics approach that was subsequently adopted by the Beach Boys' contemporaries, including Bob Dylan and the Beatles, and it is credited with pioneering the DIY pop genre.

1967: Recording sessions for unreleased material

In 1967, during the Smiley Smile and Lei'd in Hawaii era, The Beach Boys had recording sessions for Wild Honey and recorded other unreleased material.

1967: Christgau Reviews Wild Honey in 1976

In a 1976 retrospective guide to 1967 for The Village Voice, Christgau felt Wild Honey is "so slight" but "perfect and full of pleasure".

1968: Wild Honey a Precursor to Other Albums

In 1968, Wild Honey was characterized as a precursor to albums such as the Kinks' Village Green Preservation Society and the Byrds' The Notorious Byrd Brothers.

1968: "Do It Again" Single Release

In 1968, the vocal riff from "A Thing or Two" was reprised in the group's single "Do It Again".

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1968: Jim Morrison Praises Brian Wilson and Wild Honey

In a 1968 Crawdaddy! article, David Anderle reported that the Doors' Jim Morrison considered Brian Wilson "his favorite musician" and Wild Honey "one of his favorite albums. [...] he really got into it."

1969: "Mama Says" Used to Close 20/20 Album

In 1969, the track "Mama Says," originating from the Smile song "Vegetables," was used to close the Beach Boys' album 20/20.

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1969: Paul Williams Reviews Wild Honey

In his 1969 book Outlaw Blues, Paul Williams summarized that Wild Honey was "a work of joy [...] new and fresh and raw and beautiful".

1970: "Mama Says" Used to Close Sunflower Album

In 1970, the track "Mama Says" was used to close the Beach Boys' album Sunflower.

1971: "Mama Says" Used to Close Surf's Up Album

In 1971, the track "Mama Says" was used to close the Beach Boys' album Surf's Up.

1971: Arthur Schmidt Calls Wild Honey a Masterpiece

In his 1971 review of Surf's Up, Rolling Stone's Arthur Schmidt referred to Wild Honey as "a masterpiece", "the most underrated" of the band's "post-surfer LPs", and "the last time they truly rocked their asses off, one cut after another."

1974: Wild Honey Reissued by Warner Bros.

In 1974, Wild Honey was reissued by Warner Bros, leading to reevaluation by fans and critics.

1976: Christgau Reviews Wild Honey

In a 1976 retrospective guide to 1967 for The Village Voice, Christgau felt Wild Honey is "so slight" but "perfect and full of pleasure".

1979: "Here Comes the Night" Disco Cover

In 1979, the Beach Boys created a near eleven-minute disco cover of "Here Comes the Night" for their twenty-third studio album, L.A. (Light Album).

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1979: "Here Comes the Night" Redone as Disco Single

In 1979, the Beach Boys reworked the track "Here Comes the Night" into a disco single.

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1990: "Can't Wait Too Long" Released on Reissue

In 1990, "Can't Wait Too Long" was released on the two-fer reissue.

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1993: Redwood's "Time to Get Alone" Released

In 1993, Redwood's version of "Time to Get Alone" was released on the compilation Celebrate: The Three Dog Night Story.

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1999: Beta Band's "Round the Bend" Mentions Wild Honey

In 1999, the Beta Band's song "Round the Bend" hailed Wild Honey for its "funny little love songs", although considered it "probably not as good as something like Pet Sounds".

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2001: "Can't Wait Too Long" Released on Reissue

In 2001, "Can't Wait Too Long" was released on the two-fer reissue.

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2011: "Surf's Up" Recording Released

In 2011, a solo recording of Brian Wilson performing the Smile song "Surf's Up" was released on the compilation The Smile Sessions.

2012: Wild Honey Ranked on "Coolest Summer Albums" List

In 2012, Rolling Stone ranked Wild Honey second on its list of the "Coolest Summer Albums of All Time", praising the album's "hedonistic rock & roll spirit", "humor", and "pensive depth".

2012: Wilson Recalls Wild Honey Origin

In a 2012 interview, Brian Wilson commented on the origin of the album title Wild Honey.

2017: Release of Wild Honey stereo mix on 1967 – Sunshine Tomorrow

In 2017, a complete stereo mix of Wild Honey was released for the first time on the rarities compilation 1967 – Sunshine Tomorrow. The set also includes numerous session highlights, alternate takes, and live renditions of Wild Honey tracks in addition to other unreleased material recorded during the Smiley Smile and Lei'd in Hawaii era.