Sloop John B : Rolling Stone

Written by: Traditional, Brian Wilson
Produced by: Wilson
Released: March '66 on Capitol
Charts: 11 weeks
Top spot: No. 3

Wilson got turned on to the Bahamian folk song "The Wreck of the John B." by the Beach Boys' folk buff, Al Jardine. For the Boys' version, Wilson added elaborate vocals and Billy Strange's Beatlesque twelve-string guitar part. He also changed "This is the worst trip since I've been born" to "... I've ever been on" -- a wink to acid culture. The single appeared on Pet Sounds after it sold a half-million copies in two weeks.

Appears on: Pet Sounds (Capitol)

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