In 1970 the Beach Boys released their 16th studio album for the first time on their own label "Brother Records". It received good reviews and is credited by fans as their best album after "Pet Sounds". The album sold not as good as their previous albums reaching only #151 in the US. It did better in the UK reaching #29 and the Netherlands at #10.

The single "Add Some Music To Your Day" was the only single to chart at #64. In the UK it did better reaching #29. Many outtakes were released on the next album "Surf's Up" (1971). 

Brother Records logo

Financially they were in debt after disastrous tours in 1968.They also filed a lawsuit against Capitol Records for unpaid royalties and production duties. They started searching for a new record company but that wasn't succesfull. They did a European tour in 1969 that left then almost bankrupt. A new single "Break Away" reached #63 in the US and #6 in the Uk. This was the boost they needed. Finally they contracted Reprise Records.

To make things more dramatic. The Manson family committed the Tate-LaBianca murder. Charles Manson was a friend of the band and therefore the press loved to emphasize this in the news. The story goes that Charles Manson led a commune/cult using drugs and joined the hippie movement. He and three women from the Manson Family entered the house of actress Sharon Tate and murdered her including four other people who were there. The following evening they also killed people at a super market including the owner Leno LaBianca and his wife.

There was enough material for an album but the first edition of 14 tracks was rejected by Reprise. They did a tour in the US with many shows that needed to be cancelled because of the small amount people who paid tickets. The media was talking about the connections between Manson and the Beach Boys. A second tracklisting was also rejected and Reprise asked them to come up with some more new songs. Finally a third tracklisting for the new album was accepted.

Original single cover

In february 1970 the single "Add Some Music To Your Day" reaching #64 in the US in order to promote the new album "Sunflower". Mike Love was taken into hospital after a three-week fast in which he ate only water, fruit juice, and yoghurt – per the teachings of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Brian replaced him during concerts. Follow-up singles didn't chart in the US or UK. Finally in August 1970 the album was released. The other 2 singles were "Tears In The Morning" (Reaching #4 in the Netherlands) and "Cool, Cool Water". "Cottonfields" from the album 20/20 was released in between these single releases from "Sunflower" and did very well reaching: #5 in the UK,  #13 in the Netherlands and #1 in the Australia, Norway and Sweden. In some countries "Cottonfields" was added as the first track to "Sunflower".

Original single version

The song "Deirdre" was named after the red-haired sister of one of Johnston's ex-girlfriends. "It's About Time" is about the pitfalls of stardom and fame and described how they were struggling. The melodramatic "Tears In The Morning" is one of their best songs. "All I Wanna Do" is a song leftover of the album "Friends". A true rock ballad "Forever" written by Dennis Wilson and Gregg Jakobson. "Our Sweet Love" is als another outtake from "Friends" they finally recorded. "At My Window" is a song simply about the birds in Brian Wilson's backyard. The album ends with an outtake from the by then unreleased "Smile" album titled "Cool, Cool Water". There were tons of songs left out of the album including "Where Is She?" which resembles the Beatles'"She's Leaving Home".

Another picture taken with the kids

ALBUM COVER

It is a picture of the band on the golf course at Dean Martin's Hidden Valley Ranch. It also included some of the band's children: Wendy (Brian's daughter), Matthew (Al's son), Hayleigh and Christian (Mike's son and daughter) and Jonah (Carl's son)

TRACKLISTINGS

Proposed album cover
Reverberation (from 1969 rejected by Capitol before leaving to Reprise) 
Cottonfields / Loop de Loop / All I Wanna Do / Got to Know the Woman / When Girls Get Together / Break Away / San Miguel / Celebrate the News / Deirdre / The Lord's Prayer / Forever

Original album cover

Original album cover - backside

Sunflower (1970)
Slip On Through / This Whole World / Add Some Music to Your Day / Got to Know the Woman / Deirdre / It's About Time / Tears in the Morning / All I Wanna Do / Forever / Our Sweet Love / At My Window / Cool, Cool Water

VIDEOS

Tears In The Morning

Our Sweet Love

Cool, Cool Water