Beach Boys release rare track for Japan

Al Jardine has enlisted the voices and support of former Beach Boys bandmates Brian Wilson, Mike Love and Bruce Johnston to release a new vinyl single in support of Japan relief efforts.

The first side of the single contains Don't Fight the Sea, a song composed by Jardine and Terry Jacks and originally recorded for Jardine's album A Postcard From California. He is joined on the track by the three living Beach Boys along with an archive vocal by the late Carl Wilson. The flip side is an a capella mix from 1968 of the Beach Boys song Friends.

Jardine commented "We felt that the song had a nice basic message of friendship. I also like the idea of that song, because the vocals are a bit under appreciated. So this release was a perfect place to showcase the idea of harmony and friendship. Everybody is behind it 100%, that's the nice part."

The single will be out next Tuesday, April 19, although Jardine will bring advanced copies with him to a couple of Record Store Day events. The first 1,000 copies will be pressed in white vinyl with a red label (ala the Japanese flag) with the balance in black vinyl. Approximately 90 of the first run will be signed by all four Beach Boys.

100% of the proceeds from the single will go to the Red Cross aid to Japan.