Made In California: A Beach Boys Podcast

About Made In California: A Beach Boys Podcast

**Made in California: A Beach Boys Podcast** Harry Williams and Andy Wrintmore take a chronological journey through the incredible, bonkers, heartbreaking and wonderfully bizarre story of The Beach Boys. Drawing from the books, documentaries, interviews and recordings that tell their story, we explore the songs, albums, sessions and personalities, with track-by-track reviews, multitrack breakdowns, rare recordings and six decades of physical media. Come for the harmonies. Stay for the increasingly inexplicable decisions.

Publisher

LBB Productions

Category

music

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

25 Aug 2026

Latest episode

10 Nov 2026

Latest episodes

13 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   10 Nov 2026

   #11 Shut Down Volume 2

   Five albums in eighteen months. Three stone-cold classics. And some of the most bewildering filler ever pressed onto vinyl. Welcome to Shut Down Volume 2. It's early 1964, and The Beach Boys are under pressure. Brian Wilson is developing rapidly as a songwriter and producer, incorporating lessons from Phil Spector and beginning to reach beyond the group's familiar formula. Unfortunately, Capitol Records still expects another album, whether he's ready or not. The result is perhaps the most frustrating Beach Boys LP yet. This week, Harry and Andy finally arrive at Shut Down Volume 2, an album that somehow manages to contain Fun, Fun, Fun, Don't Worry Baby and The Warmth of the Sun, alongside some of the most inexplicable material the group ever committed to tape. We take the album track by track, exploring the increasingly sophisticated arrangements behind its greatest songs, Brian's growing fascination with the Wall of Sound, and the conflicting accounts of how The Warmth of the Sun came to be associated with the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Along the way, we encounter Billy Joel, David Marks, Frankie Lymon, Motörhead, some questionable attempts at comedy, and a drum solo that perhaps nobody needed. Is this a transitional masterpiece, a contractual obligation, or simply three magnificent singles standing on each other's shoulders in a trench coat? Made in California: A Beach Boys Podcast A chronological journey through the music, history and strange little corners of The Beach Boys story, with Harry Williams and Andy Wrintmore. Follow and subscribe for new episodes, clips and more. If you're enjoying the show, please consider leaving a rating or review! Get in touch: madeincaliforniapodcast@gmail.com (mailto:madeincaliforniapodcast@gmail.com) Instagram: @madeincaliforniapod TikTok: @madeincalipod YouTube: @madeincaliforniapod

2. 

   3 Nov 2026

   #10 Phil Spector and The Wall of Sound

   Episode 10: Phil Spector and The Wall of Sound What was supposed to be a ten-minute diversion into Phil Spector's influence on Brian Wilson has somehow become an entire episode. But given what was happening in American pop music in 1963, we reckon it's a detour worth taking. This week, Harry and Andy step away from the Beach Boys for a little while to investigate the man behind some of the most remarkable records of the early sixties. Beginning with Brian's fascination with Spector's Christmas recordings, we head back to the producer's teenage beginnings with The Teddy Bears, his apprenticeship with Leiber and Stoller, and the establishment of Philles Records. Along the way, we encounter the Crystals, the Ronettes, the Wrecking Crew, and the two men whose contributions to Spector's records deserve rather more recognition: arranger Jack Nitzsche and engineer Larry Levine. Then, having worked our way up to Be My Baby, we attempt to answer a deceptively simple question: what actually was the Wall of Sound? With the help of some original recordings, archival interviews, studio recollections and a few practical demonstrations, Harry breaks the sound down into three interlocking elements: orchestration, the performance itself, and the engineering that brought it all together. There's instrumental doubling, microphone bleed, Gold Star's famous echo chambers, a rather elaborate analogy involving a three-legged milking stool, and plenty of Brian Wilson along the way. It's a story about how records were made, the people who made them, and why the results had such a profound effect on our young hawthornians Next time, we finally get around to Shut Down Volume 2! Made in California: A Beach Boys Podcast A chronological journey through the music, history and strange little corners of the Beach Boys story, with Harry Williams and Andy Wrintmore. 🎧 Follow and subscribe for new episodes, clips and more. Find our podcast links and companion playlists via the link in our bio. 📺 YouTube: Watch clips, longer videos and our YouTube-exclusive Collectors Corner series. 📧 Get in touch: Questions, corrections, comments, obscure Beach Boys trivia or just want to say hello? madeincaliforniapodcast@gmail.com (mailto:madeincaliforniapodcast@gmail.com) Follow us: Instagram: @madeincaliforniapod TikTok: @madeincalipod YouTube: @madeincaliforniapod If you're enjoying Made in California, please consider following the show, leaving a rating or review, and sharing it with another Beach Boys fan. It really does help!

3. 

   27 Oct 2026

   #9 David Marks Departs

   It's October 1963, and change is afoot in The Beach Boys. This week, we take a slight detour from our album-by-album journey to give a little overdue attention to David Marks, the young snarlin' punk guitarist whose departure from the band has too often been reduced to a footnote in its history. Was he really The Beach Boys' answer to Pete Best? How dare you even suggest such a thing. We explore David's crucial contribution to the band's early rock 'n' roll sound, his increasingly difficult relationship with Murry Wilson, and the curious circumstances surrounding his departure. Along the way, we encounter unpaid wages, onstage fines, some spectacularly inappropriate lyrical substitutions, and a 15-year-old who was becoming thoroughly fed up with the whole enterprise. We also follow David's subsequent musical adventures, his complicated relationship with his Beach Boys past, and his eventual return to the fold for the band's 50th anniversary celebrations in 2012. With Al Jardine stepping permanently into the picture, the personnel are changing, and the Beach Boys never rocked quite so hard again. We begin with the extraordinary harmonies of 'The Lord's Prayer', and finish by introducing a rather significant new character in our story: Phil Spector. Join us next week for a full exploration of Spector and his legendary Wall of Sound, before we finally arrive at Shut Down Volume 2. Made In California: A Beach Boys Podcast A chronological journey through the music, history and strange little corners of The Beach Boys story. Follow and subscribe for new episodes, clips and Collectors Corner, and if you're enjoying the show, please consider leaving us a rating or review. It really does help! Get in touch: madeincaliforniapodcast@gmail.com (mailto:madeincaliforniapodcast@gmail.com) Find us on social media: Instagram: @madeincaliforniapod TikTok: @madeincalipod YouTube: @madeincaliforniapod

4. 

   19 Oct 2026

   #8 Little Deuce Coupe

   Just three weeks after Surfer Girl, The Beach Boys were back with their fourth studio album: Little Deuce Coupe. But was this hot-rod-themed LP simply a rushed cash-in, or is there more going on beneath the bonnet? Harry and Andy return to 1963 to explore an album that often gets overlooked in the Beach Boys' catalogue. From the surprisingly moving Ballad of Ole' Betsy and the infectious No-Go Showboat to the haunting A Young Man Is Gone, there's plenty of evidence that Brian Wilson's songwriting and arranging were developing at an extraordinary pace. Along the way, we explore America's obsession with cars and school spirit, check in with our old friends Jan & Dean, the origins of Little Saint Nick, and Mike Love's apparently unparalleled gift for lyrical subtlety. Is Little Deuce Coupe an opportunistic stopgap, or an underrated chapter in the Beach Boys' remarkable evolution? Made In California: A Beach Boys Podcast A chronological journey through the music, history and strange little corners of The Beach Boys story. Follow / subscribe for new episodes and clips. Get in touch: madeincaliforniapodcast@gmail.com (mailto:madeincaliforniapodcast@gmail.com) Instagram: @madeincaliforniapod TikTok: @madeincalipod YouTube: @madeincaliforniapod

5. 

   12 Oct 2026

   #7 Hot Rod Boogie: The Road to Little Deuce Coupe

   Before the Beach Boys got to little deuce coupes, shut-down races and custom machines, America had already been singing about cars for more than 50 years. In this episode, Harry and Andy trace the road from some of the earliest motoring songs through blues, boogie woogie, post-war hot rod culture and 1950s drag-racing records, all the way to California in the early 60s. Along the way, Rudyard Kipling turns up writing about cars, Robert Johnson uses the automobile as a sexual metaphor, World War II changes American car culture, Route 66 becomes a kind of musical travel brochure, and Arkie Shibley somehow builds a whole hot rod saga with sequels, different perspectives and an unreliable narrator. By the end, it all starts to point towards the Beach Boys. They didn’t invent car music. They were the start of its third wave. There’s also a Spotify playlist with the songs and influences covered in the episode, so you can follow the whole trail for yourself. Hot Rod Boogie: The Road to Little Deuce Coupe Made In California: A Beach Boys Podcast A chronological journey through the music, history and odd corners of The Beach Boys story. Follow for new episodes, clips and Collectors Corner. Instagram: @madeincaliforniapod TikTok: @madeincalipod YouTube: @madeincaliforniapod madeincaliforniapodcast@gmail.com (mailto:madeincaliforniapodcast@gmail.com)

6. 

   5 Oct 2026

   The Beach Boys Live in London 2026 – Field Report

   Harry and Andy head to London to see The Beach Boys live in 2026, joined by special guest Connie: Harry’s long-suffering partner, whose main exposure to the band has largely come via Adam Sandler films. We hear a little from the night itself before sitting down afterwards to talk through the show: the performances, the visuals, the current touring band, the newer members of the lineup, the setlist and what stood out on the night. Harry comes at it as the committed fan, Andy as the more casual listener, and Connie provides the crucial outsider perspective: what is a Beach Boys show actually like when you barely know The Beach Boys? Does the modern live show still work in 2026? And can it win over someone who definitely did not spend the journey there discussing alternate mixes? Made In California: A Beach Boys Podcast

7. 

   28 Sept 2026

   #6 Surfer Girl

   By September 1963, things are moving quickly for The Beach Boys. Surfin’ U.S.A. has taken them to number two, Al Jardine is back in the fold (briefly giving us a six-man Beach Boys), and Brian Wilson finally has his name on the producer credit. This week we get into Surfer Girl, the album where the group really starts to sound like a confident recording unit. We trace the strange history of the title track, Brian’s first song and its connection to When You Wish Upon a Star, before working our way through Catch a Wave, another visit from the Jan & Dean pirates, the tangled story of The Surfer Moon and Bob Norberg, Little Deuce Coupe, and one of Brian’s earliest masterpieces, In My Room. There’s also a bizarre German-language detour, the first documented appearance of Hal Blaine on a Beach Boys session, a possible early diss track aimed at The Four Seasons, car clubs, richer chords, and yet another completely unnecessary instrumental to finish the album. Made In California: A Beach Boys Podcast A chronological journey through the music, history and strange little corners of The Beach Boys story. Follow / subscribe for new episodes and clips. Get in touch: madeincaliforniapodcast@gmail.com (mailto:madeincaliforniapodcast@gmail.com) Instagram: @madeincaliforniapod TikTok: @madeincalipod YouTube: @madeincaliforniapod

8. 

   21 Sept 2026

   #5 If Everybody Had An Ocean (Surfin USA Pt. 2)

   We covered the title track in the previous episode, so this time we drop the needle on the rest of Surfin’ U.S.A. Brian’s falsetto steps properly into the foreground on “Farmer’s Daughter”, “Lonely Sea” gives us an early glimpse of the more introspective Brian Wilson to come, Mike Love gets behind a saxophone, and Murry Wilson discovers lyricist Roger Christian on the radio. We also work our way through an awful lot of surf instrumentals, take an unexpected Fleetwood Mac detour, compare “Lonely Sea” to Soundgarden, and ask whether The Beach Boys actually did “Let’s Go Trippin’” better than Dick Dale. By the end, the band sound considerably more assured than they did just one album ago. Whether Surfin’ U.S.A. needed to be quite this long is another matter. Made In California: A Beach Boys Podcast A chronological journey through the music, history and strange little corners of The Beach Boys story. Find all our podcast and social links via the link in our bio. Watch more: clips, video episodes and Collectors Corner on YouTube. Get in touch: Questions, corrections, comments, obscure Beach Boys trivia, or just want to say hello? madeincaliforniapodcast@gmail.com (mailto:madeincaliforniapodcast@gmail.com) Instagram: @madeincaliforniapod TikTok: @madeincalipod YouTube: Made In California: A Beach Boys Podcast

9. 

   14 Sept 2026

   #4 Surf City, Here We Come (Surfin USA Pt. 1)

   We’re into 1963, and this is where things start getting serious. First, a little housekeeping from Surfin’ Safari. What happened to Gary Usher? Was Ten Little Indians a fairly major misstep? And why is future Beach Boy Bruce Johnston suddenly turning up on a surf instrumental years before he joins the band? Then it’s onto Surfin’ U.S.A. Brian isn’t happy with the sound of the first album, so he gets Capitol to let him produce the next one himself, takes the band back to Western Recorders with Chuck Britz, and starts building a much bigger sounding Beach Boys record. We get into the title track, including the surprisingly murky question of who is actually playing drums, and follow the song’s family tree through Chuck Berry, Jimmy Bowles and Duane Eddy. The band also head out on their first proper national tour, although Brian is already discovering that he’d sometimes rather stay home and write songs. Which brings us to Jan & Dean. Brian refuses to give them Surfin’ U.S.A., hands them another half-finished song instead, and watches Surf City go all the way to number one. Murry takes it well. Made In California: A Beach Boys Podcast A chronological journey through the music, history and strange little corners of The Beach Boys story. Follow / subscribe: Find all our podcast and social links via the link in our bio. Watch more: Clips, video episodes and Collectors Corner are available on our YouTube channel. Get in touch: Questions, corrections, comments, obscure Beach Boys trivia, or just want to say hello? 📧 madeincaliforniapodcast@gmail.com (mailto:madeincaliforniapodcast@gmail.com) Follow us: Instagram: @madeincaliforniapod TikTok: @madeincalipod YouTube: Made In California: A Beach Boys Podcast

10. 

    7 Sept 2026

    #3 Surfin Safari

    At last, we have an actual Beach Boys album. This week we arrive at Surfin’ Safari, the band’s 1962 Capitol debut, and hear a group growing up almost in real time. Dennis Wilson has barely learned to play the drums, Brian is already beginning to take control in the studio, and Murry Wilson may have helped stumble onto part of the early Beach Boys sound. We also get into the suspiciously neat story of Gary Usher wandering past the right window, Murry’s creative approach to getting DJs on side, the terrifying social pressures of the county fair, the decidedly old-fashioned recording technique behind 409, Mike Love singing notes that don’t quite exist on a piano, and a teenage Carl Wilson already sounding frighteningly capable on guitar. It’s rough, rushed and occasionally baffling, but you can already hear the ingredients of the band they’re about to become. Made in California: A Beach Boys Podcast Follow us: @madeincaliforniapod Instagram · TikTok · YouTube Got a story, correction, question or collection to share? madeincaliforniapodcast@gmail.com

11. 

    31 Aug 2026

    #2 The Birth of The Beach Boys

    How exactly did The Beach Boys become The Beach Boys? In this episode, we dig into the band’s origin story — the early rehearsals, first songs, first recordings and the various people who helped get things moving. The trouble is, the story gets surprisingly murky surprisingly quickly. How much of the familiar “official” version is actually true? Do the band members themselves even remember it the same way? And was it The Pendletons, The Pendletones, or something else entirely? Along the way: conflicting memories, questionable Murray Wilson impressions, and the strange process by which a family group from Hawthorne somehow turned into The Beach Boys. **** Made In California: A Beach Boys Podcast A chronological journey through the music, history and strange little corners of The Beach Boys story. Follow / subscribe:Find all our podcast and social links via the link in our bio. Watch more:Clips, video episodes and Collectors Corner are available on our YouTube channel. Get in touch:Questions, corrections, comments, obscure Beach Boys trivia, or just want to say hello?📧 [madeincaliforniapodcast@gmail.com] Follow us:Instagram: @madeincaliforniapodTikTok: @madeincalipodYouTube: Made In California: A Beach Boys Podcast

12. 

    31 Aug 2026

    #1 Early Influences

    Before The Beach Boys had their own sound, they were absorbing everything around them. In this episode, we look at the music Brian, Dennis, Carl, Mike, David and Al grew up with, and how those different influences started to come together. Using audio examples along the way, we explore some of the individual ingredients that would eventually come together to create the unmistakable sound of The Beach Boys. We’ve also put together an Early Influences playlist, featuring the music discussed in the episode alongside additional songs and artists we didn’t have time to cover. **** Made In California: A Beach Boys Podcast A chronological journey through the music, history and strange little corners of The Beach Boys story. Follow / subscribe: Find all our podcast and social links via the link in our bio. Watch more: Clips, video episodes and Collectors Corner are available on our YouTube channel. Get in touch:Questions, corrections, comments, obscure Beach Boys trivia, or just want to say hello? 📧 [madeincaliforniapodcast@gmail.com] Follow us:Instagram: @madeincaliforniapodTikTok: @madeincalipodYouTube: Made In California: A Beach Boys Podcast

13. 

    25 Aug 2026

    Welcome To Made In California

    Made in California: A Beach Boys Podcast. The Beach Boys made some of the greatest pop music ever recorded. They also have one of the strangest, funniest and most chaotic stories in popular music. Made in California is a journey through all of it. Starting at the very beginning and working chronologically through more than six decades of music, we explore the songs, albums, sessions, personalities and events that made The Beach Boys one of the most fascinating bands of all time — celebrating the extraordinary music while embracing the sheer absurdity of the story surrounding it. And we're going deeper than the greatest hits. Alongside the main story, we'll pull apart the recordings themselves, diving into individual instruments, vocal parts, arrangements and production techniques to discover how that unmistakable sound was actually made. We'll dig through alternate mixes, obscure releases and the physical records themselves, uncovering the details, oddities and forgotten corners of an enormous catalogue. But Made in California isn't just for people who already know the difference between SMiLE and Smiley Smile. This is a podcast for anyone who wants to discover why a band so often reduced to surfing, cars and striped shirts deserves to be considered among the most remarkable stories — and greatest bodies of work — in popular music. Come for the harmonies. Stay for the increasingly inexplicable decisions.

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Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

11 ratings

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