I thought people might like to read this 1962 interview I had...

I obtained a transcript of this from a fan when I was writing my book two years ago and thought I'd share it. It was an interview that Brian and Dennis did to promote the first LP. It aired on Armed Forces Radio in October 1962.
Armed Forces Information & Education, Department of Defense, “Rocketing Rhythms” side, Brian and Dennis interview, Taped Aproximately September 12, 1962
Interview segment length: 5:37
Note: Dennis mentions that David Marks had turned 14 three weeks before, so this puts the interview date around September 12. Dennis also says that they finished recording the Surfin’ Safari LP a week ago, which fits with the statement in Stephen McParland’s book, Our Favorite Recording Sessions, that the last session for Surfin’ Safari (“Baker Man”) was September 6. A handwritten note on the label says that it was programmed for October 6.

(“Surfin’ Safari” plays) Interviewer: Yesirree, “Surfin’ Safari”, another [unintelligible] to introduce our guests today, we have two of our group that were singing, the Beach Boys! We have with us, Dennis and Brian. Fellas, how are you?
Brian & Dennis: Fine, thanks, how are you?
I: You’ve come up with a real fine hit record here. How did this ever come about?
B: Well, actually, this is our second record. Actually it’s the bigger hit. Our first record was called “Surfin’”. And surfin’ is actually a sport, in case some of you don’t know. It’s a sport that’s performed on the beach, on the shore. It entails a surfboard in the shore, in the shore break. You simply get on your board and ride the waves, and try to stand on the board. We decided to write a song about surfin’. And so we got together, all five of us one night, down in our music room, pooled our efforts and our ideas and came up with a song called “Surfin’”, which was a moderate hit in the nation, and now our next record, “Surfin’ Safari” is about some of the spots these surfers across the nation surf at. And we want to generate a little more interest in the sport itself.
I: You’re doing a fine job, that’s for sure. I understand that down in Australia, it’s number eleven on the charts.
B: We’re very happy to hear that.
D: It’s one of the biggest surfing spots in the world too.
I: Now this idea that you had, of course, you took it home, I understand, to the family and everybody sort of kicked it around and you came up with it. Of course, both you boys come from a big family of well-known musicians. Your dad, of course, was Murry Wilson, who’s a long-time songwriter, and he helped you on this particular song, in any way, or has he let you go more or less by yourself, shall we say?
D: Financially, he did.
B: He actually started the group out. He is probably our biggest moral support in the whole world. He kept us going when actually we had nothing. We had no instruments to start with, and he supplied us with an awful lot of instruments: amplifiers and guitars and drums and everything, you know--
D: And good advice.
B: --a great incentive to go ahead and do a little more music.
I: Well, as I understand, as I look over your biography here, that you fellas, of course, have always been interested in music, always had the rhythm and that came naturally to you.
B: Yes, we’ve always had family music, we’ve been exposed all our lives—we’ve always had music in the family all the time. It’s great.
I: Brian, I understand that you do most of the arrangements, is that correct?
B: Yes, that is correct, I do most of it. Actually, when it comes right down to it, the instrumental part of the group, of the records, is a pooled effort. My brothers are great at that, they’re good guitar players and drummers, and I do the vocal work, essentially, the arranging of the voices and things like that, and write the songs.
I: Now, this training is through school?
B: I actually had very little technical training. It’s mostly by ear.
I: Now, of course we just have both of you here, you, Dennis, and Brian. Now, you want to tell us of the rest of the Beach Boys?
D: Well, there’s Carl. He’s my brother. He’s the youngest one of the group—well, second to the youngest. There’s my cousin, Mike Love, so we’re kind of keeping it all in the family, and then we have our next-door neighbor, David Marks.
I: Mm-hmm.
D: He’s 14, he just turned 14 about three weeks ago, and we have my brother Carl, he’s 15 ½ , and I’m 17, and my brother here is 20 and Mike Love, he’s 21.
I: He’s the old man.
B & D: He’s the old man! (laughter)
I: Now, on the flip side, we have a thing titled “409”. I think that’s a most unusual title. You wanna tell me the background on why a record came up 409, that particular number?
D: Well, we’re quite car fans, my younger brother and myself, and we thought we would try and throw in something about a car. 409. It’s 409 cubic inches, four hundred and nine cubic inches.
B: Actually, one day--my brothers have always been absolutely stoked on this car idea; they’ve gone to the drags ever since I can remember, and I guess engines have always just fascinated them—one day I was driving down the street with a friend of mine, who collaborated with me on this 409 song, and we were thinking of gimmicks, to write about, you know? A 409, everybody’s interested in this brand-new horse power, 409, and I thought, well let’s write a song like that, and so we went down in the music room again and got together on that, and we came up with a cute little—we really liked that.
I: I also understand that we have an album coming out. You care to talk about that?
D: Yes, Surfin’ Safari, we just finished this about a week ago. It’s fantastic. We hope it goes, matter of fact I’m positive it will, a lot of faith in it. It’s on Capitol Records. It’s quite a song [sic]. My brother has written and arranged most of the songs on there.
I: Fellas, what’s in store for you now, I mean of course we have school still, and how about—
D: Yes, two of them go to school still: my youngest brother and David Marks. My brother is in his third year of high school and David’s in his first year.
I: How about some public appearances, anything in store like that?
D: Well, we’re planning on going to Las Vegas, Nevada, we hope, if we’re lucky, and we’ve been playing in Hollywood, the Strip, at Pandora’s Box.
I: Anything else now, in the way of singles, perhaps, coming up? Have you come up with any idea, you know, maybe a bicycle built for two and take a sprocket? (laughs)
B (deadpan): We haven’t thought of that, but thanks a lot, I’ll try that.
I: Taking my word, huh? Well fellas, I want to thank you very much for dropping in, and I know your record naturally is going to be a big success. It’s been moving up the charts, week after week, and it won’t be long before it’ll be number one right on the charts, and certainly down Australia way, number 11, that means by, oh, say, a couple of weeks now, you’ll be up in the first four or five there. And I want to wish you the best of luck and continued success. And come up with more ideas, and I know that also your album, which will be titled Surfin’ Safari, put out by Capitol, will be a big hit.
B & D: Thank you.
I: Thank you very much, Dennis and Brian Wilson.
(“409” plays)

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