Little Pad
"Little Pad" is a song written by Brian Wilson for the American rock band The Beach Boys. It was released on their 1967 album Smiley Smile. On the track, the group sings in unison about wanting a "little pad in Hawaii" while accompanied by a Hawaiian guitar, an organ, and clip-clop percussion.[1]
| "Little Pad" | |
|---|---|
| Song by The Beach Boys | |
| from the album Smiley Smile | |
| Released | September 18, 1967 |
| Recorded | June 19–28, 1967 |
| Genre | Psychedelic pop, lo-fi |
| Length | 2:30 |
| Label | Capitol |
| Songwriter(s) | Brian Wilson |
| Producer(s) | The Beach Boys |
| Audio sample | |
"Little Pad"
| |
Music
A psychedelic pop collage with elements of Hawaiian music, the song's only lyrics deal with the possibility of having a little house by the sea in Hawaii. Unlike many other tracks on Smiley Smile, "Little Pad" did not originate during the sessions for Smile, the album that was aborted by the band and replaced by Smiley Smile. Beginning life as the brief piece "Hawaiian Song", it and "Little Pad" were tracked on June 19–21 and 28, 1967. Both songs were later combined into one.[2]
Author Andrew Hickey said that "the song's a nothing, but it's a gentle, heartfelt, beautiful vocal performance."[1] Writer Domenic Priore said that the song is "one of the group's finest moments."[3]
In popular culture
In 1996, Japanese Shibuya-kei musician Keigo Oyamada recorded a spiritual sequel to the song titled "World’s End Humming ~Reprise (In Hawaii)", a closer to his album 69/96.[4]
Cover versions
- 1988: Louis Philippe
- 1998: The Olivia Tremor Control, Smiling Pets
References
- Hickey, Andrew. The Beach Boys On CD vol 1: The 1960s.
- Badman, Keith (2004). The Beach Boys: The Definitive Diary of America's Greatest Band, on Stage and in the Studio. Hal Leonard Corporation. p. 193.
little pad.
- Priore, Domenic (2006). Smile: The Story of Brian Wilson's Lost Masterpiece.
- Walters, Barry (November 6, 2014). "The Roots of Shibuya-Kei". Red Bull Music Academy.