The Styrous® Viewfinder: 20,000 vinyl LP 190: Annette's Beach Party & the French Revolution

Annette Beach Party soundtrack
vinyl LP front cover
photo of album cover by Styrous®

On Bastille Day, July 14, 1963, the movie Beach Party was premiered in the U.S. One doesn't have anything to do with the other; they just both happened on the same day but it got your attention. The film opened later across the U.S. on August 7 of the same year.

Annette Beach Party soundtrack
vinyl LP back cover
photo of album cover by Styrous®

The original 1963 issue was on Buena Vista Records, BV 3316. This recording is actually a 1984 reissue on Rhino Records, RNDF 204, with the front and back cover of the original issue reversed and a pink border.

Annette Beach Party soundtrack

vinyl LP back cover detail

detail photo by Styrous®

Annette's Beach Party soundtrack

Buena Vista Records, BV 3316 - 1963

vinyl LP front & back covers

Other than the obvious "eye candy", Beach Party was a pretty obnoxious film. Its saving grace was the fun surf music in the soundtrack that accompanied it. It was the first of seven beach party films from American International Pictures (AIP) aimed at a teen audience with silly story lines that avoided any serious social redemption. It was part of AIP's policy of "mass entertainment on an escapist level." I was in my twenties so that might also have colored my view of the movie. It was probably the only beach party film I ever saw; if I saw others, I have no recollection of them. Beach Party is often credited with creating the beach party film genre.

Beach Party movie poster

Samuel Arkoff and Jim Nicholson commissioned Lou Rusoff to write a film set at the beach. Rusoff's script was in line with AIP's traditional fare of children getting in trouble with their parents. It was shown to William Asher who agreed to make the movie if it became more of a musical comedy about teenagers having a good time and not getting in trouble. Arkoff and Nicholson agreed so Asher rewrote the script with Robert Dillon. He was asked not to take credit by Samuel Arkoff who told them that Lou Rusoff was dying of brain cancer. Asher agreed and Rusoff has sole credit; he died in June 1963.

Annette Beach Party soundtrack

vinyl LP back cover detail

detail photo by Styrous®

The film starred Annette Funicello who was one of the most popular Mouseketeers on the original Mickey Mouse Club. She was always first choice for the female lead . . .

Annette Funicello w/Mouseketeer photo -1971

publicity photo

. . . and actor/singer Frankie Avalon who had 31 charted U.S. Billboard singles from 1958 to 1962 by the time he made the film. Arkoff says that AIP tried to get Fabian Forte to play opposite Funicello but he was under contract to 20th Century Fox so Avalon was cast instead.

Frankie Avalon, Beach Party - 1963

publicity photo

"We were constantly filming," says Avalon. "We were doing 28 setups a day. I would say to Bill Asher ... 'I don't think my character Frankie would say this.' And he'd say, 'What are you talking about? Just say the line. Let's have fun with it.' "

John Ashley later recalled: "We all had to wear body make up because nobody had a tan. One day Frankie and I had some dialogue to do on our way to the water with our surfboards. It was colder than hell that day and the water was freezing. We had our backs to the camera and Frankie said, 'Man, can you believe us? Two thirty year old guys in body make up playing teenagers.'

The music

Annette Beach Party soundtrack

vinyl LP back cover details

detail photos by Styrous®

The music in Beach Party was written specifically for the film and directed by Kaylen Mandry and featured a score that picked up several cues from the songs used – a common move for most musicals, but a rarity for a B-grade studio teen film filled with pop songs.

Les Baxter composed the score for the film while Gary Usher and Roger Christian wrote three songs performed by Avalon and Funicello. Bob Marcucci and Russ Faith wrote Don't Stop Now, performed by Avalon. Guy Hemric and Jerry Styner wrote two songs for Funicello: Treat Him Nicely, which she performs while harmonizing with herself; and Promise Me Anything (But Give Me Love) performed off-screen and presented as source music. Dick Dale and the Del Tones performed Swingin' and a-Surfin' and Secret Surfing Spot (links below).

Dick Dale and the Del Tones set the scene for surf music in Orange County, California. The surf sound extended even into the 80's and 90's. Elements of surf wash up regularly in many different genres—garage, lo-fi, indie pop, punk, and shoegaze to name a few—which is a testament to the staying power of a decidedly American, and specifically Californian, form of music.

Bands representative of the sound are Bombón, La Luz, Tijuana Panthers, The Halibuts, Babewatch, SadGirl, The Frights and on and on (links below).

Annette Beach Party soundtrack

vinyl LP labels

photos by Styrous®

Tracklist:

Side 1:

A1 - Beach Party
A2 - Treat Him Nicely, written by Hemrick*, Styner*
A3 - Don't Stop Now
A4 - Promise Me Anything, written by Hemrick*, Styner*
A5 - Secret Surfin' Spot
A6 - Song Of The Islands, written by C. E. King*

Side 2:

B1 - California Sun, written by H. Glover*
B2 - The Battle Of San Onofre, written by Zino-Crawford
B3 - Swingin' And Surfin'
B4 - (Every Night Is) Date Night In Hawaii
B5 - Surfin' Luau
B6 - Pineapple Princess

Credits:

    Producer – Camarata*
    Written-By – Gary Usher (tracks: A1, A5, B3), Richard M. Sherman (tracks: B4 to B6), Robert B. Sherman, Roger Christian

Annette (7) ‎– Beach Party
Label: Rhino Records (2) ‎– RNDF 204
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue
Country: US
Released: 1984
Genre: Rock, Pop, Stage & Screen
Style: Soundtrack, Surf, Pop Rock

Viewfinder links:

The Halibuts

Net links:

Cast
Plot
Bandcamp Daily ~ The New Wave of Indie Surf
IMDb ~ Annette's Beach Party
Japanese Times ~ Bombon fuses equal rights themes and a surf sound
Mental Floss ~ Party with Frankie & Annette
NY Times ~ Oh, Kahuna, What Became of That Endless Summer?

YouTube links:

Avalon & Funicello ~
   Beach Party Tonight
Frankie Avalon ~ Don't Stop Now
Annette Funicello ~
   Treat Him Nicely
   Promise Me Anything (But Give Me Love)
Dick Dale ~
   Swingin' and A-Surfin'
   Secret Surfing Spot
Beach Party ~ [Full Album] 1963