"Trombone Dixie" is an instrumental composed by American musician Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys and performed by a 15-piece orchestra that included members of the Wrecking Crew. Recorded immediately before principal sessions for the band's 1966 album Pet Sounds,[1] the track was withheld from release due to his creative dissatisfaction.
| "Trombone Dixie" | |
|---|---|
| Instrumental by the Beach Boys | |
| from the album Pet Sounds (1990 reissue) | |
| Released | 1990 |
| Recorded | November 1, 1965 |
| Studio | Western, Hollywood |
| Length | 2:50 |
| Label | Capitol |
| Composer | Brian Wilson |
| Producer | Brian Wilson |
Background
editWilson produced "Trombone Dixie" early in the sessions for the band's album Pet Sounds (1966). It was recorded on November 1, 1965 at Western Studio, in between sessions for "Sloop John B" (July) and the album's title track (November 17). The recording lasted from 7:00 pm to 11:30 pm.[2] According to Brian, "I was just foolin' around one day, fuckin' around with the musicians, and I took that arrangement out of my briefcase and we did it in 20 minutes. [sic] It was nothing, there was really nothing in it."[3]
The track contains a variation on a riff that Wilson had employed on the band's then-latest single "The Little Girl I Once Knew" (1965). He later reused elements of the intro on his song "Had to Phone Ya" (1976).[4]
Release
editIn 1990, "Trombone Dixie" debuted as a bonus track on the album's compact disc reissue.[5] Excerpts from the instrumental's recording session were subsequently included on The Pet Sounds Sessions (1997).
Personnel
editPer John Brode, Will Crerar, Joshilyn Hoisington, and Craig Slowinski.[6]
- Hal Blaine – drums
- Roy Caton – trumpet
- Jerry Cole – electric guitar, finger cymbals
- Steve Douglas – tenor saxophone
- James Henderson – trombone
- Carol Kaye – Fender electric bass guitar
- Barney Kessel – Danelectro 12-string electric guitar
- Jay Migliori – tenor saxophone
- Lew McCreary – trombone
- Don Randi – grand piano
- Lyle Ritz – upright bass
- Billy Strange – Mosrite 12-string electric guitar
- Ron Swallow – sleigh bells
- Julius Wechter – castanets, vibraphone
- Jerry Williams – timpani
Technical staff
- Chuck Britz – engineer
Cover versions
editReferences
edit- ↑ Granata, Charles L. (2003). Wouldn't It Be Nice: Brian Wilson and the Making of the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds. Chicago: Chicago Review Press. p. 108. ISBN 1556525079.
- ↑ "Pet Sounds Musicians". Pet Sounds (CD Liner). The Beach Boys. Capitol Records. 2016.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ↑ Benci, Jacopo (January 1995). "Brian Wilson interview". Record Collector (185). UK.
- ↑ Doe, Andrew; Tobler, John (2009). "The Beach Boys – Pet Sounds – May 1966". In Charlesworth, Chris (ed.). 25 Albums that Rocked the World. Omnibus Press. p. 25. ISBN 978-0-85712-044-1.
- ↑ Badman, Keith (2004). The Beach Boys: The Definitive Diary of America's Greatest Band, on Stage and in the Studio. Backbeat Books. p. 103. ISBN 978-0-87930-818-6.
- ↑ Brode, John; Crerar, Will; Hoisington, Joshilyn; Slowinski, Craig (2026). "The Pet Sounds Sessions". beachboyssessions.com. Austin Heller. Retrieved March 14, 2026.