Stars and Stripes Vol. 1 is the twenty-eighth studio album by American rock band the Beach Boys, released on August 19, 1996, by River North Records. Produced by Joe Thomas and Brian Wilson, Stars and Stripes is a collaborative album between the Beach Boys and various country acts.
Recording The idea for the album was conceived by Joe Thomas, then the owner of River North Records, after a promoter suggested Hank Williams Jr. record the group's "Help Me, Rhonda".
The first track on the album to be recorded was Willie Nelson's cover of "The Warmth of the Sun", which was recorded October 5 and 6, 1995 at Pedernales Studios in Austin, Texas. The track was completed on October 7 at Sound Stage in Nashville. Thomas stated in Billboard, "Willie was the catalyst for the project. He walked into the studio from his barbecue and cut that. When Willie sang the first lines, the guys gave him a standing ovation, and we knew right away it would work."
Mike Love stated of Lorrie Morgan's rendition of "Don't Worry Baby", "It's really interesting hearing a female singing lead on it, and she sings so damn great."
Kathy Troccoli's version of "I Can Hear Music" was recorded on June 12, 1996 at Emerald Studios in Nashville.
According to Brian Wilson's wife Melinda, during the album's recording, "They [the Beach Boys] treated [Brian] like an invalid, all the time saying, 'Do this, don't do that, are you okay?'"
During the sessions, Tammy Wynette recorded a duet version of "In My Room" with Brian Wilson. The track was saved for a planned second country album by the Beach Boys, along with versions of "Sail On, Sailor" with Rodney Crowell and "Surfer Girl" with Ronnie Milsap. Wynette's version of "In My Room" appeared on the 1998 compilation album Tammy Wynette Remembered.
Al Jardine wanted his song "Island in the Sun" to be included on the album. In 2025, Jardine stated, "We happened to be in the studio, and we cut it in about five minutes and went home, and it stayed on the shelf. That's how it evolves in our world." Jardine later completed the track for his 2025 EP of the same title.
Release Prior to the release of Stars and Stripes, the Beach Boys promoted the album by appearing at the TNN/Music City News Country Awards in June 1996, where they performed "I Get Around" with Sawyer Brown.
In July, Billboard announced that two making-of specials were in development for CBS and The Disney Channel, respectively. A documentary, The Beach Boys: Nashville Sounds, aired on November 23 on The Disney Channel.
Singles On July 22, 1996, James House's rendition of "Little Deuce Coupe" was released to country radio as the lead single from the album. House performed the song with the Beach Boys on Late Show with David Letterman and joined them in concert at a performance in Wallingford, Connecticut in August.
A music video was produced for Doug Supernaw and the Beach Boys' cover of "Long Tall Texan".
Critical reception and legacy According to Billboard, the album sold over 8,000 units in its first week of release.
In music critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine's description, the release was "an unmitigated disaster and an outright embarrassment for all involved". The album's failure prevented Brian from securing a record contract, leaving his highly anticipated recording collaborations with Andy Paley in limbo. Stars and Stripes became the last studio album to feature Carl Wilson, who died in 1998.
Track listing
Personnel Credits from album liner notes.
The Beach Boys Al Jardine – harmony and backing vocals Bruce Johnston – harmony and backing vocals Mike Love – harmony and backing vocals, executive producer Brian Wilson – harmony and backing vocals, producer Carl Wilson – harmony and backing vocals (except "Long Tall Texan")
Special guests Lorrie Morgan – lead vocals on “Don’t Worry Baby” James House – lead vocals on “Little Deuce Coupe” Junior Brown – lead vocals and slide "guit–steel" on "409" Doug Supernaw – lead vocals on “Long Tall Texan” Mark Miller of Sawyer Brown – lead vocals on “I Get Around” Toby Keith – lead vocals on “Be True To Your School” Ricky Van Shelton – lead vocals on “Fun, Fun, Fun” T. Graham Brown – lead vocals on “Help Me, Rhonda” Willie Nelson – lead vocals on “The Warmth of the Sun” Collin Raye – lead vocals on “Sloop John B” Kathy Troccoli – lead vocals on “I Can Hear Music” Timothy B. Schmit – lead and additional backing vocals on “Caroline, No”
Additional musicians
Charts Album Chart (1996) PeakPosition U.S. Billboard 200 101 U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums 12 Canada RPM Country Albums 11
Singles Year Single Chart Positions US AC US Country CAN Country 1996 "I Can Hear Music" (with Kathy Troccoli) 16 "Don't Worry Baby" (with Lorrie Morgan) 73 "Little Deuce Coupe" (with James House) 69 41 "Long Tall Texan" (with Doug Supernaw) 69 82
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External links