409 (song)
1962 single by The Beach Boys
title: "409 (song)" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1962-singles", "the-beach-boys-songs", "songs-written-by-brian-wilson", "songs-written-by-mike-love", "songs-written-by-gary-usher", "songs-about-cars", "song-recordings-produced-by-murry-wilson", "1962-songs", "capitol-records-singles"] description: "1962 single by The Beach Boys" topic_path: "arts/music" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/409_(song)" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary 1962 single by The Beach Boys ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox song"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | 409 |
| cover | 409_-_The_Beach_Boys.jpg |
| type | single |
| artist | the Beach Boys |
| album | Surfin' Safari* and *Little Deuce Coupe |
| A-side | Surfin' Safari |
| released | June 4, 1962 |
| recorded | April 19, 1962 |
| studio | Western Studios, Los Angeles, California |
| genre | {{hlist |
| url | https://books.google.com/books?id=guSsCAAAQBAJ |
| length | 1:59 |
| label | Capitol |
| writer | |
| producer | Murry Wilson |
| prev_title | Surfin' |
| prev_year | 1961 |
| next_title | Ten Little Indians |
| next_year | 1962 |
| :: |
| name = 409 | cover = 409_-_The_Beach_Boys.jpg | alt = | type = single | artist = the Beach Boys | album = Surfin' Safari* and *Little Deuce Coupe | A-side = Surfin' Safari | released = June 4, 1962 | recorded = April 19, 1962 | studio = Western Studios, Los Angeles, California | venue = | genre = {{hlist|Hot rod rock{{cite book|title= Electric Shock: From the Gramophone to the iPhone - 125 Years of Pop Music|first=Peter|last=Doggett|date= 1 January 2015|chapter= Sorry, Parents|page= 331|publisher=The Bodley Head|location= London|isbn=978-1-847-92218-2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=guSsCAAAQBAJ|access-date=21 February 2025}}|car song}} | length = 1:59 | label = Capitol | writer = | producer = Murry Wilson | prev_title = Surfin' | prev_year = 1961 | next_title = Ten Little Indians | next_year = 1962
"409" is a song written by Brian Wilson, Mike Love, and Gary Usher for the American rock and roll band the Beach Boys. The song features Love singing lead vocals. It was originally released as the B-side of the single "Surfin' Safari" (1962). It was later released on their 1962 album Surfin' Safari, and appeared again on their 1963 album Little Deuce Coupe.
The song is credited for initiating the hot rod music craze of the 1960s.
Composition
"409" was inspired by Gary Usher's obsession with hot rods. Its title refers to a 1962 Chevrolet Impala fitted with Chevrolet's 409-cubic-inch-displacement "big block" V-8 engine.
It stayed one week on the Billboard Hot 100, at number 76, in October 1962.
Personnel
- Mike Love – lead vocals
- David Marks – rhythm guitar, background vocals
- Brian Wilson – bass guitar, background vocals, car sound effects tape
- Carl Wilson – lead guitar, background vocals
- Dennis Wilson – drums, background vocals
References
References
- (1990). "Arts & Entertainment Fads, Volume 1". Haworth Press.
- [http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=4567 Profile at Songfacts]
- Breitenstein, Jeff. "Ultimate Hot Rod Dictionary: A-Bombs to Zoomies". MotorBooks International.
- "The Beach Boys: 409". [[Rovi Corporation]].
- Marion, Doug. (January 11, 2008). "40 Years of 348 and 409 W-Engines – W-ow!". superchevy.com.
- [https://www.billboard.com/artist/the-beach-boys/chart-history/hsi/ Hot 100 – The Beach Boys 409 Chart History], ''Billboard.com''. Retrieved January 11, 2018.
::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::