All Summer Long is the sixth studio album by The Beach Boys and their second in 1964. Recorded in the aftermath of the British Invasion, spearheaded by The Beatles, the album marked a major turning point in The Beach Boys' career, and in leader/prime songwriter Brian Wilson as an artist. All Summer Long rose to number four in the US during a forty-nine week chart stay.
Songs from this album are also featured on the EP Four by The Beach Boys.
Beginning in February 1964, Wilson engaged in a rigorous period of songwriting, emerging some weeks afterwards with songs including "I Get Around", "All Summer Long", "Wendy" and "Girls on the Beach".
"I Get Around" preceded the album's release by some two months and quickly raced to become their first number one single in the United States; they also had a UK Top 10 debut with a number seven peak. All Summer Long album was released in July, peaking at number four in the United States, and being certified gold by the RIAA.
There was a major change in the internal structure of The Beach Boys during the making of All Summer Long. After enduring father and manager Murry Wilson's domineering ways for over two years, the band had reached their breaking point. During the recording session for "I Get Around", the musicians dismissed him as manager. An attempt at reconciliation on Murry's part, much of it captured on the tapes for the 1965 single version of "Help Me, Rhonda", cemented the break.
Photography was credited to both Kenneth Veeder and George Jerman (who had taken the photographs for the bands earlier albums) but it remains unclear as to who took the color pictures in the montage on the front of the sleeve, or the black and white studio shots on the reverse. The location for the shoot was once again Paradise Cove, north of Malibu, the same location used for the Surfin' Safari sleeve. However, whilst it appears that all five band members were present for the session only Brian, Carl, Dennis and Mike were photographed on the sand (along with the two girls, in various outfits) - Al was absent that day for a case of Flu and his images were added at a later date.
On first pressings of the LP, the song "Don't Back Down" is misprinted as "Don't Break Down" on the front cover. This version of the LP sleeve also has the song titles printed in the same mustard-colored ink as the album title. Subsequent printings with the typo corrected have the song titles printed in black.