Stars and Stripes, Vol. 1

The Beach Boys: Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Carl Wilson, Al Jardine, Bruce Johnston (background vocals).
Additional personnel includes: Junior Brown (vocals, slide & steel guitars); Matt Jardine (vocals, hand claps); Lorrie Morgan, Willie Nelson, Collin Raye, Timothy B. Schmit, James House, Doug Supernaw, Toby Keith, Ricky Van Shelton, Kathy Troccoli, T. Graham Brown (vocals); Brent Rowan (acoustic & electric guitars, dobro); Greg Leisz (acoustic & electric guitars, pedal steel); Larry Franklin (fiddle); Joe Thomas (piano, keyboards, hand claps, percussion); Steve Nathan (piano, keyboards, Hammond B-3 organ); Michael Rhodes (bass); Eddie Bayers (drums, percussion); Sawyer Brown, Nashville String Machine.
Recorded in 1995-1996. Includes liner notes by Robert K. Oermann.
Personnel: Matt Jardine (vocals, alto clarinet, hand claps); Al Jardine, Mark Miller , Mike Love , Carl Wilson , Brian Wilson , Bruce Johnston (vocals); Brent Rowan (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, dobro); Greg Leisz (acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Bill Ruppert (electric guitar); Junior Brown (slide guitar); Larry Franklin (fiddle); The Nashville String Machine (strings); Steve Eisen (flute); Mickey Raphael (harmonica); Richie Cannata (alto clarinet, saxophone, hand claps); Joe Thomas (alto clarinet, piano, keyboards, hand claps, percussion); Steve Nathan (piano, organ, keyboards, synthesizer); Joe Thomas (piano, keyboards, hand claps, percussion); Eddie Bayers (drums, percussion); Henry Gross, Timothy B. Schmit (background vocals).
Audio Mixer: Rick Fritz.
Liner Note Author: Robert K. Oermann.
Recording information: Capitol Recording Studios, Hollywood, CA (10/05/1995-06/12/1996); Emerald Studios, Nashville, TN (10/05/1995-06/12/1996); Masterfonics, Nashville, TN (10/05/1995-06/12/1996); Pedernales Recording Studio, Austin, TX (10/05/1995-06/12/1996); River North Studios, Chicago, IL (10/05/1995-06/12/1996); Sound Stage Studios, Nashville, TN (10/05/1995-06/12/1996).
Photographers: Kris Thomas; Raeanne Rubenstein.
Unknown Contributor Role: Junior Brown.
Arranger: Jimmy Webb .
STARS AND STRIPES VOL. 1 features a who's who of country music singing 12 classic Beach Boys songs, with the Beach Boys themselves laying down their trademark harmonies and assuming production duties. These are heart-stoppingly beautiful songs, and while they're delivered with an obvious respect and love for the originals, they also get a wide variety of Nashville twists.
Junior Brown adds a rowdy guitar solo to "409." Willie Nelson makes "The Warmth Of The Sun" sound like a reconstructed pre-war standard. Elsewhere, country stars Lorrie Morgan, Doug Supernaw and others lay their own claim to such Beach Boys staples as "Don't Worry Baby" and "Help Me Rhonda" as well as a couple of more cowboy-friendly tunes, like "Long Tall Texan." Each performance combines the Beach Boys' advanced melodic and harmonic aesthetic with the vocal talents of performers who may have made their name in Nashville, but obviously owe a spiritual debt to the boys from California.