Released March 26, 1968 Length 3:04 Writer(s) Brian Wilson | Genre Bossa nova, pop Label Capitol | |
Recorded March 26–April 11, 1968
ID Sound & Brian Wilson's home studio, California | ||
"Busy Doin' Nothin'" is a song written by Brian Wilson for the American rock band the Beach Boys. It appears as the tenth track on their 1968 studio album Friends. The lyrics reflect the minutiae of his daily social and business life, while the music, Wilson says, was inspired by "bossa nova in general".
Contents
Recording
"Busy Doin' Nothin'" was recorded over two dates, one for the basic instrumental track and another for overdubs, including the vocal track. The basic instrumental track was recorded at Brian Wilson's home studio on March 26, 1968 under the working titles "Even Steven" and "Even Time". The session used several members of the Wrecking Crew.
Overdubs and the vocal track were recorded on April 11, 1968 at ID Sound, California. The vocal track has Brian singing the lead vocal, briefly joined by his then-wife Marilyn Wilson who sings close harmony with Brian during the second bridge. This was the first time Brian was vocally unaccompanied by other Beach Boys since "Caroline, No" in 1966.
Live versions
"Busy Doin' Nothin'" was performed in the early 2000s by Brian Wilson during his Pet Sounds solo tour as well as the No Pier Pressure tour in 2015.