Beach Boys' Forgotten 1977 Song Finally Surfaces After Nearly 50 Years
A long-lost Beach Boys recording from 1977 has finally surfaced nearly 50 years after it was first laid down in the studio.
The previously unreleased track, recorded during the band's later-era sessions, gives music fans a rare glimpse into a lesser-known chapter of the band's evolution. Listeners are rediscovering just how much Beach Boys music remained unheard for decades.
"Deep Purple" was a song included on the shelved 1977 LP Adult/Child. Rolling Stone shared details of that song, and others from the sessions, which were released on a 2026 box set, We Gotta Groove: The Brother Studio Years.
Between 1976 and 1977, Brian Wilson returned to the band after dealing with mental health issues. He subsequently produced two albums that have achieved legendary status among fans. The first was The Beach Boys Love You, followed by Adult/Child. Love You was released in April 1977, and Adult/Child was ultimately shelved.
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Rolling Stone stated, "On Adult/Child, Wilson teamed up with orchestral arranger Dick Reynolds to create a wild mix of fitness jingles, big-band numbers, and painfully personal confessions like 'Still I Dream of It' and 'It's Over Now.' After the commercial failure of The Beach Boys Love You, the band decided to shelve Adult/Child and instead start work on its underwhelming 1978 LP, M.I.U. Album. But the Adult/Child sessions leaked out and became a cherished bootleg in fan circles."
"Deep Purple" is a deep-cut favorite rather than a universally beloved mainstream track. In the Beach Boys fan forum, Catch a Wave, Thomas Allen wrote, "Brian returned to the song's pre-war roots, with a Reynolds-produced arrangement akin to that of American composer Paul Whiteman's big-band rendition."
"Yet whereas such a recording would typically be accompanied by an equally rich vocal performance, here Brian delivers one of his shakiest and most gruff-sounding vocals of the era, his voice repeatedly cracking as he strains to reach notes he'd have hit with ease just a few years earlier."
The song "Deep Purple" was originally written as a piano piece by Peter DeRose in 1933. It was first recorded one year later by Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra.
Larry Clinton and Jimmy Dorsey each put their own spins on the song in 1939. Following, Tommy Dorsey, Guy Lombardo, and Bing Crosby recorded it.
April and Nino Stevens took the song to No. 1 in 1963. In 1975, Donny and Marie Osmond re-recorded the Stevens version and had an Adult Contemporary hit which also charted on the Billboard Top 100.
The Beach Boys' late-era recordings captured a moment of transition for the band, reflecting both their signature harmonies and the evolving sound of the late 1970s. Now officially released after decades in the vault, "Deep Purple" offers fans a rare look at a chapter of their career that had long remained unheard.
The release closes the door on one of the Beach Boys' long-rumored lost recordings, finally bringing it into their official catalog. For fans, it's a rare chance to hear a piece of the band's history that had remained in the shadows for nearly half a century.
Related: 1966 Overlooked Beach Boys Hit Now Considered One of the Best Rock Songs of the '70s
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This story was originally published June 18, 2026 at 9:21 AM.