Songfacts®:

• Many of the early Beach Boys songs were about surfing, which was their niche (their first record label named the band; they were almost The Surfers). Only their drummer, Dennis Wilson, surfed, but they could fake it in photos and songs. "Surfin' Safari" is a travelogue of popular surf spots in California: Huntington, Malibu, Doheny State Beach, Rincon, Laguna Beach. They also mention Cerro Azul in Peru.
  
  
  Released June 4th 1962, this was the Beach Boys' first major hit. In his 1990 autobiography Brian Wilson said it sold 900,000 copies, and more overseas: #1 in Sweden, #13 in New Zealand, and a hit too in Italy and France, where it attracted cover versions.
• In the first verse, the band grabs some honeys and loads up the woody with some boards, setting the stage for the surfin' safari with some hip lingo. A woody is a funny looking wood-paneled vehicle popular with surfers. It also gets a mention in "Surfer Girl" with the line, "In my woody I would take you everywhere I go."
• Written by Wilson and lead singer Mike Love, this was the first recording to display the distinctive counterpoint harmonies for which the group became famous. The recording was also self-produced, and taken to Capitol complete with its B-side "409" which was a minor hit. This precedent made the Beach Boys the first total, self-contained artists of the rock era, not to be matched for many years to come.
• When the Chrysler corporation conducted a survey in 2004 on "What is the best song to cruise to?" - this won. >>>

  Suggestion credit:
  Gary - Auckland, New Zealand, for above 3
• This was the second Beach Boys single, and their first with Capitol Records. Their first single, "Surfin'," was issued on the independent label Candix Records. Group patriarch Murry Wilson sold the masters of "Surfin' Safari," along with two other songs, "Lonely Sea" and "409," to Capitol for $100 each, with a 2.5% royalty for the group. With "409" issued as the B-side, the single proved successful, and Capitol signed the band. The group had already done a lot of work on their debut album by the time they got the deal.
• On the DVD Brian Wilson Songwriter 1962 - 1969, Mike Love credits Murry Wilson - father of Brian, Carl and Dennis of The Beach Boys - with the distinctive treblelly guitar sound on this track. When Brian Wilson would leave the control room to record his bass parts, Murry, who fancied himself a producer, would switch the sounds on the guitars to the treble he preferred. Love feels that guitar sound really cut through and helped "Surfin' Safari" sell.