“Shut Down” (1963) – The Beach Boys * Written by Brian Wilson and Roger Christian * 45: “Surfin’ USA” / “Shut Down” * LP: Surfin’ USA * Produced by Nick Venet * Label: Capitol
Side B of the Beach Boys’ #3 hit “Surfin’ USA” (and reaching #23 on its own merits) sported one of their quintessential hot rod tracks, fully equipped with terminology by gearhead DJ Roger Christian. It’s sung from the point of view of the driver of a ’63 Chevy Sting Ray, with its new, high-performance fuel-injected engine, facing off against a ’62 Dodge Dart that rumbles with a Max Wedge engine (called a “413” for its cubic-inch measurement). The implication at the end is that the Chevy “shuts down” the Dodge. Brian Wilson’s chorus hooks and harmonies tweak the 12-bar blues in a musical approximation of technical ingenuity.