"Drag City" is a 1963 song by

Jan and Dean Jan and Dean was an American rock music, rock duo consisting of William Jan Berry (April 3, 1941 – March 26, 2004) and Dean Ormsby Torrence (born March 10, 1940). In the early 1960s, they were pioneers of the California Sound and vocal surf mu ...

, written by

Jan Berry Jan and Dean was an American rock duo consisting of William Jan Berry (April 3, 1941 – March 26, 2004) and Dean Ormsby Torrence (born March 10, 1940). In the early 1960s, they were pioneers of the California Sound and vocal surf music styles ...

, Roger Christian, and

Brian Wilson Brian Douglas Wilson (born June 20, 1942) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer who co-founded the Beach Boys. Often called a genius for his novel approaches to pop composition, extraordinary musical aptitude, and m ...

. It describes the narrator's trip to a

drag racing Drag racing is a type of motor racing in which automobiles or motorcycles compete, usually two at a time, to be first to cross a set finish line. The race follows a short, straight course from a standing start over a measured distance, most c ...

strip and borrows heavily from an earlier Jan and Dean song " Surf City," also co-written by Berry and Wilson. "Drag City" was released as the title track from the album of the same name. It was the first of the duo's seven hit songs in 1964, and charted in the top ten in January.

Personnel

The musicians on the session included: *

Earl Palmer Earl Cyril Palmer (October 25, 1924 – September 19, 2008) was an American drummer. Considered one of the inventors of rock and roll, he is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Palmer was one of the most prolific studio musicians of al ...

, drumsScherman, Tony, ''Backbeat: The Earl Palmer Story'', foreword by Wynton Marsalis, Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington D.C., 1999 p. 176

Chart performance

References

1963 singles Jan and Dean songs Songs about cars Songs written by Brian Wilson Songs written by Roger Christian (songwriter) 1963 songs Songs written by Jan Berry Liberty Records singles {{1960s-pop-song-stub