Wild Honey

Wild Honey is the 13th studio album by The Beach Boys, released on December 18, 1967. It was the group's first foray into soul music.

The album's sessions began immediately after the recording of Lei'd in Hawaii, a failed live album, and the release of Smiley Smile, their previous LP. Like Smiley Smile, Wild Honey's core instrumental combo consists of organ, honky-tonk piano, and electric bass. The Beach Boys were inspired to regroup as a self-contained rock band, partly in response to critical assertions that they were "ball-less choir boys".They also purposely distanced themselves from the prevailing rock trends of the time, which had been typified by psychedelia and high-scale recording or thematic conceits.

It was the second album to credit "the Beach Boys" as producer instead of Brian Wilson, who gradually withdrew from the band following the difficult sessions for the aborted Smile project. At his request, bandmate Carl Wilson began contributing more to the recording process, a trend that continued on subsequent albums. Mike Love also returned as Brian's main songwriting collaborator for the first time since Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!) (1965). It was the last Beach Boys album to feature Brian as a primary composer until The Beach Boys Love You (1977).

Wild Honey was later credited with pioneering DIY pop and with anticipating a back-to-basics trend followed by other acts of the era, including the Beatles.