Al Jardine Performs Rare Beach Boys Deep Cut ‘Back Home’

Al Jardine has spent the vast majority of his life in California, and as a founding member of the Beach Boys, he embodies the state like few others. However, his roots trace back to Lima, Ohio, where he spent his early childhood. During a recent intimate performance with the Pet Sounds Band at the Robins Theater in Warren, Ohio, Jardine treated the audience to a rare musical homecoming, reviving a song he hadn’t performed in nearly 50 years.

“I think I did it with the Beach Boys back in 1973,” Jardine told the crowd. “After about 50 years of not performing it, we had one little rehearsal today. It’s all about coming back to Ohio.”

The die-hard fans in attendance immediately recognized the track as “Back Home,” a song that opens with the poignant lyrics: “Well, I’m going back this summer to Ohio / I’m going to seek out all my friends I’ve always known / I’m going back to that farm that I remember.”

The history of “Back Home” is as complex as the band’s own legacy. Brian Wilson co-wrote the track in 1963 with Bob Norberg during the Surfer Girl sessions, though it remained unreleased for years. The band revisited the song during the 1970 Sunflower sessions, experimenting with different arrangements and lyrics, before finally including a version on the 1976 album 15 Big Ones. While it was never released as a single, the song saw a brief period of live rotation in the late Seventies before vanishing from the band’s repertoire entirely.

Jardine’s decision to resurrect the track is part of a broader trend in his current live shows, where he has been digging deep into the Beach Boys’ catalog. His setlists have recently featured material from The Beach Boys Love You and deep cuts like “Sweet Sunday Kind of Love” and “She’s Got Rhythm” from the 1978 M.I.U. Album.

With Mike Love currently taking a break from touring, Jardine remains the only original Beach Boy on the road, filling dates across the country and honoring the band’s extensive musical history. As the 60th anniversary of the legendary Smile project approaches in 2027, fans are left wondering what other forgotten gems might find their way back into the spotlight.