Sagittarius

Present Tense Sagittarius Remastered edition

If there were ever two pivotal figures in Sunshine Pop, they would be writers/producers/musicians Gary Usher and Curt Boettcher. Gary was a personal friend of Brian Wilson and hence co-wrote and produced a lot of the early Beach Boys material. But he also had a hand in the careers of The Byrds and Dick Dale.

Curt also worked with the Beach Boys and the Byrds, and was a pioneer in the warm, cheerful and upbeat sounds with prominent vocal harmonies and sophisticated production techniques. Put both of them in a studio and you get Sagittarius, whose 1967 debut Present Tense captures the sounds of sunny California and locks it into its grooves perfectly.