Hopes of eternal youth and earthly paradise persist in America, just below the surface, to this day, and the Beach Boys have tapped into that hope better than anyone. Interestingly, the Beach Boys’ success with these themes has precluded them from ever growing up, lest the nation be forced to do so as well.
"Surfin Safari" was the Beach Boys first national hit, released in the fall of 1962. Mike Love was the tour guide with a broken-nosed twang that millions of flatlanders interpreted as a "California accent." The very first verse evokes California as a paradise, the kind of place where guys get up early in the morning and are so happy they sing. Beautiful girls accompany them to their "job," which is surfing. They love this job so much that they do it for free. Also, in the Beach Boys' version of surfing, the occupation is open to everyone: "Let's go surfin' now/Everyone is learning how/Come on a safari with me."....
....Demonstrating that the Beach Boys' summer truly is endless, 26 years after "Surfin' Safari," in 1988, they had a No. 1 single with "Kokomo," which explicitly revived the notion that paradise is a place that can be reached on earth. By that time, Brian Wilson had lost his ability to write toward that paradise - he had lost his willingness to explore a myth in which he no longer believed - so "Kokomo" was written by the unlikely tetrad of Mike Love, Terry Melcher (producer of the Turtles, and Doris Day's son), John Phillips (Mamas and the Papas) and Scott McKenzie ("San Francisco"). And yet this oddity, written for the numbskull movie "Cocktail," evoked the essence of "The Beach Boys" much more successfully than did the first Brian Wilson solo album, also released in '88.....
...."Under the Boardwalk," The Drifters (1964)
"Under the Boardwalk" is one of the great productions of all time, wherein Bert Berns balanced a bewildering array of Latin-esque percussion - including castanets, a ratchet and a triangle - strings, a loping bass line and Johnny Moore's career-topping vocal.
Besides the amazing arrangement, Berns was also able to capture an emotional moment. Lead singer Rudy Lewis had been found dead of a drug overdose in his hotel room the night before, and it was too late to cancel the session....
Article comments
1 - Dawn Olsen
I am not sure I will ever be able to forgive you for omitting The Rascals "Groovin" - not only is it egregious, but it is heinous.
Shame is your name!
2 - Eric Olsen
yes: Eric Shame Olsen
3 - Tim Hall
Someone hasn't told the weather here in England. We've got gales and rain and temperatures more appropriate for March than June.
The weather forecast for the Glastonbury Festival next weekend is heavy rain for most of Saturday.
4 - Eric Olsen
the tents will be popular!
5 - Douglas Mays
I vote for "Girl From Ipanema". Why? Well, you might remember the MAD magazine tune sung to that melody: "short and fat and bald and ugly, the guy from Jersey City is loaded..." as the song goes on to tell the story of landing a trophy wife.
Then, one song I always enjoyed during punk rock days was a song by a Canadian band called the K-Tels. The song went: "Go to fucking Hawaii, lay around in the sun... Go to fucking Hawaii, get a tan on my bun...". Felch would probably remember that tune.
peaceloveguidance
6 - Eric Olsen
I DO remember that Douglas - love those MAD song parodies.
Besides, "Girl" just oozes summer.
7 - Douglas Mays
Actually, aside from MAD parody, "Girl" is a great song, I give it a 'yes' vote. Give a thumbs up to "Under the Boardwalk" and "Summertime Blues" also.
plg