Why No Love For Kokomo ?

[Nothgual]

One thing I found interesting about this thread is that many people seem to make the assumption that if a song is popular, it must be of a good quality.  It is not too important who was and wasn't involved. If I look at it just as it is,  Kokomo is a just plain bad song. Terrible production, uninspired melodies, and insipid lyrics all make this in the top 10 worst bb songs.

[Rocky Raccoon]

I think Chicks really dig it too. 

Mike Love, is that you???

[Sheriff John Stone]

I think there's some embarrassment over it as well. We all view the Beach Boys as a serious band that put out great material throughout the 70s, but there's a stigma attached to Kokomo where casual fans or non-fans will kind of laugh at the Beach Boys and then mention Kokomo.

It's interesting you would mention that. When I used to DJ, people of all ages would come up to the DJ booth and ask, "Do you have any Beach Boys?" Well, of course I did! So I'd say, "I have "Surfer Girl" if you'd like to slow dance with your honey". Or, I'd sometimes go deeper with, "Did you ever hear the song "Forever". It's a great slow dance song".  Sometimes I'd pick it up a bit with "Surfin' USA" or even "409" - you could actually fast dance to them!

But noooooooooooooooo! Usually, the person would say, "Can you play "Kokomo"?  

[anazgnos]

I have these critical faculties whereby I try to distinguish between good things and bad things.

[Cabinessenceking]

it sux

there is nothing Beach Boys about it. Even their surf image is californian, not caribbean/latino...
Redeeming factor is Carl sings on it.

[AndrewHickey]

I have these critical faculties whereby I try to distinguish between good things and bad things.

Haven't you heard? Critical faculties, or any kind of discernment between things of different quality, are the signs of a 'hater'. Apparently 'haters gonna hate'.

[Sheriff John Stone]

it sux

there is nothing Beach Boys about it. Even their surf image is californian, not caribbean/latino...
Redeeming factor is Carl sings on it.

But I like "Hawaii", "San Miguel", "South American", "Little Pad", "Diamond Head", "Mexican Girl", "Anna Lee The Healer", "Sumahama" and "The Private Life Of Bill And Sue".  

[Ron]

I think there's some embarrassment over it as well. We all view the Beach Boys as a serious band that put out great material throughout the 70s, but there's a stigma attached to Kokomo where casual fans or non-fans will kind of laugh at the Beach Boys and then mention Kokomo.

Don't let them do that.  When they laugh say "Yeah, dont' you love that song?" and see what they say. 

[dumbangel76]

It currently is my 10 year old son's favorite song! He keeps asking if they will play it when we see them next week! Being it is his and my daughter's first concert I am keeping all songs a secret from them! They love the Beach Boys!!

[Ron]

Hey, that's what I like to hear.  Awesome!

[Jonathan Blum]

If it's 'definitely in the top 10', then that would make it better than most or all of, off the top of my head, Good Vibrations, God Only Knows, Surf's Up, Wonderful, Let Him Run Wild, Don't Talk, Sail On Sailor, All This Is That, Forever, This Whole World, Til I Die, Still I Dream Of It, Airplane, Please Let Me Wonder, Don't Worry Baby, Darlin', Warmth Of The Sun... that sounds frankly insane to me.

Top 10 for what, though?  If you're going for an art-oriented top 10 like that, there's no room for "Fun Fun Fun" or "I Get Around" either.

And there's always been two different Beach Boys -- the definitive sunshine-life pop-rock band and the spine-tingling artists.  Neither one of those is an embarrassing thing to be -- and "Kokomo" is a pretty damn good example of the former, IMHO.

And it's the fact that we're currently getting concerts with nearly a full top-10 from your list and a full top-10 from the "I Get Around"/"Fun Fun Fun"/"Surfin' USA"/"Little Honda" Beach Boys which blows my mind!

Cheers,
Jon Blum

[Doo Dah]

When Kokomo first came out, I was eating lunch at a restaurant. I hear this tune on the sound system (Aruba - Jamaica- ooo I wanna take ya), and I think 'wow, that kinda sounds like the Beach Boys...what is it?' Of course, when Carl's lead kicks in, I got real excited.

At the time, I had no idea whether Brian was involved, or John Stamos, or whoever, only that it was a catchy tune.

Total agreement with those who believe that the song wears the albatross of a Mike Love formula, but at the time I heard it I loved it for what it was. And I plead guilty to feeling a little squeamish about it for the reasons cited, but at the end of the day - it's a good tune ding dang it.

[Peadar 'Big Dinner' O'Driscoll]

John Philips brought the song to Mike and he digged it but the lyrics were way out there (yet another JP song about heroin addiction - no way Al would sing it) so he thought he would make it more of a boy/girl type of thing and you know what...it became a number 1 record.

Note: Mike also gave Paul McCartney the idea about singing about all the girls in the Soviet Union for Back in the USSR (a california girls type thing ya know) but doesnt like to talk about it.

Note 2: The Beatles wrote a tune called "Happy Birthday Mike Love" which is probably their greatest song. Mike doesnt like to talk about it though.

Note 3: Paul McCartney said that "God Only Knows" is the greatest song of all time which is important to mention over and over as the Beatles are a far superior band to the Beach Boys. The Beach Boys dont like to talk about this quote though.

Note 4: Did you know Al Jardine brought the song Sloop John B to Brians attention? Al doesnt like to talk about it.

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

Kokomo non-withstanding (I happen to LOVE the song) why all the Stamos hatred though? Really?

He played Uncle Jessie (like any of us would turn down a lucrative gig on a sit-com if it was offered us), he's a great looking guy! Still handsome as hell in his, what 50's? He plays bongos in the Kokomo video?

OK, some of that stuff might be annoying, I suppose. But getting the Beach Boys in as guest starts on two different TV shows, certainly shows he CARES deeply about the band. Sucks that this had to happen in the 80's, but the shows worked for their time and place. He also sang Forever on a top rated show on national TV back when most of us here had no idea the song even existed. That's some OSD style cred right there......

[Ziggy Stardust]

Because ....




































..

IT SUCKS!

[oldsurferdude]

it sux

there is nothing Beach Boys about it. Even their surf image is californian, not caribbean/latino...
Redeeming factor is Carl sings on it.

[Amy B.]

I didn't know anything about Mike or Carl or Brian and who you weren't supposed to like back when it came out. I was a kid. I just knew I didn't like the song. Mike's voice (or "that guy that sings the first part") creeped me out. He sounds creepy. And again, I didn't know it was Mike Love or that he was the great villain. I didn't know about Brian not being there. I didn't even know there WAS a Brian. Carl's voice almost saved the song for me.

I can remember babysitting and asking the little girl what her favorite song one, and it was Kokomo. And my reaction was, "Oh...okay then." Yeah, I didn't like it. That said, it's catchy, and the harmonies are kind of cool. I liked the George Harrison cover that came out around that time: I Got My Mind Set on You." At least it had some self-awareness about being cheesy.

[runnersdialzero]

"Kokomo" kind of exists separately from the Beach Boys, in my head. I heard it all the time as a youngun. When I got into them much later, I obviously knew it was the same band that did "Kokomo", but it almost didn't even occur to me at the same time. That coupled with the fact that "Kokomo" really doesn't sound a thing like the rest of their material or anything I think of when I think "The Beach Boys" (and being primarily written by non-Beach Boys) just makes them separate entities in my head. When I think of their career and albums, I generally don't even remember "Kokomo" unless some outside force reminds me.

The song is okay (and has some nostalgia attached to it for me, personally) when you don't take it too seriously as being a big ol' slab of 80s cheese. Honestly, I don't know how seriously they even took it back then. A huge hit for them, but you watch the video and I don't get the impression of anyone there thinking, "This is serious art. This will go down as a classic song." Not even good ol' Dr.Love, really.

Still. Top 10 of their career? To each his own, but you crazy, d00d ^_^

[Ron]

I know it's not a top 5 BB song but it is definitely in the top 10.

Not even in my Top-50 and I don't hate Kokomo. To me there's no single BBs song of any decade that I can hate. They may be least favorite but not hateful. As for your question, have no clue. I myself don't much like it because of the sax solo. In general, saxophone is not favorite instrument to listen to. Something in its sound.   

To be honest, I was in the marching band, and the performing band way back in Elementary and Junior High School.  I always liked the sound of a Saxophone.  I played Clarinet, I fell in love with nearly all of the woodwind and brass instruments.  The solo on Kokomo is pure cheese of course, but in general I do enjoy listening to a Saxophone. 

BTW what about an Alto Sax?  Really awesome sound. 

[Ron]

That's strange that you enjoy the sound of an accordion, but not a Saxophone?  Do you have any bad experiences with Saxophones or something? LOL (Outside the Kokomo solo, lol)

[Ron]

That makes a lot of sense.  Basically the sax ruins the song for you... don't feel bad, I have a complete aversion to certain songs just because of memories they evoke or something too, it happens. 

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

The sax is what does it for me, as well. It seems like every cheesy song in the 80s had a sax solo.

[Disney Boy (1985)]

As a long time fan i always wondered why people seem to dislike Kokomo so much ?
I know it's not a top 5 BB song but it is definetly in the top 10.
Is it because Mike wrote it and Brian wasn't involved?
Do people have that much hatred for Mike ?
I mean the song went #1, so someone please tell me ------ Why do People hate Kokomo so much ?

I don't care that Brian wasn't involved. Brian wasn't involved with Feel Flows - I still love it because it's a great song! Likewise Viggie (just to stem any anti-Mike sentiments). I personally don't hate Kokomo, but it is, at best, average. Carl's vocal is gorgeous, without it the song would be nothing. The sax solo makes me want to vomit. It's far from my favourite Mike vocal performance. 'Definately in the top 10'? Seriously? I can think of at least 100 BB songs that i would class as superior, 150 even. Kokomo is just, kinda... meh.

[Beach Boy]

I don't get why "Kokomo" would destroy their image, at that point they've been representing their early surf image on stage for at least 7 years and recorded cheesey songs like "California Calling", "Wipe Out", "Some of your Love" and "Kona Coast". Beeing born in the late 80ies and growing up in the 90s there was still a huge 80s influence in Austria so I really like some 80s music, movies and yeah even that talking car. That might be a reason why I don't dismiss something like "Still Cruisin'", "Make It Big" or "Crack at your Love". I still consider the 80s a low point for the Beach Boys but I enjoyed "Kokomo" as a kid and still like that song.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Brian wasn't involved with Feel Flows

Didn't he do part of the backups (specifically the 'white puffs' part)?