Why No Love For Kokomo ?

[Mr. Cohen]

I just get sick of how much Mike Love has to talk about "Kokomo".

Typical Mike lines:
"There are songs we have to do at a show. If we don't do 'Kokomo', some soccer mom would probably saw my head off."
"We have a lot of different sides to our music. Their is the fun side, like 'Kokomo', and the more serious side, like 'God Only Knows'. Actually, I like think that 'Kokomo' combines both - that 'we'll defy gravity part' is about the Maharishi and meditation."
"We've had a lot of hits over the years. Like 'Kokomo'."
"One of the greatest honors of our career was being asked to go on Full House to perform 'Kokomo'. I remember, too, when we were on Tool Time, and Tim Allen made us give him a private performance of 'Kokomo'."
"Sometimes I just wake up dazed and confused in my bathtub muttering 'Kokomo' over and over."
Brian: "I really just regret taking all those drugs. Those drugs really fouled my brain, really messed my head up."
Mike: "What about not singing on 'Kokomo'?"
Brian: "Yeah, that too. That was the ultimate head trip, y'know? I cried. I really cried, because it was so beautiful. Y'know. Really pretty. Like the waves." (everyone else in the band lets off an exaggerated laugh)

[Nicko1234]

I feel they did waste perhaps their last opportunity to be relevant to the general pop audience by not properly following up Kokomo. Around the same time, the Bee Gees had their commercial/ artistic renaissance with You Win Again and after and if the Boys had followed a similar template, they could have had a credible non-Brian (if admittedly AOR) career revival into the early '90s, as a slick, 'mature' AOR vocal group. Not really to my taste, but a more respectable fate than what actually followed imo.

The difference is that The Bee Gees still had their original members. The BBs were short of their leader, another talented songwriter (Dennis obviously) and Carl had also essentially given up. A massive difference. The only thing that The BBs could really have done differently would have been to bring in other songwriters to paper over the cracks.

[punkinhead]

How's BW sound when they play Kokomo? Does he do Carl's part?

I hope he doesn't leave the stage like he did during H&V and other songs during the 70s and 80s

[sidewinder572]

Why no love for 'Kokomo?'

How about that it's incredible cheesy and represents all the bad things about BB? How about that it's incredibly dated. How about the fact that ML can't seem to shut up about it. Oh sure it's a crowd pleaser. I don't believe it's a crowd pleaser because people think it's some great  work of art. It's a crowd pleaser because people remember it as a corny little song that was a hit back in the late 80's. If the song never went to #1 we wouldn't be talking about it today. How about that in every single interview ML just has to mention Kokomo. Usually in the same sentence as all the classics. We all know that Kokomo doesn't belong in the same dimension as the classic BB songs.

Oh, and to those who defend the better aspects of it. Mainly Carl's vocal contributions. Carl Wilson could have sung over the sounds of someone farting into a paper bag and his voice would still be goosebump inducing. Just because he's great on it, doesn't make the song great.

[EgoHanger1966]

How's BW sound when they play Kokomo? Does he do Carl's part?

I hope he doesn't leave the stage like he did during H&V and other songs during the 70s and 80s

Jeff does Carl's part. Brian never leaves the stage - he stays at his piano.

[Danimalist]

Why no love for 'Kokomo?'

How about that it's incredible cheesy and represents all the bad things about BB? How about that it's incredibly dated. How about the fact that ML can't seem to shut up about it. Oh sure it's a crowd pleaser. I don't believe it's a crowd pleaser because people think it's some great  work of art. It's a crowd pleaser because people remember it as a corny little song that was a hit back in the late 80's. If the song never went to #1 we wouldn't be talking about it today. How about that in every single interview ML just has to mention Kokomo. Usually in the same sentence as all the classics. We all know that Kokomo doesn't belong in the same dimension as the classic BB songs.

Oh, and to those who defend the better aspects of it. Mainly Carl's vocal contributions. Carl Wilson could have sung over the sounds of someone farting into a paper bag and his voice would still be goosebump inducing. Just because he's great on it, doesn't make the song great.

I would have worded this much differently, but the sentiments would have been exactly the same. Thanks for saving me the trouble, SW. As I said, hearing Kokomo live was painful; the only good part is Carl's vocal, and, you may have noticed, Carl is dead. Perhaps insert a video of Carl singing his key line....what a tribute that would be...

[absinthe_boy]

Kokomo.

It's very light and lowbrow....unambitious in creative terms...compared with most great Beach Boys songs - even stuff like Surfin' USA. It doesn't have Brian involved in any way.

However, it *is* catchy. It really sounds like the Beach Boys - Carl's vocals in particular are excellent.

I think it just grates with some fans that a song which is very slight was a huge hit. But the record buying public has often made hits of songs with little creative value but which nonetheless make the toes tap, or just make you smile for no apparent reason. Kokomo falls into that category. Lyrically and musically it's certainly nothing special but it is catchy, nice to listen to...feels something like the Beach Boys...and that's all that mattered at that specific point in time.

And you can bet that if Brian had sung just one chorus, or had a co-writing credit for just one line...or a co-producer credit....it wouldn't come in for as much criticism. Also, Mike has really done to death the whole "I had a hit with Kokomo" line. Yes it was a bona fide hit, especially in the USA but also (to a lesser extent) elsewhere. Mike should be proud. But.....sheesh....it does not prove that Mike can consistently do it without Brian.

My personal view is that as a pop single there's nothing wrong with it. It was probably better than 80% of the chart music in 1988. It's pleasant on the ear. The harmonies are good and Carl is great. I just tend not to listen too much to the lyrics...and I can enjoy it for what it is. Uncomplicated pop.

[KittyKat]

I looked up Kokomo at songfacts.com, and it says the Beach Boys single release didn't do well at first and no one responded to it when they played it at their concerts.  It was only when it was released on the soundtrack to the movie "Cocktail" that it got to be a hit.  They made a music video with clips of Tom Cruise from the movie and it got a lot of airplay on MTV.  That's what made it a hit song.  If it had not been featured in that movie it wouldn't have gone anywhere.  Mike Love also wrote very few of the lyrics.  One person commenting on it said she had heard Scott Mackenzie do it a few years before the Beach Boys did it so it must have been around for some time.

[Chocolate Shake Man]

I looked up Kokomo at songfacts.com, and it says the Beach Boys single release didn't do well at first and no one responded to it when they played it at their concerts.  It was only when it was released on the soundtrack to the movie "galotail" that it got to be a hit.  They made a music video with clips of Tom Cruise from the movie and it got a lot of airplay on MTV.  That's what made it a hit song.  If it had not been featured in that movie it wouldn't have gone anywhere.  Mike Love also wrote very few of the lyrics.  One person commenting on it said she had heard Scott Mackenzie do it a few years before the Beach Boys did it so it must have been around for some time.

It was a John Philips song first.

[Nicko1234]

I looked up Kokomo at songfacts.com, and it says the Beach Boys single release didn't do well at first and no one responded to it when they played it at their concerts.  It was only when it was released on the soundtrack to the movie "galotail" that it got to be a hit.  They made a music video with clips of Tom Cruise from the movie and it got a lot of airplay on MTV.  That's what made it a hit song.  If it had not been featured in that movie it wouldn't have gone anywhere.  Mike Love also wrote very few of the lyrics.  One person commenting on it said she had heard Scott Mackenzie do it a few years before the Beach Boys did it so it must have been around for some time.

Interesting. I believe that the comments on Eric`s setlist archive state that it got a great reception in concert even before it was released as a single.

[KittyKat]

Here's the quote from the Songfacts site.  It's in the main body of the article, but the site seems to be made by music fans.  They don't have a source for it:

"This was released in July 1988, but it went nowhere until the movie came out a few months later and made it a huge hit. When The Beach Boys played it live during concerts that summer, it got no response."

Link to Songfacts Kokomo page:

http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=505

[Jonathan Blum]

Why no love for 'Kokomo?'

How about that it's incredible cheesy and represents all the bad things about BB? How about that it's incredibly dated. How about the fact that ML can't seem to shut up about it. Oh sure it's a crowd pleaser. I don't believe it's a crowd pleaser because people think it's some great  work of art. It's a crowd pleaser because people remember it as a corny little song that was a hit back in the late 80's. If the song never went to #1 we wouldn't be talking about it today.

...Thing is, just about every word of this applies to "Surfin' USA" as well.

Doesn't have to be art to be a neat little song.

Cheers,
Jon Blum

[sidewinder572]

I see your point. But, do you honestly believe that Kokomo is in the same boat as Surfin U.S.A?

[SoulfulOlmanSunSh1ne]

I see some people mentioning how it's "ridiculously catchy". To suggest that this is what makes a song good is borderline offensive.

Kokomo uses an incredibly boring and derivative chord progression. The instrumentation is cheezy. It sounds like the commercial music for Sandals Resorts or something. The song was written in 1988 when Mike Love was 47. I mean come on there's absolutely no sophistication whatsoever. Brian was writing more sophisticated songs than this when he was 19.

It's not arbitrary that people love Brian and hate Mike. Brian was brilliant and Mike rode on his coattails. Kokomo to me is like the 1988 equivalent of a Katy Perry song or that "Call me Maybe" song that's really popular right now. Catchy - yes. Good music - no.

[SoulfulOlmanSunSh1ne]

It's the 1 song that shows that the Beach Boys didn't need Brian... so people were against it from the start.

That is entirely untrue. Your point about them stepping back into their cliche as opposed to abandoning any progressiveness is EXACTLY why they still needed Brian. There was never a point where the Beach Boys didn't need Brian he is the only reason any of us know their name today. This song epitomizes why Brian was so important.

I like it though.  Great song in every way, well written, well recorded, well sang, and catchy.  

I study music and have am trying to figure out on what basis you are saying it's "well written". Can you explain a little more? Cause I always thought it was poorly written.

[Danimalist]

Just listened to both the John Phillips and Baha Men versions. Turns out the Beach Boys version isn't so bad after all.

[KittyKat]

I see some people mentioning how it's "ridiculously catchy". To suggest that this is what makes a song good is borderline offensive.

Kokomo uses an incredibly boring and derivative chord progression. The instrumentation is cheezy. It sounds like the commercial music for Sandals Resorts or something. The song was written in 1988 when Mike Love was 47. I mean come on there's absolutely no sophistication whatsoever. Brian was writing more sophisticated songs than this when he was 19.

It's not arbitrary that people love Brian and hate Mike. Brian was brilliant and Mike rode on his coattails. Kokomo to me is like the 1988 equivalent of a Katy Perry song or that "Call me Maybe" song that's really popular right now. Catchy - yes. Good music - no.

The Beach Boys were just session singers on it and had their name put on the record but they had almost nothing to do with it including Mike.  Mike bragging about it like he had much to do with it is annoying but it's not something he really created.  Blame the people who put  the song on the Tom Cruise movie soundtrack and the people who put the video on MTV for it being huge.  Heck, Brian regrets not singing on it and has said so in interviews.

As for the instrumentation being cheesy, you do realize that Van Dyke Parks is responsible for a lot of the sound of it or at least the parts that sound like an ad for Sandal Resorts.  Van Dyke arranged the steel drum part and plays the accordion on it and those two sounds give it the island resort feel.

[ontor pertawst]

Actually, I'm kind of surprised Mike doesn't point out the VDP connection to Kokomo with a little grin whenever discussing Smile. "I have no problem with him! He did amazing work on Kokomo!"

Cue private plane story.

[Nicko1234]

I study music and have am trying to figure out on what basis you are saying it's "well written". Can you explain a little more? Cause I always thought it was poorly written.

You studying music doesn`t have any relevance I don`t think. It`s all a matter of opinion. I mean, Brian was obviously amazingly talented but that doesn`t mean that people haven`t knocked him for his taste in music on occasions.

[Danimalist]

I study music and have am trying to figure out on what basis you are saying it's "well written". Can you explain a little more? Cause I always thought it was poorly written.

You studying music doesn`t have any relevance I don`t think. It`s all a matter of opinion. I mean, Brian was obviously amazingly talented but that doesn`t mean that people haven`t knocked him for his taste in music on occasions.

OP, in the week or so I have been on here, you have provided great entertainment. Sincere thanks. It might even be enough to keep me wading through all the BS.

[drbeachboy]

I see some people mentioning how it's "ridiculously catchy". To suggest that this is what makes a song good is borderline offensive.

Kokomo uses an incredibly boring and derivative chord progression. The instrumentation is cheezy. It sounds like the commercial music for Sandals Resorts or something. The song was written in 1988 when Mike Love was 47. I mean come on there's absolutely no sophistication whatsoever. Brian was writing more sophisticated songs than this when he was 19.

It's not arbitrary that people love Brian and hate Mike. Brian was brilliant and Mike rode on his coattails. Kokomo to me is like the 1988 equivalent of a Katy Perry song or that "Call me Maybe" song that's really popular right now. Catchy - yes. Good music - no.

The Beach Boys were just session singers on it and had their name put on the record but they had almost nothing to do with it including Mike.  Mike bragging about it like he had much to do with it is annoying but it's not something he really created.  Blame the people who put  the song on the Tom Cruise movie soundtrack and the people who put the video on MTV for it being huge.  Heck, Brian regrets not singing on it and has said so in interviews.

As for the instrumentation being cheesy, you do realize that Van Dyke Parks is responsible for a lot of the sound of it or at least the parts that sound like an ad for Sandal Resorts.  Van Dyke arranged the steel drum part and plays the accordion on it and those two sounds give it the island resort feel.

Session singers is a bit strong. We could say that about a few Beach Boys albums, as well. They are foremost vocalists. I could see your point if was released as an instrumental piece with their name on it. Were they session singers on the new album? Same situation as Kokomo.

[Exapno Mapcase]

Why no love for 'Kokomo?'

How about that it's incredible cheesy and represents all the bad things about BB? How about that it's incredibly dated. How about the fact that ML can't seem to shut up about it. Oh sure it's a crowd pleaser. I don't believe it's a crowd pleaser because people think it's some great  work of art. It's a crowd pleaser because people remember it as a corny little song that was a hit back in the late 80's. If the song never went to #1 we wouldn't be talking about it today.

...Thing is, just about every word of this applies to "Surfin' USA" as well.

Doesn't have to be art to be a neat little song.

Cheers,
Jon Blum

No no no no. Surfin' Usa is vibrant.  Kokomo is dull. And cheesy. And represents what the BB became during the 80s and 90s, if not in actuality, then certainly in the eye of a large swathe of the public

[KittyKat]

I see some people mentioning how it's "ridiculously catchy". To suggest that this is what makes a song good is borderline offensive.

Kokomo uses an incredibly boring and derivative chord progression. The instrumentation is cheezy. It sounds like the commercial music for Sandals Resorts or something. The song was written in 1988 when Mike Love was 47. I mean come on there's absolutely no sophistication whatsoever. Brian was writing more sophisticated songs than this when he was 19.

It's not arbitrary that people love Brian and hate Mike. Brian was brilliant and Mike rode on his coattails. Kokomo to me is like the 1988 equivalent of a Katy Perry song or that "Call me Maybe" song that's really popular right now. Catchy - yes. Good music - no.

The Beach Boys were just session singers on it and had their name put on the record but they had almost nothing to do with it including Mike.  Mike bragging about it like he had much to do with it is annoying but it's not something he really created.  Blame the people who put  the song on the Tom Cruise movie soundtrack and the people who put the video on MTV for it being huge.  Heck, Brian regrets not singing on it and has said so in interviews.

As for the instrumentation being cheesy, you do realize that Van Dyke Parks is responsible for a lot of the sound of it or at least the parts that sound like an ad for Sandal Resorts.  Van Dyke arranged the steel drum part and plays the accordion on it and those two sounds give it the island resort feel.

Session singers is a bit strong. We could say that about a few Beach Boys albums, as well. They are foremost vocalists. I could see your point if was released as an instrumental piece with their name on it. Were they session singers on the new album? Same situation as Kokomo.

Point is, Kokomo wasn't something they came up with and they were only asked to do it by film producers. They weren't offered a label deal then came up with it like the new album.  They released it as a single prior to the film soundtrack and film release, but it only exists because of C'tail and it was produced by outsiders as a piece of a soundtrack.  The existence of the song and its success are both a fluke. 

[drbeachboy]

I see some people mentioning how it's "ridiculously catchy". To suggest that this is what makes a song good is borderline offensive.

Kokomo uses an incredibly boring and derivative chord progression. The instrumentation is cheezy. It sounds like the commercial music for Sandals Resorts or something. The song was written in 1988 when Mike Love was 47. I mean come on there's absolutely no sophistication whatsoever. Brian was writing more sophisticated songs than this when he was 19.

It's not arbitrary that people love Brian and hate Mike. Brian was brilliant and Mike rode on his coattails. Kokomo to me is like the 1988 equivalent of a Katy Perry song or that "Call me Maybe" song that's really popular right now. Catchy - yes. Good music - no.

The Beach Boys were just session singers on it and had their name put on the record but they had almost nothing to do with it including Mike.  Mike bragging about it like he had much to do with it is annoying but it's not something he really created.  Blame the people who put  the song on the Tom Cruise movie soundtrack and the people who put the video on MTV for it being huge.  Heck, Brian regrets not singing on it and has said so in interviews.

As for the instrumentation being cheesy, you do realize that Van Dyke Parks is responsible for a lot of the sound of it or at least the parts that sound like an ad for Sandal Resorts.  Van Dyke arranged the steel drum part and plays the accordion on it and those two sounds give it the island resort feel.

Session singers is a bit strong. We could say that about a few Beach Boys albums, as well. They are foremost vocalists. I could see your point if was released as an instrumental piece with their name on it. Were they session singers on the new album? Same situation as Kokomo.

Point is, Kokomo wasn't something they came up with and they were only asked to do it by film producers. They weren't offered a label deal then came up with it like the new album.  They released it as a single prior to the film soundtrack and film release, but it only exists because of C'tail and it was produced by outsiders as a piece of a soundtrack.  The existence of the song and its success are both a fluke.  

The song was already written before galotail was filmed. Terry Melcher who had a history with the Boys' had quite a bit to do with recording the song and having it used in the movie. Furthermore, there are lots of songs recorded by the Boys' that had nothing to do with them previously. Recorded because there were songs that Brian or the band liked and wanted to put their take on it. Do You Wanna Dance was a #12 hit with music recorded by the Wrecking Crew with only the Beach Boys vocals. Whether Brian or Terry, these are Producers that the Beach Boys used to make their records. In neither case were they session vocalists for their own work. It truly amazes me that people who don't like something come up with made up reasons as to why it was done.

[Lonely Summer]

I don't like Kokomo because it represents, to me, yet another chance for the Beach Boys to have their entire career re-evaluated by the public at large...and they blew it.  Just like in 1967, 1976, and 1997.   Yes, it was a #1 song, yes, it made tons of money, and yes it's not a bad tune.  But, it basically gave dismissers of the Beach Boys an enormous stick with which to beat the band.   From Pet Sounds onward, every member of that group, including Mike, desperately wanted to be as "hip" as the Beatles.  Just look at the way Mike dressed in the 1970's and 1980's, like he was trying too hard to be with the times, so much so that any snapshot of him from any year, other than the SMiLE shots from Amsterdam in 1966, makes him look ridiculously dated.  Ironically, Brian is the only one who really never seemed to care about anything but the music.

Kokomo was a huge opportunity.  A hit single which, it it had somehow been stitched to Brian Wilson's solo album, perhaps as the leadoff track, would have made that album possibly the best selling album of the 1980's.    Overnight, that band would have regained a lot of its former prestige and glory.    But no.  They did one single, cemented their perception as being a good-time bubblegum group from the 1960's that got lucky once again, and even worse, they slapped Kokomo onto "Still Cruising" with a couple of new songs and a few oldies.  K-Tel couldn't have done a better job!  

I couyldn't have said it better! And I admit I was naive enough in 1988/89 to think that Kokomo's success would spur the guys on to do an album that combined the best of their hit sounds along with the more serious side of the band. They had their chance and they blew it.

I expected a good LP to follow in Kokomo's wake because of their high profile and that time (far more than in 1976) they blew it completely.

I feel they did waste perhaps their last opportunity to be relevant to the general pop audience by not properly following up Kokomo. Around the same time, the Bee Gees had their commercial/ artistic renaissance with You Win Again and after and if the Boys had followed a similar template, they could have had a credible non-Brian (if admittedly AOR) career revival into the early '90s, as a slick, 'mature' AOR vocal group. Not really to my taste, but a more respectable fate than what actually followed imo.

How did they waste it? They sure as hell tried; they just failed, over and over again. The thing is, "Kokomo" was truly a fluke. It was a weird combination of elements that came together in just the right way to make it a hit. Practically every piece of trash they put out in the late '80s and early '90s was a "Kokomo" retread.

How they wasted it was by not following it with a studio album - instead, we got another comp. Mike, of course, wanted an album with 10 or 12 Kokomo retreads; and Brian's best songs were been kept for solo albums.