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I just found out that my lady friend has been a fan of the film Troop Beverly Hills for years (probably since the film's release), and she always loved the song "Make It Big". When I recently played her "Make It Big" from Still Cruisin', she could sing along to it and was quite familiar with it, being the title track of the film she loved and saw often as a kid... but she was surprised to find out MIB was a track by The BBs, despite having been familiar with the track for decades.

She then called up her sister (who was also a big fan of the film), and similarly, her sister was a fan of the song, knew many of the lyrics and could sing along with it, but also did not know it was a BB song, and was surprised to find this out. I guess it's because it's less of a "typical" BB sounding song...

I wonder how many other people have had a similar experience with MIB and other BB tracks...

I'm ashamed to admit this as its become one of my favorite Beach Boys songs.

There was a time when I used to listen to the radio in my teens on classic rock / 70s stations, I remember hearing this song called Sail On Sailor, but never really thought much of it. 

Then, in my mid 20s, when I started getting into The Beach Boys, I got a copy of Warmth of the Sun to go with my copy of Sounds of Summer, and there was that Sail On Sailor song again.  Until then, I'll admit I had no idea that it was a Beach Boys song. 

I don’t think I’ve ever seen the movie, but I recall that the opening to the film was included on some old Beach Boys video compilation someone made years ago, and I was interested to find that the version opening the film is an alternate mix and, as I recall, has some alternate vocal takes on some of the parts as well.

This song especially, since it opens a film which has become a real cult hit with lots of kids (ladies especially) who grew up in that era, is somewhat well known, actually. More so than I would have thought. And I'll bet that this (along with SOS) might be the two best known yet most-mistaken-for-not-being-BB songs that the BBs ever recorded.

I also never knew SoS was a BB song until just a few years ago.

There used to be a time when a radio DJ would actually talk and tell you the names of songs and who sang them. I don't listen much these days, but the few times when I have, they rarely introduce anything that they play.

Usually, a DJ will either front sell the first song of a block of songs, and back sell the last song.  Usually, the songs in the middle won't get mentioned unless its a new song. 

I was a DJ on college radio for a year, and I would make it a point to mention each and every song that was played for the benefit of the tens of listeners I might have had. 

The one that always hits me is "Darlin'" It really sounds very different for the group.

When I was 10 I thought Yummy Yummy Yummy was sang by The Beach Boys. :-[

MIB actually played over the closing credits to Troop Beverly Hills.  How do I know such a thing?  I was teenager (and huge BB fan) when the movie came out. I had no interest in seeing the movie but had to hear the new BB song. One of my friends worked in our local movie plex and sneaked me in to see the end of the movie and closing credits so I could hear the song. Maybe it played at the start of the movie as well, but I've never seen it.

It's quite different from the Still Cruisin' mix, too.

It's also over the beginning animated credits sequence...

I had NO IDEA Surfin Safari was a Beach Boys song!!! JK  ;D

When I first heard "Make It Big", "In My Car", "Still Cruisin'" and the Stamos-driven "Forever" I thought it was a tribute band doing their own stuff BB style with a cover thrown in. It took me a while (years!) to get used to the fact that it was actually the BB. I love all those songs----yes, even Stamos's "Forever"...       

Yep.  Kind of "choppy" as I recall, not in the standard verse-chorus-verse-chorus fashion

I bought 20 Golden Greats in 1976 on the strength of liking Good Vibrations which had just been re-released and was back on the charts. To my surprise I knew - or at least had heard - a great number of the songs on the LP. Never looked back since…

Here's the intro to the film from YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vswuDpHWkWY

Very different mix/version. Stuff is edited in a different order, some of Mike's lead is a different take (Carl's and Al's lead parts sound like they're probably the same), and there's even an extra bridge (or whatever one wants to call it, the "Johnny B. Goode" part) with different lyrics sung again by Mike. They also double up another part (the "superstar" part) with no lyrics and saxophones instead.

It also sounds like the little Bruce interjections are either missing or mixed very low.

Definitely sounds more disjointed; the editing in particular is rather clunky (no doubt to fit the amount of time they needed to fill for the intro).

I did the same thing when Police Academy 4 came out.

I used to really like the film Problem Child but always rushed to switch the tape off when that awful song started over the ending credits. NAH NAH NAH NAH NAH! When I got into the BBs I was shocked when I discovered that they were the culprits.

It's not that bad of a song - or at least it doesn't sound bad, Carl is singing lead.

In reverse, when I was a kid I thought every Jan & Dean song was a Beach Boys song. 

Also, I always thought that Grand Funk Railroad's "Loco-motion" was definitely the Beach Boys. 

still not convinced. 

Slightly off topic, but on topic of Make it Big; Jenny Lewis (of Rilo Kiley, her own solo, The Wizard (film), Troop Beverly Hills fame) has released a new song called She's Not Me. The music video actually recalls her old acting days (I was most excited about Troop Beverly Hills & the Wizard!), as she is one who had a bad experience as a child actor, this was a big step for her. Go check out the video if you enjoy those films and/or Jenny Lewis.

http://youtu.be/WgUAvzP-qmQ

When I was younger I thought Kokomo wasn't a BB's song and that Follow You Follow Me by Genesis was :P I guess listening to the end of FYFM with the "la la la" tag I can see why I thought that

I wish MIB was by some other band!

Pretty sure "Here She Comes" is the most un-Beach Boys song I've ever heard.  It's my goto whenever I intend to stump at "Name That Band".  "Make It Big" reeks of the 80's, but at least the actual Beach Boys are front and center on that one.

thats cuz brian and jan collaborated.

I love "here she comes", and I also agree that it is as un-BB sounding as they got.

As a slight tangent, I YouTubed HSC and found this cool fan remake:

Here She Comes Cover/Carl and the Passions/BeachB…: http://youtu.be/B-iEzgpTcOg

Toward the end, I scrolled down and read a comment that said exactly what I was thinking about the remake (first 20 seconds were weird, but the 80s vibe worked). Only to discover that it was actually ME that made the comment 5 years ago!

I do that sometimes... makes ya feel old, doesn't it?

 ;D

Any song with Blondie on lead.

Full Sail and Goin' South from LA Album

Passing Friend, Maybe I Don't Know and I Do Love You from the 1985 album