Kokomo (song)

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Kokomo is a pop song by The Beach Boys . It was released as a single on Elektra Records in 1988 and is part of the soundtrack for the movie Cocktail . The track was produced by Terry Melcher . In 1989 it was released on the Beach Boys album Still Cruisin ' , which was released on Capitol Records . The lead voices were sung by Mike Love and Carl Wilson .

theme

The song sings about the happiness of life. The Caribbean lifestyle is almost glorified . It is manifested by the listing of Caribbean islands that the singers want to travel to in order to find happiness in a fictional place called Kokomo, whose geographical location is only vaguely described as "off the Florida Keys ".

There is actually a place called Kokomo ; However, this is in the US state of Indiana , so far from the Caribbean. The title could also be traced back to the resort with bar in Montego Bay , which is called Kokomo Island . Another possibility would be the beach called Kokomo Beach in Vaersenbaai on Curaçao .

The making of the song

John Phillips wrote the first part of this song back in 1964 when he was living on Saint Thomas in the Caribbean with a commune to which Scott McKenzie belonged . Terry Melcher discovered the song in the mid-1980s, took over the stanzas and composed a chorus. When a song with Caribbean flair was being sought for the film Cocktail in the late 80s , Melcher, who was working as a producer for the Beach Boys at the time, gave the song to the band. Only the text of the piece was not so popular with the band, because it was about an unfortunate love of John Phillips. Without further ado, Mike Love wrote a happier new text for the piece.

Brian Wilson's absence

Kokomo is the Beach Boys' only No. 1 hit that was made without the help of Brian Wilson. Wilson left the Beach Boys in 1988 to devote himself to a solo album. The Beach Boys invited Wilson to record the song. His therapist Eugene Landy, who had a dubious business relationship with Wilson as he acted as his therapist as well as his manager and business partner, prevented Wilson's participation. Landy only wanted Wilson to record on the condition that Landy would be named in the credits and be allowed to act as executive producer.

Video

The video shows excerpts from the film Cocktail and the Beach Boys playing the song in the Caribbean on a small jungle stage. They are supported by John Stamos and Jeffrey Foskett .

Achievements and Awards

Kokomo was at the top of the US charts for a week in November 1988 and also topped the charts in Australia . It was awarded a platinum record based on sales. It was the Beach Boys' first number 1 hit in 22 years and the only one that wasn't written by Brian Wilson. The piece was nominated in 1989 for the Golden Globe for Best Film Song as well as for the Grammy Award and won the BMI Film & TV Award. In addition, Kokomo was also represented on negative lists, for example on list 40 Most Awesomely Bad No. 1 songs by VH1 .

more publishments

In 1999 radio DJ Bob Rivers parodied Kokomo with a song called Kosovo , which criticized NATO air strikes during the Kosovo war . Other parodies were Cameltoe on the radio show The Bob & Tom Show , another song called Kosovo , which comes from the American satirical group Capitol Steps , and a parody on the Detroit radio station WCSX about the unclean water in a metropark.

There are several cover versions of the song. So coverten Adam Green and Ben Kweller the song and released it as a B-side on greens 2003 published Single Jessica . The Muppets sang the song too, with Kermit the frog as the lead singer. The King's Singers occasionally end their concerts with an a cappella version.

The Beach Boys themselves recorded the song again with Spanish lyrics - this time with Brian Wilson - which was never released. In 1989 the song appeared on two other Beach Boys singles as the B-side. At Christmas 2006, Mike Love released a "sequel" entitled Santa's Goin to Kokomo . In 2016, Lilly Wood & the Prick were on the French charts for a week with a version of the song.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ INDEX ( Memento from August 11, 2010 in the Internet Archive )
  2. ↑ http://www.lyricsfreak.com/b/beach+boys/kokomo_20013920.html
  3. ↑ http://www.cityofkokomo.org/
  4. ↑ Interview with Terry Melcher on September 29, 1993 by Stephen J. McParland, published in Smile, Sun, Sand & Pet Sounds 1999
  5. ↑ Interview with Mike Love in the documentary Endless Harmony from 1998
  6. ↑ RIAA ( Memento from December 23, 2010 in the Internet Archive )

Web links