The Beach Boys probably raised a glass to this day back in 1988 – a “cocktail” perhaps? The quintessential California ’60s band scored their first #1 hit at home since 1966’s “Good Vibrations”.
“Kokomo” was the comeback, helped along by its use in the movie Cocktail. At 22 years, it set a record for the longest span between chart-toppers on Billboard. The easy-breezy song was a perfect retreat from the cold weather encroaching in November. Mike Love of the band got help from fellow ’60s-icons Scott McKenzie (“San Francisco”, the flowers in your hair song) and John Phillips of the Mamas and the Papas in writing it.
There is no Kokomo in Florida by the way, although there are several in the U.S., notably the industrial city in Indiana! Since the song’s success though, several resorts have renamed themselves “Kokomo.” No word on whether Tom Cruise bartends at any of them. It might be nearly winter, but feel free to have a cocktail to celebrate and imagine it’s beach-time and an endless summer!
A Sound Day 
It was good to see them comeback…I never cared for the song a lot…it was pleasant enough. I couldn’t believe it was #1.
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agreed…not a half bad song but also not astonishingly good, but it was sort of cool they were back and popular again.
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That was the biggest thing is that they were on the charts again. It sounded more Jimmy Buffet to me than the Beach Boys…the music anyway.
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never thought of that but I could easily imagine Jimmy doing that song…come to think of it, I’ve heard this one and ‘Margaritaville’ played back to back on radio a few times.
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Yea those Caribbean sounds at the start is right up his alley.
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As Badfinger says… it coulda come off a padded-out ‘Greatest Hits’ A and B sides compilation package from around the late 60s. A Great song…? Nope. But quintessential Beach Boys babes surf and sand sound? Spot on.
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yep, not great but neither bad, but a nice return for them…there were other 60s acts who sounded/looked worse trying to return to the spotlight 20 or 30 years on.
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