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Kokomo

KOKOMO
 
 
“Kokomo”  is a song written by John Phillips, Scott McKenzie, Mike Love, and Terry Melcher and recorded by The Beach Boys in spring 1988.  Its lyrics describe two lovers taking a trip to a relaxing place on an island off the Florida Keys called Kokomo.  It was released as a single on July 18, 1988 by Elektra Records and became a No. 1 Hit in the United States, Japan, and Australia (where it topped for about two months).  The single was released to coincide with the release of the Tom Cruise movie Cocktail, and its subsequent soundtrack.  It was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or Television in 1988, but lost to Phil Collins’ “Two Hearts” (from the film Buster).  “Two Hearts” and Carly Simon’s “Let the River Run” from Working Girl jointly beat it for the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song.  (More from Wikipedia)
 
 

Brian Wilson tried on several occasions to jump-start a solo career; one time, his abortive attempt coincided with the release of one of the Beach Boys’ biggest latter-day hits, “Kokomo”.  I wish I could remember the time period or the beach town that I was in (maybe Santa Cruz, California) where there were xeroxed fliers being handed out about an appearance by Brian Wilson in a small club, as though he were some local guy just starting out. 

 

(June 2013/2)