"Kokomo" is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys from the 1988 film Cocktail and album Still Cruisin. Written by John Phillips, Scott McKenzie, Mike Love and Terry Melcher, the song was released as a single in July 1988 by Elektra Records and became a number-one hit in the US and Australia. It was the band's first original top-20 single in 20 years, their first number-one hit in 22 years and their final top-40 hit.
The lyrics describe two lovers taking a trip to a fictional place called Kokomo. Not much about it is described except for its location off the Florida Keys and comparisons to other real destinations in the Caribbean islands such as Aruba, Jamaica, Bahamas, Martinique and Montserrat, as well as Key Largo, Florida, and the North Atlantic island of Bermuda. Besides Kokomo, Indiana, USA, the only real-world places that used the name "Kokomo" were inspired by the song; these include a Kokomo Beach at the Casa Marina Resort in Key West, which is no longer called by that name, as well as a Kokomo Beach on the island of Curaçao, which still bears the name.
Background
The verse of the song came from a demo by John Phillips (formerly of the Mamas & the Papas) and Scott McKenzie (best known for his 1967 song "San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)", which Phillips wrote). The Beach Boys' Mike Love added the chorus which lists the names of islands and suggested that Phillips change the lyrics from past tense to present tense, transforming the tone of the song from melancholic to inviting.
Recording
"Kokomo" was recorded on March 22 and April 5–6, 1988, with production by Terry Melcher, who had previously produced the band's "Rock 'n' Roll to the Rescue" (1986) and "California Dreamin'" (1986). It was created through overdubbing parts onto the band's demo for the song.
The recording featured every current member of the group except Brian Wilson, who did not attend the sessions. In his 1991 memoir Wouldn't It Be Nice: My Own Story, Brian Wilson claims he was unable to contribute to the song because he was committed to recording his first solo album and his bandmates deliberately did not inform him of the session date until it was too late. According to biographer Mark Dillon, "Available session-date information does not substantiate this claim, however."
Mike Love stated that Brian was not on "Kokomo" because Eugene Landy, Brian Wilson's therapist-turned-collaborator, refused to "let Brian sing on it unless Landy was a producer and co-writer," and Melcher did not "feel he needed Landy since he had produced some number-one records. It was pathetic of Landy to do that, but he controlled Brian completely at that time." According to a 2018 article in Stereogum, "When [Brian] first heard the song on the radio, he didn’t even recognize it as a Beach Boys tune." The group later recorded a Spanish-language version of "Kokomo" with participation from Brian.
Music video
The video for "Kokomo" was filmed at the then-recently opened Grand Floridian Resort at Walt Disney World in Florida. Although they had not played these instruments on the recording, Mike Love is holding a saxophone, Al Jardine is playing tambourine, Carl Wilson is playing guitar, and Bruce Johnston is playing bass, with touring drummer Mike Kowalski in his usual role, and actor and occasional Beach Boys live guest John Stamos is playing steel drum.
In 2011, NME ranked the video as the 17th worst of all time, commenting, "It was as if Mike Love had taken the 'Beach Boys' name straight out of Brian Wilson's hands and we were forced to watch footage of Tom Cruise mixing up Bloody Marys. Thanks guys."
Release
After being released as a single in 1988, the song was included on the soundtrack album for the movie Cocktail as well as the 1989 Beach Boys album Still Cruisin'.
"Kokomo" was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or Television in 1988, but lost to Phil Collins's "Two Hearts" (from the film Buster). In a tie vote, "Two Hearts" and Carly Simon's "Let the River Run" from Working Girl beat "Kokomo" for the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song.
Critical reception
Despite its commercial success, "Kokomo" has attracted mostly negative reviews from music writers. Jimmy Guterman of Rolling Stone wrote that the song "sets the pattern for the new, passion-free songs" on Still Cruisin, while the Rolling Stone album guide called it a "joyless ditty". In a 1998 piece, Steve Simels of Stereo described it as "insipid". Blender stated the song was "perhaps most kindly described as a Beach Boys–influenced song with the Beach Boys singing on it". Cash Box called it a "snappy little throw-back of a tune" with "a real islands-vibe and hooky chorus."
Since its release, "Kokomo" has become notorious for its negative critical reception. Dallas Observers ten worst songs by great artists, and Forbes worst lyrics of all time. Tom Breihan of Stereogum wrote: "People hate 'Kokomo.' The Beach Boys' improbable late-career hit has a reputation as a monument to mediocrity. To this day, it serves as a textbook cautionary tale of a once-beloved group poisoning its own legacy and goodwill by making smarmy '80s yuppie pablum." In a retrospective dubbing the song the "worst summer song ever", MEL Magazines Tim Grierson wrote: "A lot of us have taken immense delight in hating this 1988 smash." Both Breihan and Grierson attribute their personal dislike of Mike Love as a possible factor for their negative opinion of the song.
Space Force
In the 2022 series finale of Netflix's workplace comedy TV series Space Force, the concluding scene has the Space Force staff realize that they have spotted an asteroid headed directly for Earth. As an absurdist way to calm down, they break out in a chorus of "Kokomo".
Track listings
3-inch CD single
- "Kokomo" – 3:34
- "Tutti Frutti" performed by Little Richard – 2:23
- "Hippy Hippy Shake" performed by The Georgia Satellites – 1:45
7-inch single
- "Kokomo" – 3:34
- "Tutti Frutti" performed by Little Richard – 2:23
12-inch maxi
- "Kokomo" – 3:34
- "Tutti Frutti" performed by Little Richard – 2:23
- "Hippy Hippy Shake" performed by The Georgia Satellites – 1:45
Personnel
Per Mark Dillon, engineer Keith Wechsler, and The Beach Boys with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra liner notes.
The Beach Boys
- Al Jardine – vocals
- Bruce Johnston – vocals
- Mike Love – vocals
- Carl Wilson – vocals
Additional musicians
- Ry Cooder – acoustic lead guitar, mandolin, slide guitar
- Chili Charles – percussion
- Rod Clark – bass guitar
- Jeffrey Foskett – acoustic rhythm guitar
- Jim Keltner – drums
- Vince Charles – steel drums
- Milton and Mike (surnames unknown) – steel drums
- Van Dyke Parks — accordion
- Joel Peskin – saxophone
Production staff
- Terry Melcher – producer
- Keith Wechsler – engineer
Other versions
- In 2003, American singer-songwriters Adam Green and Ben Kweller covered the song for Green's Jessica EP.
Charts
Weekly charts
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|+Weekly chart performance for "Kokomo"
!scope="col"|Chart (1988–1989)
!scope="col"|Peak<br />position
|-
|-
|-
!scope="row"|Canada Top Singles (RPM)
| style="text-align:center;"|4
|-
!scope="row"|Denmark (Hitlisten)
| style="text-align:center;"|5
|-
!scope="row"|Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)
| style="text-align:center;"|17
|-
!scope="row"|Finland (Soumen Virallinen)
|style="text-align:center;"|27
|-
|-
! scope="row"|Iceland (RÚV)
|align="center"|1
|-
!scope="row"|Japan Hot 100
| style="text-align:center;"|5
|-
!scope="row"|US Cash Box Top 100 Singles
| style="text-align:center;"|1
|-
|}
Year-end charts
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|+1988 year-end chart performance for "Kokomo"
!scope="col"|Chart (1988)
!scope="col"|Rank
|-
!scope="row"|Canada Retail Singles (RPM)
| style="text-align:center;"|5
|-
!scope="row"|US Billboard Hot 100
| style="text-align:center;"|42
|-
!scope="row"|US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)
| style="text-align:center;"|44
|-
!scope="row"|US Cash Box Top 100 Singles
| style="text-align:center;"|39
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|+1989 year-end chart performance for "Kokomo"
!scope="col"|Chart (1989)
!scope="col"|Rank
|-
!scope="row"|Australia (ARIA)
| style="text-align:center;"|9
|-
!scope="row"|Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)
| style="text-align:center;"|66
|-
!scope="row"|Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)
| style="text-align:center;"|59
|-
!scope="row"|Netherlands (Single Top 100)
| style="text-align:center;"|58
|-
!scope="row"|West Germany (Media Control)
| style="text-align:center;"|37
|}
Certifications
References
Citations
Notes
Bibliography