We’re in the middle of June, which puts us smack dab in the middle of summer here in North America. With that in mind, we’re going to do a full week of summer-themed songs here at the Classic Song of the Day blog, and our first classic summer song of the day this week is from a group that you automatically associate with summer fun and sun and California beaches and surfing. That group is the Beach Boys and the song is their summer classic, “California Girls.”
Brian Wilson supposedly wrote “California Girls” during or shortly after his first LSD trip. In his own words:
“I was thinking about the music from cowboy movies. And I sat down and started playing it, bum-buhdeeda, bum-buhdeeda. I did that for about an hour. I got these chords going. Then I got this melody, it came pretty fast after that.”
The lyrics were a collaboration between Brian and fellow Beach Boy Mike Love. Mr. Love remembers his contribution being larger than what Brian remembers, but that’s typical.
The song’s lyrics extol the attributes of girls from various parts of the nation, but Brian keeps coming back those special girls from California:
Well, East Coast girls are hip
I really dig those styles they wear
And the Southern girls with the way they talk
They knock me out when I’m down there
The Midwest farmer’s daughters
Really make you feel alright
And the Northern girls with the way they kiss
They keep their boyfriends warm at nightThe West Coast has the sunshine
And the girls all get so tanned
I dig a French bikini on Hawaii island Dolls
By a palm tree in the sand
I’ve been all around this great big world
And I seen all kind of girls
Yeah, but I couldn’t wait to get back in the states
Back to the cutest girls in the world
I wish they all could be California girls
I wish they all could be California girls
Brian recorded “California Girls” with his usual army of L.A. studio musicians, including Leon Russell on piano, Al De Lory on Hammond B-3 organ, Howard Roberts on electric guitar, Jerry Cole on 12-string acoustic guitar, Frank Capp on vibes, Carol Kaye on electric bass, Lyle Ritz on acoustic bass, Billy Strange on tambourine, Steve Douglas on tenor sax, Jay Migliori on bari sax, Jack Nimitz on bass saxophone, and the inimitable and ever-present Hal Blaine on drums. Mike Love sang lead on this one, backed up by the rest of the group—Brian Wilson, Carl Wilson, Dennis Wilson, Al Jardine, and, for the first time, Bruce Johnston.
The Beach Boys released “California Girls” as a single in July of 1965, just in time to become what may be the ultimate summer song. The single peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was a top ten hit in Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, and Sweden. It was also featured on their 1965 album, Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!), which is fitting for such a summer-themed song.
Interestingly, former Van Halen lead singer David Lee Roth had a hit with his cover of “California Girls” in 1985. His version, which included background vocals by Carl Wilson and Christopher Cross, went all the way to #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and had a very popular video that received a ton of airplay on MTV. Dave’s version was fun but I still prefer the original, of course.
And this ends our multi-day tribute to the late, great Brian Wilson, who passed away last week. (Well, except for tomorrow’s classic song of the day, which Brian wrote but was performed by another artist—guess who?) “California Girls” may not have been the most sophisticated of his compositions, but it certainly was one of the most popular. RIP, Brian.
