Saturday 9

Saturday 9: Wouldn't It Be Nice? (1966)

... because Nonnie recommended the Beach Boys
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) In the video for this song, the Beach Boys dive into the pool with all their clothes on. Have you ever ended up in the water while fully clothed? If yes, were you pushed? The nearest thing I can recall is when I was in high school. A group of us had an autumn sleepover, and even though it was too cold to use the pool, her friend's parents hadn't drained it yet. Post-midnight/pre-dawn, we all jumped in, wearing nothing but our nighties. Yikes! I can still remember how cold, gross and green the water was. Couldn't wait to dry off, peel off that nightie and slide into that nice, warm sleeping bag.

 

Where it happened

2) In this song, Mike Love sings he wishes "every kiss could be neverending." Where did you receive your first kiss? Was it wonderful, or awkward? Awkward. It was beside a local hamburger stand. I happened to run into a friend's older brother -- a college student! -- who was home for the summer and was surprised by how I'd changed since he last saw me. I'd always been crazy about him, so this was literally a dream come true. But I still had braces, which worried me immensely. The college girls he was used to didn't have braces. The next summer, I lost the braces ... and then I lost my virginity in the backseat of his car, parked just blocks from the burger stand, and we went on to date for three years. I just Googled him and discovered he's head administrator at a hospital in North Carolina. Our mothers were lifelong friends, so I got frequent updates on him and last I heard, he worked for a hospital in Ohio. So he got a promotion. Good for him! He was a nice man, we were just so young.

 
 

3) Brian Wilson was the creative force behind the Beach Boys. It's possible that the group's legendary and unique sound came from an incident of bad parenting. Brian's father hit him so hard with a wooden plank that he is deaf in his right ear. Which of your senses is sharpest -- sight, hearing, smell or taste? I suppose taste. I mean, I wear contacts and I've been listening to rock through headphones for 30 years, so it can't be my sight or hearing. Maybe smell? Probably taste.
 
4) Brian's brother Dennis was the cutest member of the group, and also the only one who could surf. Have you been to the beach yet this summer? Nope. Could have gone to the beach with my niece when I visited her in Michigan last week. She lives in a community fueled by tourists, who stay in cottages and summer homes along The Lake. But instead, we spent our time wandering through the quaint shops. Both she and I burn so easily, it seemed like a safer choice.
 
5) Dennis was also the Beach Boys' most colorful member. In 1968, he struck up an unfortunate and dangerous friendship with Charles Manson. Is there anyone in your life that you worry has bad taste in friends/lovers? I worry about my niece. She needs to be in love, and that leaves her vulnerable to unsavory characters. Her first boyfriend, while she was still in college, was underwhelming -- kind of a slug who was happy letting her support him. She went from him directly to her next boyfriend, who was very ambitious but also a pretentious asshole. I was saddened but not surprised when he cheated on her with an ex. This new guy, though! I like him! He's affectionate with her, he is politically progressive and has won over her cat, Annabelle. I hope they stay happy, at least for a while.
 
6) Lead singer Mike Love is the grumpiest Beach Boy. He refuses to perform if the concert promotional materials refer to the group or their songs as "oldies." Does it bother you to hear the songs, TV shows and movies of your youth described as "classics" or "oldies?" No. But sometimes the passage of time makes me sad. I was watching a "Dick Van Dyke" rerun that revolved around a British playboy (Richard Dawson) who had designs on Rob Petrie's wife, Laura. It occurred to me that just about everyone who was making me laugh is now dead. (Please stay healthy, Dick Van Dyke!)

Dick Van Dyke, Richard Dawson, Mary Tyler Moore

 
7) This song has appeared on soundtracks for movies as diverse as Shampoo (1975), The Big Chill (1983),  50 First Dates (2004) and It's Complicated (2009). Do you own any movie soundtracks? Yes. One of my favorites is My Best Friend's Wedding.


8) In 1966, the year this song was popular, the Miranda Warning became law. Without looking it up, can you recite any of the Miranda Warning? "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be held against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you. Do you understand these rights?" All those seasons of "Law & Order" taught me a thing or two!

9) Random question: The local college is pleading for models of all ages and sizes to pose for the life drawing class. Would you help the kids by volunteering to pose in the nude? No. It wouldn't be nice to scar those young people for life.