“Beach Baby” by The First Class was the top song of 1974 and was written as a tribute to The Beach Boys, who were also a sensation at the time. The track was very similar to the all-boy band’s type of music, complete with a matching theme and mentions of California.
John Carter and Tony Burrows, who did vocals on Edison Lighthouse’s “Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)” and Elton John‘s “Tiny Dancer,” were the brains behind “Beach Baby.” Though theirs was a British band, they added an American twist to the song, which is arguably a reason for its success.
Brian Wilson’s reaction to ‘Beach Baby’
When Beach Boys frontman Brian Wilson first listened to “Beach Baby,” he assumed the singers were from West Coast California, which signals a job well done by Tony and Carter to make it sound as American as possible. Wilson did not know who The First Class was but described the iconic track as “a great, great tribute.”
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Tony eventually clarified that there was no “conscious decision” to make “Beach Boys” sound American. However, he grew up on pop music, which rubbed off on his music style. He recalled meeting The Beach Boys on a few occasions and expressed his delight that Wilson sometimes played the song while people arrived at theaters for his gigs.
How did fans receive ‘Beach Baby?’
“Beach Baby” was well received by listeners, especially U.S. listeners, as it maintained the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for 15 weeks. It also charted on the UK charts for ten weeks, peaking at number 14 as their only hit in the country. The song would not have been possible without the contribution of Carter’s wife, Gillian, who joined him in the songwriting process.
Although the title seems to point to California holiday moments, the song speaks of two high school lovers in the ‘50s whose romance hits its end. While speaking with Pop Entertainment in 1999, Tony noted that there is hardly enough “emotions and heart” in new-era music since recordings are now robotically produced thanks to advanced technology.