The runaway hit single of the northern summer of 2010 is Katy
Perry's bubbly California Gurls. More than just a
bouncy ode to sun and fun, it's something of a long-delayed
female take on the same theme famously celebrated 45 years
ago in the Beach Boys' California Girls.
Perry bypasses the region-hopping comparisons that the Beach
Boys founders Brian Wilson and Mike Love engaged in for their
song, but both salute the ongoing appeal of the sight of
beautiful women in bikinis on a beach near the surf.
So I put the question to Wilson: What do you think of this
variation on your theme, and are you flattered or infuriated
by it?
"I love her vocal," the Beach Boys' creative mastermind said
through his manager. "She sounds very clear and energetic."
Wilson also liked the version that includes a guest rap by
Snoop Dogg that makes a nod to the original.
"The melody is infectious, and I'm flattered that Snoop Dogg
used our lyric on the tag," Wilson noted. "I wish them well
with this cut."
Little wishing appears to be necessary. California
Gurls has already spent weeks on top of the Billboard Hot
100 singles chart and has sold millions of copies, according
to Nielsen SoundScan, with the vast majority being digital
downloads.
Perry's musical homage has done so well that the obvious
follow-up for the Santa Barbara-born singer might just have
to be Gud Vibrations.
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