"Hey Little Tomboy" is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1978 album M.I.U. Album. Written by Brian Wilson, the song was to be included as a track on Adult/Child before the album was scrapped.[1] It was also issued as the B-side to their single "Peggy Sue".
| "Hey Little Tomboy" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by the Beach Boys | ||||
| from the album M.I.U. Album | ||||
| A-side | "Peggy Sue" | |||
| Released | August 28, 1978 | |||
| Recorded | October 1976–1978 | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 2:27 | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Brian Wilson | |||
| Producer(s) | Brian Wilson | |||
| The Beach Boys singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Audio sample | ||||
Background edit
Early recording sessions for the song were held in August and October 1976.[2] Wilson, describing "Hey Little Tomboy" as a contender for the Love You track list, said: "It's about a little girl who is sort of a roughneck, and this guy convinces her to become a pretty girl, and sure enough she slowly turns into a pretty—she starts shaving her legs and wearing short sticks—puts lipstick on and makeup. So she's a little tomboy. We're very happy with it."[3]
Reception edit
Biographer Peter Ames Carlin wrote: "[the song] revealed uncomfortably in an adolescent girl who is putting away her skateboard and baseball mitt to get hot and heavy with the swain portrayed by Mike [Love]. … [it] may be the most unsettling moment in the entire recorded history of the Beach Boys."[4] Music critic Jeff Tamarkin wrote that the song "is politically incorrect in every way by modern standards, yet its innocence and simplicity are undeniably charming".[5]
Personnel edit
Credits are sourced from Craig Slowinski, John Brode, Will Crerar, Joshilyn Hoisington, and David Beard.[6]
The Beach Boys
- Al Jardine - possible bass guitar
- Mike Love - lead vocals
- Brian Wilson - lead and backing vocals, tack piano, Minimoog bass
- Carl Wilson - lead and backing vocals, electric guitar
- Dennis Wilson - backing vocals, drums
Additional Musicians
- Ron Altbach - vibraphone
- Ed Carter - possible bass guitar
- Gary Griffin - Minimoog
- Mike Kowalski - drums, sleigh bells, guiro, shakers
Cover versions edit
- 2003 – BMX Bandits with Pearl Fishers[7]
See also edit
References edit
- ^ Lambert, Philip (2007). Inside the Music of Brian Wilson: The Songs, Sounds, and Influences of the Beach Boys' Founding Genius. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 314. ISBN 978-1-4411-0748-0.
- ^ Doe, Andrew Grayham. "GIGS76". Endless Summer Quarterly. Retrieved July 13, 2014.
- ^ "INTERVIEW WITH BRIAN WILSON OF THE BEACH BOYS IN EARLY 1980'S". Global Image Works. 1976. Archived from the original on July 26, 2014. Retrieved July 18, 2014.
- ^ Carlin, Peter Ames (2006). Catch a Wave: The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson. Rodale. p. 226. ISBN 978-1-59486-320-2.
- ^ Tamarkin, Jeff (2000). M.I.U./L.A. Light Album (booklet). The Beach Boys. California: Capitol Records.
- ^ Slowinski, Craig (Winter 2023). Beard, David (ed.). "The Beach Boys M.I.U. Album Vol 1". Endless Summer Quarterly Magazine. Vol. 37, no. 144. Charlotte, North Carolina.
- ^ Schnee, Steve "Spaz". "BMX Bandits On the Radio (1986-1996)". AllMusic. Retrieved July 18, 2014.