Tatsuro Yamashita -- Darlin'

 

In addition to the title track and "Magic Ways", Tatsuro Yamashita's（山下達郎）1984 "Big Wave" soundtrack also includes a number that I'd thought was one of Tats' own big magical concoctions. "Darlin'" has got the usual tropes for one of his songs: that summery feeling, the grand vocals by the man himself, and those layered background vocals. 

Well, I'm going to have that dish of crow right now since it's actually a cover of The Beach Boys' 1967 original from their "Wild Honey" album. Yamashita has been so in thrall to the legendary American rock band that whenever I hear a new Tats song, I end up wondering whether it's a Tats original or a cover of a Beach Boys song. In any case, "Darlin'" by Mike Love and Brian Wilson is another great tune with that brassy beat and a fine addition to "Big Wave".

Of course, I've known about The Beach Boys since I was in diapers thanks to their appearances on TV and their frequent inclusions on K-Tel records. So I know about their hits such as "Good Vibrations" and "Surfin' USA" but I can't say that I've been one of their hardcore fans and as such, I'm probably going to be discovering songs that I haven't yet heard. "Darlin'" is one of those songs and hearing both the original and the cover, I think the only disadvantage is the fact that it's just a little too short.