we might be feeling Hot Hot Hot way down in Kokomo but When The Sun Goes Down we’ll be in Margaritaville

And just like that, we find ourselves on the last Monday of July! Since it is Monday, that, of course, means music! This week’s theme is “Songs about a tropical paradise.” I’m down with that – let’s get this tropical paradise party started!  

Let’s start with a song that everyone associates with a tropical paradise – back in June 1982, the charismatic soul-calypso singer from Montserrat, West Indies, recorded the hit song that introduced his music to a wider audience. Originally an album track, it was released as a single in 1983 to great critical acclaim and became the artist’s first hit in the UK singles chart. It made the top ten in the Australian ARIA chart and launched the 34-year-old at the time onto the international stage.

People familiar with soul-calypso music (abbreviated to “soca”) dubbed him the King of Soca as a result. The rhythmic, dance-oriented musical style is most familiar in the Caribbean. The artist’s hit record became the biggest-selling soca single of all time and one of the most-played songs in history feel-good song for (outside) travel lovers, an ode to going the distance. Cue it up when you’re packing your bags or planning your next adventure to a tropical paradise.

Get ready to dance here’s Arrow with “Hot Hot Hot”:

Next up, a little trip to a (tropical) beach. This song came together when the music producer was hired to work on a song with The Beach Boys for the Tom Cruise movie Cocktail. The Beach Boys’ glory days were behind them, and they had been playing fairs and nostalgia shows. Me and my friends saw them when they played at the Puyallup Fair (now known as the Washington State Fair) in 1988. Feels like yesterday!

They were one of the most popular bands of the ’60s and had a bunch of songs dealing with recreation and fun, which is why they were asked to record for the movie. Kokomo is a city in the middle of Indiana and is also a small resort owned by Sandals Royal Caribbean in Montego Bay; the title was made up. It was supposed to represent all the tropical places and images that people think of when wishing to get away to some paradise island to escape the dreary work life.

Fun fact: This was released in July 1988, but it went nowhere until the movie came out a few months later and made it a huge hit. When The Beach Boys played it live during concerts that summer, it got no response. Pay attention! John Stamos is playing the drums in this video.

Give a listen to The Beach Boys with “Kokomo”:

Next up, having fun in a tropical paradise is an artist who is dynamite on stage, unassuming in person, and who was steadily crafting his career for nearly 15 years before he finally hit it big with an awesome song in 2002 that garnered triple platinum.

Back in 2004, it was a big day for both this country artist and the rock and rap artist as this duet by the two of them soared to the top of the charts. For this artist, it was his seventh return to the No. 1 spot, but for the other, it was the beginning of his enduring relationship with country music fans.

Let’s have some fun with Kenny Chesney and Uncle Kracker with “When The Sun Goes Down”:

Last but not least, you can never think of ‘tropical paradise’ without thinking of this artist. He wrote this song in Key West, Florida, after he finished a tour with his group. They had just toured Texas, and he spent some time drinking margaritas in a Mexican restaurant with a friend before going back to Key West. When he got there, he sat at the Old Anchor Inn watching gridlock on the roads – and used it as inspiration as he composed the song. His producer was quoted as saying:

“One day in the studio, he comes in and starts telling me about a day he had in Key West. He was coming home from a bar and he lost one of his flip-flops and he stepped on a beer can top and he couldn’t find the salt for his Margarita. He says he’s writing lyrics to it and I say ‘That’s a terrible idea for a song.’ He comes back in a few days later with ‘[this song]’ and plays it and right then everyone knows it’s a hit song. Hell, it wasn’t a song – it was a movie.”

This song has come to symbolize a carefree Caribbean lifestyle – what some in Key West call “Keys disease.” For many, the only time they experience this way of living is on vacations or at this artist’s concerts. The artist was born in Mississippi and raised in Alabama. He didn’t come to Key West, Florida, until 1971, when he was 24 years old. As a transplant, he had a perspective on the area that natives don’t, which helped him capture the ethos in this song.

He always loved sailing, and when this song became a hit, he was thrilled because he could buy his own boat. He said that even if he was a one-hit wonder, he would have been happy with his boat sailing around the islands.

Without further ado, here’s the late great Jimmy Buffett with “Margaritaville”:

And just for fun, here’s the version when Jimmy performed the song with Zac Brown Band:

That’s a wrap for this week – have a great Monday! See you on the dance floor!

Now, onto the particulars of Monday’s Music Move’s Me:

I have the supreme honor and privilege of being a co-host with the inimitable Xmas Dolly and our musical cohort, the awesome Cathy from Curious as a CAThy, and Alana of Ramblin’ with AM!

Want to join in the fun? It’s easy – just find a tune that rocks your boat, post it and link up – don’t forget to grab Xmas Dolly…er, um, I mean her button…over at her place here. Check out Xmas Dolly’s sidebar for the random themes we sport each week – and you can always ask for a specific theme of music you like, too. Check out the other music lovahs and let’s jam!

Want to join in the fun? It’s easy – just find a tune that rocks your boat, post it and link up – don’t forget to grab Xmas Dolly…er, um, I mean her button…over at her place here. Check out Xmas Dolly’s sidebar for the random themes we sport each week – and you can always ask for a specific theme of music you like, too. Check out the other music lovahs and let’s jam!