A Beach Boys hit in the 80s? We know what you’re probably thinking. But, no, we’re not talking about “Kokomo” here. The band had already made a minor comeback of sorts three years earlier with their first Top 40 hit with an original song in nine years.
The song was “Getcha Back”, which pushed into the pop charts, video and all, in 1985. And as was so often the case with this band, it came during a period of turmoil.
Summer Slump
As the 80s arrived, even the most ardent fans of The Beach Boys had to admit that it had been quite some time since they’d been relevant as an artistic force. They could always count on a wave of nostalgia to come rolling to the shore now and again, usually spurred on by a new greatest hits package. But the new records that they made barely registered.
The struggles continued in 1980 with Keepin’ The Summer Alive, which came and went without a trace. That’s when The Beach Boys started to focus on touring the oldies circuit. In 1981, they even released a pair of Top 40 singles (“The Beach Boys Medley” and “Come Go With Me”) that didn’t even attempt to meet the moment.
In 1983, tragedy rocked the band when Dennis Wilson drowned at the age of 39. On top of that, Brian Wilson, the band’s one-time artistic genius, struggled to contribute much of anything. Intra-band squabbles intensified. Still, the band pushed ahead with a self-titled album that arrived in 1985.
“Back” in Business
On The Beach Boys album, Brian Wilson contributed sporadically. His psychologist, Elliot Landy, also insisted on being an integral part of the proceedings, much to the band’s dismay. Although Brian could be heard taking a brief lead vocal part in “Getcha Back”, he had no hand in its writing.
Instead, fellow Beach Boy Mike Love co-wrote the song with Terry Melcher, long an associate of the band. Love also took lead vocals. And, as Love’s style usually dictated, “Getcha Back” lived in a world of cars and teenage romance, even though, in this case, he was looking back at it all.
Producer Steve Levine, who had made his bones on Culture Club’s hit 80s records, captured the classic Beach Boys sound. But he also added just enough of a modern sheen to the proceedings to keep it competitive with what else was on the radio. “Getcha Back” made it to No. 26 on the pop charts.
Behind the Lyrics of “Getcha Back”
“Getcha Back” tells the story of a guy who thinks about an old love (spurred on by an oldie, of course) and begins to regret that they didn’t stick together. As a matter of fact, regrets dominate his thoughts: “Took me back, darling, to that time in my car/When you cried all night ‘cause we’d gone too far.”
He mentions how the girl’s current beau treats her well but lacks that special something. “He can never love you like I can do,” Love sings. The solution? Blow up two relationships to get one that truly soars. “So if I leave her and you leave him,” he ponders. “Can we ever get it back again?”
At the time, it seemed like “Getcha Back” was an anomaly, a pleasant throwback from a band that had seen better days. As it turned out, The Beach Boys were just warming up for “Kokomo”, one of the biggest hits in a decade that was supposed to have passed them by.
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