27 years ago, The Beach Boys set two records when their song “Kokomo” hit No. 1 on the Billboard Top 100.
When the song peaked on the chart, it marked the longest gap between chart-toppers for a group (almost 22 years since 1966″s “Good Vibrations”) and the longest stretch of career No. 1s (dating back to The Beach Boys” first, “I Get Around” over 24 years prior).
“Kokomo” rose to popularity partly thanks to its presence on the soundtrack for Tom Cruise movie “Cocktail.”
That place off the Florida Keys called Kokomo? It was fictional – at least at the time The Beach Boys recorded the song. But years later, a privately owned island in Montego Bay, Jamaica was named after the song. Now, though, that formerly named Kokomo Island is called Sandals Cay.
Another fun fact: John Stamos is seen performing in the music video for “Kokomo” but Brian Wilson is not. Stamos, who has occasionally played in concert with The Beach Boys ever since 1985, plays the conga, bongos and steel drum in the video. It”s the only promotional video the band made in the 1980s without Wilson.
Other notable November 5 happenings in pop culture history:
• 1935: Parker Brothers began marketing the board game “Monopoly.”
• 1965: The Who song “My Generation” was released.
• 1970: Led Zeppelin”s “Immigrant Song” was released as a single.
• 1972: “The Jackson 5 Show,” the group”s second TV special, aired on CBS.
• 1995: A star-studded charity concert performance of “The Wizard of Oz” was staged at New York”s Lincoln Center, featuring Jewel (Dorothy), Jackson Browne (The Scarecrow), Roger Daltrey (The Tin Man), and Nathan Lane (The Cowardly Lion). The performance, which benefited the Children”s Defense Fund, was broadcast on TNT and TBS on November 22.
• 2000: “The Simpsons” episode “A Tale of Two Springfields” featured voices of members of The Who.
• 2007: The 2007-08 WGA strike began. It lasted until February 12, 2008.
And, of course, the date November 5 plays a key part in “V for Vendetta” and “Back to the Future.”
Birthdays: “We Need to Talk About Kevin” actress Tilda Swinton (turns 55 today), musician Bryan Adams (56), musician Ryan Adams (40), musician Art Garfunkel (74), reality TV star Kris Jenner (60), “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” actor Robert Patrick (57), “Moon” actor Sam Rockwell (47)