| "Salt Lake City" | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Song bythe Beach Boys | |
| from the albumSummer Days (And Summer Nights!!) | |
| Released | July 5, 1965 (1965-07-05) |
| Recorded | March 30 – May 1965 |
| Studio | Western andColumbia, Hollywood |
| Genre | Rock |
| Length | 2:00 |
| Label | Capitol |
| Songwriter(s) | |
| Producer(s) | Brian Wilson |
| Licensed audio | |
| "Salt Lake City" onYouTube | |
"Salt Lake City" is a song written byBrian Wilson andMike Love for the Americanrock bandthe Beach Boys. It was released on their 1965 albumSummer Days (And Summer Nights!!).
"Salt Lake City" was written to call attention to the band's major fan base inthe city of the same name. From 1963 until 1973, the Beach Boys performed at Utah'sLagoon Amusement Park's Patio Gardens at least twelve times, and Utah was one of the earliest places that the Beach Boys' music was played outside of California.[1]KNAKdeejay Gene Davis said, "[Brian Wilson] remembered coming to Salt Lake, but it was not a big deal. When you talk to Mike Love, Salt Lake was big time to them. He loved Salt Lake City. But [Wilson] remembered writing 'Salt Lake City' as one of those fun songs they sat down and did."[1] The song was also released as a promo single, backed with "Amusement Parks U.S.A.", by the city's downtown merchants association.[2]
The song lyrics extol the attractions of northern Utah: summer sun, winter skiing, local girls and theLagoon amusement park. Mike Love and Brian Wilson sing the leads vocals on the song.
AllMusic writerRichie Unterberger called the song a "subpar effort" as well as one of the "throwbacks to the empty-headed summer filler of previous days" onSummer Days (And Summer Nights!!).[3] Author Jim Fuselli described the track as a throwback "to the group's happy-go-lucky days."[4]
Partial credits via Craig Slowinski.[5]
The Beach Boys
Additional musicians and staff
