Muppet Madness International

The Muppets and the Beach Boys

With legendary rock band The Beach Boys reuniting for a world tour and delivering a brand new album produced by Beach Boy and music legend Brian Wilson it's time to look at the marks they left behind in Muppet history and look back at some of the Beach Boys tributes Jim Henson and his colleagues made.

Miss Piggy and the Muppet pigs performing "I Get Around"

With I Get Around being the first number one hit by the Beach Boys in the United States it seemed like a logical choice for a Muppets cover. The usual beach and sea atmosphere was hard to find in this sketch though as it was performed by the Muppet pigs dressed as a biker gang. Interesting about the production of this number is that in order to make it look authentic the producers ordered real operational (Muppet sized) motorcycles. However, when they arrived, they wouldn't be allowed to run. Because of safety regulations the studio wouldn't allow gas vehicles to run. Muppet fans got a scene behind this hard to make segment in the special Of Muppets and Men.

Kermit performing "Kokomo"

When the Muppets made a album titled Beach Party they covered several Beach Boys songs but only one of the songs on the album was made into a video and that's Kermit's version of Kokomo. This video is particulary noteworthy since it was one of the first videos produced in which Steve Whitmire performed Kermit. The video actually differs a bit from the original recording as it features an alt sax solo that was not heard on the album.

Kermit, Sweetums, and the frogs performing "Surfin USA"

Being that Surfin' USA is one of the most famous Beach Boys songs it's perhaps a bit odd that it got covered so late in the Muppet Show's run but the performance was well worth the wait. In this episode Kermit plays the part of Sinbad the Sailor who, along with his frog henchmen wants to get into a cave. Problem is, the cave is guarded by Sweetums who got strict orders to guard the cave from Sinbad. However, Kermit soon convinces him that he's not Sinbad the Sailor but sinbad the Surfer by singing the Beach Boys hit song.

Surfin' USA was later covered by Kermit and Clifford on the earlier mention Muppets Beach party CD.