Beautiful Girls (Van Halen song)

"Beautiful Girls" is the last song from Van Halen's second album, Van Halen II, from 1979. The song was a concert staple during their tour for this album. The song was originally titled "Bring on the Girls" when it was recorded for the 25-song Warner Brothers demo, but the title and lyrics were changed accordingly.[1]

"Beautiful Girls"
Single by Van Halen
from the album Van Halen II
A-side"Beautiful Girls"
B-side"D.O.A."
ReleasedSeptember 15, 1979
RecordedDecember 1978 - January 1979
GenreHard rock
Length3:57
LabelWarner Bros.
Songwriter(s)Eddie Van Halen, Alex Van Halen, Michael Anthony and David Lee Roth
Producer(s)Ted Templeman
Van Halen singles chronology
"Dance the Night Away"
(1979)
"Beautiful Girls"
(1979)
"And the Cradle Will Rock..."
(1980)

In 1991, the song (along with the opening riff to "D.O.A.") was used in a Saturday Night Live commercial parody called "Schmitt's Gay". The commercial, which spoofed beer company advertisers who targeted specific demographics, featured Chris Farley & Adam Sandler as two gay men who are housesitting and find themselves surrounded by attractive, and presumably gay, men wearing bikini swim trunks, with whom both characters end up cavorting merrily. The initial broadcast and subsequent rebroadcasts shortly thereafter featured the original Van Halen song, but later syndicated broadcasts use generic rock guitar riffs produced by the SNL band, presumably due to licensing costs. Phil Hartman was the announcer for both versions.

Reception

Author Chuck Klosterman ranked it the 20th-best Van Halen song, calling it the "supernatural definition of musical immediacy."[2]

Notes

  1. "Van Halen II". www.classicvanhalen.com.
  2. Klosterman, Chuck (October 6, 2020). "All 131 Van Halen Songs, Ranked From Worst to Best A look back at the band's formidable legacy". Vulture.com. Retrieved October 9, 2020.

Further reading

  • Van Halen Guitar Anthology. Van Nuys, California: Alfred. 2006. pp. 46–55. ISBN 9780897246729. OCLC 605214049.



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