Music / First Love (Mike Love Album)

Bootleg cover art.

First Love is Mike Love's first recorded album. Conceived and recorded in 1978, it didn't get released since. Contrasting with the rock music he wrote/performed as a Beach Boy, First Love is closer to Easy-Listening/Adult Contemporary music.

Produced by Paul Fauerso (member of Mike's side-project Celebration) the album's recording took place in 1978 while The Beach Boys were working on L.A. (Light Album). Mike was also working on another solo record called Country Love which also got canned. One track in particular, "Brian's Back", features fellow Beach Boy Carl Wilson and "Sumahama" would end up in the tracklist of L.A. . Other songs would end up released way later in Mike's career on his 2017 album Unleash The Love.

Mike has continually been asked about the fate of this album (as well as Country Love) and he said there might be an official release. For now, it remains known among bootleggers.

Not to be confused with the First Love trope or Hikaru Utada's debut album. Mike Love's actual first album, in terms of official release, is Looking Back with Love which came out 3 years later.

Tracklist

1. "First Love"
2. "Too Cruel"
3. "You're Looking Better"
4. "Little Darlin'" (also named "Little Leila")
5. "I Don't Wanna Know"
6. "Brian's Back"
7. "Viggie"
8. "The Right Kind Of Love"
9. "Sumahama"
10. "Daybreak Over The Ocean"

Outtakes from the album are "Tricia" and "Glow Crescent Glow"

---

First tropes:

• Album Title Drop
  Sometimes your first love
  Turns out to be the best love you've ever had
• Divorce Is Temporary: "You're Looking Better" is about running into your ex while you're both in a relationship
  Oh it's been a long while
  And it's really good to see your smile
  By the way, what's with Jim
  And how is everything going with him ?
• Either/Or Title: "Little Darlin'" / "Little Leila"
• First Love: Duh, although it only concerns the title track and isn't a central theme of the album.
• Intentional Heartbreaker: "I Don't Wanna Know"
  If you're ever gonna break my heart
  Why even start ?
• Location Song: "Sumahama" is named after a beach in the Hyogo prefecture of Japan.
• Love Makes You Crazy: "The Right Kind Of Love"
  The right kind of love will get you crazy
  And make you jump up and down all night
• Meaningful Name: First (album recorded by Mike) Love.
• Meet the In-Laws: "First Love"
  Such a sweet love
  You took her home to meet your mom and dad
  They were so glad to see that she was nice and she could be just like one of the family
• Mythology Gag: "Brian's Back" is full of Beach Boys references: "Fun, Fun, Fun", Good Vibrations, Pet Sounds, "I Get Around" and "You Still Believe In Me".
• One-Woman Song: "Little Leila" and "Viggie".
• One-Word Title: "Viggie", "Sumahama" and "Tricia".
• The Power of Love: "The Right Kind Of Love"
  The right kind of love will give you power
  And a budding romance sure seems fun
• Rearrange the Song: "Daybreak Over The Ocean" went through several changes. After being recorded for this album in 1978...

  • It got rerecorded in 2004 for Mike Love Not War, another Mike Love album which was shelved.
  • Its 2004 mix was reused for The Beach Boys' That's Why God Made the Radio in 2012 (with additional singing from the Boys).
  • It was rererecorded for Mike's 2017 album Unleash The Love.

  • "Sumahama" is quite different from its L.A. (Light Album) counterpart as it contains less orientalist elements as well as no japanese verse.
• Silly Love Songs: "Viggie" and "The Right Kind Of Love".
• Special Guest: The album features members of the band Celebration who remains known for their song "Almost Summer" which was penned by Mike and Brian Wilson.
  • The only other Beach Boy who took part in the album's recording is Carl Wilson who provides backing vocals and sings the chorus of "Brian's Back"
• Title Drop: On all songs.
• Title Track: It is about the first love being true love but it also alludes to the fact that this is Mike's first recorded album.
• Truck Driver's Gear Change: "Brian's Back".
• Undying Loyalty: "Viggie"
  Haven't seen Viggie in quite a while
  Still I'll always love her and treasure her smile
  Even though she's gone to a faraway land
  And sends flowers for another man
• Vocal Tag Team: Mike and Carl Wilson share lead vocals on "Brian's Back".
• Wutai: "Sumahama".