Beach Boys encore: Salt Lake City Traditional Cache
Beach Boys encore: Salt Lake City
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
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Over the past year, I've done a series of geocaches that were dedicated to one of my favorite rock bands, the Grateful Dead (or should I say "dead-icated"?). But the Dead aren't strictly the only group that I listen to with any regularity. I've been a fan of the Beach Boys since the early '60's. So I thought, why not a series for that group as well (especially since they are celebrating their 50th anniversary this year). Now they played Portland quite a few times, but only in a couple of places (and those sites already have Grateful Dead caches). So this series won't be for where they played, but for locations that are tied to some of the songs that they wrote and sang.
The Beach Boys were most popular for their sun, surf, car songs (with an occassional ballad tossed in), and for the Four Freshman-inspired harmonies that was their trademark vocal signature. They were at one time the most popular rock'n'roll group in America, knocking the Beatles off the top of the charts with their first #1 hit record, "I Get Around". The core group was comprised of three brothers, a cousin, and a high school classmate. Though they've had high times and low times over the years, the sound they produce is still instantly recognizable when a song comes on the radio.
"Down in Utah
The guys and I dig a city called Salt Lake
It's got the grooviest kids
That's why we never get tired of Salt Lake
And the way the kids talk so cool
Is an out of sight thing
And the number one radio station
Makes the town really swing yeah
Salt Lake City we'll be coming soon"
Most of the songs the band wrote and sang were based on the sand, the surf, cars, and other aspects of their life. The inspirations for their songs were sometimes very unique. For example, "Fun Fun Fun" was written about the daughter of a radio station executive in Salt Lake City. But that city also served as the inspiration for another of their songs.
"There's a park near the city, yeah
All the kids dig the Lagoon now
It's full of all kinds of girls
And rides and we'll be flyin' there soon now
And girl for girl
They've got the cutest of the Western states
They got the sun in the summer
And winter time the skiing is great yeah
Salt Lake City we'll be coming soon"
The Beach Boys at the Cuthbert Amphitheater in Eugene
The name of the song is "Salt Lake City" and was written by Mike Love and Brian Wilson. It was a light, up beat tempo song about the wonder and beauty of this part of Utah. After penning "Salt Lake City," a song celebrating Lagoon, Utah's pretty girls and KNAK, the band received keys to the city from the Chamber of Commerce, said Gene Davis, known as Droopy-Eyed Gene because he worked his years on the night shift at KNAK. Davis met Brian Wilson four years ago at a BMI awards dinner saluting the musical genius. "He 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." The song was never released as a single, but everytime the played the namesake town, it was usually on the playlist. If you click on the related web page link, you can see a group called the Fendertones performing an excellent version of this song.
The cache is on that is familiar to all cachers, in a location that is familiar to all. It is a log only, so please bring the writing instrument of your choice. Initials only please, and replace as found. Extraction tool highly recommended but not required. High muggle density, so please use your geo-ninja skills, and may the geo-force be with you.
Congratulations to RavensRevenge for the rapid early morning First-to-Find
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
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