Sloop John B
Encyclopedia
"Sloop John B" is the seventh track on The Beach Boys
' Pet Sounds
album and was also a single which was released in 1966 on Capitol Records
. It was originally a traditional West Indies
folk song, "The John B. Sails
," taken from a collection by Carl Sandburg
(1927). Alan Lomax
made a field recording of the song in Nassau
, 1935, under the title "Histe Up the John B. Sail." This recording appears on the album Bahamas 1935: Chanteys And Anthems From Andros And Cat Island. The song was adapted by The Weavers
member Lee Hays and they recorded it as "The Wreck of the John B." The Kingston Trio
's 1958 recording of the song, also under the title "The Wreck of the John B.," was the direct influence on the Beach Boys' version. Johnny Cash
recorded the song in 1959 as "I Want To Go Home." Jimmie Rodgers recorded the song in 1960 as "The Wreck of John B.", which reached #64 on the Billboard pop chart.
The Beach Boys version of "Sloop John B." was ranked #271 on Rolling Stone
s list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time
.
The John B. was an old sponger
boat - presumably a sloop
- whose crew were in the habit of getting notoriously merry whenever they made port. It was wrecked and sunk at Governor's Harbour
in Eleuthera
, The Bahamas
, in about 1900.
, who was a keen folk music
fan, suggested to Brian Wilson
that the Beach Boys should do a cover version
of "Sloop John B." As Jardine explains:
includes two alternate takes, one with Carl Wilson singing lead on the first two verses, and one with Brian Wilson singing all parts.
, Hollywood, California
, with the session being engineered by Chuck Britz
and produced by Brian Wilson. Highlights of these sessions can be heard on the 1997 box set The Pet Sounds Sessions as well as the master take. The instrumental part of the song took fourteen takes to achieve what is the master take of the song. Present on the day of the instrumental recording were Hal Blaine
on drums
, Ron Swallow on tambourine
, Lyle Ritz on string bass
, Carol Kaye
on electric bass
, Al Casey, Jerry Cole
and Billy Strange
on guitar
s, Al De Lory on organ
, Frank Capp
on glockenspiel
, Jay Migliori
on clarinet
, Steve Douglas
and Jim Horn
on flute
and Jack Nimitz
on baritone saxophone
.
The vocal tracks were recorded over three sessions. The first session was recorded on December 22, 1965, at Western Recorders with the session being produced by Brian Wilson. The second session was recorded on December 29 for a new lead vocal. Billy Strange played a 12 string electric guitar during that time. The third session was recorded in January 1966 for the high harmony lead and additional backing vocals. The song features five voices on the track. Brian Wilson and Mike Love are featured on lead vocals, with Al Jardine, Carl Wilson and Dennis Wilson featured on backing vocals. Brian used the production technique of double-tracking his and Mike's voices, so that his voice is simultaneously singing the same part twice, to give the vocal a fuller and richer sound; Brian Wilson used this technique often during the recording of Pet Sounds.
chart on April 2, and peaked at #3 on May 7, remaining on the chart, in total, for 11 weeks. It also charted highly throughout the world, remaining as one of the Beach Boys' most popular and memorable hits. It was #1 in Germany, Austria, and Norway—all for five weeks each—as well as Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Ireland, South Africa, and New Zealand. It placed #2 in the UK, Canada, and in Record World. According to music archivist Joseph Murrells in 1978, it was the fastest Beach Boys seller to date, moving more than half a million copies in less than two weeks after release.
, Joseph Spence, Tom Fogerty
, Roger Whittaker
, Jerry Jeff Walker
, Dick Dale
, Catch 22
, The Ventures
, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes
, Relient K
, Dan Zanes
, Okkervil River (adapted to be part of a song, "John Allyn Smith Sails," about the life and death of poet John Berryman
), David Thomas
, Barry McGuire
, Gary Lewis and the Playboys, and Hull City manager Phil Brown. A portion of the song appears on Carbon Leaf
's live album 5 Alive!
. A choral arrangement was performed in episode 3 of the BBC Drama All the Small Things
. It was arranged by Colin Hanson-Orr and Chris O'Hara.
Jerry Butler
recorded a version for his 1961 Folk Songs LP.
In 1966, Swedish
singer-songwriter
s Cornelis Vreeswijk
and Ann-Louise Hansson recorded a Swedish version, with anti-war-themed lyrics, called "Jag hade en gång en båt" ("Once I had a boat").
In 2001, Voltaire
used the melody and basic lyrical layout for the song "Screw the Okampa! (I Wanna Go Home)," outlining the plot of the Star Trek: Voyager
television series on his EP Banned on Vulcan
.
In 2009, Simple Minds
resurrected a version of this song during recording sessions for their acclaimed 2009 album Graffiti Soul, and released it along with other covers in the deluxe version of that album.
The 1960s Bobby Bare
/Jerry Lee Lewis
/Tom Jones
standard, "Detroit City" also is partly based on this song.
The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys are an American rock band, formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California. The group was initially composed of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Managed by the Wilsons' father Murry, The Beach Boys signed to Capitol Records in 1962...
' Pet Sounds
Pet Sounds
Pet Sounds is the eleventh studio album by the American rock band The Beach Boys, released May 16, 1966, on Capitol Records. It has since been recognized as one of the most influential records in the history of popular music and one of the best albums of the 1960s, including songs such as "Wouldn't...
album and was also a single which was released in 1966 on Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
. It was originally a traditional West Indies
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
folk song, "The John B. Sails
The John B. Sails
"The John B. Sails" is a folk song that first appeared in a 1917 American novel, Pieces of Eight, written by Richard Le Gallienne. The "secret" narrator of the story describes it as "one of the quaint Nassau ditties," the first verse and chorus of which are:-1950 to 1963:Among others, the song has...
," taken from a collection by Carl Sandburg
Carl Sandburg
Carl Sandburg was an American writer and editor, best known for his poetry. He won three Pulitzer Prizes, two for his poetry and another for a biography of Abraham Lincoln. H. L. Mencken called Carl Sandburg "indubitably an American in every pulse-beat."-Biography:Sandburg was born in Galesburg,...
(1927). Alan Lomax
Alan Lomax
Alan Lomax was an American folklorist and ethnomusicologist. He was one of the great field collectors of folk music of the 20th century, recording thousands of songs in the United States, Great Britain, Ireland, the Caribbean, Italy, and Spain.In his later career, Lomax advanced his theories of...
made a field recording of the song in Nassau
Nassau, Bahamas
Nassau is the capital, largest city, and commercial centre of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. The city has a population of 248,948 , 70 percent of the entire population of The Bahamas...
, 1935, under the title "Histe Up the John B. Sail." This recording appears on the album Bahamas 1935: Chanteys And Anthems From Andros And Cat Island. The song was adapted by The Weavers
The Weavers
The Weavers were an American folk music quartet based in the Greenwich Village area of New York City. They sang traditional folk songs from around the world, as well as blues, gospel music, children's songs, labor songs, and American ballads, and selling millions of records at the height of their...
member Lee Hays and they recorded it as "The Wreck of the John B." The Kingston Trio
The Kingston Trio
The Kingston Trio is an American folk and pop music group that helped launch the folk revival of the late 1950s to late 1960s. The group started as a San Francisco Bay Area nightclub act with an original lineup of Dave Guard, Bob Shane, and Nick Reynolds...
's 1958 recording of the song, also under the title "The Wreck of the John B.," was the direct influence on the Beach Boys' version. Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
recorded the song in 1959 as "I Want To Go Home." Jimmie Rodgers recorded the song in 1960 as "The Wreck of John B.", which reached #64 on the Billboard pop chart.
The Beach Boys version of "Sloop John B." was ranked #271 on Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
s list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time
The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time
"The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" was the cover story of a special issue of Rolling Stone, issue number 963, published December 9, 2004, a year after the magazine published its list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time"....
.
The John B. was an old sponger
Sponge diving
Sponge diving is the oldest known form of the original art of underwater diving, in order to retrieve natural sponges for human use.-Background:...
boat - presumably a sloop
Sloop
A sloop is a sail boat with a fore-and-aft rig and a single mast farther forward than the mast of a cutter....
- whose crew were in the habit of getting notoriously merry whenever they made port. It was wrecked and sunk at Governor's Harbour
Governor's Harbour
Governor's Harbour is a former district of the Bahamas. It corresponds roughly to the current district of Central Eleuthera....
in Eleuthera
Eleuthera
Eleuthera is an island in The Bahamas, lying 50 miles east of Nassau. It is very long and thin—110 miles long and in places little more than a mile wide. According to the 2000 Census, the population of Eleuthera is approximately 8,000...
, The Bahamas
The Bahamas
The Bahamas , officially the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, is a nation consisting of 29 islands, 661 cays, and 2,387 islets . It is located in the Atlantic Ocean north of Cuba and Hispaniola , northwest of the Turks and Caicos Islands, and southeast of the United States...
, in about 1900.
Idea for the song
The Beach Boys' Al JardineAl Jardine
Alan Charles "Al" Jardine is a founding member of top-selling American music group The Beach Boys, a guitarist and occasional lead vocalist. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.-Early life:...
, who was a keen folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
fan, suggested to Brian Wilson
Brian Wilson
Brian Douglas Wilson is an American musician, best known as the leader and chief songwriter of the group The Beach Boys. Within the band, Wilson played bass and keyboards, also providing part-time lead vocals and, more often, backing vocals, harmonizing in falsetto with the group...
that the Beach Boys should do a cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of "Sloop John B." As Jardine explains:
- "Brian was at the piano. I asked him if I could sit down and show him something. I laid out the chord pattern for 'Sloop John B.' I said, 'Remember this song?' I played it. He said, 'I'm not a big fan of the Kingston Trio.' He wasn't into folk music. But I didn't give up on the idea. So what I did was to sit down and play it for him in the Beach Boys idiom. I figured if I gave it to him in the right light, he might end up believing in it. So I modified the chord changes so it would be a little more interesting. The original song is basically a three-chord song, and I knew that wouldn't fly. So I put some minor changes in there, and it stretched out the possibilities from a vocal point of view. Anyway, I played it, walked away from the piano and we went back to work. The very next day, I got a phone call to come down to the studio. Brian played the song for me, and I was blown away. The idea stage to the completed track took less than 24 hours."
Choosing the lead vocalist
Al Jardine then explains that Brian "then lined us up one at a time to try out for the lead vocal. I had naturally assumed I would sing the lead, since I had brought in the arrangement. It was like interviewing for a job. Pretty funny. He didn't like any of us. My vocal had a much more mellow approach because I was bringing it from the folk idiom. For the radio, we needed a more rock approach. Brian and Mike ended up singing it. But I had a lot of fun bringing the idea to the band. It was very rewarding in every way but one; I was never given label credit for my contribution." On the final recording, Brian Wilson sang the first and third verses, while Mike Love sang the second verse. The box set The Pet Sounds SessionsThe Pet Sounds Sessions
The Pet Sounds Sessions is a 4-CD boxed set released in 1997 which compiles tracks from The Beach Boys' 1966 album Pet Sounds, and its recording sessions. The album is included in its entirety in its original mono mix, as well as a stereo mix...
includes two alternate takes, one with Carl Wilson singing lead on the first two verses, and one with Brian Wilson singing all parts.
Lyrics changes
Brian Wilson changed the lyrics in three of the lines of the song. He changed the lyric "This is the worst trip since I've been born" to "This is the worst trip I've ever been on." He also changed the lyric "I feel so break up" to "I feel so broke up." At 0:57 on the master recording one member of the band sings the original lyric (0:55 on the Acappella recording from the Pet sounds Sessions). The line "Broke into the people's trunk" was also changed to "Broke in the captain's trunk."Recording
The instrumental section of the song was recorded on July 22, 1965, at Western RecordersUnited Western Recorders
United Western Recorders, often abbreviated to UWR, was a renowned recording studio complex in Hollywood, California, which became one of the most successful independent recording studios in the world in the late 1950s and 1960s....
, Hollywood, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, with the session being engineered by Chuck Britz
Chuck Britz
Charles "Chuck" Dean Britz was a recording engineer who most famously worked with Jan and Dean, Brian Wilson, and The Beach Boys on numerous albums between 1962 and 1967....
and produced by Brian Wilson. Highlights of these sessions can be heard on the 1997 box set The Pet Sounds Sessions as well as the master take. The instrumental part of the song took fourteen takes to achieve what is the master take of the song. Present on the day of the instrumental recording were Hal Blaine
Hal Blaine
Hal Blaine is an American drummer and session musician. He is most known for his work with the Wrecking Crew in California. Blaine played on numerous hits by popular groups, including Elvis Presley, John Denver, the Ronettes, Simon & Garfunkel, the Carpenters, the Beach Boys, Nancy Sinatra, and...
on drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, Ron Swallow on tambourine
Tambourine
The tambourine or marine is a musical instrument of the percussion family consisting of a frame, often of wood or plastic, with pairs of small metal jingles, called "zils". Classically the term tambourine denotes an instrument with a drumhead, though some variants may not have a head at all....
, Lyle Ritz on string bass
Double bass
The double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
, Carol Kaye
Carol Kaye
Carol Kaye is an American musician, best known as one of the most prolific and widely heard bass guitarists in history, playing on an estimated 10,000 recording sessions in a 55 year career....
on electric bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, Al Casey, Jerry Cole
Jerry Cole
Jerry Cole born Jerald Kolbrack was an American guitarist who recorded under his own name, under various budget album pseudonyms and as an uncredited session musician.-Biography:...
and Billy Strange
Billy Strange
William E. "Billy" Strange is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and actor.-Recordings and songwriting:...
on guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s, Al De Lory on organ
Organ (music)
The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
, Frank Capp
Frank Capp
Frank Capp is an American jazz drummer.Capp was born August 20, 1931 in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA. He began playing with Stan Kenton starting in 1951 and remained with Kenton for some time. Later he joined Neal Hefti's group. He often accompanied Peggy Lee on some of her road dates and...
on glockenspiel
Glockenspiel
A glockenspiel is a percussion instrument composed of a set of tuned keys arranged in the fashion of the keyboard of a piano. In this way, it is similar to the xylophone; however, the xylophone's bars are made of wood, while the glockenspiel's are metal plates or tubes, and making it a metallophone...
, Jay Migliori
Jay Migliori
Jay Migliori was an American saxophonist, best known as a founding member of Supersax, a tribute band to Charlie Parker....
on clarinet
Clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
, Steve Douglas
Steve Douglas
Steve Douglas may refer to:*Steve Douglas , American saxophonist, flautist and clarinetist*Steve Douglas , late-night radio personality from Denver, Colorado...
and Jim Horn
Jim Horn
Jim Horn is an American saxophonist and woodwind player. He was born in Los Angeles, and after replacing saxophonist Steve Douglas in 1959, he toured with member Duane Eddy for five years, playing sax and flute on the road, and in the recording studio...
on flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
and Jack Nimitz
Jack Nimitz
Jack Nimitz was an American jazz baritone saxophonist.He played in a variety of genres including jazz and rock...
on baritone saxophone
Baritone saxophone
The baritone saxophone, often called "bari sax" , is one of the largest and lowest pitched members of the saxophone family. It was invented by Adolphe Sax. The baritone is distinguished from smaller sizes of saxophone by the extra loop near its mouthpiece...
.
The vocal tracks were recorded over three sessions. The first session was recorded on December 22, 1965, at Western Recorders with the session being produced by Brian Wilson. The second session was recorded on December 29 for a new lead vocal. Billy Strange played a 12 string electric guitar during that time. The third session was recorded in January 1966 for the high harmony lead and additional backing vocals. The song features five voices on the track. Brian Wilson and Mike Love are featured on lead vocals, with Al Jardine, Carl Wilson and Dennis Wilson featured on backing vocals. Brian used the production technique of double-tracking his and Mike's voices, so that his voice is simultaneously singing the same part twice, to give the vocal a fuller and richer sound; Brian Wilson used this technique often during the recording of Pet Sounds.
Success
The single, backed with the B side "You're So Good to Me," was released on March 21, 1966. It entered the Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart on April 2, and peaked at #3 on May 7, remaining on the chart, in total, for 11 weeks. It also charted highly throughout the world, remaining as one of the Beach Boys' most popular and memorable hits. It was #1 in Germany, Austria, and Norway—all for five weeks each—as well as Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Ireland, South Africa, and New Zealand. It placed #2 in the UK, Canada, and in Record World. According to music archivist Joseph Murrells in 1978, it was the fastest Beach Boys seller to date, moving more than half a million copies in less than two weeks after release.
Cover versions
The song has been recorded by many artists, including Rainy Day, UlfulsUlfuls
is a Japanese rock band from Osaka. The band name Ulfuls is derived from a misreading of the word "soulful," found on the cover of one of the band members' favorite records...
, Joseph Spence, Tom Fogerty
Tom Fogerty
Thomas Richard "Tom" Fogerty was an American musician, best known as the rhythm guitarist in Creedence Clearwater Revival and the elder brother of John Fogerty, lead singer and lead guitarist in that band....
, Roger Whittaker
Roger Whittaker
Roger Whittaker is an Anglo-Kenyan singer-songwriter and musician with worldwide record sales of over 55 million. His music can be described as easy listening. He is best known for his baritone singing voice and trademark whistling ability...
, Jerry Jeff Walker
Jerry Jeff Walker
Jerry Jeff Walker is an American country music singer and songwriter. He is probably most famous for writing the song "Mr. Bojangles.-Biography:...
, Dick Dale
Dick Dale
Dick Dale is an American surf rock guitarist, known as The King of the Surf Guitar. He experimented with reverberation and made use of custom made Fender amplifiers, including the first-ever 100-watt guitar amplifier.-Early life:Dale was born in South Boston, Massachusetts and lived in nearby...
, Catch 22
Catch 22 (band)
Catch 22 is an American ska punk band from East Brunswick Township, New Jersey.The band was formed by guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Tomas Kalnoky and drummer Chris Greer who recruited trumpeter Kevin Gunther, who was working in a local record store...
, The Ventures
The Ventures
The Ventures is an American instrumental rock band formed in 1958 in Tacoma, Washington. Founded by Don Wilson and Bob Bogle, the group in its various incarnations has had an enduring impact on the development of music worldwide. With over 100 million records sold, the group is the best-selling...
, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes is a punk rock supergroup and cover band that formed in 1995. The Gimmes work exclusively as a cover band. The band is named after a children's book of the same name by Gerald G. Jampolsky and Diane V. Cirincione...
, Relient K
Relient K
Relient K is an American rock band formed in 1998 in Canton, Ohio by Matt Thiessen, Brian Pittman, and Matt Hoopes during the band's junior year in high school and their time at Malone University...
, Dan Zanes
Dan Zanes
Dan Zanes was a member of the popular 1980s band The Del Fuegos and is currently the front man of the Grammy-winning group Dan Zanes and Friends.-History:...
, Okkervil River (adapted to be part of a song, "John Allyn Smith Sails," about the life and death of poet John Berryman
John Berryman
John Allyn Berryman was an American poet and scholar, born in McAlester, Oklahoma. He was a major figure in American poetry in the second half of the 20th century and was considered a key figure in the Confessional school of poetry...
), David Thomas
David Thomas (musician)
David Lynn Thomas is an American singer, songwriter, and musician.He was one of the founding members of the short-lived protopunkers Rocket From The Tombs , where he went by the name of Crocus Behemoth, and of punk group Pere Ubu . He has also released several solo albums...
, Barry McGuire
Barry McGuire
Barry McGuire is an American singer-songwriter best known for the hit song "Eve of Destruction", and later as a pioneering singer and songwriter of Contemporary Christian Music.-Early life:...
, Gary Lewis and the Playboys, and Hull City manager Phil Brown. A portion of the song appears on Carbon Leaf
Carbon Leaf
Carbon Leaf is a five-piece indie rock band from Richmond, Virginia that is known for their Alt-Country and Celtic / Bluegrass infused Indie Rock...
's live album 5 Alive!
5 Alive!
5 Alive! is the first live album released by the band Carbon Leaf. It was recorded over five concerts in the autumn and winter of 2002 and released in 2003 on the band's own label, Constant Ivy Music. It is their last release on their own label prior to signing with Vanguard Records in 2004.-Track...
. A choral arrangement was performed in episode 3 of the BBC Drama All the Small Things
All the Small Things (TV series)
All the Small Things is a British television programme, produced by the BBC and created and developed by Debbie Horsfield. Following the lives and ambitions of a church choir and its members, the programme began airing on 31 March 2009 and ran for six episodes. The programme frequently features...
. It was arranged by Colin Hanson-Orr and Chris O'Hara.
Jerry Butler
Jerry Butler (singer)
Jerry Butler is an American soul singer and songwriter. He is also noted as being the original lead singer of the R&B vocal group, The Impressions, as well as a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee.Butler is also an American politician...
recorded a version for his 1961 Folk Songs LP.
In 1966, Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
s Cornelis Vreeswijk
Cornelis Vreeswijk
Cornelis Vreeswijk , was a singer-songwriter, poet and actor born in IJmuiden in the Netherlands.He emigrated to Sweden with his parents in 1949 at the age of twelve. He was educated as a social worker and hoped to become a journalist, but became increasingly involved in music, performing at...
and Ann-Louise Hansson recorded a Swedish version, with anti-war-themed lyrics, called "Jag hade en gång en båt" ("Once I had a boat").
In 2001, Voltaire
Voltaire (musician)
Voltaire , is a popular dark cabaret Cuban-American musician...
used the melody and basic lyrical layout for the song "Screw the Okampa! (I Wanna Go Home)," outlining the plot of the Star Trek: Voyager
Star Trek: Voyager
Star Trek: Voyager is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe. Set in the 24th century from the year 2371 through 2378, the series follows the adventures of the Starfleet vessel USS Voyager, which becomes stranded in the Delta Quadrant 70,000 light-years from Earth while...
television series on his EP Banned on Vulcan
Banned on Vulcan
Banned on Vulcan is an EP by the dark cabaret/darkwave artist Voltaire. It was released in 2001 by PlanetGrey Records, then re-released later that year by Projekt Records. Voltaire is a great fan of Star Trek, frequently attending conventions...
.
In 2009, Simple Minds
Simple Minds
Simple Minds are a Scottish rock band who achieved worldwide popularity from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s. The band produced a handful of critically acclaimed albums in the early 1980s and best known for their #1 US, Canada and Netherlands hit single "Don't You ", from the soundtrack of the...
resurrected a version of this song during recording sessions for their acclaimed 2009 album Graffiti Soul, and released it along with other covers in the deluxe version of that album.
The 1960s Bobby Bare
Bobby Bare
Robert Joseph Bare is an American country music singer and songwriter. He is the father of Bobby Bare, Jr., also a musician.-Early career:...
/Jerry Lee Lewis
Jerry Lee Lewis
Jerry Lee Lewis is an American rock and roll and country music singer-songwriter and pianist. An early pioneer of rock and roll music, Lewis's career faltered after he married his young cousin, and he afterwards made a career extension to country and western music. He is known by the nickname 'The...
/Tom Jones
Tom Jones (singer)
Sir Thomas John Woodward, OBE , known by his stage name Tom Jones, is a Welsh singer.Since the mid 1960s, Jones has sung many styles of popular music – pop, rock, R&B, show tunes, country, dance, techno, soul and gospel – and sold over 100 million records...
standard, "Detroit City" also is partly based on this song.
Cultural
- The John B pub in Coquitlam, British ColumbiaBritish ColumbiaBritish Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
is named after the song. - In many Jewish communities, the poem "Dror Yikra" by Dunash ben LabratDunash ben LabratDunash ha-Levi ben Labrat was a medieval Jewish commentator, poet, and grammarian of the Golden age of Jewish culture in Spain. He was, according to Moses ibn Ezra, born in Fes. In his youth he travelled to Bagdad to study with Saadia Gaon.Dunash is called the founder of Spanish Hebrew poetry...
is sometimes sung to the tune of "Sloop John B" because of its similar meter. - Dr. Miguelito LovelessDr. LovelessDr. Miguelito Quixote Loveless is a fictional character, a villain on the 1960s television series The Wild Wild West. He is a brilliant dwarf portrayed by Michael Dunn. As a mad scientist, and the arch-enemy of Secret Service agents James West and Artemus Gordon, Dr. Loveless was involved in...
, in the TV series The Wild Wild WestThe Wild Wild WestThe Wild Wild West is an American television series that ran on CBS for four seasons from September 17, 1965 to April 4, 1969....
sang a version of this in a duet with Antoinette in the episode titled "The Night of the Raven" (original air date 30 September 1966). - Bill MumyBill MumyCharles William "Bill" Mumy, Jr. is an American actor, musician, pitchman, instrumentalist, voice-over artist and a figure in the science-fiction community. He is known primarily for his work as a child television actor....
as Will Robinson and Marta KristenMarta KristenMarta Kristen is an American actress.The naturally blonde-haired Kristen is best-known for her role as Guy Williams's and June Lockhart's beautiful daughter, Judy Robinson, in the television series Lost in Space...
as Judy Robinson, sang a version of this song in the "Castles in Space" episode of the TV series Lost in SpaceLost in SpaceLost in Space is a science fiction TV series created and produced by Irwin Allen, filmed by 20th Century Fox Television, and broadcast on CBS. The show ran for three seasons, with 83 episodes airing between September 15, 1965, and March 6, 1968...
(original air date 20 December 1967). - In the episode "Open Water" of the television series CSI: MiamiCSI: MiamiCSI: Miami is an American police procedural television series, which premiered on September 23, 2002 on CBS. The series is a spin-off of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation....
, which was about a double murder on a cruise shipCruise shipA cruise ship or cruise liner is a passenger ship used for pleasure voyages, where the voyage itself and the ship's amenities are part of the experience, as well as the different destinations along the way...
, the song is played at the end of the episode. - During the BBC programme Three Men in Another Boat with Griff Rhys JonesGriff Rhys JonesGriffith "Griff" Rhys Jones is a Welsh comedian, writer, actor, television presenter and personality. Jones came to national attention in the early 1980s for his work in the BBC television comedy sketch shows Not the Nine O'Clock News and Alas Smith and Jones along with his comedy partner Mel Smith...
, Dara Ó BriainDara Ó BriainDara Ó Briain is an Irish stand-up comedian and television presenter, noted for hosting topical panel shows such as The Panel and Mock the Week....
and Rory McGrathRory McGrathPatrick Rory McGrath is an English comedian and writer. He is best known for roles in Who Dares Wins, Chelmsford 123, Three Men in a Boat and its successors. He was also a regular panellist on They Think It's All Over....
, McGrath is heard singing the popular song whilst out sailing in the English ChannelEnglish ChannelThe English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
. - In the 2007 film Full of ItFull of ItFull of It is a 2007 comedy directed by Christian Charles. It was released in the US on March 2, 2007, and aired on ABC Family under the title Big Liar on Campus on September 16, 2007. The movie is rated PG-13 for "sexual content, drug references, teen partying, and crude humor" by the MPAA...
, the main character Sam and his family sing the song while driving Sam to school. - In the 2003 film Calendar GirlsCalendar GirlsCalendar Girls is a 2003 comedy film directed by Nigel Cole. Produced by Buena Vista International and Touchstone Pictures, it features a screenplay by Tim Firth and Juliette Towhidi based on a true story of a group of Yorkshire women who produced a nude calendar to raise money for Leukaemia...
, the song is heard as a "victory" song just as the protagonists realize that their "failed" press conference has only been re-located to a larger room and was a bigger success than previously expected. - The song is played to close out the episode "The Sword of Orion" of the television series Sports NightSports NightSports Night is an American television series about a fictional sports news show also called Sports Night. It focuses on the friendships, pitfalls, and ethical issues the creative talent of the program face while trying to produce a good show under constant network pressure...
. - In the 1994 film Forrest GumpForrest GumpForrest Gump is a 1994 American epic comedy-drama romance film based on the 1986 novel of the same name by Winston Groom. The film was directed by Robert Zemeckis, starring Tom Hanks, Robin Wright and Gary Sinise...
, the song can be heard in the background playing on a radio as Lieutenant Dan, played by Gary SiniseGary SiniseGary Alan Sinise is an American actor, film director and musician. During his career, Sinise has won various awards including an Emmy and a Golden Globe Award and was nominated for an Academy Award. In 1992, Sinise directed, and played the role of George Milton in the successful film adaptation of...
, finishes his very cynical, revelatory lecture to Forrest and Bubba. The words, "This is the worst trip I've ever been on", help accentuate Forrest and Bubba's realization that they have arrived in a very tumultuous setting. - In Alan Dean FosterAlan Dean FosterAlan Dean Foster is an American author of fantasy and science fiction. He currently resides in Prescott, Arizona, with his wife, and is also known for his novelizations of film scripts...
's book SpellsingerSpellsingerSpellsinger is a series of fantasy novels written by Alan Dean Foster. At present the series consists of eight books, and although there was a significant gap between the writing of book six and book seven, it seems unlikely that any more will be written....
, the main character sings this song as a spell to conjure up a boat, but he also succeeds in making himself drunk, facing a horrible storm, and just missing his chance to get back to his own dimension. - The song is sung by many English football fans. It was first adopted by the supporters of English Non League Team FC United as a club anthem in 2007, although Liverpool used the tune of the song to celebrate winning the European Cup five times, in 2005. Since then more high profile teams have followed suit, usually with different lyrics for their own teams such as Watford, Newcastle, Blackpool, Hull. It was perhaps most famously sung by Phil Brown, the manager of Hull City FCHull City A.F.C.Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...
, shortly after Hull had avoided relegationPromotion and relegationIn many sports leagues around the world, promotion and relegation is a process that takes place at the end of each season. Through it, teams are transferred between divisions based on their performance that season...
from the Premiership in 2009. - In Sarah VowellSarah VowellSarah Jane Vowell is an American author, journalist, essayist and social commentator. Often referred to as a "social observer," Vowell has written five nonfiction books on American history and culture, and was a contributing editor for the radio program This American Life on Public Radio...
's book Assassination VacationAssassination VacationAssassination Vacation is a book by Sarah Vowell, published in 2005, in which she travels around the United States researching the assassinations of U.S. Presidents Abraham Lincoln, William McKinley and James Garfield...
, the author sings The Beach Boys' Sloop John B. while experiencing severe seasickness traveling to the Dry TortugasDry TortugasThe Dry Tortugas are a small group of islands, located at the end of the Florida Keys, USA, about west of Key West, and west of the Marquesas Keys, the closest islands. Still further west is the Tortugas Bank, which is completely submerged. The first Europeans to discover the islands were the...
by boat. - A version of the song is sang in the final credits of the Argentinian film Historias Extraordinarias.
- In the UK there is a 54 ft sloop rigged yacht called John B competing in the RORC championship. The yacht was built by cantiere del pardo.