"Honkin' Down the Highway" is a song by American rock band

the Beach Boys The Beach Boys are an American Rock music, rock band that formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian Wilson, Brian, Dennis Wilson, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and frie ...

from their 1977 album '' The Beach Boys Love You''. It was written by

Brian Wilson Brian Douglas Wilson (born June 20, 1942) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer who co-founded the Beach Boys. Often called a genius for his novel approaches to pop composition, extraordinary musical aptitude, and m ...

and sung by Al Jardine. The lyrics describe a man driving to a woman, at her father's behest, for an engagement that the narrator states will conclude with himself "Takin' one little inch at a time, now / 'Til we're feelin' fine, now".

Background and recording

Asked if the song was influenced by

country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...

, Wilson responded, "It was to a certain degree – but just to a certain degree though. I remember when I wrote that I was thinkin' 'truckin' down the highway' – just some kind of a country western kind of an idea. The actual song itself wasn't that country though." The song was originally going to be sung by touring musician

Billy Hinsche William Hinsche (June 29, 1951 – November 20, 2021) was an American musician who was a co-founding member of the singing trio Dino, Desi & Billy and a keyboardist for the Beach Boys' backing band. Background Hinsche was born in Manila, the Phi ...

. Hinsche later said that Eugene Landy had convinced Wilson to discard the lead vocal that Hinsche had recorded. Engineer Earle Mankey recalled that Wizzard frontman Roy Wood contributed to the recording. An edited version appeared on the 1991 CD reissue of ''The Beach Boys Love You'', in which the drum intro is cut off.

Single mix

The German single mix runs shorter than the album release, cutting the instrumental bridge.

Reception

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', was an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...

'' said of the single, "the vocals and darkly colored instruments are blended into one thick soup, but the warm summer feelings come through." ''

Record World ''Record World'' magazine was one of the three main music industry trade magazines in the United States, along with '' Billboard'' and '' Cashbox''. It was founded in 1946 under the name ''Music Vendor'', but in 1964 it was changed to ''Record Wo ...

'' called it a "rock-ribbed driving song.."

Cover versions

* In the mid-1980s, Alex Chilton played "Honkin' Down the Highway" in concert with revised lyrics. * A remake of this song was included on Jardine's 2010 album '' A Postcard from California'', with Wilson making a guest appearance.

References

Bibliography * * {{authority control 1977 singles The Beach Boys songs Songs written by Brian Wilson Song recordings produced by Brian Wilson 1977 songs