California Sun

Last updated
"California Sun"
Single by Joe Jones
B-side "Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone"
Released1960 (1960)
Length2:21
Label Roulette (4344)
Songwriter Henry Glover
Joe Jones singles chronology
"You Talk Too Much"
(1960)		"California Sun"
(1960)		"(I've Got a) Uh Uh Wife"
(1961)

"California Sun" is a rock song written by Henry Glover when employed by Roulette Records. [1] It has been recorded and released by various artists, the most successful by the band The Rivieras in 1963.

Contents

Joe Jones version

It was first recorded by American rhythm and blues singer Joe Jones. Glover is credited on the original 45 rpm single as the sole songwriter, although Roulette Records owner Morris Levy's name has since been added. [2] In 1961, Roulette issued the song with "Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone" as the B-side. The single reached number 89 on Billboard's Hot 100. [3] [4]

The Rivieras version

"California Sun"
CaliforniaSun.jpg
Single by The Rivieras
from the album Let's Have a Party
B-side "H.B. Goose Step"
ReleasedDecember 1963 (1963-12) [5]
Recorded1963
Genre
Length2:23
Label Riviera (R-1401)
Songwriter Henry Glover
The Rivieras singles chronology
"Played On"
(1963)		"California Sun"
(1963)		"Little Donna"
(1964)

The most successful was a surfer-rock version of the song released by the Rivieras in 1963 and became the group's biggest hit in their short career. This song was the result of their first recording session at Chicago's Columbia Recording Studios in 1963, organised by manager Bill Dobslaw. The lineup for this session included Marty Fortson on vocals and rhythm guitar, Joe Pennell on lead guitar, Doug Gean on bass guitar, Otto Nuss on Vox Continental organ, and Paul Dennert on drums. The original single cut from this session included the song "Played On" as the A-side, with "California Sun" as the B-side and was released on Dobslaw's Riviera label in 1963. DJ Art Roberts ensured that the "California Sun" side saw significant airplay on WLS. In response to the growing success, Dobslaw got the band a national distribution deal with USA Records, and the song was adequately distributed with "H.B. Goose Step" as the B-side. [6]

The song entered the charts on January 25, 1964, peaking at number five on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. It remained on the charts for 10 weeks. [7] The song was further hailed as the last American rock and roll hit before the British Invasion. Shortly after the song's release, the band experienced internal problems as Fortson and Pennell enlisted in the Marines, in addition to various lineup changes afterwards. A re-recording of the song with new lyrics, titled "Arizona Sun" was recorded in 1964, but not released until 2000 on the compilation Let's Stomp with The Rivieras! Unissued 1964 Recordings. "California Sun" was eventually featured on the band's debut album Let's Have a Party . A later version was released later that year as "California Sun '65" on their second and final album, Campus Party . [6]

The Rivieras version was used in the 1987 movie Good Morning, Vietnam , as well as on its soundtrack album. [8] It was also featured in the 1991 biopic The Doors . [9] It was one of many California-related songs played throughout "Sunshine Plaza" in the original Disney California Adventure. [10]

Chart history

Chart (1964)Peak
position
Canada (CHUM Hit Parade) [11] 3
Germany [12] 15
New Zealand (Lever Hit Parade) [13] 6
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 [7] 5

Ramones version

"California Sun"
Song by Ramones
from the album Leave Home
A-side "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend"
ReleasedJanuary 1977
RecordedOctober 1976
Genre Punk rock
Length1:58
Label Sire
Songwriter Henry Glover
Producers Tony Bongiovi, Tommy Ramone

The Ramones first used a live-version of the song as b-side to their I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend single released in 1976. [14] A studio version of the song was recorded by the for their 1977 Leave Home album. [14] It was also used in their 1979 Rock 'n' Roll High School motion picture and the live-album It's Alive . [15] This version is on various compilations, including All the Stuff (And More!) Volume 1 and Hey Ho! Let's Go: The Anthology .

The Ramones cover was also used in Jackass: The Movie (and on the soundtrack album) and in The X-Files season 11 episode This.

Other Notable Versions

References

  1. ↑ James, Tommy (2010-02-16). Me, the Mob, and the Music: One Helluva Ride with Tommy James & The Shondells. Simon and Schuster. ISBN   978-1-4391-4264-6.
  2. ↑ BMI Popular Music Awards for 1964. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 1965-01-30.
  3. ↑ Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-2002
  4. 1 2 Fuchs, Otto (2011). Bill Haley: The Father of Rock & Roll. Gelnhausen: Wagner Verlag. p. 297. ISBN   978-3-86279-537-6.
  5. ↑ "45cat - The Rivieras [Indiana] - California Sun / H B Goose Step - Riviera - USA - R-1401" . Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  6. 1 2 Plasketes, George (2024-11-06). Chicagoland at 45 RPM: The Mid-1960s Midwest Music Mecca. McFarland. p. 14. ISBN   978-1-4766-6982-3.
  7. 1 2 "The Rivieras - Chart history". Billboard. Archived from the original on 2018-05-21. Retrieved 2016-09-27.
  8. ↑ Smith, Rob (2022-12-23). "What a Wonderful Soundtrack: The Music of 'Good Morning, Vietnam'". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 2025-12-23.
  9. ↑ Lavington, Stephen (2011-11-30). Virgin Film: Oliver Stone. Random House. p. 219. ISBN   978-0-7535-4766-3.
  10. ↑ "Sunshine Plaza". Theme Park Music. Archived from the original on 2016-08-20. Retrieved 2016-09-27.
  11. ↑ "CHUM Hit Parade, March 2, 1964" . Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  12. ↑ "Infinity charts: German Top 20". ki.informatik.uni-wuerzburg.de. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  13. ↑ "flavour of New Zealand - search lever". www.flavourofnz.co.nz. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  14. 1 2 True, Everett (2010-05-16). Hey Ho Let's Go: The Story of the Ramones: The Story of The Ramones. Omnibus Press. p. 99. ISBN   978-0-85712-060-1.
  15. ↑ Strong, Martin Charles (1996). The Wee Rock Discography. Canongate. p. 385. ISBN   978-0-86241-621-8.
  16. ↑ Annette Funicello – California Sun , retrieved 2025-12-23
  17. ↑ Eder, Bruce, California Sun/The Crickets: A Collection - review, Allmusic, retrieved 2025-12-23
  18. ↑ Demming, Mark, Go Girl Crazy! - The Dictators review, Allmusic, retrieved 2025-12-23
  19. ↑ "45cat - The Royal Showband (Waterford) Featuring Brendan Bowyer - Bless You (For Being An Angel) / Californian Sun - His Master's Voice - Ireland - IP.1295".
  20. ↑ "Retro Irish Top Ten Chart 1963: Brendan Bowyer was first Irish act to top the charts sixty years ago". Irish Independent. 2023-10-11. Retrieved 2025-12-23.
  21. ↑ Viglione, Joe, I Think We're Alone Now - Tommy James & the Shondells review, allmusic, retrieved 2025-12-23
  22. ↑ Crenshaw, Marshall (1994). Hollywood Rock. HarperPerennial. p. 26. ISBN   978-0-06-273242-2.
  23. ↑ "Sing Along With Los Straitjackets". Discogs. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
  24. ↑ "We Found Love - Single by Palma Violets on Apple Music". iTunes . 2013-04-29. Retrieved 2016-09-27.
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