"Just Like Paradise" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by David Lee Roth | ||||
from the album Skyscraper | ||||
B-side | "The Bottom Line" | |||
Released | December 30, 1987 [1] | |||
Recorded | 1987 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 4:03 | |||
Label | Warner Bros. | |||
Songwriter(s) | David Lee Roth, Brett Tuggle | |||
Producer(s) | David Lee Roth, Steve Vai | |||
David Lee Roth singles chronology | ||||
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"Just Like Paradise" is a song by American rock singer David Lee Roth. Released after he left Van Halen, it was produced by Roth and guitarist Steve Vai. The lead single from Roth's second solo album, 1988's Skyscraper , it reached the top 10 in the United States and Canada.
The video for the single was released in January 1988. [4] Like other Roth videos, it heavily featured live stage performance. Between are clips of Roth rock climbing at Half Dome shot by Emmy Award-winning mountain climbing photographer David Breashears. [5] [6] "I started climbing when I was 11, in the Boy Scouts," he recalled. "It was a natural thing, plus you add in the books and comics and the movies. I'd say, 'Aw, I don't want to be the actor, I want to go to Arabia!" [7] The video concludes with Roth on a 28-foot surfboard gliding across a concert crowd. [8] "You ask four different people their impression of [the surfboard], you get six different responses," he observed. "I had a driver called Cowboy, a chopper pilot during the Tet Offensive. He said to me one day at rehearsal, 'Goddamn Dave: that reminds me of 'Nam… contour-flying over a hostile landing zone!' Then again, everything reminded Cowboy of 'Nam!" [7] Noisecreep ranked the video 10th on their list of the best David Lee Roth videos. [9]
Released in 1987, "Just Like Paradise" entered the Billboard Hot 100 in January 1988 and peaked at number six in March. [10] It reached number four on the Singles Sales chart and eight on the Hot 100 Airplay chart. [10] It also spent four weeks atop the Mainstream Rock chart. [10] The song peaked at eight in Canada, [11] number 27 in the United Kingdom, [12] number 13 in New Zealand, and number 77 in the Netherlands. [13]
Music critic Charles Bottomley called the song "a polished ode to decadence, with a chorus you would be unashamed to punch the air to". [14] AllMusic's Eduardo Rivadavia described it as an "ultra-saccharine" single that tries "too hard to achieve an exaggerated pop sheen". [15]
Chart (1988) | Peak position |
---|---|
Canadian Singles Chart [11] | 8 |
Dutch Single Top 100 [13] | 77 |
New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart [13] | 13 |
UK Singles Chart [12] | 27 |
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 [10] | 6 |
U.S. Album Rock Tracks [10] | 1 |
Chart (1988) | Position |
---|---|
United States (Billboard) [16] [17] | 97 |
David Lee Roth is an American rock singer. Known for his wild and energetic stage persona, he was the lead vocalist of the hard rock band Van Halen for three stints; from 1974 to 1985, during 1996, and from 2006 to when they disbanded in 2020. He was also a successful solo artist, releasing numerous RIAA-certified Gold and Platinum albums. After more than two decades apart, Roth re-joined Van Halen in 2006 for a North American tour that became the highest-grossing in the band's history, and one of the highest-grossing of that year. In 2012, Roth and Van Halen released the comeback album A Different Kind of Truth. In 2007, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Van Halen.
David Finlay Breashears is an American mountaineer, filmmaker, author, and motivational speaker. In 1985, he reached the summit of Mount Everest a second time, becoming the first American to reach the summit of Mount Everest more than once. He is perhaps best known as the director and cinematographer of Everest (1998)—which became the highest-grossing IMAX documentary—and for his assistance in the rescue efforts during the 1996 Everest disaster, which occurred during the film's production.
"Always on My Mind" is a ballad written by Wayne Carson, Johnny Christopher, and Mark James, first recorded by Brenda Lee, and first released by Gwen McCrae in March 1972. Lee's version was released three months later in June 1972. The song has been a crossover hit, charting in both the country and western and pop categories. Elvis Presley's recording was the first commercially successful version of the song.
Eat 'Em and Smile is the debut studio album by former Van Halen singer David Lee Roth, released on July 7, 1986, after his unpredicted successful debut EP Crazy from the Heat (1985).
Skyscraper is the second full-length studio album by David Lee Roth, released during his solo career after his departure from Van Halen. It was released on January 25, 1988, on Warner Bros. Records, shortly after the commercially and critically successful Eat 'Em and Smile Tour of 1986–1987.
"Father Figure" is a song by English singer-songwriter George Michael from his debut studio album, Faith (1987). It was released on 28 December 1987 as the album's fourth single by Columbia Records. The song reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 11 on the UK Singles Chart. Additionally it was a top 5 hit in Australia, Belgium, Canada, Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands and Spain.
A Little Ain't Enough is the third full-length studio album by David Lee Roth, released on January 15, 1991, through Warner Music Group. It was certified gold on April 11, 1991. Produced by Bob Rock, the album featured the lead guitar work of Jason Becker, a then up-and-coming guitarist who was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis a week after joining the band. He managed to finish recording the album, but was unable to tour in support of the album, as his condition left him with little strength in his hands.
"Janie's Got a Gun" is a song by American rock band Aerosmith and written by Steven Tyler and Tom Hamilton. The song was released as the second single from Pump in 1989, peaking at number four on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number two on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart in 1990. In Australia, the song reached number one, becoming Aerosmith's first of two number-one singles there. It also reached number two in Canada, number 12 in Sweden, and number 13 in New Zealand.
"I'll Wait" is a song by American rock band Van Halen, taken from their sixth studio album, 1984 (1984). The song was written by band members Eddie Van Halen, Alex Van Halen, Michael Anthony and David Lee Roth, along with Michael McDonald and produced by Ted Templeman.
Crazy from the Heat is a 1985 EP by American rock musician David Lee Roth. His debut solo recording, it was released while Roth was still lead singer for Van Halen, though he parted ways with the band several weeks later and launched a solo career. The EP is certified platinum by the RIAA, having sold more than one million copies in the United States.
"Yankee Rose" is a song recorded by David Lee Roth, featuring the prominent electric guitar of its co-writer, virtuoso Steve Vai. Roth's first single on his 1986 first full-length solo LP Eat 'Em and Smile, with lyrical allusions to the American national anthem and Irving Berlin's "God Bless America", as well as July 4, independence, flag unfurling, rocket flare, fire crackers, apple pie, and her torch light, was recorded as a tribute to the Statue of Liberty, as the statue was completing a major renovation for the 100th anniversary of its dedication in 1886:
"The Best of Times" is a song by American rock band Styx, released as the first single from their tenth album Paradise Theatre. It reached No. 1 in Canada on the RPM national singles chart, their second chart-topper in that country, and No. 3 on the US Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks in March and April 1981. In the UK, the song peaked at No. 42 on the UK Singles Chart.
"Love Walks In" is a power ballad by American rock band Van Halen released as the third single from the band's seventh studio album, 5150 (1986). It was the first song the band wrote with vocalist Sammy Hagar. It peaked at number 4 on the US Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs chart, and reached number 22 on the Billboard Hot 100.
"Nothin' But a Good Time" is the first single from the hard rock/glam metal group Poison's second studio album Open Up and Say... Ahh!, with the band releasing that album in May 1988. B-sides "Livin' for the Minute" and "Look But You Can't Touch" were included in the single's release.
"Just Like Anyone" is a 1995 song by American alternative rock band Soul Asylum from its seventh album, Let Your Dim Light Shine. Written by the lead singer, Dave Pirner, and produced by the band with Butch Vig, the song was the second single released as the album. It entered the singles charts in Canada and the United Kingdom and reached number 19 on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. The song was included on the band's 2000 greatest hits album, Black Gold: The Best of Soul Asylum, and a live version appears on the band's 2004 After the Flood: Live from the Grand Forks Prom, June 28, 1997 album.
"I Go to Rio" is a song written by Peter Allen and Adrienne Anderson, and performed by Allen. It became a signature song of Allen, as well as being covered by Peggy Lee and Pablo Cruise, among others, as well as being included in a number of soundtracks.
The David Lee Roth Band was Van Halen frontman David Lee Roth's backing band, formed in Pasadena, California. Originally featuring a supergroup lineup of guitarist Steve Vai, bassist Billy Sheehan, and drummer Gregg Bissonette, the band released numerous popular songs and albums from the mid-1980s until the late 1990s. Other well-known musicians in the David Lee Roth Band have included guitarist Jason Becker, guitarist Steve Hunter, guitarist John Lowery, bassist Matt Bissonette, drummer Ray Luzier, and keyboardist Danny Wagner. The backing band's well-known songs include "Yankee Rose", "Goin' Crazy!", "Shy Boy", "Just Like Paradise", "Stand Up", "Damn Good", "A Little Ain't Enough", "She's My Machine", and "Slam Dunk!".
David Lee Roth is an American rock singer best known as the lead singer of Van Halen. His solo discography consists of six studio albums, one extended play, one compilation album, and 20 singles. Of his eight albums, four have been certified Gold or higher by the Recording Industry Association of America. Eat 'Em and Smile, Skyscraper, and Crazy from the Heat are certified Platinum, and A Little Ain't Enough is certified Gold. As of 2012, all of David Lee Roth's Warner Brothers LPs are due for recertification.
The Best is a greatest hits album by American rock vocalist David Lee Roth, compiling his solo work from 1985 to 1996. It also features one song recorded for the album, "Don't Piss Me Off". The album was released in 1997 by Warner Bros. and Rhino Entertainment.
Brett Tuggle was an American musician who is best known for his keyboard playing with Fleetwood Mac and the David Lee Roth band.
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