Rivieras – California Sun

If you are interested…Dave at A Sound Day posted an article I wrote on the Replacements.

This was garage band rock and roll at its best. It’s hard not to feel good when this song comes on the radio. The song peaked at #5 on the Billboard 100, #3 in Canada (CHUM), and #6 in New Zealand in 1964. It’s one of those songs that just make you feel good.

Now…is this band from sunny California? No…not even close. They are from South Bend Indiana. They were a garage band and the members all went to South Bend Indiana Central High School in the early sixties. They were originally called the Playmates but alas…there was another band in the area with the same name. They ended up naming themselves after the Buick Riviera.

The song was written by Henry Glover and recorded first by Joe Jones and his version made it to #89 on the Billboard Charts. Instead of guitars, Joe Jones’s version used horns. It’s also been covered by The Ramones, The Beach Boys, Frankie Avalon, The Shondells, and dozens more.

Marty “Bo” Fortson left shortly after this single came out to join the Marines and go off to Vietnam. The other band members dropped out one by one under pressure from their parents to go on to college and stop playing this rock ‘n’ roll.

The song was written by Hendry Glover. Glover was a producer for an independent record label King Records. At one time, record mogul Morris Levy of Roulette Records was listed as a co-writer but that got taken off. Levy was the founder and owner of Roulette Records, which had known ties to the mafia. After the Jones version failed to gain popularity the Rivieras ran with it.

The Ramones covered this one as well.

California Sun

Well I’m going out west where I belong
Where the days are short and the nights are long

Where I’ll walk
And they walk
I’ll twist
And they twist
And I’ll shimmy
And they shimmy
And I’ll fly
And they fly
Where they’re out there having fun
In the warm California sun

Well, I’m going out west
Out on the coast
Where the California girls
Are really the most

And I’ll walk
And they walk
I’ll twist
And they twist
And I’ll shimmy
And they shimmy
And I’ll fly
And they fly
Where they’re out there having fun
In the warm California sun

Well, the girls are frisky
In old ‘Frisco
A pretty little chick
Wherever you go

And I’ll walk
And they walk
I’ll twist
And they twist
And I’ll shimmy
And they shimmy
And I’ll fly
And they fly
Where they’re out there having fun
In the warm California sun
Where they’re out there having fun
In the warm California sun

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Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, Alternative music, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player. Not the slightest bit interested in politics at all.

33 thoughts on “Rivieras – California Sun”

  2. Great tune Max! Personally I’m partial to the version before this one my Annette Funicello, lol just kidding but she was a cutie! The Rivieras did a great job and I’ve always equally liked the Ramones take on it.

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      2. I didn’t know it was a cover…they basically pepped it up and replaced sax with guitar…it worked.

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      1. Well hell…you made me curious now…you just had to do that lol. Yea just pulled it up…it is indeed Annette Funicello

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  4. Love it! This is a well cool version. I’m obviously familiar with The Ramones version – in fact I’d say they ‘own’ this song in that they really made it fit their sound.
    The original Joe Jones version is interesting – the sax giving it a Johnny & The Hurricanes feel – but The Rivieras certainly inspired and gave The Ramones more to work with.
    I agree – this is a H-A-P-P-Y song! 😀

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    1. The song just makes you happy…it really does… it can rock with that guitar lick. I’m pissed that we didn’t play it in our band.

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  5. fun song! I know I’m familiar with the song but I don’t know if I’ve heard this version of it before. Can’t think of who does the one that I have heard , not the Ramones. Anyway, nice little ’60s tune, managed to mix a bit of psychedelia, surf rock and country twang all into one.

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    1. I think I first heard it either on oldies channels or Good Morning Vietnam…I know it was on that one.

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    1. Yea….I still watch Good Morning Vietnam and this song takes me to that. It was made for the Ramones.

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  9. When I read the title, I wasn’t sure what this was about. (My brain went to the “California Raisins” commercials from the 80s (which featured Buddy Miles).) It took 5 seconds (the guitar entry) of The Rivieras to remember this song. Oh yeah, it was definitely a hit.

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      1. I was trying to think what movie it was in, that makes me think of it. It was My Dinner With Jimi. I think it was playing in the background when Graham Nash took The Turtles to the Speakeasy pub.

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  13. Great tune that sounds like west coast and certainly not South Bend, Ind., but what do I know? I can totally picture the Beach Boys playing this song. It also looked like a natural for the Ramones, who sometimes sounded like the Beach Boys on steroids!

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  14. In case there are any questions, this was definitely a hit in Los Angeles. I remember the green label on the 45. In my pig headed stupidity, I have never played the Ramones version. No good reason, just a sense of loyalty to a 45 from years ago. (Which I admit makes no sense at all but I’m laughing at the truth of it.)

    I’m surprised this didn’t spark an organ conversation as you folks seem very interested in organs. (Feel free to misinterpret. God knows I would.)

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