"California Nights" is a song written by Marvin Hamlisch and Howard Liebling and recorded by Lesley Gore. The song appeared on her 1967 album, California Nights.[1]
| "California Nights" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Lesley Gore | ||||
| from the album California Nights | ||||
| B-side | "I'm Going Out (The Same Way I Came In)" | |||
| Released | January 1967 | |||
| Recorded | November 1966 | |||
| Genre | Pop | |||
| Length | 2:49 | |||
| Label | Mercury Records 72649 | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Marvin Hamlisch, Howard Liebling | |||
| Producer(s) | Bob Crewe | |||
| Lesley Gore singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Composition
editThe song was produced by Bob Crewe and arranged by Hutch Davie.[2] The track features guitars and drum set in a 1960s pop fashion. The chorus includes multiples long tones over abnormal chords and the verses are noticeably accompanied by a soft electric piano. The lyrics speak of reminiscing about romantic evenings on the beach with a lover.[original research?]
Billboard described the song as a "production rhythm ballad with groovy dance beat and strong vocal work has the hit ingredients to put Miss Gore back up the Hot 100."[3]
Commercial performance
editThe single peaked at number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 in March 1967 but stayed on the chart for a then-lengthy 14 weeks,[4] ranking 61 in the year-end Top 100.[5] It was Gore's final Top Forty hit.
Use in media
editAn edit of the song (removing the second verse and refrain) was lip-synced by Gore on the January 19, 1967 episode of the TV series Batman, "That Darn Catwoman". She played Pussycat, the Catwoman's protégé, who also wanted to be a singer.
Charts
editWeekly charts
edit| Chart (1967) | Peak
position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 16 |
| US Cashbox Top 100 | 11 |
Year-end charts
edit| Chart (1967) | Position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 61 |
Other versions
edit- Wes Montgomery released an instrumental version of the song on his 1967 album, A Day in the Life.[6]
- Four King Cousins released a version of the song on their 1968 album, Introducing the Four King Cousins.[7]
References
edit- ^ Lesley Gore, California Nights Retrieved January 30, 2014
- ^ Lesley Gore, "California Nights" single release Retrieved January 30, 2014
- ^ "Spotlight Singles" (PDF). Billboard. January 7, 1967. p. 18. Retrieved 2021-03-01.
- ^ Lesley Gore, "California Nights" Chart Positions Retrieved January 30, 2014
- ^ "Billboard Top 100 - 1967". Archived from the original on 2014-01-02. Retrieved January 30, 2014.
- ^ Wes Montgomery, A Day in the Life Retrieved January 30, 2014
- ^ Four King Cousins, Introducing the Four King Cousins Retrieved January 30, 2014
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