The Best of the Rivieras: California Sun

It was not uncommon in the Sixties for a local band from somewhere to break out with a massive national hit then see every follow-up fail until the band breaks up or the label drops them, leaving them at least the status of a one-hit-wonder. This is pretty much the story of the Rivieras, whose California Sun stormed the charts and managed to make #5 in the country in the midst of the explosion of early Beatlemania, on February 29, 1964. That week #1, 2 & 6 were all Beatles tunes: I Want To Hold Your Hand, She Loves You and Please Please Me. #3 was Dawn by the Four Seasons and #4 was Al Hirt's surprise hit, Java. Other songs in the Top 10 included Lesley Gore's You Don't Own Me and Diane Renay's Navy Blue.The Rivieras often wrogly get categorized as surf music even in print by reputable sources. This is probably due to its California themed lyric which by itself would easily fit into the California surf and hot rod song boom that was still at its peak then. But the Rivieras are a rock'n'roll band who had nothing to do with the California Sound. If you have to categorize them you could call them Frat Rock since their venue was teen dances and later on actual frat parties. Teenagers themselves still in high school, they began in South Bend, Indiana and after hooking up with promoter Bill Dobslaw, covered an area of northern Indiana and southern Michigan that included towns on Lake Michigan as well as summer resorts like Sister Lakes. It was Dobslaw who paid for a recording session at Columbia's studios on Chicago so they would have a demo, that produced California Sun.The Rivieras are a perfect example of a hot Midwestern rock'n'roll band, totally unvarnished. We're lucky they were't taken over by some producer who wanted them to sound his way. This is just them, straight from crowded teenage dance halls, raw and unpolished. They were a very hot band and the tempo was almost always up. The only exception is the slow dance teenage heartache song, Played On, the song they thought should be the A-side of their single instead of California Sun. When it was clear the radio was playing California Sun, they actually pulled it and substituted a new B-side so as not to waste Played On (why?).They really shine on the fastest, loudest numbers with the organ really punchy and the vocals really terse, like Keep a Knockin' or the more rockabilly numbers like Rip It Up. There are lots of covers here which was standard practice for a dance band as teens mostly wanted to dance to songs they knew. Of course even California Sun was a cover of A 1961 Joe Jones single. But it was totally different with its New Orleans band and flopped on the charts, so no one had ever heard it. They rock out on Wanda Jackson's (and Elvis) Let's Have a Party, Jerry Lee Lewis' Whole Lotta Shakin' and Twist and Shout. They also had a thing for rocking out on traditional songs like When the Saints, The Battle Hymn of the Republic and even Danny Boy long before punk bands did it. It's no wonder the Ramones covered California Sun; there's a real garage band-punk sensibility here.The Norton Records CD covers all of their first album, Let's Have a Party plus the demo album they made to book frat parties, Campus Party, which was not released to the public. The sound is good and the booklet is probably the most you'll ever read about the band and it never calls them part of the California Sound.

The Rivieras didn't record much at all during their heyday with only a handful of singles and two complete albums to their name. But they still managed to make an impact on the popular music scene while most of the members were still in high school. This compilation is actually the majority of the band's released material, but still manages to live up to the "best of" label that the album makes it out to be. This is actually the only official compilation released by the band on CD, even more reason to get ahold of this CD.The Rivieras were overshadowed by bands of the British invasion, namely the Beatles, but the music still stands up. Otto Nuss' organ-driven rock gives the Rivieras' a distinct sound that is rarely duplicated. The Rivieras' first album is here in its entirely, with a few alternate takes substituted for the originals. The rest is an assortment of deep cuts picked by the Norton Records staff - The Rivieras didn't have much chart activity in their later career, but these are some killer tracks.These tracks show an accomplished American rock and roll band that sadly couldn't survive the changing times of the 60s. If you're a fan, you'll definitely love Norton's other compilation, 'Let's Stomp with the Rivieras'.

My favorite garage band...have 100s of CDs and this is the first where the song order on the cd does not match the order on the cover sheet......had to manually play each song to hear in the order on the cover sheet.

Product shipped in a reasonable time and intact.Thanks

Excellent product and service.

I like it.

good cd good songs got her in good condition thanks

A blast from the past...great memories!!!

Rien à dire;c'est bien du rock,mais du rock de transition.Les Berry,Presley,Richard et autre Holly sont déjà un peu en retrait et la vague de ce que l'on appellera plus tard,les garage rock bands,pointent leurs nez,avec the Kingsmen,the Trashmen,etc... Originaires du fin fond de l'Indiana,les Rivieras(c'est le nom d'une bagnole)jouent du rock et le revendiqueront jusqu'à leur séparation en 1966.Otto Nuss,accordéoniste,qui passa à l'orgue le déclarait "The only music I ever played is rock and roll.Les six musiciens empruntérent le chemin habituel,local puis national avec un certain succés.Sachez par exemple qu'il y avait 6 à 8 fois plus de public à un concert des Rivieras qu'à celui des Beach Boys débutants.Ce qui caractérise leur musique,c'est un orgue prédominant(pas le bon vieux son d'un Hammond B3 mais un Farfisa ou un truc dans le même genre)On entend que lui,c'est parfois un peu saoulant. California Sun fut leur plus gros hit;et c'est justement à cette période que les deux guitaristes durent partir servir au Vietnam.Marty Fortson déclara écoeuré:"I was in Nam,getting shot at when I heard the record on the radio!I thought,man,you blew it!"Et on le comprend. Il faut écouter cette compil' avec indulgence.L'ensemble peut paraitre désuet ou décalé par rapport aux productions futures.Mais ça a déjà un demi siécle.Si on pense Twist and Shout,on pense Beatles,écoutez leur version,vous pouvez être surpris.Ecoutez aussi Little Donna,copie conforme du Rock and Roll Music de Chuck Berry,à l'époque,ça ne génait personne.La palme du kitch rock revenant à Church Key(Part 1 et 2)ou H.B.Goose Step.Une époque ou le rock n'était pas forçément une chose sérieuse.Ca allait se compliquer par la suite.

リヴィエラズは、地方都市出身のガレージ・バンド。1.「California Sun」の大ヒット（1964年5位）のヒットでLPまで発売した、全米中から登場したガレージ・バンドの中の、ちょっとした成功例の一つ。インディアナ州サウスベンドのサウスベンド・セントラル・ハイスクールに通う4人、Marty Fortson(Vocal & Rhythm Guitar)、Joe Pennell(Lead Guitar)、Otto Nuss(Organ)、Paul Dennert(Drums)でThe Playmatesというバンドを結成。しかし、同名のバンドが他にあったため、改名することになり、ゼネラル・モータース社から1963年に発売されたビュイック・リヴィエラ（ジャケットに映っている車）からThe Rivierasと命名して新たなメンバー、Doug Gean(Bass）も加わり活動を開始。いきなり1.「California Sun」が前述の通り大ヒットし、人気バンドに。実は「California Sun」は、ヘンリー・グローヴァーという歌手が、ルーレット・レコードから1961年に発売したものがオリジナル。他の彼らのヒット曲は以下の通り。4.「Little Donna」（1964年93位）7.「Let's Have A Party」（1964年99位）8.「Rockin' Robin」（1964年96位）4.「Little Donna」はオリジナルということになっていますが、一聴するとメロディーはほとんどチャック・ベリーの「Rock And Roll Music」。ほぼ替え歌に近い。7.「Let's Have A Party」はワンダ・ジャクソンのカヴァー、8.「Rockin' Robin」はボビー・デイのカヴァー。ほかの録音もロックン・ロール・クラシックのカヴァーが多いバンドです。しかし、ヒット曲ではありませんが、シングル発売もされたオリジナル曲、17.「Let's Go To Hawaii」はなかなかの出来栄え。本CDは、シングル曲を中心に、彼らが発売したレアーな2枚のLP、「Let's Have A Party」（1964年U.S.A.-102)と、「Campus Party」（1964年　Riviera-701　こちらのほうがかなりレアーなLPです）からのセレクションとなっています。