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It Never Rains in Southern California

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For the Tony! Toni! Toné! song, see It Never Rains (In Southern California).

"It Never Rains in Southern California"
Single by Albert Hammond
from the album It Never Rains in Southern California
B-side"Anyone Here in the Audience"
Released1972
Recorded1972
GenreSoft rock[1]
Length3:19 (Single Version)
3:31 (Album Version)
LabelMums
Songwriter(s)Albert Hammond, Mike Hazlewood
Producer(s)Albert Hammond, Don Altfeld
Albert Hammond singles chronology
"Down by the River"
(1972) 		"It Never Rains in Southern California"
(1972) 		"If You Gotta Break Another Heart"
(1973)

"It Never Rains in Southern California" is a 1972 song jointly written and composed by Albert Hammond and Mike Hazlewood and sung by Hammond, a British-born singer-songwriter.

Lyrics content

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The lyrics of "It Never Rains In Southern California" tell a first-person story of a showbiz aspirant whose attempts to break into entertainment were failures, but who wants to hide that fact from those he had left behind to pursue his dreams.

Though Hammond's and Hazlewood's lyrics do not actually specify the narrator's living conditions, it can be inferred that he was found homeless and penniless, a humiliation he would naturally be unwilling to reveal to those he had left behind.

Recording

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Hammond collaborated with Don Altfeld to produce the selection when he recorded it.

Instrumental backing was provided by L.A. session musicians from the Wrecking Crew, but with Michael Omartian on piano.[2] The song appears on Hammond's debut album of the same name and peaked at number five on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. It is Hammond's only top 10 hit to date (although he would have one other top 40 hit in 1974 with "I'm a Train").

In 1984, Julio Iglesias re-worked the song as "Moonlight Lady" for his concept album 1100 Bel Air Place, with the original song on which it is based used as an uncredited reprise at the end of the track.

In 1989, Hammond re-recorded the song for his Best of Me greatest hits compilation.[3]

Chart performance

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Weekly charts

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Albert Hammond version

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Saori Minami version

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Chart (1973) Peak
position
Japanese Oricon Singles Chart[19] 77

Trent Summar and the New Row Mob version

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Chart (2000) Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs 74

References

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  1. ^ Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "Hard to Find 45s on CD, Vol. 14 – Various Artists | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved January 30, 2014.
  2. ^ Hartman, Kent (2012). The Wrecking Crew, featuring a female chorus, a flute ensemble, piano, guitar, strings, and bass. St. Martin's Griffin. pp. 261–263. ISBN 978-1-250-03046-7.
  3. ^ Albert Hammond - Best Of Me, 1989, retrieved February 13, 2022
  4. ^ "Forum – 1970 (ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts)". Australian-charts.com. Archived from the original on June 2, 2016. Retrieved May 7, 2017.
  5. ^ RPM 100 Singles, January 13, 1973
  6. ^ RPM Adult Contemporary, January 13, 1973
  7. ^ "dutchcharts.nl Albert Hammond – It Never Rains In Southern California". dutchcharts.nl. MegaCharts. Retrieved January 8, 2010.
  8. ^ "List of number-one singles on the Japanese Oricon International Chart (1968–2000)". Oricon. Archived from the original on April 21, 2015. Retrieved August 1, 2008.
  9. ^ "norwegiancharts.com Albert Hammond – It Never Rains in Southern California". VG-lista. Retrieved August 1, 2008.
  10. ^ Flavour of New Zealand, 29 January 1973
  11. ^ Salaverri, Fernando (2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002. Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  12. ^ "Albert Hammond – It Never Rains In Southern California – hitparade.ch". Swiss Music Charts. Retrieved January 1, 2010.
  13. ^ "Albert Hammond Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved November 17, 2018.
  14. ^ "allmusic ((( Albert Hammond > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles )))". allmusic.com. Billboard Charts. Retrieved January 12, 2010.
  15. ^ Cash Box Top 100 Singles, December 30, 1972[permanent dead link]
  16. ^ Günter Ehnert (ed.): Hit Bilanz. Deutsche Chart Singles 1956 – 1980. Hamburg: Taurus Press 1990, p. 91
  17. ^ Musicoutfitters.com
  18. ^ "Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles, December 29, 1973". Archived from the original on July 15, 2014. Retrieved January 21, 2018.
  19. ^ "S-南沙織". Archived from the original on October 16, 2007. Retrieved January 12, 2009.
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