California (Phantom Planet song)
| "California" | ||||||||||
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| Single by Phantom Planet | ||||||||||
| from the album The Guest | ||||||||||
| Released | February 2002 | |||||||||
| Format | CD single | |||||||||
| Recorded | 2001 | |||||||||
| Genre | Alternative rock, pop rock | |||||||||
| Length | 3:14 (Album version) 3:17 (Demo Version) |
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| Label | Epic | |||||||||
| Writer(s) | Alex Greenwald, Jason Schwartzman, Joseph Meyer, B.G. De Sylva, & Al Jolson | |||||||||
| Producer | Mitchell Froom, Tchad Blake | |||||||||
| Certification | Gold (RIAA) | |||||||||
| Phantom Planet singles chronology | ||||||||||
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"California" is a song by American alternative rock band Phantom Planet. It was released as a single from their second album The Guest in February 2002. The song was first heard on television on episode 8 of Fastlane, which was executive produced by McG. Both the song and the band received major attention when it became the title song on the hit television show on FOX, The O.C.. It was also previously in the soundtrack to the film Orange County. The song is about driving on U.S. Route 101, traveling to see a concert. The song became a top ten hit in Austria, Italy, the United Kingdom, and Republic of Ireland, reaching number 3 (in both Austria and Italy), number 9, and number 10 in the respective countries.
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[edit] Song information
The estates of Al Jolson and his songwriting team are co-credited for "California", presumably because the title and chorus bear strong resemblances to his own "California, Here I Come". Some websites refer to the Phantom Planet song as a cover of the Jolson tune. Some parts of the song, particularly the piano solos at the beginning and end, are similar to the Jolson song, but still contain several differences in melody. It also bears some thematic and melodic resemblance to Joni Mitchell's "California" from her 1971 album, Blue.
The song was rerecorded in 2005 by Phantom Planet and re-released as "California 2005", a much mellower version of the song than the original. "California 2005" had its debut in the second episode of The O.C.'s third season, and is featured on Music from the OC: Mix 5.
Although normally this version of the song runs as the title song for The O.C., it was switched out for the Mates of State's cover version in a special episode where everything in the show took place in alternate universe, hence a different song for the title sequence.
[edit] Track listing
[edit] EP
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "California (Tchad Blake Mix)" | 3:14 |
| 2. | "Always on My Mind (London Version)" | 3:16 |
| 3. | "The Living Dead" | 3:28 |
| 4. | "Stiffs" | 2:37 |
| 5. | "California (Demo)" | 3:15[1] |
[edit] Single
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "California (Jack Joseph Puig Mix)" | 3:18 |
| 2. | "The Guest" | 3:44 |
| 3. | "Do the Panic (Live)" | 3:03 |
| 4. | "California (Live)" | 3:19 |
[edit] Cover versions
The song was covered in 2006 - again for The O.C., this time being covered by Mates of State for the sixth installment of the Music from The OC series. Canadian rapper k-os samples the song on a track called "I Wish I Knew Natalie Portman", from his album Yes!. The Chipmunks did this song on Alvin and the Chipmunks.
[edit] In popular culture
The song was also used on The Simpsons in the episode "Milhouse of Sand and Fog", during a parody of The O.C.
The song appears in the documentary Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room when the film introduces Enron's involvement in California's electricity crisis of 2000 and 2001.
[edit] Charts
| Chart (2002–2004)[2] | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Austrian Singles Chart | 3 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 10 |
| Italian Singles Chart[3] | 3 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 17 |
| UK Singles Chart | 9 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks[4] | 35 |
[edit] References
- ^ "iTunes - Music - California - EP by Phantom Planet". Itunes.apple.com. 2002-04-23. http://itunes.apple.com/dk/album/california-ep/id294414128. Retrieved 2012-01-10.
- ^ Chart peak positions
- ^ Steffen Hung. "Phantom Planet - California". italiancharts.com. http://italiancharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Phantom+Planet&titel=California&cat=s. Retrieved 2012-01-10.
- ^ "California > Charts & Awards . Billboard Albums". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p310274/charts-awards/billboard-singles. Retrieved January 10, 2012.
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