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"
Released	October 21, 1972 (United States)
Recorded	1972
Genre	Soft rock[1]
Length	3:49 3:20 (7" version)
Label	Mums Records
Writer(s)	Albert Hammond, Mike Hazlewood
Producer(s)	Albert Hammond, Don Altfeld
Certification	Gold (RIAA)
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", written by Albert Hammond and Mike Hazlewood, is a song first released by Hammond, a British born singer-songwriter, in 1972. Instrumental backing was provided by L.A. session musicians from the Wrecking Crew.^[2] The song is from his album, It Never Rains in Southern California. Hammond's version peaked at number five on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 that year.

In the UK the song is perhaps the quintessential example (alongside The Doobie Brothers "Listen to the Music") of a turntable hit: A song which, although very frequently played and requested on radio, never makes it into the charts. Through the 1970s, the record was re-issued at least five times by various labels—but remained outside the UK top 40, despite yet more airplay—and is still frequently to be heard on UK radio.

The song concerns the struggles of an actor who moves out to California to pursue a career in Hollywood but does not have any success and deteriorates in the process. In the chorus, Hammond sings: "It never rains in California, but girl don't they warn ya. It pours, man, it pours."

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

Cover versions

• The chorus was reprised by Julio Iglesias in 1984's "Moonlight Lady", which Hammond co-wrote with Carole Bayer Sager.
• Saori Minami covered the song on her 1973 studio album Kizu Tsuku Sedai.
• Agnes Chan covered the song on her 1973 album With Love from Agnes.
• Sonny & Cher covered it on their last studio album Mama Was a Rock and Roll Singer, Papa Used to Write All Her Songs in 1973.
• Mexican-American singer Andy Russell did a Spanish cover version in 1973 entitled "Nunca llueve en el Sur de California".
• Tony! Toni! Toné! included the chorus in their song of the same name on their 1990 album The Revival.
• Mac Dre and Ferg covered it on their song It's Rainin Game on Khayree's The Blackalation (The World Is Yours) album in 1997.
• A cover was released by the country music band Trent Summar & The New Row Mob, in 2000 on their self-titled debut album. This version peaked at number 74 on the country music charts.
• Barry Manilow included the song on his 2007 album The Greatest Songs of the Seventies.

Chart performance

Albert Hammond version

Saori Minami version

Trent Summar & the New Row Mob version

In other media

• The song, performed by Pete Yorn, appears in the 2003 film Stuck on You.
• The song was featured in the films Greenberg (2010) and Empire State (2013) in addition to an episode of TV series Vinyl (2016).
• The song was played to close the final scene of the last episode of TV series Veronica Mars (2004-2007), when Veronica leaves the polling booth and walks down the sidewalk in the rain.

References

External links

• Lyrics of this song at LetsSingIt