Crazy from the Heat is a 1985 EP by American rock musician David Lee Roth. His debut solo recording, it was released while Roth was still lead singer for Van Halen, though he parted ways with the band several weeks later and launched a solo career. The EP is certified platinum by the RIAA, having sold more than one million copies in the United States.
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Robert Christgau | B[2] |
| Rolling Stone | [3] |
Background
Crazy from the Heat consists of cover versions of songs of a decidedly dissimilar style from Roth's previous work with Van Halen. The song "Easy Street" was originally recorded by The Edgar Winter Group, while "Coconut Grove" was originally recorded by The Lovin' Spoonful.
The medley of "Just a Gigolo" and "I Ain't Got Nobody" is based on Louis Prima's 1956 medley combining two pre-World War II songs. This version peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100, supported by a well-received music video. Roth's version of the well-known Beach Boys' hit "California Girls" peaked at number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, the same position that the Beach Boys' original rendition reached 20 years prior.
According to the EP's liner notes, the cover picture of Roth was shot in the Seychelle Islands.
Roth used the title of the EP for his 1997 autobiography, Crazy from the Heat, and his future solo song "Goin' Crazy" uses the line "Goin Crazy... from the heat."
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Easy Street" | Dan Hartman | 3:45 |
| 2. | "Medley: Just a Gigolo/I Ain't Got Nobody" (Arranged by Sam Butera) | Irving Caesar, Leonello Casucci / Roger Graham, Spencer Williams | 4:39 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "California Girls" | Brian Wilson, Mike Love | 2:50 |
| 2. | "Coconut Grove" | John Sebastian, Zal Yanovsky | 2:52 |
Personnel
- David Lee Roth – vocals
- Dean Parks – guitar on "Coconut Grove"
- Eddie Martinez – guitars
- Sid McGinnis – guitars
- Willie Weeks – bass guitar
- John Robinson – drums
- Sammy Figueroa – percussion
- James Newton Howard – synthesizers on "Coconut Grove"
- Edgar Winter – keyboards, synthesizer, saxophone and backing vocals on tracks 1, 2 & 3
- Brian Mann – synthesizer
- Carl Wilson – backing vocals on "California Girls"
- Christopher Cross – backing vocals on "California Girls"
Charts
Album
| Chart (1985) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[4] | 14 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[5] | 21 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[6] | 91 |
| US Billboard 200[7] | 15 |
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | "California Girls" | US Adult Contemporary[8] | 29 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[9] | 3 | ||
| US Mainstream Rock Tracks[10] | 3 | ||
| "Easy Street" | US Mainstream Rock Tracks[10] | 14 | |
| "Medley: Just a Gigolo/I Ain't Got Nobody" | US Mainstream Rock Tracks[10] | 25 | |
| US Billboard Hot 100[9] | 12 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[11] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
- ^ AllMusic
- ^ Robert Christgau
- ^ Rolling Stone
- ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 0517". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved October 8, 2020.
- ^ "Charts.nz – David Lee Roth – Crazy from the Heat". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 8, 2020.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 8, 2020.
- ^ "Billboard 200: March 16, 1985". Billboard. Retrieved October 8, 2020.
- ^ "David Lee Roth Chart History: Adult Contemporary". Billboard. Retrieved October 8, 2020.
- ^ a b "David Lee Roth Chart History: Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved October 8, 2020.
- ^ a b c "David Lee Roth Chart History: Mainstream Rock". Billboard. Retrieved October 8, 2020.
- ^ "American album certifications – David Lee Roth – Crazy from the Heat". Recording Industry Association of America.
Further reading
- Templeman, Ted; Renoff, Greg (2020). Ted Templeman: A Platinum Producer's Life In Music. Toronto: ECW Press. pp. 368–72, 384–6. ISBN 9781770414839. OCLC 1121143123.
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