Crazy from the Heat
| Crazy from the Heat | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| EP by David Lee Roth | ||||
| Released | January 28, 1985 | |||
| Recorded | 1984 | |||
| Genre | Pop, jazz rock | |||
| Length | 14:06 | |||
| Label |
Warner Bros. Records 25222 | |||
| Producer | Ted Templeman | |||
| David Lee Roth chronology | ||||
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Crazy from the Heat is a 1985 EP by David Lee Roth. His debut solo release, it was issued while Roth was still the lead singer for Van Halen.
Background
All four songs on the EP are cover versions. Roth's version of the Beach Boys hit "California Girls" peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100, which was the same position that the Beach Boys' original rendition reached twenty years prior.
The song "Easy Street" is originally by The Edgar Winter Group, and "Coconut Grove" is a cover of a tune by The Lovin' Spoonful. The medley of "Just a Gigolo" and "I Ain't Got Nobody" is also based on Louis Prima's 1956 medley of the two songs.
According to album's liner notes, the cover picture of Roth was shot in the Seychelle Islands.
In 1997, using the same title, Roth published Crazy from the Heat, his autobiography.
The last lyric in the chorus of the song "Goin' Crazy" from Roth's 1986 album Eat 'Em and Smile is taken from the name of this EP.
Crazy from the Heat is certified platinum by the RIAA, having sold over one million in the US.
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   link |
| Robert Christgau | B link |
| Rolling Stone | link |
Track listing
- "Easy Street" (Dan Hartman) – 3:45
- "Medley: Just a Gigolo/I Ain't Got Nobody" (Irving Caesar, Leonello Casucci) (Roger Graham, Spencer Williams) – 4:39
- "California Girls" (Brian Wilson, Mike Love) – 2:50
- "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 - keyboards on "Coconut Grove"
- Edgar Winter - keyboards, saxophone and backing vocals on tracks 1 & 2
- Brian Mann - keyboards
- Carl Wilson - backing vocals on "California Girls"
- Christopher Cross - backing vocals on "California Girls"
Charts
Album
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | The Billboard 200 | 15 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | "California Girls" | Adult Contemporary | 29 |
| 1985 | "California Girls" | The Billboard Hot 100 | 3 |
| 1985 | "California Girls" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 3 |
| 1985 | "Easy Street" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 14 |
| 1985 | "Medley: Just a Gigolo/I Ain't Got Nobody" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 25 |
| 1985 | "Medley: Just a Gigolo/I Ain't Got Nobody" | The Billboard Hot 100 | 12 |