Beach Baby

"Beach Baby"
Single by The First Class
B-side "Both Sides of the Story"
Released 3 May 1974
Format 7" 45rpm
Recorded 1974
Genre Power pop
Length 5:15
Label UK Records
Songwriter(s) John Carter and Gillian Shakespeare
Producer(s) John Carter for Sunny Records Ltd.
The First Class singles chronology
"Beach Baby"
(1974)		 "Bobby Dazzler"
(1974)

"Beach Baby"
(1974)		 "Bobby Dazzler"
(1974)

"Beach Baby" is a song by the British band The First Class. The song, written by John Carter and his wife, Gillian (Jill) Shakespeare, became the band's only substantial hit.

Background

Carter and Shakespeare wrote "Beach Baby" in their home in East Sheen, South West London. Shortly afterward, Carter hired Tony Burrows and session singer Chas Mills to record the song as The First Class. Toward the end of the song, there are two instrumental quotations, both on the French Horn: the main theme from the last movement of Sibelius's Fifth Symphony and the tune of the title line from one of Carter's previous compositions ("Let's Go to San Francisco", a hit in 1967 for The Flower Pot Men). In the song, lead singer Burrows attempts to sing in an American accent, reflecting the song's setting in California. Because of the song's length of being over 5 minutes, several AM radio stations edit the song by fading it out during the second instrumental Bridge.

In 1974, the song became a hit in the UK (where it peaked at #13),[1] and in the US, where it peaked at #4. In Canada, "Beach Baby" was a #1 hit.[2]

Although the band went on to release two studio albums and a multitude of singles, they were unable to recreate the success of "Beach Baby".

Chart performance

Covers

  • It was subsequently recorded in French by Sacha Distel under the title "Vite, Cherie, Vite".

References

  1. 1 2 Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 200. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  2. 1 2 "Image : RPM Weekly - Library and Archives Canada". Bac-lac.gc.ca. Retrieved 2016-10-09.
  3. 1 2 Steffen Hung. "Forum - 1970 (ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts)". Australian-charts.com. Archived from the original on 2016-06-02. Retrieved 2016-10-09.
  4. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Beach Baby". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved September 2, 2018.
  5. ↑ http://www.rock.co.za/files/sa_charts_1969_1989_songs_(A-B).html
  6. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (1993). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993. Record Research. p. 86.
  7. ↑ "Image : RPM Weekly - Library and Archives Canada". Bac-lac.gc.ca. Retrieved 2017-07-09.
  8. ↑ "Top 100 Hits of 1974/Top 100 Songs of 1974". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 2016-10-09.
  9. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-10-19. Retrieved 2015-07-16.
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