"California Sun", is a song credited to Henry Glover and Morris Levy. Originally recorded by 35-year-old New Orleans-born singer-songwriter Joe Jones, and released by EMI in the winter of 1961, it peaked at #89 on the charts.
The most successful version, The Rivieras in 1964, which reached #5 in the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. The Crickets would record their version for their LP of the same name in 1964 (Liberty LRP 3351 / LST 7351). New York City rock band The Dictators included their own cover of the song on their 1975 Go Girl Crazy! debut album. The song was later performed by The Ramones on their 1977 Leave Home album, and also features in the 1979 Rock 'n' Roll High School motion picture. This song is on various compilations, including All the Stuff (And More!) Volume 1, and Hey Ho! Let's Go: The Anthology. The Ramones' cover was also featured in Jackass: The Movie, while The Rivieras version was used in Oliver Stone's The Doors film, when Jim Morrison (played by Val Kilmer) arrives in Venice Beach.
The song was also featured in the 1987 movie Good Morning Vietnam.
Bobby Fuller recorded a cover of the song that can be found on El Paso Rock: Early Recordings Volume 3.
Tommy James & The Shondells recorded a cover of the song for their 1967 I Think We're Alone Now album.
The song has been often covered live by Chris Isaak and his band Silvertone, with drummer Kenney Dale Johnson assuming lead vocals and Isaak taking a turn on the drums.
With lyrics in Swedish by Per Gessle, Swedish pop group Gyllene Tider covered the song as "Tylö Sun" and released as a one-track promo single on August 14 1981. A 2006 lyrics version, "Vitt & blått", was written by Svante Karlsson for Swedish soccer club Halmstads BK.
Los Straitjackets recorded a cover for their album "Sing Along with Los Straitjackets", and later featured in the film "Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room" (2005).
The song was covered on the influential proto-punk album Go Girl Crazy! by The Dictators in 1975.
In 1994, surf music pioneer Dick Dale covered the song on his album Unknown Territory.
The song was also covered by Frankie Avalon in the 1987 movie, Back to the Beach.
A cover of the song by The Replacements appears on their well-known 1987 bootleg, "Puttin' on the Ritz," recorded during a New York City date on the "Pleased to Meet Me" Tour.
The song was used as a theme for advertising the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. It has also recently been covered and used by K-Swiss in televised adverts in both the USA and United Kingdom.
Brian Wilson’s version is included in the "Curious George 2" soundtrack released in 2010. This version follows The Rivieras'.
The song was also covered on the 1994 album "Grunt!" by Australian ska band The Porkers
The Saw Doctors recorded a version which is featured on their compliation album 'That Takes The Biscuit'