Alright, I might lose a few of you here, but I’m a big Dodgers fan, and they just won the World Series! Whenever they win at home, they blast this song as fans stream out of the stadium. I was actually on a plane last night, somewhere over New Mexico, watching the LADs seal the win against the Yankees in New York. Right after the game, this Nike commercial aired, giving the team the perfect Hollywood ending.

It might surprise some of you, especially if you’re on the younger side (now I sound like an old man), but Randy Newman had an extensive music career long before Woody and Buzz ever met in Toy Story. Known for his satirical lyrics and quasi–New Orleans stride/ragtime/blues piano playing, Randy has a unique style both musically and lyrically. I’m a huge fan of his playing and singing, though he’s definitely not for everyone. His storytelling and sense of humor put him in a league of his own during the 1970s and ’80s.

This song comes from Randy Newman’s album Trouble in Paradise, released in 1983. Randy had been enjoying the success of his previous album, Born Again, and was mostly spending time with his family at home instead of writing songs for a new album. He joked that, because he often lounged by the pool, the gardener had to water around him.

One source of inspiration for the song came from Eagles frontman Don Henley. While they were on an airplane, Don suggested Randy write a song about Los Angeles, as Randy was a native of the city. The song has since turned into an L.A. anthem, even though the lyrics can be taken sarcastically at times.

Fun Fact: The song has a few Beach Boys-inspired moments that accentuate the Los Angeles beach vibe. Randy even mentions their name around the one-minute mark. Interestingly, Mark Linett was the mixing engineer for “I Love L.A.” In the late ’70s, he worked at the famous Sunset Sound Studios, where major artists, including the Beach Boys, came to record. He eventually landed the gig of overseeing all remastering and remixing of the Beach Boys catalog.

Fun Fact 2: The year after this song was released, Los Angeles hosted the Summer Olympics. Nike ran a major marketing campaign during the games, featuring Randy singing while big-name athletes showcased Nike gear. This brought the song to new heights as the world watched and sang along.

Band Fact: Steve Lukather from Toto plays the guitar solo toward the end of the song. Also from Toto is Jeff Porcaro on drums, with David Paich on Rhodes/Organ. Christine McVie and Lindsey Buckingham from Fleetwood Mac sing background vocals behind Randy.

As a Dodgers fan, I do love the opening line of this song—perfect for this year’s World Series: “Hate New York City…”

Hope you enjoy!

Roll down the window, put down the top
Crank up the Beach Boys, baby
Don’t let the music stop
We’re gonna ride it till
We just can’t ride it no more

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From the South Bay to the Valley
From the West Side to the East Side
Everybody’s very happy
‘Cause the sun is shining all the time
Looks like another perfect day

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I love L.A. (we love it)
I love L.A. (we love it)
We love it

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My name is Michael Sanchez and I’m an avid record collector and obscure song searcher. My goal is to post (hopefully) one song a day that’s been on my stereo/turntable frequently. If you don’t like the song… too bad 🙂 You can just wait for the next one. All the info I find is from wikipedia/youtube/interviews/news articles/personal stories I’ve heard/random googling. Sorry if there are any mistakes 🙂

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