Island in the Sun (Weezer)
Encyclopedia
"Island in the Sun" is a song by American alternative rock
band Weezer
. It is the second single from the band's album, The Green Album. "Island in the Sun" was not originally planned to be on the album, yet producer Ric Ocasek
fought for the song and it ended up on the final product. It was a successful radio single and perhaps the band's biggest hit ever outside of the United States, reaching the Top 40 in the UK
at number 31, the Top 20
in France
at number 17, and Triple J Hottest 100 in Australia at number 7. "Island in the Sun" is also the most-licensed track in the Weezer catalog. Pitchfork Media
named it the 495th greatest song of the 2000s.
In late 2001, the band reworked the song's solo for their live show. In 2005, Rivers Cuomo
would often open the band's encore by playing "Island in the Sun" alone on an acoustic guitar in the back of the venue they were playing. On some nights, he would crowd surf back up the stage.
This song is much lighter than their previous, darker single "Hash Pipe
". The song is also a bonus track on some versions of Maladroit
.
.
This video shows Weezer playing the song at a Mexican couple's wedding reception and features all four band members. This version remains the more obscure of the two, receiving less airplay than the second, though it is the version available for download on iTunes
.
The groom in the video is SAG/AFTRA actor/singer Tony Gracia.
.
This video features Weezer playing with various wild animals on a supposedly remote hill (though it was actually filmed a short distance outside of Los Angeles
, thought to be in the hills near Simi Valley
). Only Brian Bell
, Rivers Cuomo
, and Pat Wilson
appear in this video, as then bassist Mikey Welsh
had left the band shortly before shooting. It is also rumored that original bassist Matt Sharp
was approached to be in the video, though it is unclear if the offer was ever actually made.
The executives at MTV disliked Siega's video, prompting the band to film Jonze's take. As a result, "Island in the Sun (Version Two)" had much wider play than the first version, and has become the standard video for the song.
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band Weezer
Weezer
Weezer is an American alternative rock band. The band currently consists of Rivers Cuomo , Patrick Wilson , Brian Bell , and Scott Shriner . The band has changed lineups three times since its formation in 1992...
. It is the second single from the band's album, The Green Album. "Island in the Sun" was not originally planned to be on the album, yet producer Ric Ocasek
Ric Ocasek
Ric Ocasek is an American musician and music producer. He is best known as lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for the rock band, The Cars....
fought for the song and it ended up on the final product. It was a successful radio single and perhaps the band's biggest hit ever outside of the United States, reaching the Top 40 in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
at number 31, the Top 20
Top 20
20 #1's Now is a 2007 compilation album by various artists and presented by reggaeton production duo Luny Tunes, released on November 20, 2007, by Machete Music.-Tracklist:# Welcome to My Crib – Randy "Nota Loka"...
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
at number 17, and Triple J Hottest 100 in Australia at number 7. "Island in the Sun" is also the most-licensed track in the Weezer catalog. Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
named it the 495th greatest song of the 2000s.
In late 2001, the band reworked the song's solo for their live show. In 2005, Rivers Cuomo
Rivers Cuomo
Rivers Cuomo is an American musician, best known as the lead singer, lead guitarist, and principal songwriter of the alternative rock band Weezer. Raised in an Ashram in Connecticut, Cuomo moved to Los Angeles at age 19, where he participated in a number of rock bands before founding Weezer in 1992...
would often open the band's encore by playing "Island in the Sun" alone on an acoustic guitar in the back of the venue they were playing. On some nights, he would crowd surf back up the stage.
This song is much lighter than their previous, darker single "Hash Pipe
Hash Pipe
"Hash Pipe" is a song by American alternative rock band Weezer. Released in 2001, it was the first single off the band's long-awaited third album, Weezer , and the only one of the SS2K The Summer Sessions songs to make it onto the album, although "Dope Nose" and "Slob" were released on Maladroit...
". The song is also a bonus track on some versions of Maladroit
Maladroit
Maladroit is the fourth studio album by American alternative rock band Weezer, released on May 14, 2002 on Geffen Records. The album is the band's first to feature bassist Scott Shriner, following the departure of former bassist Mikey Welsh in 2001...
.
Version 1: Mexican Wedding
Directed by Marcos SiegaMarcos Siega
Marcos Siega is a film, television, commercial, and music video director. He has also worked as a producer and a musician....
.
This video shows Weezer playing the song at a Mexican couple's wedding reception and features all four band members. This version remains the more obscure of the two, receiving less airplay than the second, though it is the version available for download on iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
.
The groom in the video is SAG/AFTRA actor/singer Tony Gracia.
Version 2: Animals
Directed by Spike JonzeSpike Jonze
Spike Jonze is an American director, producer and actor, whose work includes music videos, commercials, film and television...
.
This video features Weezer playing with various wild animals on a supposedly remote hill (though it was actually filmed a short distance outside of Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, thought to be in the hills near Simi Valley
Simi Valley
Simi Valley is a synclinal valley in Southern California in the United States. It is an enclosed or hidden valley surrounded by mountains and hills. It is connected to the San Fernando Valley to the east by the Santa Susana Pass & 118 freeway, and in the west the narrows of the Arroyo Simi and 118...
). Only Brian Bell
Brian Bell (musician)
Brian Bell is an American guitarist and songwriter. Active since 1989, he is best known as the rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist for the American alternative rock band Weezer. Bell joined Weezer in 1993 following the departure of founding member Jason Cropper...
, Rivers Cuomo
Rivers Cuomo
Rivers Cuomo is an American musician, best known as the lead singer, lead guitarist, and principal songwriter of the alternative rock band Weezer. Raised in an Ashram in Connecticut, Cuomo moved to Los Angeles at age 19, where he participated in a number of rock bands before founding Weezer in 1992...
, and Pat Wilson
Patrick Wilson (musician)
Patrick "Pat" George Wilson is an American musician, best known as the drummer for the alternative rock band Weezer. He joined the band in 1992. In addition to his work in Weezer, he also fronts his own band, The Special Goodness....
appear in this video, as then bassist Mikey Welsh
Mikey Welsh
Michael Edward "Mikey" Welsh was an American artist and musician, best known as the former bassist of Weezer. He played with Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo during Cuomo's time in Boston during the hiatus in the band Homie...
had left the band shortly before shooting. It is also rumored that original bassist Matt Sharp
Matt Sharp
Matthew Kelly Sharp is a founding member and former bassist for the band Weezer. In 1994, he started a band called The Rentals and released their debut album shortly after Weezer's first release, their second album in 1999, and an EP in 2007...
was approached to be in the video, though it is unclear if the offer was ever actually made.
The executives at MTV disliked Siega's video, prompting the band to film Jonze's take. As a result, "Island in the Sun (Version Two)" had much wider play than the first version, and has become the standard video for the song.
Tracklist
An erroneous short mix of "Always" ended up on the singles, the correct mix (2:48) was released as an mp3 on the band's website.Musical analysis
This song is written in the key of G Major. The 4 chords that are used throughout the majority of the song are Em (vi), Am (ii), D (V), and G (I).Appearances in the media
- In 2001, the song was used as the theme song to the Mary Kate and Ashley film, Holiday in the Sun.
- In 2002, the song was played in the last scene of the series finaleSeries finaleA series finale refers to the last installment of a series with a narrative presented through mediums such as television, film and literature. In many Commonwealth countries, the term final episode is commonly used in regards to a television series...
of Spin CitySpin CitySpin City is an American sitcom television series that aired from September 17, 1996 until April 30, 2002 on the ABC network. Created by Gary David Goldberg and Bill Lawrence, the show was based on a fictional local government running New York City, and originally starred Michael J. Fox as Mike...
. - In 2002, the song was played briefly in the Adam SandlerAdam SandlerAdam Richard Sandler is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, musician, and film producer.After becoming a Saturday Night Live cast member, Sandler went on to star in several Hollywood feature films that grossed over $100 million at the box office...
film, Mr. DeedsMr. DeedsMr. Deeds is a 2002 American comedy film, directed by Steven Brill and starring Adam Sandler and Winona Ryder. The movie, which is loosely a remake of the 1936 film Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, also stars Peter Gallagher, John Turturro, Allen Covert and Steve Buscemi...
. - In 2002, the song was played in the 45th episode of The SopranosThe SopranosThe Sopranos is an American television drama series created by David Chase that revolves around the New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the often conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads...
(Season four). - In 2003, the song was added on the TV show, SmallvilleSmallville (TV series)Smallville is an American television series developed by writers/producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar based on the DC Comics character Superman, originally created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The television series was initially broadcast by The WB Television Network , premiering on October...
s first soundtrack. - In 2006, Emma RobertsEmma RobertsEmma Rose Roberts is an American actress, model and singer. She is the daughter of actor Eric Roberts and niece of Julia Roberts. Roberts became known for her role as Addie Singer in the Nickelodeon television series Unfabulous. She released her debut album, which also served as the show's...
covered the song for the soundtrack of AquamarineAquamarine (film)Aquamarine is a 2006 Australian-American teen fantasy comedy film starring Sara Paxton, Emma Roberts, and Joanna "JoJo" Levesque . The film, which was made in both the United States and Australia, was released in North America on March 3, 2006...
. A version by Half Day is also to be heard in the movie. - In the movie, Out ColdOut Cold (2001 film)Out Cold is a 2001 American comedy film about a group of snowboarders in Alaska. It is the first feature film by the music video directing team The Malloys. The movie presents itself as something of a parody of 1980's "ski school" movies and makes a number of references to the film Casablanca...
, the song is played several times. - In 2006, this song was used on The SimpsonsThe SimpsonsThe Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
episode, "The Wettest Stories Ever ToldThe Wettest Stories Ever ToldThe Wettest Stories Ever Told is the eighteenth episode of The Simpsons’ seventeenth season.-Plot:When the Simpsons' plans for a nice family outing at the Frying Dutchman turns into a dining disaster , the family try to salvage the night by turning the episode into yet another Simpsons anthology...
". - The song is used as the closing theme of the Laura IngrahamLaura IngrahamLaura Anne Ingraham is an American radio host, author, and conservative political commentator. Her nationally syndicated talk show, The Laura Ingraham Show, airs throughout the United States on Talk Radio Network...
talk radio show. - The song is used in an advertising campaign for Beaches Family Resorts
- The song is used in Orange RomaniaOrange RomâniaOrange România is Romania's largest GSM network operator, the subsidiary of Orange SA. It is now fully owned by the France Télécom Group , the biggest initial investor, who gradually increased its ownership....
commercials. - The song is used in an AFNAmerican Forces NetworkThe American Forces Network is the brand name used by the United States Armed Forces American Forces Radio and Television Service for its entertainment and command internal information networks worldwide...
commercial for sponsorship - A cover of the song is used in the P&O Earlybird Sale commercial in Australia.
- Selena GomezSelena GomezSelena Marie Gomez is an American actress and singer best known for portraying Alex Russo in the Emmy Award-winning Disney Channel television series Wizards of Waverly Place...
has often covered in it concerts in 2010.
Charts
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Modern Rock Tracks (US) | 11 |
| 2001 | UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
31 |
| 2008 | Hot Digital Songs Hot Digital Songs The Hot Digital Songs chart ranks the best-selling digital singles in the United States, according to Billboard.Beginning in February 2005, digital sales have been incorporated into many of Billboards music single charts. It was decided to do so mainly because of the dramatic rise in popularity of... |
57 |
| 2001 | Adult Top 40 (US) | 33 |