Redondo Beach (song)

1975 song by Patti Smith

This article is about the song. For the subject of this song, see Redondo Beach, California.

"Redondo Beach"

Song by Patti Smith
from the album  Horses
Released| December 13, 1975 (1975-12-13)
Recorded| 1975
Genre|

* Reggae[1][2]
* punk rock[3]

Length| 3:26
Label| Arista
Songwriter(s)|

* Patti Smith
* Richard Sohl
* Lenny Kaye

Producer(s)| John Cale
Horses track listing

8 tracks

Side one

1. "Gloria: In Excelsis Deo / Gloria"
2. "Redondo Beach"
3. "Birdland"
4. "Free Money"

Disc two

1. "Kimberly"
2. "Break It Up"
3. "Land: Horses / Land of a Thousand Dances / La Mer (De)"
4. "Elegie"

"Redondo Beach" is a song by Patti Smith. It was first released on Smith's 1975 album Horses, with band members Richard Sohl and Lenny Kaye credited as co-writers. The lyrics were originally published as a poem in Smith's 1972 book kodak under the title "Radando Beach".

## Song

[edit]

The lyrics relate the suicide by drowning of a young woman following an argument with the song's narrator. It has frequently been interpreted as a lesbian-themed song; Smith appeared to encourage this interpretation in her live performances, often introducing the song with "Redondo Beach is a beach where women love other women".[4]

She later said that she wrote the lyrics in 1971 following a fight with her sister Linda; Linda had disappeared for the day, causing Patti to worry that she had come to harm. Smith also stated that she considers herself "beyond gender" in her artistic expression. Smith's lyrics were set to a reggae arrangement.[2][1]

## Morrissey version

[edit]

"Redondo Beach"

Single by Morrissey
from the album  Live at Earls Court
A-side| "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" (live)
Released| March 28, 2005 (2005-03-28)[5]
Recorded| December 18, 2004
Venue| Earls Court, London
Genre| Alternative rock
Length| 4:03
Label| Attack
Songwriter(s)|

* Patti Smith
* Richard Sohl
* Lenny Kaye

Producer(s)| Peter Asher
Morrissey singles chronology
| "I Have Forgiven Jesus"
(2004)  | "Redondo Beach"
(2005)  | "You Have Killed Me"
(2006)

|
|

The song was part of Morrissey's live set list throughout his December 2004 arena tour. "Redondo Beach / There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" was a double A-side single released by Morrissey to promote his live album Live at Earls Court in 2005.[6] The double A-side reached number 11 in the United Kingdom, and "Redondo Beach" reached number 33 in Sweden.

### Track listings

[edit]

7" vinyl

1. "Redondo Beach" (live) (Patti Smith, Richard Sohl, Lenny Kaye) – 4:07
2. "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" (live) (Johnny Marr, Morrissey) – 4:50

CD single

1. "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" (live) (Johnny Marr, Morrissey) - 4:50
2. "Redondo Beach" (live) (Patti Smith, Richard Sohl, Lenny Kaye) – 4:07
3. "Noise Is the Best Revenge" (Janice Long session 2004) (Morrissey, Boz Boorer) - 4:03

DVD single

1. "Redondo Beach" (live) (Patti Smith, Richard Sohl, Lenny Kaye) – 4:07
2. "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" (live) (Johnny Marr, Morrissey) – 4:50
3. "It's Hard to Walk Tall When You're Small" (Janice Long session 2004) (Morrissey, Alain Whyte)
4. "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" (live promotional video)
5. "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" (video taken from Manchester Evening News Arena)

### Charts

[edit]

Chart (2005)  | Position

|

Europe (Eurochart Hot 100 Singles)[7] | 41
Ireland (IRMA)[8] | 45
Scotland (OCC)[9]
with "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" | 15
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[10] | 33
UK Singles (OCC)[11]
with "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" | 11
UK Indie (OCC)[12]
with "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" | 1
US Hot 100 Singles Sales (Billboard)[13] | 10

### Release history

[edit]

Region  | Date  | Label  | Format  | Catalog

|
|
|
|

UK  | 2005  | Attack Records | 7" vinyl | ATKSE011
UK  | 2005  | Attack Records  | CD #1  | ATKXS011
UK  | 2005  | Attack Records  | CD #2  | ATKXD011

## Other cover versions

[edit]

The song was performed by Angel Corpus Christi on I Love NY, her 1984 album of cover versions that were originally recorded by New York-based artists.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "Even as a child I felt like an alien" - Patti Smith interview The Observer, 22 May 2005
2. ^ a b Smith, P. (1998) "Patti Smith Complete 1975-2006". Bloomsbury, London.
3. ^ Ritland, Erik (11 January 2023). "The 25 Best Punk Songs to Help You Stick it to the Man". Music in Minnesota. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
4. ^ Allmusic.com review of Redondo Beach
5. ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. March 26, 2005. p. 35.
6. ^ "Redondo Beach / There Is A Light That Never Goes Out". Archived from the original on 2008-02-24. Retrieved 2008-03-04.
7. ^ "European Hot 100 Singles". Billboard. 2005-04-16. Retrieved 2008-04-02.[dead link]
8. ^ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Morrissey". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
9. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
10. ^ "Morrissey – Redondo Beach". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
11. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
12. ^ "Official Independent Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
13. ^ "Hot Singles Sales". Billboard. 2005-04-30. Retrieved 2008-04-02.[dead link]

## External links

[edit]

* Redondo Beach by Patti Smith at AllMusic
* Redondo Beach by Morrissey at AllMusic

* v
* t
* e

Patti Smith

Studio albums|

* Horses
* Radio Ethiopia
* Easter
* Wave
* Dream of Life
* Gone Again
* Peace and Noise
* Gung Ho
* Trampin'
* Twelve
* Banga

Live albums|

* Horses/Horses
* The Coral Sea

Compilations|

* The Patti Smith Masters
* Land (1975–2002)
* iTunes Originals
* Outside Society

EPs|

* Hey Joe / Radio Ethiopia
* Set Free

Singles|

* "Hey Joe"
* "Gloria"
* "Pissing in a River"
* "Pumping (My Heart)"
* "Ask the Angels"
* "Because the Night"
* "Privilege (Set Me Free)"
* "Frederick"
* "Dancing Barefoot"
* "So You Want to Be a Rock 'n' Roll Star"
* "People Have the Power"
* "Up There Down There"
* "Summer Cannibals"
* "E-Bow the Letter"
* "Gimme Shelter"

Promotional singles|

* "1959"
* "Glitter in Their Eyes"
* "When Doves Cry"

Other songs|

* "Piss Factory"
* "Redondo Beach"
* "Free Money"
* "Rock N Roll Nigger"

Books|

* Seventh Heaven
* Early Morning Dream
* Witt
* Ha! Ha! Houdini!
* Babel
* Woolgathering
* Early Work
* The Coral Sea
* Patti Smith Complete
* Strange Messenger
* Auguries of Innocence
* Just Kids
* M Train
* Devotion
* Year of the Monkey

Band members|

* Lenny Kaye
* Jay Dee Daugherty
* Ivan Král
* Richard Sohl

Related articles|

* Discography
* Patti Smith: Dream of Life
* Cowboy Mouth
* Fred "Sonic" Smith
* Robert Mapplethorpe
* 50 Photographs

* v
* t
* e

Morrissey

* Jesse Tobias
* Matt Walker
* Solomon Walker
* Camila Grey
* Carmen Vandenberg

* Stephen Street
* Andrew Paresi
* Vini Reilly
* Andy Rourke
* Mike Joyce
* Craig Gannon
* Neil Taylor
* Matthew Seligman
* Kevin Armstrong
* Mark E. Nevin
* Mark Bedford
* Boz Boorer
* Alain Whyte
* Gary Day
* Roger Manning
* Michael Farrell
* Barrie Cadogan
* Matt Chamberlain

Studio albums|

* Viva Hate
* Kill Uncle
* Your Arsenal
* Vauxhall and I
* Southpaw Grammar
* Maladjusted
* You Are the Quarry
* Ringleader of the Tormentors
* Years of Refusal
* World Peace Is None of Your Business
* Low in High School
* California Son
* I Am Not a Dog on a Chain
* Without Music the World Dies

Live albums|

* Beethoven Was Deaf
* Live at Earls Court

Compilation albums|

* Bona Drag
* World of Morrissey
* Suedehead: The Best of Morrissey
* My Early Burglary Years
* The CD Singles '88–91'
* The Best of Morrissey
* Greatest Hits
* Swords
* Very Best of Morrissey

Unreleased albums|

* Bonfire of Teenagers

Extended plays|

* At KROQ

Singles|

* "Suedehead" / "Hairdresser on Fire"
* "Everyday Is Like Sunday" / "Sister I'm a Poet"
* "The Last of the Famous International Playboys"
* "Interesting Drug"
* "Ouija Board, Ouija Board"
* "November Spawned a Monster"
* "Piccadilly Palare"
* "Our Frank"
* "Sing Your Life"
* "Pregnant for the Last Time"
* "My Love Life"
* "We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful"
* "You're the One for Me, Fatty"
* "Tomorrow"
* "Certain People I Know"
* "The More You Ignore Me, the Closer I Get"
* "Hold On to Your Friends"
* "Interlude"
* "Now My Heart Is Full"
* "Boxers"
* "Dagenham Dave"
* "The Boy Racer"
* "Sunny"
* "Alma Matters"
* "Roy's Keen"
* "Satan Rejected My Soul"
* "Irish Blood, English Heart"
* "First of the Gang to Die"
* "Let Me Kiss You"
* "I Have Forgiven Jesus"
* "Redondo Beach" / "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out"
* "You Have Killed Me"
* "The Youngest Was the Most Loved"
* "In the Future When All's Well"
* "I Just Want to See the Boy Happy"
* "That's How People Grow Up"
* "All You Need Is Me"
* "I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris"
* "Something Is Squeezing My Skull"
* "Glamorous Glue"
* "Satellite of Love"
* "World Peace Is None of Your Business"
* "Istanbul"
* "Earth Is the Loneliest Planet"
* "The Bullfighter Dies"
* "Kiss Me a Lot"
* "Spent the Day in Bed"
* "Jacky's Only Happy When She's Up on the Stage"

Video albums|

* Hulmerist
* The Malady Lingers On
* Introducing Morrissey
* ¡Oye Esteban!
* Who Put the M in Manchester?
* Live at the Hollywood Bowl
* Morrissey: 25 Live

Books|

* Autobiography
* List of the Lost

Related articles|

* Discography
* Songs
* Personnel
* The Nosebleeds
* The Smiths
* England Is Mine
* "Panic on the Streets of Springfield"
* Mexrrissey

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