Sausalito Summer Night: Smooth AOR, Yacht Rock & Sun-Drenched Pop

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The West Coast sound was not very popular in the Netherlands at the time, but it certainly has influenced some Dutch artists, most recently Martin & Garp. As Martijn Soetens wrote on his blog some time ago:

“In the Netherlands an umbrella and a sweater are necessary almost any time of year. So it's quite natural that we need sunny music to get our vitamin D.”

The most successful Dutch song that adapted the Californian sound is Sausalito Summernight by Diesel. It reached #25 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1981 and it even became a #1 hit in Canada. In other countries, the track is known as "Sausolito Summernight", as a result of a misspelling on the Dutch releases of the single and the album. This was corrected on the 1981 U.S. and Canadian releases. For some reason, the song charted only modestly in the Netherlands. Eventually the single sold 600,000 units worldwide. Diesel members Mark Boon and Rob Vunderink admitted on Dutch television some years ago that they had Steve Miller in mind when they wrote the song.

“Another mile or two to Frisco
Two hundred gallons from L.A
The engine's thumpin' like a disco
We ought to dump her in the bay”

(Sausalito Summernight)

Dutch duo (although born in South Africa) Rob and Ferdi Bolland are best known for their work with Austrian singer Falco. They wrote, produced and sang on the Billboard #1 Rock Me Amadeus in 1986. In the 1970s they started as a folk duo, sounding like Seals & Crofts, but by the end of the decade they tried several other styles, like disco and the West Coast sound. Free In L.A. is the b-side of their single Music Man, which did not make the Dutch charts in 1980.

Ray Parker Jr. composed many great songs, but early in his career he wrote You Make Me Feel Like Dancing for Leo Sayer. Unfortunately producer Freddie Perren did not give him the credits, because Ray Parker Jr. had given him a tape without his name on it. Until this day he did not receive a penny for the song that went to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1976.

The track by Swedish duo Vargas & Lagola is from the brand new Netflix series Anxious People.

Tracklist:

The Weeknd – Out Of Time (2022)
The Lagoons – California (2017)
Men At Work – Overkill (1983)
Ray Parker Jr. & Raydio – A Woman Needs Love (Just Like You Do) (1981)
Greg Guidry – Goin’ Down (1982)
Karla Bonoff ‎– Personally (1982)
Larry Carlton – Where Did You Come From (1978)
Paul Davis – Cool Night (1982)
Jackson Browne – Somebody's Baby (1982)
Del Shannon – Sea Of Love (1981)
Edgar Winter Group – Free Ride (1973)
Diesel ‎– Sausalito Summernight (1979)
Bolland & Bolland – Free In L.A. (1980)
Wouter Hamel –  Hollywood (2014)
Martin & Garp – Not Into You (2021)
Son Mieux – Drive (2021)
Sage Avalon – Hope I’m Right (2022)
Breeze – Gypsy Woman (1977)
Vargas & Lagola – Suddenly (2020)
September – I Owe You Everything (1981)
Margriet Eshuijs Band ‎– Black Pearl (1981)
Maggie MacNeal ‎– Life Is Going On (1976)
Gary Taylor – Just Gets Better With Time (1985)