Hotel California (song)
Encyclopedia
"Hotel California" is the title song from the Eagles' album of the same name
and was released as a single in February 1977. It is one of the best-known songs of the album-oriented rock
era. Writing credits for the song are shared by Don Felder
, Don Henley
and Glenn Frey
. The Eagles' original recording of the song features Henley singing the lead vocals and concludes with an extended section of electric guitar
interplay between Felder and Joe Walsh
. The song has been given several interpretations by fans and critics alike, but The Eagles have described it as their "interpretation of the high life in Los Angeles".
singles chart for one week in May 1977. Three months after its release, the single was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America
, representing 1,000,000 records shipped. The Eagles also won the 1977 Grammy Award for Record of the Year
for "Hotel California" at the 20th Annual Grammy Awards
in 1978. Leading up to the release of "Hotel California", The Eagles were already accepted and acclaimed as "America's No. 1 rock group", allowing their new album to release to a large, well-established fan-base.
In 2009, the song "Hotel California" was certified Platinum (Digital Sales Award) by the RIAA
for sales of 1,000,000 digital downloads.
The song is rated highly in many rock music lists and polls, though it was not met with critical acclaim right away. Rolling Stone
magazine, for example, originally spoke poorly of Hotel California in the very same issue in which it featured The Eagles on the cover. The magazine later placed it as the 49th greatest song of all time. It is also one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. The song's guitar solo
is ranked 8th on Guitar Magazines Top 100 Guitar Solos and was voted the best solo of all time by readers of Guitarist
magazine.
As one of the group's most popular and well-known songs, "Hotel California" has been a concert staple for the band since its release. Performances of the song appear on the Eagles' 1980 live album
, simply called Live, and in an acoustic version on the 1994 Hell Freezes Over
reunion concert CD and video release. The "Hell Freezes Over
" version is performed using eight guitars and has a decidedly Spanish feel to it with Don Felder
's flamenco-inspired intro. During the band's Farewell 1 Tour-Live from Melbourne
, the song was performed in a manner closer to the original album version, but with a trumpet
interlude in the beginning.
The song is a playable track on the video game Guitar Hero World Tour
.
Glenn Frey described the origins of the song:
about hedonism
, self-destruction, and greed in the music industry of the late 1970s. Don Henley called it "our interpretation of the high life in Los Angeles
" and later reiterated "it's basically a song about the dark underbelly of the American dream and about excess in America, which is something we knew a lot about."
In 2008, Don Felder described the origins of the lyrics:
The abstract nature of the lyrics has led listeners to their own interpretations over the years. In the 1980s, some Christian evangelists alleged that "Hotel California" referred to a San Francisco hotel purchased by Anton LaVey
and converted into the Church of Satan
. Other rumors suggested that the Hotel California was the Camarillo State Mental Hospital
. These claims have been consistently denied by the band.
The term "colitas" in the first stanza of the song is a Spanish
term for "little tails" and in Mexican slang it is a reference to the buds of the Cannabis
plant.
In a 2009 interview, Plain Dealer music critic John Soeder asked Don Henley this about the lyrics:
Henley responded,
According to Glenn Frey
's liner notes for The Very Best of Eagles, the use of the word "steely" in the lyric (referring to knives) was a playful nod to band Steely Dan
, who had included the lyric "Turn up the Eagles, the neighbors are listening" in their song "Everything You Did
".
Cover shot for the album was the Beverly Hills Hotel in California.
s of "Hotel California" have been released:
Hotel California
Hotel California is the fifth studio album released by the American rock band the Eagles, in late 1976. It is the first Eagles album without founding member Bernie Leadon and the first album with Joe Walsh. It is also the last album featuring original bass player and singer Randy Meisner...
and was released as a single in February 1977. It is one of the best-known songs of the album-oriented rock
Album-oriented rock
Album-oriented rock is an American FM radio format focusing on album tracks by rock artists.-Music played:Most radio formats are based on a select, tight rotation of hit singles...
era. Writing credits for the song are shared by Don Felder
Don Felder
Donald William "Don" Felder is an American musician and songwriter, best known for his work as lead guitarist for the Eagles from 1974 to 1980 and again from 1994 to 2001.-Early life and influences:...
, Don Henley
Don Henley
Donald Hugh "Don" Henley is an American singer, songwriter and drummer, best known as a founding member of the Eagles before launching a successful solo career. Henley was the drummer and lead vocalist for the Eagles from 1971–1980, when the band broke up...
and Glenn Frey
Glenn Frey
Glenn Lewis Frey is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and actor, best known as a founding member of the Eagles. Frey formed the Eagles after he met drummer Don Henley in 1970 and the two eventually joined Linda Ronstadt's backup band for her summer tour. The Eagles formed in 1971 and...
. The Eagles' original recording of the song features Henley singing the lead vocals and concludes with an extended section of electric guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
interplay between Felder and Joe Walsh
Joe Walsh
Joseph Fidler "Joe" Walsh is an American musician, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He has been a member of three commercially successful bands, the James Gang, Barnstorm, and the Eagles, and has experienced notable success as a solo artist and prolific session musician, especially with B.B...
. The song has been given several interpretations by fans and critics alike, but The Eagles have described it as their "interpretation of the high life in Los Angeles".
History and recognition
"Hotel California" topped the Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
singles chart for one week in May 1977. Three months after its release, the single was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
, representing 1,000,000 records shipped. The Eagles also won the 1977 Grammy Award for Record of the Year
Grammy Award for Record of the Year
The Record of the Year is one of the four most prestigious Grammy Awards presented annually. It has been awarded since 1959.-History:The honorees through its history have been:*1959-1965: Artist only.*1966-1998: Artist and producer....
for "Hotel California" at the 20th Annual Grammy Awards
Grammy Awards of 1978
The 20th Grammy Awards were held February 23, 1978, and were broadcast live on American television. They were hosted by folk music legend John Denver, and recognized accomplishments by musicians from the year 1977.- Award winners :*Record of the Year...
in 1978. Leading up to the release of "Hotel California", The Eagles were already accepted and acclaimed as "America's No. 1 rock group", allowing their new album to release to a large, well-established fan-base.
In 2009, the song "Hotel California" was certified Platinum (Digital Sales Award) by the RIAA
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
for sales of 1,000,000 digital downloads.
The song is rated highly in many rock music lists and polls, though it was not met with critical acclaim right away. Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine, for example, originally spoke poorly of Hotel California in the very same issue in which it featured The Eagles on the cover. The magazine later placed it as the 49th greatest song of all time. It is also one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is dedicated to archiving the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, engineers and others who have, in some major way,...
's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. The song's guitar solo
Guitar solo
In popular music, a guitar solo is a melodic passage, section, or entire piece of music written for an electric guitar or an acoustic guitar. Guitar solos, which often contain varying degrees of improvisation, are used in many styles of popular music such as blues, jazz, rock and metal styles such...
is ranked 8th on Guitar Magazines Top 100 Guitar Solos and was voted the best solo of all time by readers of Guitarist
Guitarist (magazine)
Guitarist is a monthly music making magazine published by Future Publishing in the United Kingdom. The magazine features reviews of newly released guitars, amplifiers and other equipment, plus interviews with guitar players, features on the guitar industry, news articles, and features on playing...
magazine.
As one of the group's most popular and well-known songs, "Hotel California" has been a concert staple for the band since its release. Performances of the song appear on the Eagles' 1980 live album
Eagles Live
Eagles Live is the first live album by the American rock band Eagles, a two-LP set released in 1980. The Eagles unofficially disbanded on July 31, 1980 after their concert at Long Beach. However, the band still owed Elektra/Asylum a live record from the tour...
, simply called Live, and in an acoustic version on the 1994 Hell Freezes Over
Hell Freezes Over
Hell Freezes Over is a live album by the Eagles, released in 1994. The album contains four new studio tracks and eleven tracks recorded live for an MTV special. It went to #1 on the Billboard album chart upon its release where it stayed for two weeks. It is the band's second live album behind their...
reunion concert CD and video release. The "Hell Freezes Over
Hell Freezes Over
Hell Freezes Over is a live album by the Eagles, released in 1994. The album contains four new studio tracks and eleven tracks recorded live for an MTV special. It went to #1 on the Billboard album chart upon its release where it stayed for two weeks. It is the band's second live album behind their...
" version is performed using eight guitars and has a decidedly Spanish feel to it with Don Felder
Don Felder
Donald William "Don" Felder is an American musician and songwriter, best known for his work as lead guitarist for the Eagles from 1974 to 1980 and again from 1994 to 2001.-Early life and influences:...
's flamenco-inspired intro. During the band's Farewell 1 Tour-Live from Melbourne
Farewell 1 Tour-Live from Melbourne
Farewell 1 Tour-Live from Melbourne is a double DVD by Eagles, released in 2005 .It was filmed in Melbourne, Australia at the Rod Laver Arena on the 14, 15 and 17 of November 2004, in the same name tour, featuring two new songs...
, the song was performed in a manner closer to the original album version, but with a trumpet
Trumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
interlude in the beginning.
The song is a playable track on the video game Guitar Hero World Tour
Guitar Hero World Tour
Guitar Hero World Tour is a music video game developed by Neversoft and published by RedOctane and Activision. It is the fourth main entry in the Guitar Hero series...
.
Glenn Frey described the origins of the song:
"The song began as a demo tape, an instrumental by Don Felder. He’d been submitting tapes and song ideas to us since he’d joined the band, always instrumentals, since he didn’t sing. But this particular demo, unlike many of the others, had room for singing. It immediately got our attention. The first working title, the name we gave it, was ‘Mexican Reggae'."
Interpretation
The lyrics describe the title establishment as a luxury resort where "you can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave." On the surface, it tells the tale of a weary traveler who becomes trapped in a nightmarish luxury hotel that at first appears inviting and tempting. The song is an allegoryAllegory
Allegory is a demonstrative form of representation explaining meaning other than the words that are spoken. Allegory communicates its message by means of symbolic figures, actions or symbolic representation...
about hedonism
Hedonism
Hedonism is a school of thought which argues that pleasure is the only intrinsic good. In very simple terms, a hedonist strives to maximize net pleasure .-Etymology:The name derives from the Greek word for "delight" ....
, self-destruction, and greed in the music industry of the late 1970s. Don Henley called it "our interpretation of the high life in 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...
" and later reiterated "it's basically a song about the dark underbelly of the American dream and about excess in America, which is something we knew a lot about."
In 2008, Don Felder described the origins of the lyrics:
"Don Henley and Glenn wrote most of the words. All of us kind of drove into L.A. at night. Nobody was from California, and if you drive into L.A. at night... you can just see this glow on the horizon of lights, and the images that start running through your head of Hollywood and all the dreams that you have, and so it was kind of about that... what we started writing the song about. Coming into L.A.... and from that 'Life in the Fast Lane' came out of it, and 'Wasted Time' and a bunch of other songs."
The abstract nature of the lyrics has led listeners to their own interpretations over the years. In the 1980s, some Christian evangelists alleged that "Hotel California" referred to a San Francisco hotel purchased by Anton LaVey
Anton LaVey
Anton Szandor LaVey , born Howard Stanton Levey, was the founder of the Church of Satan as well as a writer, occultist, and musician...
and converted into the Church of Satan
Church of Satan
The Church of Satan is an organization dedicated to the acceptance of the carnal self, as articulated in The Satanic Bible, written in 1969 by Anton Szandor LaVey.- History :...
. Other rumors suggested that the Hotel California was the Camarillo State Mental Hospital
Camarillo State Mental Hospital
Camarillo State Mental Hospital, also known as Camarillo State Hospital, was a psychiatric hospital for both developmentally disabled and mentally ill patients in Camarillo, California. The hospital closed in 1997. The site has been redeveloped as the California State University, Channel Islands...
. These claims have been consistently denied by the band.
The term "colitas" in the first stanza of the song is a Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
term for "little tails" and in Mexican slang it is a reference to the buds of the Cannabis
Cannabis (drug)
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among many other names, refers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug or for medicinal purposes. The English term marijuana comes from the Mexican Spanish word marihuana...
plant.
In a 2009 interview, Plain Dealer music critic John Soeder asked Don Henley this about the lyrics:
"On "Hotel California," you sing: "So I called up the captain / 'Please bring me my wine' / He said, 'We haven't had that spirit here since 1969.'" I realize I'm probably not the first to bring this to your attention, but wine isn't a spirit. Wine is fermented; spirits are distilled. Do you regret that lyric?"
Henley responded,
"Thanks for the tutorial and, no, you're not the first to bring this to my attention—and you're not the first to completely misinterpret the lyric and miss the metaphor. Believe me, I've consumed enough alcoholic beverages in my time to know how they are made and what the proper nomenclature is. But that line in the song has little or nothing to do with alcoholic beverages. It's a sociopolitical statement. My only regret would be having to explain it in detail to you, which would defeat the purpose of using literary devices in songwriting and lower the discussion to some silly and irrelevant argument about chemical processes."
According to Glenn Frey
Glenn Frey
Glenn Lewis Frey is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and actor, best known as a founding member of the Eagles. Frey formed the Eagles after he met drummer Don Henley in 1970 and the two eventually joined Linda Ronstadt's backup band for her summer tour. The Eagles formed in 1971 and...
's liner notes for The Very Best of Eagles, the use of the word "steely" in the lyric (referring to knives) was a playful nod to band Steely Dan
Steely Dan
Steely Dan is an American rock band; its core members are Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. The band's popularity peaked in the late 1970s, with the release of seven albums blending elements of jazz, rock, funk, R&B, and pop...
, who had included the lyric "Turn up the Eagles, the neighbors are listening" in their song "Everything You Did
Everything You Did
"Everything You Did" is a 1976 song from Steely Dan's The Royal Scam. In it, a man tells a woman whom he suspects of cheating on him that she must confess to him...
".
Personnel
- Don HenleyDon HenleyDonald Hugh "Don" Henley is an American singer, songwriter and drummer, best known as a founding member of the Eagles before launching a successful solo career. Henley was the drummer and lead vocalist for the Eagles from 1971–1980, when the band broke up...
: Lead vocals, drums. - Glenn FreyGlenn FreyGlenn Lewis Frey is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and actor, best known as a founding member of the Eagles. Frey formed the Eagles after he met drummer Don Henley in 1970 and the two eventually joined Linda Ronstadt's backup band for her summer tour. The Eagles formed in 1971 and...
: 12-string acoustic guitar, electric guitar, backing vocals. - Don FelderDon FelderDonald William "Don" Felder is an American musician and songwriter, best known for his work as lead guitarist for the Eagles from 1974 to 1980 and again from 1994 to 2001.-Early life and influences:...
: Lead guitar, 12-string electric guitar, backing vocals - Joe WalshJoe WalshJoseph Fidler "Joe" Walsh is an American musician, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He has been a member of three commercially successful bands, the James Gang, Barnstorm, and the Eagles, and has experienced notable success as a solo artist and prolific session musician, especially with B.B...
: Lead guitar, backing vocals. - Randy MeisnerRandy MeisnerRandy Herman Meisner is an American musician and songwriter, best known as a founding member of Poco and the Eagles...
: Bass guitar, backing vocals
Cover shot for the album was the Beverly Hills Hotel in California.
Covers
Many cover versionCover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
s of "Hotel California" have been released:
- Alabama 3Alabama 3Alabama 3 are a British band mixing rock, dance, blues, country, and gospel styles, founded in Brixton, London, in 1995. In the United States, they are known as A3, allegedly to avoid any possible legal conflict with the country music band Alabama...
: On their album la peste (2000). - The Cat EmpireThe Cat EmpireThe Cat Empire are an Australian ska and jazz band formed in 1999. Core members are Harry James Angus , Will Hull-Brown , Jamshid "Jumps" Khadiwhala , Ollie McGill , Ryan Monro and Felix Riebl...
: A French jazz, (L'Hotel de Californie) with French lyrics, recorded for Triple JTriple Jtriple j is a nationally networked Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners between the ages of 18 and 30. The government-funded station is a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation...
's Like a VersionLike A VersionLike a Version is a segment on the Australian radio station Triple J. It was created by Mel Bampton as part of the Mel in the Morning program. Currently the segment pops up whenever artists are available and willing to do it, though mainly on the Breakfast show...
segment and subsequent CD compilation. A live rendition of L'Hotel de Californie from a show in Montréal appeared on their 2009 live album Live on EarthLive on Earth (Cat Empire album)Live on Earth is the first full-length live album released by Melbourne band The Cat Empire. .... - Shir'Eli Abdurishit: A UyghurUyghur peopleThe Uyghur are a Turkic ethnic group living in Eastern and Central Asia. Today, Uyghurs live primarily in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in the People's Republic of China...
singer sung with Uyghur LanguageUyghur languageUyghur , formerly known as Eastern Turk, is a Turkic language with 8 to 11 million speakers, spoken primarily by the Uyghur people in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of Western China. Significant communities of Uyghur-speakers are located in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, and various other...
, from the album "Güzelim" in 1998. - Alex Cohen, a Brazilian singer, recorded an unplugged live version in English for the Um Barzinho, Um Violão series.
- Sylvain CossetteSylvain CossetteSylvain Cossette is a French-Canadian singer-songwriter from Grand-Mère, Quebec . Sylvain was a founding member of the Quebec-based English language band Paradox in 1984, before becoming a French language solo artist by 1994...
French Canadian singer: released in 2008 on his cover album 70's Volume 2 - Igor DžambazovIgor DžambazovIgor Džambazov is a Macedonian actor, showman, TV host, singer, songwriter, director of music videos, and writer. He currently is the host of the TV show Trkalo na srekjata .-Musical career:Igor Džambazov was born in Skopje in a family of actors and musicians...
- "Hotel Macedonia" - Version with lyrics in Macedonian, promoting the country of Macedonia - Gipsy KingsGipsy KingsThe Gipsy Kings are a group of musicians from Arles and Montpellier, who perform in Spanish with an Andalucían accent. Although group members were born in France, their parents were mostly gitanos, Spanish Romani people who fled Catalonia during the 1930s Spanish Civil War. Chico Bouchikhi is of...
: A flamencoFlamencoFlamenco is a genre of music and dance which has its foundation in Andalusian music and dance and in whose evolution Andalusian Gypsies played an important part....
version with Spanish lyrics, released in 1988 and later featured in the film The Big LebowskiThe Big LebowskiThe Big Lebowski is a 1998 comedy film written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. Jeff Bridges stars as Jeff Lebowski, an unemployed Los Angeles slacker and avid bowler, who is referred to as "The Dude". After a case of mistaken identity, The Dude is introduced to a millionaire also named...
. - Sam Hui recorded a version in 1977.
- William HungWilliam HungWilliam James Hung Hing Cheong , commonly known as William Hung, is an American singer who gained fame in early 2004 as a result of his off-key audition performance of Ricky Martin's hit song "She Bangs" on the third season of the television series...
: A 2004 version recorded by the American IdolAmerican IdolAmerican Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
contestant. - Majek FashekMajek FashekMajekodumni Fasheke, popularly known as Majek Fashek, is a Nigerian reggae singer and guitarist. Various translations of his name include "high priest who does not lie", "powers of miracles" and "the high priest does not live".-Early life:...
released a reggaeReggaeReggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
version, often incorrectly credited to Bob MarleyBob MarleyRobert Nesta "Bob" Marley, OM was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and musician. He was the rhythm guitarist and lead singer for the ska, rocksteady and reggae band Bob Marley & The Wailers...
. - The Moog CookbookThe Moog CookbookThe Moog Cookbook is the name of an electronica band made up of Brian Kehew and Roger Joseph Manning Jr. as a parody/tribute to the novelty "Moog records" of the late 1960s and early 1970s. The duo performs exclusively on analog synthesizers, especially Moog synthesizers...
released a version on their album Ye Olde Space Bande (1997). - MoonraisersMoonraisersMoonraisers are a reggae band formed in 1992 and based in Neuchâtel, Switzerland. Their style, a type of electronic reggae dubbed World’n’Moonstyle Reggae, joins roots reggae with funk, world and electro elements.- Albums :...
released a 1998 reggae version, with several remixes recorded. - Panteón RococóPanteón RococóPanteón Rococó is a Mexican ska band from Mexico City. Despite flourishing black markets, they have sold thousands of records. While being stars in Mexico, they have been touring Europe for the last several years, especially Germany, where their European Label Übersee Records is located.- Musical...
, a Mexican ska group, has also released a cover of the song, but is not included in any of their albums. - Rascal FlattsRascal FlattsRascal Flatts is an American country music band that originated in Columbus, Ohio, United States of America. Since its inception, Rascal Flatts has been composed of three members: Gary LeVox , Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney...
performed a country version at the 2007 Grammy Awards. - Rhythms del MundoRhythms del MundoRhythms del Mundo is a nonprofit collaborative album, which fuses an all-star cast of Cuban musicians including Ibrahim Ferrer and Omara Portuondo of the Buena Vista Social Club with tracks from US, UK and Irish artists such as Dido, Arctic Monkeys, U2, Coldplay, Sting, Jack Johnson, Maroon 5,...
released a 2009 version off their album Classics, featuring The Killers. - Max RomeoMax RomeoMax Romeo is a reggae and roots reggae recording artist who has achieved chart success in his home country, and in the UK. Romeo was responsible for launching an entirely new sub-genre of reggae, whose overtly suggestive lyrics caused an outcry but took a massive hold of the music scene regardless...
released a reggae version on his album Something is Wrong (1999). - Roo'raRoo'raRoo'ra is Korean hip hop and dance group from 1994-2001. Its name is abbreviation of Roots of Reggae.Many of the groups albums were the top selling of their time in Korea, with their debut album selling over 280000 copies. As well they also hold the title for first setting the record of one million...
released a version on their second album "날개 잃은 천사" ("Angel Without Wings")(1995). - Nancy SinatraNancy SinatraNancy Sandra Sinatra is an American singer and actress. She is the daughter of singer/actor Frank Sinatra, and remains best known for her 1966 signature hit "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'"....
covered it on the album Nancy Sinatra - California Girl. - SkaDaddyZSkaDaddyZSkaDaddyZ is a ska band from Silver Strand Beach in Oxnard, California. They were founded in 1993. They achieved a hit with their cover version of The Eagles' "Hotel California"....
released a reggae/skaSkaSka |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
version in 1999. It is often incorrectly credited to Reel Big FishReel Big FishReel Big Fish is an American ska punk band from Huntington Beach, California, best known for the 1997 hit "Sell Out". The band gained mainstream recognition in the mid-to-late 1990s, during the third wave of ska with the release of the gold certified album Turn the Radio Off. Soon after, the band...
, NOFXNOFXNOFX is an American punk rock band from Los Angeles, California .The band was formed in 1983 by vocalist/bassist Fat Mike and guitarist Eric Melvin. Drummer Erik Sandin joined NOFX shortly after. In 1991 El Hefe joined to play lead guitar and trumpet, rounding out the current line-up...
or Less Than JakeLess Than JakeLess Than Jake is an American ska punk band from Gainesville, Florida. Originally formed in 1992 as a power pop trio, the band evolved into a hybrid of ska punk. Less Than Jake have also been cited as showing influences from a wide variety of genres including post-grunge, heavy metal, alternative...
. - Al B. Sure!Al B. Sure!Albert Jason Brown III is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He grew up in Leonia, New Jersey and Mount Vernon, New York. During the late 1980s under the stage name Al B...
released a version on his album Private Times...and the Whole 9!Private Times...and the Whole 9!-Reception:Though it was not as successful as his debut album, In Effect Mode, Private Times was another success for Al B. Sure!, having made it to #20 on the Billboard 200 and #4 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums...
(1990). - Tangerine DreamTangerine DreamTangerine Dream is a German electronic music group founded in 1967 by Edgar Froese. The band has undergone many personnel changes over the years, with Froese being the only continuous member...
covered it on their 2010 album Under Cover - Chapter OneUnder Cover - Chapter One (Tangerine Dream album)Under Cover - Chapter One is an album by electronic group Tangerine Dream, which was released in December of 2010. The idea for the album is said to have started in 2008 in Los Angeles. The band was touring in the west coast area at the time, and their promoter jokingly told the band they should...
. - Romania-based Vama VecheVama Veche (band)Vama Veche was a Romanian soft rock band, founded in 1996, the same year in which they recorded the song that would become a big hit in Romania the following year, "Nu am chef azi".Their first concert took place on 28th November 1996 at Lăptaria lui Enache....
released a version sung in Romanian on their second album, but with alternative lyrics dealing with the dreadful living conditions in Romanian student dormitories in the late nineties. The song is titled "Hotel Cişmigiu". - Vulgaras, a New York City-based rock band, recorded and filmed a video for a torch rock version on their Heavy Handed Heart album.
- Frank OceanFrank OceanChristopher Francis Ocean , better known by his stage name Frank Ocean, is an American singer-songwriter and rapper from New Orleans, Louisiana. He is a member of OFWGKTA.-2005-2010: Career beginnings:...
released a version on his EP Nostalgia, Ultra entitled American Wedding'.
Parodies
Parodies include:- Christian parody band ApologetiXApologetiXApologetiX is a Christian parody band from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. The band was founded in 1992, and since then, has played in 44 states, released 17 studio albums, and built up a fan club that includes 45,000 people. The band is currently composed of J...
redid this song into "Hotel Can't Afford Ya." - In 1983 the band Big Daddy recorded a comedic cover version, mixing the original lyrics with an arrangement very similar to the Del ShannonDel ShannonDel Shannon was an American rock and roll singer-songwriter who had a No. 1 hit, "Runaway", in 1961.- Biography :...
song "RunawayRunaway (Del Shannon song)"Runaway" was a number-one Billboard Hot 100 song made famous by Del Shannon in 1961. It was written by Shannon and keyboardist Max Crook, and became a major international hit...
," though the actual chords and melody remained the same as the Eagles original. - Australian parody artist Steven CavanaghSteven CavanaghSteven Cavanagh is an Australian short fiction writer and song parody artist. He is best known for his collection of Star Wars song parodies, the Songbook of the Whills.-External links:...
parodied the song as "Hotel of the Emperor", telling the climactic scenes of Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the JediStar Wars Episode VI: Return of the JediStar Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi is a 1983 American epic space opera film directed by Richard Marquand and written by George Lucas and Lawrence Kasdan. It is the third film released in the Star Wars saga, and the sixth in terms of the series' internal chronology...
. - Finnish humppa band EläkeläisetEläkeläisetEläkeläiset are a Finnish humppa band founded in 1993. They specialise in humppa and jenkka music and have been successful in Germany, Finland and elsewhere....
remade the song as "Hotelli Helpotus" ("Hotel Relief", a Finnish euphemism for a toilet). - Country music parodist Cledus T. JuddCledus T. JuddBarry Poole is an American country music artist who records under the name Cledus T. Judd. Known primarily for his parodies of popular country music songs, he has been called the "Weird Al" Yankovic of country music, and his albums are usually an equal mix of original comedy songs and parodies...
parodied the song as "Motel Californie" on his 1995 debut album Cledus T. Judd (No Relation)Cledus T. Judd (No Relation)Cledus T. Judd is the self-titled debut album of country music parodist Cledus T. Judd. The album's title is a reference the popularity of country duo The Judds...
. - A parody called "Hotel Keralafonia" has circulated over the internet, with the performing band listed as "The Yeagles". Kerala is the second southern-most state in India. The singer's style is reminiscent of the thick Keralite or Malayali (Malayalam is the official state language of Kerala) accent most natives have.
- A Mexican parody called "Motel California" talks about a bachelor party that was held in the so called Motel California with an unexpected end.