Sea Cruise

**Sea Cruise** by **Frankie Ford** is among the extremes in a party, similar to Rock Around The Clock party. a 0.9 intensity has been stuck on the 21 March 1959.

"**Sea Cruise**" is a song written and sung by Huey "Piano" Smith and His Clowns. This recording was included on the 1971 Ace Records compilation *Huey "Piano" Smith's Rock & Roll Revival!*

## Original release

The song was first released by Frankie Ford in 1959 with Smith's original backing track. On the *Billboard* charts, it reached number 14 in the Hot 100 and number 11 on the Hot R&B Sides. Released on Ace Records, it sold over one million copies, gaining gold disc status. The single included ship's bell and horn sound-effects, as well as boogie piano, a driving horn section and a beat that anticipated ska music.

## Recorded cover versions

It was later also covered by:

* Charlie Drake released a comedy version of the song in the UK in 1959
* Jackie Edwards released a ska version in 1964
* Herman's Hermits covered the song in 1965 on the album *Introducing Herman's Hermits*.
* The Hondells covered the song in the 1960s, as seen on a Scopitone film.
* Freddy Cannon covered it in a 1968 single released by "We Make Rock'N Roll Records" #1604
* Shakin' Stevens and the Sunsets covered the song on their album, *Good Rockin' Tonight* (1971).
* The Houseshakers in *Demolition Rock* (1972) (available on CD *Contours Of Rock 'n' Roll* Raucous Records).
* Sha Na Na on *The Night Is Still Young* and *Golden Age Of Rock 'n' Roll* (both 1972).
* Jerry Lee Lewis in 1973 for his album *The Session...Recorded in London with Great Artists*.
* Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen covered the song in 1973.
* Johnny Rivers recorded a studio version in 1971 and covered it in 1974 on the album *Last Boogie in Paris.*
* John Fogerty covered it on his self-titled 1975 solo album.
* Nicky Hopkins covered it in 1975 on the album *No More Changes.*
* The Beach Boys, recorded c. 1976 for initial inclusion on *15 Big Ones* (released on the 1981 compilation album *Ten Years of Harmony* featuring a vocal by Dennis Wilson)
* Robert Gordon and Link Wray covered the song on their 1977 album *Robert Gordon with Link Wray*.
* Johnny Hallyday on his *C'est la vie* album (1977).
* Rory Gallagher performed the song live in 1978–1979. The version from Wiesbaden, Germany, May 6, 1979, was included on his DVD *At Rockpalast*. Another version from December 1979 was released on *Notes from San Francisco*.
* Showaddywaddy covered the song on their 1979 album *Crepes & Drapes*.
* Billy "Crash" Craddock covered it in 1980 on the album *Changes.*
* Rico Rodriguez recorded an instrumental version in 1980 with The Specials.
* Don McLean on his 1981 album *Believers*
* Glenn Frey recorded the song on his first solo album, *No Fun Aloud*, in 1982, after having performed it with Eagles on the same year of their breakup, 1980.
* Anne Murray performed the song in her 1983 TV special *Anne Murray: Caribbean Cruise*.
* The Kidsongs Kids covered the song on their 1986 video "What I Want to Be!".
* Cliff Richard covered it on his 1990 live album *From a Distance: The Event* and then again with the Shadows on their 2009 album *Reunited.*
* Dion covered the song in 1990 on the album *The Adventures of Ford Fairlane*.
* American R&B and boogie-woogie pianist and singer Little Willie Littlefield recorded a version for his 1997 album *The Red One*.
* Jimmy Buffett covered the song on the 1995 album Margaritaville Cafe Late Night Gumbo. It also appeared on M.O.M. – Music for our mother ocean – Vol 3 in 1999, and Jimmy's Live in Mansfield, MA CD released in 2004.
* Status Quo on their 1999 single, "The Way It Goes."
* In 1976 actress Jill Clayburgh performed the song on *Saturday Night Live* (season one, episode 15), backed by the US Coast Guard’s a cappella group The Idlers.
* Yo La Tengo recorded the song for their covers album *Yo La Tengo Is Murdering the Classics*.
* Gemmy Industries covered this song for their novelty toy Rocky the Singing Lobster in 2000

## Song in other media

* The song has been included in several motion picture soundtracks, including *Ski Patrol* in 1990 and *Out to Sea* in 1997.