Songs of Summer?

[Oak Kitten]

I was listening to WHYY in Philadelphia today, and they did a segment where they went around asking people what songs represented summer to them. So I put the question to "youse guys," what songs to you associate with summer fun? Two of mine are "See you in September," by Frakie Vallie and the Four Seasons and "Wouldn't It Be Nice" by the Beach Boys.

Oak

[Gigglepottomus]

"Stockton Gala" Days by Natalie Merchant

"Afternoon Delight" by Starland Vocal Band

Of course "Summer Nights" from the film soundtrack of Grease.

And that one song that goes "Saturday in the park I think it was the forth of July" does anyone know what the name of that song is and who sings it :confused:

[Melba]

I don't know about summer fun, but these are summer songs, for sure.

"Boys of Summer" Don Henley
"Summertime Blues" there are several versions....I happen to like Alan Jackson's version.
"Sweet Summertime" Kenny Chesney..currently playing
"Summer of My Dreams" Kathy Mattea

[invsbl_wife]

And that one song that goes "Saturday in the park I think it was the forth of July" does anyone know what the name of that song is and who sings it :confused:

It's called "Saturday in the Park" and it's by Chicago. Great summer song!

[Gigglepottomus]

It's called "Saturday in the Park" and it's by Chicago. Great summer song!

Thanks invsbl_wife I should have known that I love Chicago.

[invsbl_wife]

These songs always take me back to summer, no matter what time of year I hear them. I associate all of them with the summers of 1970 - 71. :D

"Spill the Wine" by Eric Burden and War
"In the Summertime" by Mungo Jerry
"Summertime" from Porgy and Bess
and the entire sountrack of "Woodstock"

[mixtymotions]

Summertime Blues - Blue Cheer....ooooh yeah

Radar Love - Golden Earring - the bestest summertime road trip song

[ponytail]

"Summer In The City" by the Lovin' Spoonful.:D

[Rkitko]

I have this habit of immersing myself in the sound of a new CD. For the three summers that I was at my undergrad college (doing research/working on campus, which was really neat since it was nearly empty), I picked one new CD I had recently purchased and used that as my Summer Soundtrack. The first summer, it was Between the Lines. The second summer, it was Dar Williams' Mortal City. The final summer I listened to Guster's Lost and Gone Forever.

I'll hear those songs today and be instantly transported back to who I was and how I was feeling during those nightly walks around the empty, dark campus. Between the Lines and Mortal City were especially important in my introspective journey at the time when I was dealing with the rift between myself and my parents. I'm glad I had that music to help me through.

Those summers were great--really what summers were meant to be.

[Rika]

Summer in the City!! 'By the Lovin Spoonful is great.

[pulmike]

Another vote for "Summer in the City", and since I officially hereby grants me self a second vote: "If you're going to San Francisico
Be sure to wear.......

pulmike

[snakegrl]

Love Shack by the B52's, or anything by the B52's for that matter.

[ponytail]

Also "Under The Boardwalk" by The Drifters.

[Dee]

See the curtains hangin' in the window, in the evenin' on a Friday night
A little light a-shinin' through the window, lets me know everything is alright
Summer breeze, makes me feel fine, blowing through the jasmine in my mind

[KarenSews2]

The 1st one that comes to mind for me has nothing to do with summer, but it's the song that helped me keep my sanity in the summer of 1977. Party Lights by you-know-who.

The 2 others that take me back to the summer days when I was around 12 are Soldier Boy (The Shirelles) and Johnny Angel (Shelley Fabares). Again, nothing to do with summer, but I remember riding my bike around the neighborhood singing them--probably at the top of my lungs! I'm sure I was a hit with the neighbors! :eek:

Oh yeah--Up on the Roof by the Drifters!

[Denise]

When I was a child, we spent our summers at my grandparents' cottage on the lake, and they had stereo speakers on the porch facing the beach so we could listen to music outside.
The one song that will always and forever remind me of my childhood summers is
"Those Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer" by Nat King Cole.
They would play that day after day and year after year. I still love that song! It almost brings tears to my eyes when I hear it, because of the memories.... It's even on my ipod!!!!
Love his voice!

And, of course, like others have already mentioned, in my later years as well ..... "Summer in the City" for sure!!!!

[Bat]

"Do you know the Way to San Jose?"...summer of 1968 that signaled the turning point in my life...

[Oak Kitten]

I've got two more:

"Sleepwalk" by Larry Carlton

Theme from "A Summer Place"

I am surprised no one has mentioned "Brown-Eyed Girl" yet. (Well, I guess that's three)

Oak

[Bat]

Aha! Another Larry Carlton fan! ...I always liked his "Nightcrawler"...I could never remember the name of it and cracked my son up by calling it "Earthworm"...but he's a fine guitarist!

[hoops]

there are a few but believe it or not the one that sticks out in my mind right now is " Summertime" by will smith

[mixtymotions]

"School's Out" - Alice Cooper

[Eva]

Any song by John Denver. Especially when driving through the mountains or hills.

Eva

[MadMusician]

Dancin' in the Streets - Martha & the Vandella's (the Bowie/Jagger version is good too)

Heatwave - Martha & the Vandellas

Crystal Blue Persuasion - Tommy James and the Shondells
Get Together - Jesse Colin Young & Youngbloods
(oh that wonderful summer of 69 when I was 14!!)

Summer's Coming - Clint Black

And as mentioned above "Summertime" from George Gershwin's Porgy & Bess.

[Dee]

I forgot this one from the radio days of my childhood:

Happy Together by The Turtles

I can't see me loving nobody but you
For all my life
When you're with me
Baby the skies will be blue
For all my life ....

[DaveM]

Ah, a fine companion to "The 59th St. Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)" by Simon and Garfunkel.

[GodSistah]

"Hot Fun In The Summer Time" - Sly and the Family Stone

:)

~Andrea~

[Dee]

Ah, a fine companion to "The 59th St. Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)" by Simon and Garfunkel.

Yes! Clearly we lived the same childhood radio days. :p

[NinasSpaceChild]

For many years I have been a big fan of Kirsty MacColl. A few months before her death, she recorded in my opinion her best album Tropical Brainstorm, and every song on there is a Summer gem for me. :)

[Colefan]

Kirsty's Tropical Brainstorm is also my favorite of Kirsty's work. Funny though, I listened to that CD nonstop during a long cold winter in the mountains. One of my biggest disappointments in life is never seeing Kirsty perform live. I can only assume she was a hoot.

One song I can think of that takes me back to summer is Paula Cole's "Where Have All The Cowboys Gone?" In the summer of '97 that song was overplayed. Recently while listening to her greatest hits that song came on, and it took me right back to that summer, and the time of Lilith Fair.

Now the title of song has become part of our vernacular. A commentator on MSNBC used the phrase where have all the cowboys gone to describe Dubya's new softer approach in speech. As if!

[Melba]

See the curtains hangin' in the window, in the evenin' on a Friday night
A little light a-shinin' through the window, lets me know everything is alright
Summer breeze, makes me feel fine, blowing through the jasmine in my mind
Don't know how I could have forgottent that one....that is my partner's song.;)

[KarenSews2]

Susudio (sp?)

Summer of '83, our first summer in East Tennessee, and Ned's daughter had come down for a visit. We heard that damned song everywhere! One day, especially, she and I went to Knoxville. We heard it in the car. We heard it in the stores. We heard it in an ice cream store on the UT campus. We heard it again and again in the car! I got sick of that song really quickly! Whenever I hear it, to this day, I think of the hotter-than-hell day in Knoxville!

[DaveM]

"Walk, Don't Run"--The Ventures. Pretty much everything they recorded is good beach music.

Am also thinking of a song for which I don't know the title or artist. Last two lines of the chorus are:

"well, we're out there having fun
in the warm California sun."

[mixtymotions]

Grrr...now I have that chorus stuck in my head, Dave! So what's this one?

Summertime, summertime, sum, sum, summertime........:p

[NinasSpaceChild]

Kirsty's Tropical Brainstorm is also my favorite of Kirsty's work. Funny though, I listened to that CD nonstop during a long cold winter in the mountains. One of my biggest disappointments in life is never seeing Kirsty perform live. I can only assume she was a hoot.

I saw Kirsty twice both times I was standing right at the front, and the second time we sang Don't Come The Cowboy With Me Sunny Jim all the way through, together. That was amazing.

She was great live, aspecially with the South American backing.

[ponytail]

"Hot Fun In The Summer Time" - Sly and the Family Stone

:)

~Andrea~

Oh, yes!!!!! How could I have forgotten that one! Love that song!:D

[Eva]

"Suicide is painless"

Okay, I was somewhat depressed, but that's not the reason :)

Eva

[GodSistah]

"Love is blind...how well I remember
In the heat of summer pleasure...winter fades" -Janis Ian

;)

~Andrea~

[AceOn6]

Wow, you guys are good.

I'm with Denise on "Lazy Hazy Crazy" I still have the 45 with the original printed sleeve.

And how can we forget "Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini"!!! Ooooo, and "Margaritaville"!!!

[hoops]

How about Janis Joplin "Summertime:

[ponytail]

This probably doesn't hold up, but I think of Joni Mitchell's "Woodstock" as a summer song -- because of the Summer Of Love. Actually, Melanie has a Woodstock song CALLED "Summer Of Love," too.

[DaveM]

The song I was thinking of was The Riviera's "Warm California Sun".

For depressing songs, how about Terry Jacks' "Seasons In The Sun"?

[snakegrl]

I remember Melanie. What a great voice. I wonder what she's doing these days?

[NinasSpaceChild]

www.melaniemusic.net

I really like Melanie.

[DaveM]

My family went on a weeklong summer vacation once--the standard northern Minnesota cabin on lake sort of thing. Second day of the trip I got sick and spent most of the week sprawled on a bunk bed in the cabin. Someone left a radio on almost constantly, possibly thinking it would help occupy my mind a bit. We were apparently within range of one radio station, which was playing, on VERY heavy rotation, Gilbert O'Sullivan's "Alone Again, Naturally".

I have never been able to get the lyrics out of my head.

[david uk]

For depressing songs, how about Terry Jacks' "Seasons In The Sun"?

interestingly enough, Terry Jacks' song "Seasons in the Sun" was a very poor version of Jacques Brel's "Le Moribond" (The Dying Man)...

Brel's original is a venemous attack by a dying man on all the people who have cheated him in his life... and the music is much less sugary too.

[Eva]

Nothing but the girl - Missing you (or is it called: Like the desserts miss the rain?)

The Cars - Drive

Bruce Springsteen - Born in the USA (my first summervacation in the US :D )

And another song I don't know the title off. Goes like this:
Where do you go to my lovely
When you're alone in your bed
Tell me the thoughts that surround you
I want to look inside your head
It's in English and a guy with a French accent sings it. Love that song

Eva

[DaveM]

I'd heard that before, David. Do you know if there is a decent translation of Brel's original lyrics available anywhere?

Have always found "Seasons In The Sun" a bit peculiar....gloomy lyrics set to a bubble-gum rock beat.

[DaveM]

And just to keep the thread on-topic:

Take It Easy--Jackson Browne or The Eagles

Life In The Fast Lane--The Eagles

L.A. Woman, Riders On The Storm, and Light My Fire--The Doors

[NinasSpaceChild]

Talking of Melanie, I have just booked tickets to see her live in November. I'm really excited about this. After over 16 years of hoping I really had given up hope of ever attending a Melanie concert. I know it will be a once in a lifetime experience, so I will be cherishing every single second.

[ponytail]

I've met Melanie three times. Most recently I was, as half of a duo called "Open Book," an opening act for her and Arlo Guthrie at Little Buffalo State Park in Perry County, PA. She's very sweet and friendly, and GOD, can she sing! Her voice is amazing. Seeing her live is a great experience because there is such tremendous love between her and her fans (as is the case with another artist we know). The air is just electric with it.

Like Janis, she makes herself available to meet fans afterward. And there are still a lot of fans. The whole time Arlo was playing that day at Little Buffalo, she was greeting and signing autographs for a long line of fans.

BTW, there's a live version of the "Summer Of Love" song -- from one of the Woodstock reunion concerts at the original site -- on "Beautiful People: The Hits Of Melanie" (Buddha Records), the one album of hers that's easy to find in stores.

[suzanne]

Randy and Betty gave me an autographed C/D ," Restless Eyes, "By Janis Ian. I love that CD and the many others they have given to me. I listen to Janis's music often and like most songs allot. I wanted to display my autographed CD where everyone could enjoy seing it and know how I treasure it. I got my Pet Rock from my jewery drawer and placed it in front of Restless Eyes on the top of my C/D player.I love the look and sound and I am enjoying my pet rock again. Does anyone else still have their pet rock;) Or do you even remember pet rocks? I am coming to Janis,s concert 10/27/06 with Randy and Betty. I am excited! ...... If I ever get extra cash I am going to have a Janis Ian Home concert. It would be fun and I really believe in giving women a chance at a good sound education. It is so very important. A better chance in life is important too. I am not likely to ever have the money for that but wish I would because it would be a fun way to support an important cause. I really respect Janis for doing this.

[suzanne]

Summertime and the livin is easy is nice. :)

[gisli]

Summer holiday-Cliff Richard and The Shadows
My Girl-The Temptations
Dazed And Confused-Led Zeppelin
Alone Again Naturally-Gilbert O'Sullivan
...and most of Creedense Clearwater Revival songs.

Why these songs??????They remind me of my childhood, when life was ONLY play and fun.....ahhhh those hazy lacy days of summer.

Janis songs are more of a autumn songs for me for that was the time of the year when I met the person who introduced her music to me, go figure.

The depressed one would be: Still Got The Blues For You-Gary Moore.