Oh the joys of summer songs! The more I think about it, the more I want to start a list. These are some of my favorites and a line or two about them.
In no particular order:
Hot Fun In The Summertime, Sly And The Family Stone: There are times I am convinced Sly Stone came from a different planet. I find most of his music other-worldly in its brilliance and execution. This one has more hooks than velcro, but the main one for me is the rhythm. It's 4/4 with a heavy triplet feel but I could just as easily say it's a fast 6/8. It makes me think about time in many different ways.
In The Summertime, Roger Miller: There was no end to Roger Miller's inventiveness and this song is a testament to it. A brilliant funny man at the height of his power, he managed to make a broken heart sound like the more fun than a day at the beach.
Summertime, The Gershwins: This song is so good, I would be hard pressed to find a bad version. I suppose that award would go to any revival of the original opera. I don't like that style of singing, but I love opera singers because they have so much dang confidence!
Almost any song by the Beach Boys: They own summer in a way no other group has or ever will. Can you think of one Beach Boys song that reminds you of winter?
Summer In The City, The Lovin' Spoonful: Rock's answer to Roger Miller, John Sebastian probably could match him song for catchy song. This is the first "summer" song I learned and it conjures up a lot of fun with its day-versus-night structure.
Rain On The Roof, The Lovin' Spoonful: Hitting the list twice, the Spoonful are a close second in the race for summer dominance. This song, if you haven't heard it, is Google-worthy. The joy you will experience is worth the short 20-second search on the internet. I'm guessing it inspired the next song.
When It Rains At The Drive In, NRBQ: An exquisite pop melody that conjures steamy windows and a B-movie nobody will be able to recall the next day. Again, Google/YouTube awaits to take you to an enchanting musical place ... and the most underrated band in American history.
Blackbird, The Beatles: This is the ultimate campfire song of the modern era. For a lot of critics, that is a knock – but the last thing I would want to do in the summer is sit around and read a book of rock criticism. Having taught this to countless students, it's still mystifying in the way all great songs are: Where on earth does something like this come from?
Summertime Blues, Eddie Cochran: There is no way to leave this off a list like this, it's probably No. 1 for a lot of people.
Summer Song, Louis Armstrong & Dave Brubeck: A masterpiece of hip melancholy with two of America's greatest. A little harder to find (try iTunes) but so worth the trouble. NOTE: This performance will flatten any unsuspecting soul, so exercise caution!
