Memorial Day means the unofficial start of Summer, so we need some summer songs. Yes, we could choose Cruel Summer by Bananarama, I do have a 45 RPM of that gem, but how about the 1958 classic from The Jamies, “Summertime, Summertime,” or as they sing it “Summatime, Summatime.” The Jamies were a brother and sister and two friends hailing from blue-collar Dorchester, MA, (hence the accents) and this was their only charting record.
We could also throw in the 1959 “Here Comes Summer” by Jerry Keller, only charting at #14 in the US but reaching #1 in the UK (oh those wacky Brits).
School's not so bad but the summer’s better
It gives me more time to see my girl
Walks through the park ‘neath the shiny moon
Oh when we kiss she makes my flattop curl
2 comments:
Billboard has some other suggestions
http://www.billboard.com/features/top-30-summer-songs-1004101310.story#/features/top-30-summer-songs-1004101310.story
Having started college in 1972,
Alice Cooper's "School's Out" is the first I remember taking a somewhat "different" approach to summer songs. John Sebastian's "Summer in the City" is definitely a classic. Can't say that I have kept up with the more contemporary ones. Nat King Cole's song provides a very young memory (he mentioned beer!)
Nice trip down memory lane!
"Summer in the City" would definitely be in my Top 10 somewhere. And Brian Hyland's "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini" would be in there as well. I bought the 45 RPM when the sonmg hit the charts - but I was always a sucker for novely songs anyway.
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