Tag: summer

Song: Hot Fun in the Summertime

A song from the summer of 1969, Hot Fun in the Summertime by Sly & Family Stone entered the Billboard charts on August 9, remained there for 16 weeks, and got up to #2 for two weeks, blocked from the top spot by the Temptations’ Can’t Get Next To You.

It also entered the soul charts on August 23, and got up to #3.

In a clever bit of marketing, the first time this song appeared on an album was the greatest hits collection. Unless you owned the singles, and you wanted this song, Everybody is a Star, and Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin), you needed to buy the LP. And so I did.

The song.

A religious experience.

Song: Expressway to Your Heart

Do you know what it is? It’s HOT. It’s especially sticky in our home office, which has this tiny desk fan only.

So I think I need to take a respite from blogging one day of the week, usually the Christian Sabbath. But I don’t want to leave you TOTALLY bereft. I’l pick a video that means summer to me, once a week from now through Labor Day weekend.

Today’s pick is Expressway to Your Heart by the Soul Survivors, described as a “garage-rock band from New York and Philadephia.” The record, on the Crimson label – no, I never heard of it either – was released in the summer of 1967. It debuted on the Billboard charts on September 2 and stayed there for 15 weeks, getting as high as number 4.

version
version in stereo
live version, backed by Hall & Oates in Philadelphia, on October 23, 2009

I’m always a sucker for a good musical bottom.

Sunday Summer Song

Those Lazy Hazy Crazy Days of Summer – Nat King Cole

One of my favorite summer songs when I was growing up I thought was schlocky, even then. But there was so much to like, such as the way the singer said be-ah instead of bee-er, because he was taught, as I’ve heard from every choir director for decades, that the ending R sound is UGLY.

So since this is in the middle of a 3-day holiday weekend in the US, I’ll leave you with:

Those Lazy Hazy Crazy Days of Summer – Nat King Cole
(and if that doesn’t work, try this)

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