May 272008
We’re looking for summer-themed songs that are more annoying than the humidity.
As for my main example, let’s see if The Isley Brothers could make it worthwhile for anticipating all the things we love about the summer – and its distinctive breeze…
The Isley Brothers’ “Summer Breeze” is a thing of beauty, and has managed to render the Seals and Crofts original a mere necessary evil in my mind.
In general, I am pro-summer songs, be it something power-poppy or whatever R&B hit is emanating from car stereos across the city. But who did that old “it’s sum-sum-summertime” song. That’s annoying.
I’m glad you brought up the Isley’s version of “Summer Breeze”, Oats, although I was expecting HVB to follow through on that “gimme.” He posted it either here on or the “basement” version of RTH some time ago, if memory serves, and I believe that after the novelty of having the song performed by a quality artist wore off I similarly wished for the equivalent of that magical pill I wish I could take on a hot July day to keep me from soaking my clothes in sweat as soon as I get dressed. I’ll add a YouTube of that Isley’s version here for comparison.
I believe I find all regional beach doo-wop songs annoying. I don’t know how it worked in other areas, but there are a few doo-wop songs about South Jersey beaches that make me long for clouds and rain.
Do radio stations still play Alice Cooper’s School’s Out at this time of year? Alice Cooper’s demographic is more likely to dread school being out because it means the kids are underfoot for a few months.
Great one, BigSteve. I never liked that song either. Beside musical reasons, I actually liked school itself and I regretted school being let out for summer because I lived 20 miles from my school and all my best friends, most of whom lived near the school. I had but one neighborhood friend by the time I was in middle school. Summer’s were kind of sad, and then I’d have to hear stinking Seals and Crofts.
Oats wrote – But who did that old “it’s sum-sum-summertime” song. That’s annoying.
That was Billy Stewart. I kind of like that song – the section right after his last vocal improv is one of the most exciting 15 seconds in 60’s pop. It took me years of listening to the song to get me to this point of acceptance
What’s that Grease song, Summer Lovers or something, holy crap it’s awful.
“On the Way to Cape May” although unless you’ve been in a bar down the South Jersey shoew you will not have heard this
I nominate the relatively recent boy-band craporama, “Summer Girls” by LFO. Did you know that they “like girls who wear Abercrombie and Fitch”?
I guess they should go without saying, but “Summer of ’69” and “The Boys of Summer” are a one-two punch of awful for me.
I figured Oats was probably talking about the song by The Jamies (“summertime summertime sum-sum-summertime/summertiiiiii-iiiiime”).
Any specific bad South Jersey doo-wop songs, Mod? I agree with the sentiment, just having trouble pulling any in particular to mind myself. There’s a wikipedia entry for a “Jersey Shore Sound” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jersey_Shore_sound) that seems really haphazard to me, more just a listing of bands that are tied together with Jersey in some way, but not in any way via a definable “sound”. I’m also kind of convinced that “On The Way To Cape May” is just “Moonlight Bay” in drag.
Beach Baby by The First Class. Man, they played that one a lot.
Alexmagic, you have noted two songs worse than wearing a suit on a humid July day in Philadelphia. I’d blocked them out of my memory.
2K, I can see how “Beach Baby” could annoy, but I’m down with that one. Nowadays I hear it once or twice a summer, when I want to spin a CD I made of such songs.
That awful ‘Soak Up The Sun’ song by that one-balled biking star’s ex girlfriend. The ‘All I Wanna Do’ chick. Can’t stand it.