Winter and Summer Songs

 

As we variously huddle in, dig out, or get on with the new year, here are a few popular music tunes from the late 20th Century, the start of a soundtrack. I invite your contributions in the comments. Or offer up a few tunes of your own, in the same genre or other genres! There are plenty of days left in our monthly theme “Winter of our Discontent,” so feel free to express yourself! Let’s start in 1966:

In 1968, “Sometimes in Winter” was a melancholy, reflective tale:

The Queen of Disco gave us December Melody in 1976:

In 1977, the Steve Miller Band offered a short simple tune, “Winter Time”:

Well, that is all goes nicely with a gloomy winter day. Let’s get some sunshine in here. The Beach Boys are the obvious place to start. In 1964, they released “All Summer Long”:

From 1969, “Here Comes the Sun”:

The 5th Dimension kicked up the tempo with “Let the Sunshine In”:

By 1983, we were “Walking on Sunshine”:

Surely a summer day is the answer to a hazy shade of winter. Or maybe not, consider Bananarama’s 1984 lament:

Maybe winter is not so bad, especially if we kick it uptempo, as the Bangles did in 1987:

Yes, they can do that live, without autotune, in four-part harmony.

What do you think? Go on, express yourself!

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  1. Clifford A. Brown Member
    Clifford A. Brown
    @CliffordBrown

    This conversation is part of our Group Writing Series under the January 2020 Group Writing Theme: Winter of Our Discontent. Share your tale of winter, discontent, content, or maybe tell us a tale of someone done wrong by an author or film maker. There are plenty of dates still available. Our schedule and sign-up sheet awaits.

    Interested in Group Writing topics that came before? See the handy compendium of monthly themes. Check out links in the Group Writing Group. You can also join the group to get a notification when a new monthly theme is posted.

    • #1
  2. Randy Webster Inactive
    Randy Webster
    @RandyWebster

    How about

    • #2
  3. Miffed White Male Member
    Miffed White Male
    @MiffedWhiteMale

    Split the difference:

    • #3
  4. B. W. Wooster Member
    B. W. Wooster
    @HenryV

    The ultimate wintry mix:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V54VYA2s8FQ

    • #4
  5. Gumby Mark (R-Meth Lab of Demo… Coolidge
    Gumby Mark (R-Meth Lab of Demo…
    @GumbyMark

    The Warmth of the Sun.  Willie Nelson with The Beach Boys on harmonies.

    • #5
  6. Randy Webster Inactive
    Randy Webster
    @RandyWebster

    Changing seasons:

    My wife’s suggestion.

    • #6
  7. Mike Rapkoch Member
    Mike Rapkoch
    @MikeRapkoch

    The great Gordon Lightfoot knew the melancholy of winter:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mATZznY7H_Q

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRIlTvYp0ok

    And the power and danger of the weather:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vST6hVRj2A

    Then there’s Jim Reeves:

    And finally Vivaldi:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZCfydWF48c

    • #7
  8. Randy Webster Inactive
    Randy Webster
    @RandyWebster

    • #8
  9. Snirtler Inactive
    Snirtler
    @Snirtler

    The version I know best of the Bergman composition Summer Me, Winter Me: (Edit: Legrand, music; lyrics, the Bergmans)

    • #9
  10. Randy Webster Inactive
    Randy Webster
    @RandyWebster

    • #10
  11. Gumby Mark (R-Meth Lab of Demo… Coolidge
    Gumby Mark (R-Meth Lab of Demo…
    @GumbyMark

    Sunlight by The Youngbloods from Elephant Mountain – in contrast to another song from the same album, Darkness, Darkness.

    • #11
  12. Randy Webster Inactive
    Randy Webster
    @RandyWebster

    Gumby Mark (R-Meth Lab of Demo… (View Comment):

    Sunlight by The Youngbloods from Elephant Mountain – in contrast to another song from the same album, Darkness, Darkness.

    I heard this song (Sunlight) when I was a senior in high school.  I was entranced.  I bought the album, but I don’t remember it being Elephant Mountain.

    • #12
  13. Misthiocracy grudgingly Member
    Misthiocracy grudgingly
    @Misthiocracy

    You need to open up your heart and let the sun shine in.

    • #13
  14. Misthiocracy grudgingly Member
    Misthiocracy grudgingly
    @Misthiocracy

    The snowbird sings the song he always sings.

    • #14
  15. Misthiocracy grudgingly Member
    Misthiocracy grudgingly
    @Misthiocracy

    Plug me in to your block heater, baby.

    • #15
  16. Clifford A. Brown Member
    Clifford A. Brown
    @CliffordBrown

    I finally sorted out the glitch after some cutting and pasting back and forth. Now the videos are properly displaying in the post.

    • #16
  17. Misthiocracy grudgingly Member
    Misthiocracy grudgingly
    @Misthiocracy

    If it’s gonna happen in summer, it’s gonna happen suddenly.

    • #17
  18. Misthiocracy grudgingly Member
    Misthiocracy grudgingly
    @Misthiocracy

    Summertime was the last thing to happen before The Fresh Prince morphed in Will Smith.

    • #18
  19. tigerlily Member
    tigerlily
    @tigerlily

    Clifford A. Brown (View Comment):

    I finally sorted out the glitch after some cutting and pasting back and forth. Now the videos are properly displaying in the post.

    Thanks. I wondered what was going on with this post.

    • #19
  20. Hoyacon Member
    Hoyacon
    @Hoyacon

    Brookline MA and Fountains of Wayne:

    • #20
  21. Miffed White Male Member
    Miffed White Male
    @MiffedWhiteMale

    Why not both?

     

    • #21
  22. Clifford A. Brown Member
    Clifford A. Brown
    @CliffordBrown

    Randy Webster (View Comment):

    Changing seasons:

    My wife’s suggestion.

    I think there is a whole series of classical music selections addressing the topic.

    • #22
  23. Vectorman Inactive
    Vectorman
    @Vectorman

    Misthiocracy grudgingly (View Comment):
    The snowbird sings the song he always sings.

    A very good song, but it was a little bit overplayed in 1970.

    • #23
  24. Clifford A. Brown Member
    Clifford A. Brown
    @CliffordBrown

    Miffed White Male (View Comment):

    Why not both?

    Misthiocracy grudgingly Ricochet Charter Member

    You need to open up your heart and let the sun shine in.

    I sense the beginning of a whole set of kids’ songs.

    • #24
  25. Django Member
    Django
    @Django

     

    • #25
  26. Randy Webster Inactive
    Randy Webster
    @RandyWebster

    Django (View Comment):

     

    Good pick

    • #26
  27. Addiction Is A Choice Member
    Addiction Is A Choice
    @AddictionIsAChoice

    • #27
  28. Hoyacon Member
    Hoyacon
    @Hoyacon

    Addiction Is A Choice (View Comment):

    [Summer Wind video]

    love the opening scene in The Pope of Greenwich Village with Mickey Rourke getting dressed to Sinatra’s version.

    • #28
  29. Addiction Is A Choice Member
    Addiction Is A Choice
    @AddictionIsAChoice

    Hoyacon (View Comment):
    love the opening scene in The Pope of Greenwich Village with Mickey Rourke getting dressed to Sinatra’s version.

    I love Wayne Newton’s version, too:

    • #29
  30. Randy Webster Inactive
    Randy Webster
    @RandyWebster

    It looks like we missed a couple of good ones

    • #30
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