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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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Published in Group Writing
The whole “The Best of War…And More” CD is outstanding, particularly while driving on a summer day.
An end of winter song, maybe.
Fun post, Clifford. Thanks to you, and to everybody who contributed.
I have three.
#1: Meatloaf covers both summer and winter in Objects in the Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer Than They Are:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jPMv9zJ1LE
Not my #1 favorite from the Loaf, but top 5.
#2: Summer Nights from Grease. I still like the transposition of innocence and eros, and Olivia Newton John looked and sounded like a dream. I’m pretty sure that Sandy’s account of the summer’s events was much closer to the truth than Danny’s.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZW0DfsCzfq4
#3: The Boys of Summer by Don Henley. I like the theme of manly adult commitment. I recall liking this one quite a bit at the time (it came out when I was 17):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQ5d9uOfy6w
Almost any Beach Boy song could be seen as a summer song.
Here are a few that I associate with summer. (yes I am older)
Under The Boardwalk – Drifters
Girl From Ipanema – Stan Getz & Astrud Gilberto
(Sittin on) The Dock Of The Bay – Otis Redding
California Nights – Leslie Gore
And here’s that rare Summer and Winter song:
One of my favorites, but I was in my 30’s when it came out. I can still remember the first time I heard it.
Oh, thank you!
Why the seasonal bigotry? There’s some great spring and fall music, too.
How about Terry Jacks?
Spring is in the air! ha!
Just another indicator of the raging inequality that permeates Ricochet.
Howdy Doody had it covered.
Autumn is not getting much love! Here is the best autumn song ever, called “Autumn” by the Strawbs.
Wayne Newton revitalized the USO entertainment support system after 9/11. “Lieutenant Dan” soon became a fixture on road trips, but it was Wayne Newton who picked up where Bob Hope had left off, rallying the Hollywood and music troops, even NFL cheerleaders.
Yes, indeed!
I think if Wayne Newton had been born in 1922 instead of 1942, he’d have ruled right alongside Sinatra.
Merle with an accent on “Brrrrrrrr”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9TByT3QlWc
If we are now doing autumn attention must be paid to the very funny and very British, Autumn Almanac by The Kinks.
Even emo goths appreciate the warmth of summer.
Who doesn’t like a summer’s day at the beach?
Singing while playing drums is not easy. The drumline is rarely in the same rhythm as the lyrics. Many a drummer has been driven to space madness trying to pull it off.
That adds to the appreciation of Phil Collins.
He does not seem to have summer or winter in his drumming repertoire. Yet, we get this:
And to your drumming while singing point, we get this signature tune:
Further, Lou Reed introduced Mo Tucker at a club venue with this comment: “There are only two women drummers I respect, and Karen Carpenter is dead. I give you Mo Tucker.”
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Karen Carpenter live at the White House: