'BREAKDOWN': Summer Songs

I think it is about time that I chose my list of favorite local musicians. Ha ha! No way I am doing that! If you play in a local band, you are my favorite. Keep up the good work! You are killing it! Anyway…

With the temperature supposed to be in the 80s all week, you would think it was already summer. Is it just me, or is summer the only season that seems to have a soundtrack? If I asked you for the best autumn song, would you have an answer? Probably not. November Rain? Maybe. I know you probably think I am going to talk about my favorite songs of summer. Well, sort of. I wanna look into some songs with the word summer actually in the title.

Boys of Summer by Don Henley - have you ever seen a deadhead sticker on a Cadillac? Me either. I liked this song a lot back when it came out.

Summer Nights - from the Grease soundtrack or Van Halen's 5150. The lyrics of the Van Halen song make the ones from Grease seem thought provoking.

Summer, Highland Falls - possibly my favorite Billy Joel track. The version on Songs in the Attic is best.

Summer Wind - Classic Frank Sinatra. This one always make me think of a sketch on Saturday Night Live where the late great Phil Hartman plays Frank and is recording his duets album. It is hilarious. I think it can be found online along with many others. Joe Piscopo did a great impression in the years before Phil was there.

All Summer Long - The Beach Boys or Kid Rock. Guess which one is better. The Beach Boys own summer. The Kid Rock song is OK when the Cheeseburgers do it.

Summerland - from the second King's X album. This is a band everyone should be aware of. One of the best live bands out there.

Suddenly Last Summer by the Motels – A haunting band from the early 80s. Not sure what it is about but I do not skip it when it comes up on my playlist

Summertime Blues – either the Eddie Cochrane or Blue Cheer version, also don’t forget it is on the Who’s Live at Leeds. I think Brian Setzer did a version too that is pretty cool in the movie La Bamba. If you remember, Paul Stanley used the verse melody for one of the worst songs in the history of humanity. Who knows what it is?

Summer in the City by the Lovin’ Spoonful – When I hear this, I wonder what exactly he is doing in the city to get the back of his neck ‘dirt and gritty.’ Lots of rhymes with city going on in the song. It certainly could have gone a completely different direction if other words were chosen.

Endless Summer Nights by Richard Marx – this song reminds me of the first concert I went to with my wife. It was Wild Orchid (featuring a then unknown Fergie), 10,000 Maniacs, Night Ranger, Richard Marx, and Jon Bon Jovi for a 4th of July celebration in Kansas City.

Summertime – from a musical called Porgy and Bess. It has been done by tons of artists, including Billie Holliday, Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis and Charlie Parker. I heard a couple great versions by the Zombies and Sam Cooke while I was writing this. It is also a somewhat less memorable song by DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince. I think Kenny Chesney ripped that one off too.

I could go on for days, so I guess I will stop here. I don’t know about you, but I cannot wait for summer to get here. This year, summer will start for me the second week of June, when I am off to visit a place I haven’t been since 1996... From there it will be a blur of soccer games and Cheeseburger gigs until finally I wake up on December 28th in a Santa suit with Gene Simmons makeup on. I hope nothing will be living in my beard… Ha ha, or should I say Ho, ho, OH NO!...

Don Van Dyke

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