Songs of Summer Blogfest:
Hosted by:
Armchair Squid, Suze, and Cygnus
On Friday July 11, post your top five favorite summer songs – and why.
The summer of 1966 was the summer that I most inextricably relate to certain songs. The season that I most associate with songs is winter. Aside from the seasonal songs of Christmas, I probably think of specific songs and music in general in relation to winter for the obvious reason that I tend to be indoors listening to music more and when I was younger I'd make up record lists of what I hoped to find under the tree on Christmas morning. The songs of summer is a trickier one for me.
By 1966 I had become a fairly hardcore music fan. The summer of that year was when my family moved to Tennessee. Shortly after having arrived in Blount County Tennessee I found the local top 40 AM station WNOX and kept track of the songs of that summer. Here are a few that were in continuous rotation over the summer of new beginnings for me:
Do you remember any of these hits? Whatever happened to that Napoleon guy who sang "They're Coming to Take Me Away"? Any songs that you particularly associate with summer?
Lee, I was like two years old - don't think I remember those.
ReplyDeleteGlad you were able to sign up for the blogfest though!
I remember the first and the last songs.
ReplyDeleteI do remember working offshore in the bass strait, Australia and the captain of the ship playing Enya very loudly over the PA system while the divers waited for the current to ease a bit before heading back to work.
Great songs, all. I didn't know until fairly recently that "Red Rubber Ball" was written by Paul Simon. He hates the song, too, which is why he never recorded it himself until years later. But that's not to say the rest of us can't enjoy it just fine. So there, Paul!
ReplyDeleteThanks for joining us, sir!
I was also 2 that year but I do have the 45s of Summer in the City and Red Rubber ball.
ReplyDeleteI have way, way too many songs to list that remind me of summer! Esp. the summers of 75 through about 1986 or 87, when I stopped listening to top 40 radio.
Howdy, neighbor (I'm in K-ville)!
ReplyDeleteGreat list. Your funny bone is showing. Loved your choices.
Thanks!
Cherdo
www.cherdoontheflipside.com
I don't know these songs and I always associate The Beach Boys with summer.
ReplyDeleteSummer in the City always caught my ear and I love I'm So Lonesome. I don't know the others.
ReplyDeleteHey Lee! I was only six in the summer of '66, but thanks to the miracle of recorded music, I DO remember these songs! They're all excellent summer choices. I also love 'In the Summertime' by Mungo Jerry, and 'How Do You Do' by Mouth and MacNeal...and anything by the Beach Boys of course.
ReplyDeleteI am way too young for any of these songs, but I still grew up with these on the radio or various cassette tapes. These song choices are all amazing.
ReplyDelete"They're Coming to Take Me Away" is my Mom's favorite song and she sings it every summer Arlee. What an awesome retro list Man!
ReplyDeleteOh, I love "They're Coming To Take Me Away," but it doesn't say "summer" to me.
ReplyDeleteI was 5 in the summer of '66, but I do remember all of these songs (I'm sure helped by replays on radio years later).
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting to hear the range of sounds from back then. Harder rock was just starting to creep in (Summer in the City), bubblegum pop is strong (Red Rubber Ball), easy-listening crooners were still popular (pre-"Raindrops" BJ Thomas), and the "novelty song" was a big radio staple (Lil Red Riding Hood and Napolean in what might be considered one of the earliest rap records. And wikipedia says he was a radio recording engineer named Jerry Samuels who "currently works as a singer and an agent who books various performers (in) the Delaware Valley area.").
Fun list, Arlee!
There coming to take me away...how do I know that song? I'm thnking it was used in a cartoon or something.
ReplyDeleteI've actually heard all of these at one time or another. I like a lot of the older songs. Fun post.
ReplyDeleteI've never let my age stop me from experiencing music. I know and love all these songs. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI was born after 1966 but I really loved my parents' music so I'm familiar with most of these songs ... and loved them. I haven't heard Lil' Red Riding Hood in years! Kinda creepy for summer (as is "They're Coming to Take Me Away") but those are some great tunes. One from the same basic time frame that reminds me of summer is "The Leader of the Pack" by the Shangri-Las.
ReplyDeleteWasn't 'They're Coming to Take Me Away' aired on the Dr. Demento hour, along with the song about roly, poly fish heads? >:)
ReplyDeleteKnow and love them all, especially the Cyrkle. Very underrated band. A good half of the songs I know are from this year and before- I was four, and had a teenaged sister.
ReplyDeleteI had totally forgotten "Red Rubber Ball."
ReplyDeleteGreat list-can never go wrong with "Summer In The City."
Larry
Thanks to all of you for your great comments and additional insight on the music. I've been working all day preparing for a yard sale at my mother's house tomorrow. Probably more work than it's worth, but hopefully we'll move some unused stuff out of the house.
ReplyDeleteLee
Although I was young, I remember all those songs except the BJ Thomas one. I LOVE Lovin' Spoonful's Summer in the City. LOVE that song! It used to creep me out every time I heard They're Coming to Take Me Away. It would be a very long list if I started naming songs that remind me of summer. Good post Lee. It took me back to those young summers. And They're Coming to Take Me Away still creeps me out! :)
ReplyDeleteWhere are you from in Tennessee? Blount County--I know that sounds familiar! I've lived in Nashville my whole life. I'm envious of you getting to live in L.A., though! That was my favorite vacation ever. We stayed at Hermosa Beach, did all the touristy stuff, visited Long Beach. It was awesome!
ReplyDeleteHi Lee,
ReplyDeleteI remember all your summer selections very well. I really like your choices and sure brings back memories.
In the Summertime, by Mungo Jerry. And most recently, "Summer" by Calvin Harris.
Napoleon is in a secure unit.
A good weekend to you, sir.
Gary
I was born in 1970 and all these songs seem familiar- but then I grew up in a backwater zone :-)
ReplyDeleteThe only one I don't remember is the BJ Thomas song.
ReplyDeleteTwo songs that remind me of summer are:
1 - Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini, because I remember singing it with my siblings as we were berry picking.
2 - See you in September. not sure why on that one.
We had "They're Coming to Take Me Away" and traded it for "The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly" with my cousin.
Great post -- making me think of summers from long ago.
I know of these songs even though my mother was only 12 in 1966! I am lucky that one great thing about my childhood is that we were too poor for a tv, so I know any and all kinds of music.
ReplyDeleteMy generation did a lot of 'cruising around' in low rider cars in the 90's and one obvious song that I always think of is 'Summertime' by DJ Jazzy Jeff. I also always think of summer when I hear anything by the Beach Boys. Summer is a musical time for me because I grew up in a place where that is really the only time you got outside and having music going while you were at the park or a bbq or whatever was always the thing.
Some of these are familiar to me, but most were before my time. I tend to think of 80s songs because those were my teen years and school was out and it was... summertime!
ReplyDeleteI've been into classic rock and pop since 1993, when I was 13 years old, so I'm familiar with all of those songs. I'm completely unfamiliar with most modern music.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite albums to play in my car during the summer are Who's Next and Live at Leeds. I didn't buy either during the summer, but they just demand to be cranked with the windows down in hot weather.
Thanks again for all of the comments. Glad to know that some of you know the songs I mentioned.
ReplyDeleteLee
Woo HOO! I actually know all of the songs you've selected! Amazing. Natch, I'm gonna have to say you made some really great picks here. It's been a long time since I heard that last one.
ReplyDeleteI know all but 2-the Napoleon song and the B.J. Thomas song. I was born in the 60's but I do know a lot of 60's songs and love that decade. Summer in the City is one I can relate to as well as the Red Rubber ball. Love that Harold Lloyd was in the Summer in the City song and is that babe Ruth as well? Gotta love the trampy Betty Boop and I know that song too:)
ReplyDeleteOoh, the second and the fifth are new to me. Will have to go listen!
ReplyDelete