Guitar Documentary 2009

Songs of Summer-Part Two

As we continue our look at the songs with the word "summer" or "summer time" in the title, we'll explore some timeless classics.

In 1958, nineteen years old, Eddie Cochran recorded a song he and his manager Jerry Capehart written about the trials and tribulations of teenage life in America. Originally released as a B side, the cut "Summertime Blues" reached at # 8 on Billboard Hot 100 on September 29, 1958.

Capehart explains the inspiration for this song on Rolling Stone's Top 500 music question: "There was a lot of songs about summer, but none of the difficulties of the summer." So with this idea, and a guitar lick seminal Cochran, the two were able to write the song in 45 minutes. This was supposed to be the B side of the ballad "Love Again", a song that was written by 17-year-old Sharon Sheeley, who became a friend of Cochran. She was also in the car accident that led to his untimely death in April 1960.

The applause was held by Sharon Sheeley, who apparently had trouble getting the rhythm, so Cochran helped to showing you how to clap. The deep voice at the end of each verse was made by Cochran. Part of the letter addressed the controversy surrounding the voting age, who then was 21, and the song became very popular among their teenage fans that may be related with the lyrics about being held back by society (and parents).

Unfortunately, while on tour in the UK, Cochran 21-year-old died in a traffic accident in a taxi that collided with a lamppost. Songwriter Sharon Sheeley (Cochran and she was reported as being "officially engaged") and singer Gene Vincent survived the accident, Vincent sustain such severe injuries that shortened his career and affect him for the rest of your life. Following the accident Sheeley returned to the U.S., where he collaborated with musician / songwriter, Jackie DeShannon in a string of hits. She died on May 17, 2002 at the age of 62 years.

The music helped to define career Cochran, but there is much more to the story. His influence on music is very deep and sometimes underestimated. Eddie was widely credited for introducing rock 'n' roll of The Beatles. In fact, George Harrison and John Lennon were both moved and motivated after watching Eddie shows in England before the Beatles formed. Cochran was a prolific artist, and unfortunately most of his music was released posthumously that had been released during his lifetime. His pioneering contribution to the rockabilly genre was recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame.

Countless other musicians included the cutting and the song was covered by a group of musicians superstar, including Buddy Holly, who tore through the music on their tour of England in 1958. Some say that rock and roll in the UK was influenced more by Holly Cochran and the music of Elvis Presley, who never set foot on British soil.

Let's look at the others who covered this innovative one. In 1968, the band Blue Cheer's cover song for their LP Vincebus Eruptum. His version omits all letters heard in response Cochran version in favor of instrumental responses of each band member and the cut reached # 14 on the Billboard Top 40 and spent a whopping 13 weeks on the charts. A follow-up single best barely topped 100, making the version Blue Cheer is your only real American hit. However, his version was presented as one of the first recordings of heavy metals in the 2005 documentary Metal: A Headbanger's Journey.

"Summertime Blues" was also recorded by The Who, though his version was made in a more aggressive (and loud) than the original style. They peaked at # 27 on Billboard in 1970, the court was a staple at concerts in 1967-1976, but they played music from death of John Entwistle. His version of the song featured John Entwistle singing the vocal parts of the boss, the father, and the deputy in his baritone roar brand, playing bass guitar and vocal doubling Roger Daltrey on the verses in his normal register.

Others who have covered this song include iconic country star Alan Jackson, who recorded in his 1994 album "Who I Am." Alan Jackson's version reached # 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. When the Canadian Rush-rockers perform the song at the concert, the crowd sings the verse "No, son data, you have to work late," "You can not use the car because you have not worked a lick "and" I "d like to help your child, but you're too young to vote." Other acts that have recorded a cover version include the Beach Boys, Bruce Springsteen, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, Bobby Fuller, Clash, George Thorogood, Guess Who, Ventures, Black Keys, Rolling Stones, Tom Petty, Van Halen, Humble Pie, T. Rex, The White Stripes, so even soft-pop singer Olivia Newton-John, just to name a few. Jimi Hendrix used to perform "Summertime Blues" at the beginning of his career too.

In March 2005, Q magazine placed at # 77 on its list of 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks and music is ranked # 73 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. It is also in the Grammy Hall of Fame and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Nothing bad for a side B.

Part of the British Invasion, Chad Stuart and Jeremy Clyde (such as folk-singing duo Chad and Jeremy), reached number 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1964 with the cut of "The Song of Summer". The melody has some resemblance to Buddy Holly's "Words of Love", which was covered by The Beatles in the same year. Chad and Jeremy had seven Top 40 U.S. hits during 1964-66.

Some may remember the duo from their many appearances on TV in the mid-1960s. Chad and Jeremy appeared as if the episodes of the television series Batman, played a duo of fiction called "The Redcoats" in an episode of TV sitcom The Dick Van Dyke Show which mocked Beatlemania and they also had an appearance on The Patty Duke Show.

In addition, Stuart (Chad) expressed Flaps the vulture in Disney's The Movie Jungle Book in 1967. Clyde (Jeremy) has emerged as a single competitor in The Dating Game, where he won. In 2003, PBS met Chad and Jeremy with Pop 1960 Special Meeting also took a walk. They also played at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, in January 2009 and are still in full tour.

In 1984, Don Henley reached # 5 on the Billboard charts with the summer cut "The Boys of Summer." It was the lead track and first single from the album Henley "Building the Perfect Beast." The song was written by Henley and Mike Campbell (guitarist and music producer, known for his work with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers). In fact, Campbell offered to Petty, but he refused and was Henley for the song, who wrote the lyrics (Campbell also played guitar and produced the cut). The title comes from a baseball book by Roger Kahn called "Boys Of Summer, "which is about the Brooklyn Dodgers, who broke the hearts of their fans when they moved to Los Angeles.

According to Campbell: "I used to have a 4-track machine in my house and I had just a drum machine - that's when the Roger Linn drum machine came out first. I was playing with it and came to a rhythm. I did the demo in my little 4-track, and I showed it to Tom, but at the moment, the record that we were working, Southern Accents, does not really sound like something that fit the album. The producer who was working at the time, Jimmy Iovine, called me one day and said he had spoken with Don, I have never met, and said he was looking for songs. He gave me his phone and I called him up and threw it to him and he called me the next day and said he put it in your car and had written these words and wanted to record it. That's kind of how it all began. "

The opening song ("Nobody in the streets, nobody on the beach") is a reference for the coast of California in the summer turns to fall. It becomes a very quiet place when the weather gets cold. Lyrically, the song seems to be on the passage of youth entering middle age and apparent, with the obvious theme of "summer love" on the chorus, and reminiscent of a past relationship. In a 1987 interview with the Rolling Stone Magazine, Henley explained that the song is more about aging and questioning the past, "a recurring theme in the lyrics of Henley.

opera's most famous song: "Out on the road today I saw a deadhead sticker on a Cadillac" is rumored to be inspired by what he saw Henley, Joe Walsh driving a Cadillac Hearse with a Grateful Dead sticker on it while on Sunset Boulevard. Henley was known to be a fanatical fan of psychedelic icons, and was often seen behind the scenes hanging out with Jerry Garcia and other band members.

The music video for the song was one part French New Wave with influences directed by Jean-Baptiste Mondino and filmed in black and white. He portrays the main character of the song in three different stages of life (as a young boy, a young adult and middle-aged), in each case, reminding him about the relationship of the past. This is shown during the line "A little voice inside my head said do not look back, you can never look Back "at which point, each of the three people look back turn.

The song was also a hit in the UK, reaching # 12 on UK Singles Chart. The re-release the single in 1998, also reached # 12. Hardcore college radio darlings Codeseven did a cover of the song and in 2003, the band Rock The Ataris covered "The Boys of Summer" for his album "So Long, Astoria." DJ Sammy (with vocals performed by Loona) covered the song in 2002. Henley won the Grammy for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance for the song. "The Boys of Summer" was ranked # 416 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

About the Author

Author Robert Benson writes about rock/pop music, vinyl record collecting and operates
http://www.collectingvinylrecords.com
, where you can pick up a copy of his FREE ebook called "The Fascinating Hobby Of Vinyl Record Collecting." Have your vinyl records appraised at
http://www.vinylrecordappraisals.com
.

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