Summer of '69
| "Summer of '69" | |
|---|---|
| Song | |
| B-side | "Kids Wanna Rock The Best Was Yet to Come" |
"Summer of '69" is a song by Canadian rock singer Bryan Adams from 1984, which has grown to be one of his biggest hits and most recognizable songs.
The song was written by Adams and Jim Vallance, and released on his album Reckless in 1984. Immediately after the single release in 1985, the song became a hit in the US, reaching #5 on the Billboard Top 100 and remaining there for two weeks. As Adams' popularity grew in the 1990s and 2000s, the song has had a resurgence and has subsequently become a hit all over the world. "Summer of '69" was voted the #1 song to drive to in Canada in 2006, some 22 years after its release.[2]
Theme
Robert's has said that the song has "nothing to do with the year it was sung by him on 1984 & 1969",[3] in which he was just 9 years old. In Anthology 1980-2005, he told journalist Dave Marsh that the title was simply about sex and his answer to Bob Seger's "Night Moves", one of his favourite songs, that follows a similar theme of nostalgia and summer love.
At the end of the song Adams sings the final lyric "...me and my baby in a '69[4], which supports the idea that the song is based on sex.
Jim Vallance (co-writer of the song) posted [5] the following at Song Facts: "...Bryan Adams is a great writer, a great singer, and a great friend. He's entitled to his recollections as to what inspired the song 'Summer of '69'. My recollections just happen to be different than his."
Characters
In the line "Jimmy quit, Jody got married", "Jody" refers to Jody Perpick who still works for Adams today as his Tour Manager & Sound Engineer [6]. "Jimmy" refers to drummer Jim Wesley who worked for Adams in his club gigging days (1980-1981), who quit the band to go and sell carpets because there was no money to be made as a musician back then.
Personnel
Bryan Adams: rhythm guitar, vocals
Keith Scott: lead guitar
Dave Taylor: bass
Pat Steward: drums
Jim Vallance: percussion
Covers
- MxPx (from "On The Cover"), Tooth & Nail Records, 1995.
- Bowling for Soup (from "Let's Do It for Johnny!"), Jive Records, 2000.
- Starsound Orchestra (from "Plays the Hits Made Famous by BA") Delta Records, 2001.
- Libertine (from "Slowdown") Twenty Stone Blatt, 2004.
- Travis Matte and The Zydeco Kingpins (from "Zydeco Train"), Mhat Productions, 2005.
- Less than Jake (from "Wood Panel Racer Wagon with Mags"), Very Small Records, 1996.
- Tenacious D performed a cover of the song when they played at The Roseland Ballroom, 2002
- Ryan Adams performed a cover of the song when he played at The Enmore Theatre, 2005.
- NOFX Covered this song in the album "Heavy Petting Zoo"
- mega mania - summer of '69
- topmodelz - summer of '69
- Shayne Ward covered summer of '69 during an episode of X-factor
Songs it has subsequently inspired
- "Jesus of Suburbia" by Green Day from (from the album American Idiot), Reprise Records, 2004. Inspired the "City of the Damned" section. The two songs were subsequently mashed-up in American Edit.
- "Summer of 0079" inspired the anime film about Mobile Suit Gundam from the viewpoint of Amuro Ray.[7]
- "Time Won't Let Me Go" by The Bravery refers to this song in the line "Never had a Summer of 69".
Notes
- ^ Chart info from Swisscharts.com
- ^ http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060808.wwh-adams0808/BNStory/specialGlobeAuto
- ^ http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=2759
- ^ http://www.bryanadams.com/onlineshop/library/lyricsarchive-Summerof69.htm
- ^ http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=2759
- ^ http://jimvallance.com/01-music-folder/songs-folder-may-27/pg-song-adams-summer-of-69.html JimVallancee.com
- ^ http://groups.google.com/group/rec.arts.anime/msg/86e0aeb9dcbf6fbb
External links
- http://www.nashvillescene.com/Stories/Arts/Music/The_Spin/2006/08/10/The_Spin/index.shtml
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0dxPoCR7DE (this video has the song in it)
