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Summertime Blues

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For other uses, see Summertime Blues (disambiguation).
"Summertime Blues"
Label of the 1958 US single
Single by Eddie Cochran
B-side"Love Again"
Released
  • July 21, 1958 (1958-07-21) (US)
  • September 1958 (1958-09) (UK)[1]
RecordedMarch 28, 1958
StudioGold Star Studios, Hollywood, California
GenreRock and roll
Length1:59
LabelLiberty
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Eddie Cochran
Eddie Cochran singles chronology
"Pretty Girl"
(1958) 		"Summertime Blues"
(1958) 		"C'mon Everybody"
(1958)

"Summertime Blues" is a song co-written and recorded by American rock artist Eddie Cochran.[2] It was written by Cochran and his manager Jerry Capehart.[3] Originally a single B-side, it was released in August 1958[1] and peaked at number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 on September 29, 1958, and number 18 on the UK Singles Chart. It has been covered by many artists, including being a number-one hit for country music artist Alan Jackson, and scoring notable hits in versions by Blue Cheer, the Who and Brian Setzer, the last of whom recorded his version for the 1987 film La Bamba, in which he portrayed Cochran.

Lyrics

[edit]

The song is about the struggle between a teenager and his parents, his boss and his congressman during the summer.[4] The narrator resents having to take a job in order to earn pocket money, and he cannot go on a date with his girlfriend because his boss keeps scheduling him to work late.[3] After falsely telling the boss he is sick in order to get out of going to work, his parents will not let him use their car due to his laziness. Finally, he considers visiting the United Nations to complain about his situation; he settles for writing to his congressman, who brushes him off since he is too young to vote.[a]

Eddie Cochran version

[edit]

"Summertime Blues" was recorded on March 28, 1958, at Gold Star Recording Studios in Hollywood, California. Eddie Cochran sang both the vocal and bass vocal (the "work-a-late" portions, Cochran's tribute to the Kingfish character from the Amos and Andy television series), played all the guitar parts, and added the hand clapping with possibly Sharon Sheeley. Connie 'Guybo' Smith played the electric bass and Earl Palmer drums.

Legacy

[edit]

The 1958 Liberty Records single by Eddie Cochran was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999 and the song is ranked number 73 in Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. In March 2005, Q magazine placed it at number 77 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks.[5] The song is also on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum list of "The Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll".[6] The song appears in the films Untamed Youth performed by Cochran, Caddyshack, This Boy's Life and American Shaolin, as well as season 4 of Beverly Hills, 90210.

Chart performance

[edit]
Chart (1958) Peak
position
Austrian Singles Chart[7] 18
Canadian Singles Chart (CHUM)[8] 10
Rhodesian Singles Chart (1968)[9] 12
South African Singles Chart (1968)[9] 18
UK Singles Chart[10] 18
UK Singles Chart (1968)[10] 34
US Billboard Hot 100[11] 8

Johnny Chester version

[edit]
"Summertime Blues"
Single by Johnny Chester
from the album Wild and Warm
B-side"I Love Mary"
ReleasedNovember 1962
GenreRock and roll
Length2:00
LabelW&G
Songwriter(s)
  • Eddie Cochran
  • Jerry Capehart
Johnny Chester singles chronology
"Let's Dance"
(1962) 		"Summertime Blues"
(1962) 		"Nick Nack Paddy Whack"
(1963)

Australian rock 'n' roll singer Johnny Chester cited Cochran as one of his idols and had used the track when rehearsing his first band in 1959.[12] Chester released his cover version on W&G Records in 1962 and was backed on the recording by local instrumental group the Chessmen, with Bert Stacpool on piano, his brother Les Stacpool on guitar, Frank McMahon on bass guitar, and Graeme Trottman on drums.[13] In December it peaked at No. 30 on the Kent Music Report.[14][15]

Hep Stars version

[edit]
"Summertime Blues"
Single by the Hep Stars
B-side"If You Need Me"
ReleasedMarch 1965
RecordedDecember 1964
StudioBorgarskolan, Stockholm
Genre
Length1:52
LabelOlga
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Åke Gerhard
The Hep Stars singles chronology
"A Tribute to Buddy Holly"
(1965) 		"Summertime Blues"
(1965) 		"Farmer John"
(1965)

Swedish rock band Hep Stars recorded Summertime Blues as a single in late December 1964.[16] It was a six-hour, consecutive session in which the Hep Stars recorded six tracks: "Summertime Blues", "A Tribute to Buddy Holly", "Farmer John", "If You Need Me", "Bird Dog" and "Donna".[17] The sessions for these were the first professional recordings of keyboardist Benny Andersson, later of ABBA fame.[16][18][19] Their manager, Åke Gerhard had booked the recording sessions, as cheaply as he possibly could get away with. He booked Borgarskolan in central Stockholm and quickly turned it into a makeshift recording studio.[20] Andersson would later comment on the sessions:

It must have been one of the cheapest sessions in the history of recorded music, we put two microphones on the stage of the assembly hall in a school and then we just played

— Carl Magnus Palm, Bright Lights, Dark Shadows: The Real Story of ABBA

Of these tracks, only "A Tribute to Buddy Holly" was released as a single in February 1965.[18] While that initially failed to chart, their increasing popularity was fueled by their March 23, 1965 appearance on Drop-In which quickly made "A Tribute to Buddy Holly" climb the charts.[21] This prompted Gerhard and his record label Olga Records to quickly issue "Summertime Blues" "Farmer John" and "Cadillac" as singles in late March 1965. While "Farmer John", "Cadillac" and "A Tribute to Buddy Holly" peaked at number 1, 2 and 4 at the same time on Tio i Topp,[22] "Summertime Blues" missed the charts altogether. This was most likely due to the fact that guitarist Janne Frisk provided lead vocals on the track, as opposed to Svenne Hedlund singing it.[23] "Summertime Blues" and "A Tribute to Buddy Holly" became the Hep Stars only singles to feature Frisk on lead vocals.

While not issued on any album at the time, it, along with the B-Side were issued as bonus material on the 1996 remaster of their debut album We and Our Cadillac

Personnel

[edit]
  • Janne Frisk – guitar, lead vocals
  • Christer Pettersson – drums
  • Benny Andersson – keyboards, piano
  • Lennart Hegland – bass guitar

Blue Cheer version

[edit]
"Summertime Blues"
Netherlands single picture sleeve, 1968
Single by Blue Cheer
from the album Vincebus Eruptum
B-side"Out of Focus"
ReleasedJanuary 23, 1968
Recorded1967
Genre
Length3:43
LabelPhilips
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Abe "Voco" Kesh
Blue Cheer singles chronology
"Summertime Blues"
(1968) 		"Just a Little Bit"
(1968)

The American rock band Blue Cheer recorded their version of "Summertime Blues" in 1967 and included it on their 1968 release entitled Vincebus Eruptum. The single peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100, pushing the sales of the album even higher to number 11.[26] It topped the Dutch charts for one week in 1968.[27] This version was ranked number 73 on the list of "The 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time" of Rolling Stone.[28]

Chart performance

[edit]
Chart (1968) Peak
position
Canadian Singles Chart[29] 3
Dutch Singles Chart[30] 1
US Billboard Hot 100[31] 14

The Who version

[edit]
"Summertime Blues"
German single picture sleeve, 1970
Single by the Who
from the album Live at Leeds
B-side"Heaven and Hell"
ReleasedJune 1970 (1970-06)
RecordedFebruary 14, 1970
VenueUniversity of Leeds Refectory, Leeds, UK
GenreHard rock[32]
Length3:22
LabelTrack (UK)
Decca (US)
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)The Who
The Who singles chronology
"The Seeker"
(1970) 		"Summertime Blues"
(1970) 		"See Me, Feel Me"
(1970)

The Who played "Summertime Blues" as a staple of their concerts from their early days up to 1976, with intermittent appearances thereafter.[3] It has not been played since the death of bassist John Entwistle in 2002. It was performed during the 1967 US tour, from which the first known Who recordings of the song were made, including a June 1967 date at the Monterey Pop Festival.

The first version to be released by the Who appeared on the 1970 album Live at Leeds.[3] The single from this album peaked at number 38 in the UK and number 27 in the US.[33] "I'm a big fan of 'Summertime Blues' on that album," remarked Rush bassist Geddy Lee, "which we covered [see below] to a large degree because of their version."[34]

This version by the Who differed from the original in both the sense of aggression and volume. As lead singer Roger Daltrey noted, "We'd taken the song from being in kind of a swing rhythm on the off-beat to a rock rhythm on the one."[3] Entwistle would sing the bass parts on the song, but the band struggled to capture the same energy of it in the studio. The live version recorded at the Leeds show managed to capture this fully.[3]

Studio version

[edit]

The Who recorded at least two studio versions of this track in 1967. They went unreleased until 1998 and 2009, when they appeared on the remastered CD of Odds & Sods and the deluxe edition of The Who Sell Out, respectively. Other live versions from the Who are featured in the Monterey Pop Festival CD box set and the concert and documentary film Woodstock (1970), as well as Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970 and the CD release of Live at the Royal Albert Hall.[3]

Critical reception

[edit]

Billboard magazine reviewed the song favorably, saying that the Who gave it a "wild updating" and was "certain to put them right up there at the top."[35]

Chart performance

[edit]
Chart (1970) Peak
position
Canadian RPM Top Singles[36] 8
Dutch Singles Chart[37] 25
UK Singles Chart[3] 38
US Billboard Hot 100 27

Buck Owens version

[edit]
"Summertime Blues"
Song by Buck Owens
from the album Hot Dog!
ReleasedNovember 16, 1988
RecordedLate 1988
StudioMaximus Studio
Genre
Length2:33
LabelCapitol
Songwriter(s)
  • Eddie Cochran
  • Jerry Capehart
Producer(s)Jim Shaw

In 1988, Country singer Buck Owens released a cover version of the song for his comeback album "Hot Dog!", released in November that year, produced by Jim Shaw.[38] In said album, Owens resurrected the rockabilly sound of his earlier works. The album also featured a cover of another rock and roll classic, "Memphis, Tennesse" by Chuck Berry (Owens's version titled as, "Memphis", a common shortened title of the latter song). Though not released as a single nor charted, This cover version would later inspire Alan Jackson's country version in 1994 as noted by Jackson, a hit in the country charts in the US and Canada that year.[39]

Alan Jackson version

[edit]
"Summertime Blues"
Single by Alan Jackson
from the album Who I Am
B-side"Hole in the Wall"
ReleasedJune 6, 1994 (1994-06-06)
RecordedJanuary 11, 1994[39]
GenreCountry
Length3:11 (album version)
LabelArista Nashville
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Keith Stegall
Alan Jackson singles chronology
"(Who Says) You Can't Have It All"
(1994) 		"Summertime Blues"
(1994) 		"Livin' on Love"
(1994)

American country music artist Alan Jackson recorded the song for his 1994 album, Who I Am. It was released in June 1994 as the lead single from the album and the song reached Number One on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart and number 4 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 (equivalent to number 104 on the Billboard Hot 100). Jackson said that he was inspired by Buck Owens' version.[39]

Critical reception

[edit]

Deborah Evans Price of Billboard magazine reviewed the song favorably, saying that Jackson "gives the oft-covered Eddie Cochran oldie the full, twangy 'Chattahoochee' treatment." She goes on to say that "until the vocal starts, you may not know which song you're listening to. But who cares?" She says that with his "signature laid-back vocal style, the long, tall Georgian turns this '50s teen anthem into a '90s country classic."[40] Kevin John Coyne of Country Universe reviewed the song unfavorably, saying that Jackson blatantly attempted to recreate the "Chattahoochee" phenomenon. He goes on to say that the "charm of the Eddie Cochran original is lost by forcing those country line-dance beats into the backing track."[41]

Music video

[edit]

The video was directed by Michael Salomon and was released in June 1994. Considered by Jackson as the "sequel" to his "Chattahoochee" video a year earlier, it was also the only video of his that Salomon directed. It begins with a shot of him water-skiing (which ends the "Chattahoochee" video) before transitioning to him and a band performing the song while seated in the bed of a pickup. Many 4-wheelers, ATVs and a limo full of middle-aged farmers are seen riding through the mud and getting stuck. Jackson, in a plain white t-shirt, is seen riding around in the mud in his pickup before getting out and walking in between many people fighting in the mud. However, he stays stainless until the very end, where he only gets one small spot of mud on the left side of his shirt before finally joining in the tussle. It ends with Jackson posing as a scarecrow.

Chart positions

[edit]

"Summertime Blues" debuted at number 53 on the US Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks for the week of June 18, 1994.

Chart (1994) Peak
position
Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[42] 1
US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (Billboard)[43] 4
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[44] 1

Year-end charts

[edit]
Chart (1994) Position
Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[45] 3
US Country Songs (Billboard)[46] 7

Rush version

[edit]
"Summertime Blues"
Single by Rush
from the album Feedback
ReleasedMay 21, 2004 (2004-05-21)
GenreHard rock
Length3:43
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Rush singles chronology
"Secret Touch"
(2002) 		"Summertime Blues"
(2004) 		"Far Cry"
(2007)

Canadian rock band Rush released their cover as a single on May 21, 2004. It was later included on their cover EP Feedback, released on June 29. The song was the theme for the WWE SummerSlam event on August 15, 2004. The song was performed live during the band's 30th anniversary tour later that year, and was included on the R30: 30th Anniversary World Tour concert DVD. The fourth line of each verse is omitted.

Chart positions

[edit]
Chart (2004) Peak
position
Canada Rock Top 30 (Radio & Records)[47] 12
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[48] 30

Personnel

[edit]

Johnny Hallyday version (in French)

[edit]
"La Fille de l'été dernier"
Single by Johnny Hallyday
from the album Rock à Memphis
LanguageFrench
English titleLast Summer's Girl
B-side"Dégage"
ReleasedApril 14, 1975 (1975-04-14)[49]
RecordedEarly 1975
GenreRock
Length2:21
LabelPhilips
Songwriter(s)
  • Eddie Cochran
  • Jerry Capehart
  • Long Chris
Producer(s)Lee Hallyday
Johnny Hallyday singles chronology
"À propos de mon père"
(1975) 		"La Fille de l'été dernier"
(1975) 		"La Terre promise"
(1975)
Music video
"La Fille de l'été dernier" (INA archive, 1975) on YouTube

The song was covered in French by Johnny Hallyday. His version (titled "La Fille de l'été dernier", meaning "Last Summer's Girl") was released on Philips Records (the same label that released Blue Cheer's version) in April 1975 for Hallyday's nineteenth studio album "Rock à Memphis", released one month later and spent one week at no. 1 on the singles sales chart in France (from May 10 to 16, 1975).[50] Hallyday had previously recorded an adaption of another one of Cochran's songs, "Cut Across Shorty" (the last song the former had ever recorded before his death) in 1968 as "Cours plus vite Charlie" ("Run faster Charlie"), with Also adapted into French by Long Chris. The single is backed by a French adaption of the Larry Williams song, "Slow Down", titled "Dégage" (meaning "Cleared").

Charts

[edit]
Chart (1975) Peak
position
France (singles sales)[50] 1

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ The minimum voting age in most of the United States was 21 when the song was written. It would be lowered to 18 in 1971, following ratification of the 26th Amendment. Cochran was 19 when he recorded the song.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Strong, M. C. (1995). The Great Rock Discography. Edinburgh: Canongate Books Ltd. p. 152. ISBN 0-86241-385-0.
  2. ^ Gilliland, John (1969). "Show 11 - Tennessee Firebird. [Part 3], Big Rock Candy Mountain. [Part 1]" (audio). Pop Chronicles. University of North Texas Libraries.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Padgett, Ray (2017). Cover Me: The Stories Behind the Greatest Cover Songs of All Time. New York: Sterling. pp. 78–85. ISBN 978-1-4549-2250-6. OCLC 978537907.
  4. ^ Mastropolo, Frank (7 June 2016). "Top 11 Songs About Teenagers". Rock Cellar Magazine.
  5. ^ "Rocklist.net...Q Magazine Lists". Rocklistmusic.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-08-29.
  6. ^ "Stories of Rock | Rock & Roll Hall of Fame". Rockhall.com. 2016-08-09. Retrieved 2016-08-29.
  7. ^ "Lescharts.com - Eddie Cochran: Summertime Blues". RPM. Retrieved July 17, 2011.
  8. ^ "CHUM Hit Parade - October 6, 1958".
  9. ^ a b "Eddie Cochran". 45cat. Retrieved 16 September 2015.
  10. ^ a b "Eddie Cochran". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 15 June 2013.
  11. ^ "Eddie Cochran Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  12. ^ Johnston, Chris (26 October 2012). "Our First Rock Star". The Age. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 31 March 2013.
  13. ^ McFarlane, Ian (1999). "Encyclopedia entry for 'Johnny Chester'". Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop. St Leonards, NSW: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 1-86508-072-1. Archived from the original on 6 August 2004. Retrieved 1 April 2013.
  14. ^ Kent, David (2005). Australian Chart Book 1940–1969. Turramurra, NSW: Australian Chart Book Pty Ltd. ISBN 0-646-44439-5.
  15. ^ Ryan (bulion), Gary (26 January 2012). "Chart Positions Pre 1989 Part 4 (ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts)". Australian Charts Portal. Hung Medien (Steffen Hung). Retrieved 1 April 2013.
  16. ^ a b "The Hep Stars - Summertime Blues". Thehepstars.se. Retrieved 2020-06-21.
  17. ^ Hep Stars, 1964–1969, EMI Svenska AB/Olga 7C1 38-35956/7, double album liner notes
  18. ^ a b "The Hep Stars - A Tribute To Buddy Holly". Thehepstars.se. Retrieved 2020-06-21.
  19. ^ "The Hep Stars - Farmer John". Thehepstars.se. Retrieved 2020-06-21.
  20. ^ Palm, Carl Magnus (2009-10-28). Bright Lights, Dark Shadows: The Real Story of ABBA. Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0-85712-057-1.
  21. ^ Hallberg, Eric; Henningsson, Ulf (1998). Eric Hallberg, Ulf Henningsson presenterar Tio i topp med de utslagna på försök 1961-74 (in Swedish) (1. uppl ed.). Stockholm: Premium. ISBN 91-972712-5-X. OCLC 186200204.
  22. ^ Landén, Dan-Eric; Palm, Carl Magnus (2004). Cadillac Madness : den otroliga berättelsen om the Hep Stars (in Swedish) (1. uppl ed.). Stockholm: Premium. p. 113. ISBN 91-89136-04-7. OCLC 186387535.
  23. ^ Palm, Carl Magnus (2009-10-28). Bright Lights, Dark Shadows: The Real Story of ABBA. Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0-85712-057-1.
  24. ^ Leszczak, Bob (10 July 2014). Who Did It First?: Great Rock and Roll Cover Songs and Their Original Artists. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. p. 208. ISBN 978-1-4422-3322-5.
  25. ^ Miller, Chuck (28 February 2011). Warman's American Records. Krause Publications. p. 103. ISBN 978-1-4402-2821-6.
  26. ^ Strong, M. C. (1995). The Great Rock Discography. Edinburgh: Canongate Books Ltd. p. 71. ISBN 0-86241-385-0.
  27. ^ "Top 40-lijst van week 25, 1968". Top40.nl. 1968-06-22. Retrieved 2016-08-29.
  28. ^ "The 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time : Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone. 2008-05-31. Archived from the original on 2008-05-31. Retrieved 2016-08-29.
  29. ^ "RPM Top 100 Singles - May 4, 1968" (PDF).
  30. ^ "Top 40 van week 25, 1968". Retrieved November 17, 2013.
  31. ^ "Blue Cheer Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  32. ^ Kirby, Fred (August 23, 1969). "Who, B. B. King, Airplane Soar". Billboard. p. 19.
  33. ^ Strong, M. C. (1995). The Great Rock Discography. Edinburgh: Canongate Books Ltd. p. 897. ISBN 0-86241-385-0.
  34. ^ "Live albums". Classic Rock supplement: The Live Albums That Changed The World. December 2011. p. 5.
  35. ^ Billboard, July 4, 1970
  36. ^ "Results - RPM - Library and Archives Canada - The Who: Summertime Blues". RPM. Archived from the original on 2012-10-23. Retrieved July 17, 2011.
  37. ^ "Lescharts.com - The Who: Summertime Blues". RPM. Retrieved July 17, 2011.
  38. ^ Sisk, Eileen (2010-06-24). Buck Owens: The Biography. Chicago Review Press. ISBN 978-1-56976-745-0.
  39. ^ a b c The Greatest Hits Collection (CD). Alan Jackson. Arista Records. 1995. 07822 18801.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  40. ^ Billboard, June 25, 1994
  41. ^ "Retro Single Review: Alan Jackson, "Summertime Blues" – Country Universe". Countryuniverse.net. 29 May 2012. Retrieved 2016-08-29.
  42. ^ "Top RPM Country Tracks: Issue 2548." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. August 1, 1994. Retrieved August 4, 2013.
  43. ^ "Alan Jackson Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard.
  44. ^ "Alan Jackson Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
  45. ^ "RPM Top 100 Country Tracks of 1994". RPM. December 12, 1994. Retrieved August 4, 2013.
  46. ^ "Best of 1994: Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 1994. Retrieved August 4, 2013.
  47. ^ "RR Canada Rock Top 30" (PDF). p. 65. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
  48. ^ "Rush Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard.
  49. ^ "Johnny Hallyday - La Fille de l'été dernier - lescharts.com".
  50. ^ a b "La fille de l'été dernier - Johnny Hallyday - Hit-Parade.net". Retrieved 2017-11-13.
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