My Summer Listening Pleasure (And Maybe Yours) Part 1

I love disclaimers. In the case of the big 58-song summer playlist I've created, there are a few of them. These songs fall into at least one of these categories, sometimes more, sometimes all: they were released during the summer, they were popular during the summer, the song title and/or lyrics refer to summer, sun, heat, etc. If they don't fit these categories -- and this is a pretty big disclaimer -- to me they either sound like a summer-type song or I identify them with summer in my mind for some reason, which will be explained.

Also, the list only includes songs that are in my iTunes library. There may be other songs that are truly summer songs, but if I don't own them I didn't include them. (It's also possible that some songs not on the list but should be are in my iTunes but I somehow neglected to find it.) I am open to any and all suggestions to add to the list, but if it's not obvious from the song title why it should be included I hope you'll enlighten me as to why it's a summer song.

I'm listing them in order of the year of release (according to Wikipedia or whatever other sources I could find). Using the versions I have (a couple of extended mixes included) it's over 4 hours, 15 minutes of music, and Part One begins after the jump:

(Love Is Like A) Heat Wave - Martha and the Vandellas (1963) Of course. Motown goodness.

Dancing In The Street - Martha and the Vandellas (1964) Summer's here and the time is right, for dancin' in the streets (Philadelphia, P-A!)

Remember (Walkin' In The Sand) - The Shangri-Las (1964) So sad that he broke her heart. And so weird, the way it just fades too quickly at the end.

Sunshine Superman - Donovan (1966) Psychedelic, man. "Superman or Green Lantern ain't got a-nothin' on me." Hey -- Green Lantern...an excuse to look at Ryan Reynolds again. And it's a very summery pic, don't you think?

Summer In The City - Lovin' Spoonful (1966) This is maybe the quintessential summer record. I may try it at karaoke some time. Just perfect.

Light My Fire - The Doors (1967) Do you prefer it with or without the long instrumental section in the middle?

Here Comes The Sun - The Beatles (1969) To be honest, this seems more like a spring than a summer song. But lately we don't seem to have much springtime anymore. The weather goes almost directly from winter to summer. Climate change? Anyway, a good playlist can always use some Beatles representation.

Hot Fun In The Summertime - Sly and The Family Stone (1969) Again, quintessential summer. But like the Shangri-Las song, it fades out too early.

California Soul - Marlena Shaw (1969) Never heard of it until it was used in a Dockers commercial in 2008. Turns out it was written by Ashford and Simpson and was originally recorded by the Fifth Dimension. But this one is IT. I command you: listen to it. Love it. Go. Now, I said!

Philadelphia Freedom - Elton John (1975) Yay, a song about World Team Tennis! Oh, wait...

Car Wash - Rose Royce (1976) Washing cars is always more fun in the summer. Not that I would know, since I've never owned one.

Hot Shot - Karen Young (1978) Yay, disco! And a Philly girl! Sadly, her only hit (and only on the disco chart), and she died at the age of 39 from a bleeding ulcer, says Wikipedia. Here's the 8:40 extended version.

Summer Nights - John Travolta/Olivia Newton-John (1978) Well, duh. This one I really want to sing at karaoke sometime. Need a duet partner, though. Volunteers?

Good Times and A Warm Summer Night - Chic (1979) Chic, of course, is known for getting you on the dance floor with stuff like "Good Times," but their album "Risque" also contains this almost entirely instrumental slow jam that shows that Nile Rodgers and the late Bernard Edwards, the masterminds of the group, knew their way around a ballad as well.

Hot Stuff, Bad Girls and Sunset People - Donna Summer (1979) The first two are pretty obvious. Back-to-back number one hits in the summer of '79, "Hot Stuff" -- duh, but I tack on "Sunset People" because cruising down Sunset Boulevard never sounded so good, and so bad. And hey, her last name alone qualifies her!

Cruisin' - Smokey Robinson (1979) Speaking of cruising...after this we cruise into the 1980s, which really was my decade music-wise, and is the most-represented decade on my list.

Magic - Olivia Newton-John (1980) I can hardly remember that she was so big on the country charts back in the day. "Grease" kind of changed all that. Then came this slice of pop from "Xanadu." (Movie: sucked. Broadway show: awesome!)

Hot In The City - Billy Idol (1982) This was released before "White Wedding" jump-started his run of success.

Vacation - The Go-Go's (1982) Another obvious selection.

Cruel Summer - Bananarama (1983) That release date is from Wikipedia but I think it really became a hit in 1984. One of my favorites.

What's Love Got To Do With It - Tina Turner (1984) Perhaps the comeback of the century.

Swept Away - Diana Ross (1984) I remember I was housesitting for vacationing friends, watching their cats -- and enjoying their air conditioning, as I had none in my apartment. I was in heaven. Then this song, co-written by (and with some backing vocals at the end from) Daryl Hall, came on the radio, and I was really in heaven.

Self Control - Laura Branigan (1984) This, on the other hand, was more like hell: it takes me back to the first time I went to a gay bar by myself (I'd been to a couple of places with others, but never alone), and the DJ played this. Loved the song, hated the alone-ness, feeling ignored and not wanted and way too shy (still am, really), wanting to dance (not that I have rhythm) but no one to dance with. Still don't like being alone in bars.

When Doves Cry - Prince And The Revolution (1984) I still haven't seen "Purple Rain." I remember trying to watch it once, a long time ago, and I don't even remember why I stopped. Did I not like it? I don't know. Soundtrack kicks ass, though.

Heatwave - Bronski Beat (1984) This was never a single. Just a cut from their brilliant "The Age of Consent," their only album before Jimmy Somerville left the band. (Can't share a good link for you to listen to the whole thing. I've tried 2 or 3 different sites and can't get them to play. There's a YouTube video purporting to be the song but the sound seems to be a recording of an aerobics workout.)

Walking On Sunshine - Katrina And The Waves (1985) And don't it feel good! Hey! Alright now! Pop candy. Always tasty in the summer.

Freeway Of Love - Aretha Franklin (1985) If anyone has a Pink Cadillac, come pick me up so we can go riding with the Queen of Soul blasting out the speakers.

Part Two to follow!