 Wednesday signified the start of summer and as students exhale with excitement this morning knowing that they don’t have to spend Monday in class, I thought I’d bring up a cheerful song that celebrates young love and all things summer.
Released in 1964 at the start of the British Invasion, “A Summer Song” was pieced together from a jam session in Chad Stuart’s flat in London. Both Jeremy and Chad never thought it would become a single, let alone a massive world-wide hit. This is the original UK single, which opens with Chad and Jeremy trading vocals. It’s a flawlessly produced number that builds upon Johnnie Spence’s breezy orchestral arrangements, and is an all-time summer classic.
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 Since the advent of high-speed internet and digital files, the music business has completely changed, and not always for the best. Songs and artists that may have taken one to another continent to find are now just a mouse click away. Although this is a wonderful thing, it can also make finding bands difficult as there are more options than ever before.
The Pine Barons are originally from Shamong Township New Jersey, aptly named after the pitch pines that surround them. They now call Philadelphia home, and have been creating some interesting and genre bending music since 2012. One of their latest singles, “Frantic Francis” is one such track with thoughtful lyrics and warm, crisp production to match. Don’t sleep on this talented group. They truly deserve more attention, especially in an era where money and copycat producers and artists have held back the creativity in popular music.  Happenstance can be a wonderful thing. Your husband and his bandmates are in the middle of a recording session and the producer admires your voice, or maybe you just speak enough English to sing a song? Whichever story is correct, it doesn’t matter, but this was how Astrud Weinert, the unassuming wife of famed Brazilian musician João Gilberto, got her start after she sang “The Girl from Ipanema” on their 1963 landmark album Getz/Gilberto. 2 million copies later, and bossa nova caught fire in the US, and Astrud Gilberto was a household name.
Astrud was only paid $120 for the session as Getz refused to ink her into the royalties. Regardless of this selfish stance, she would continue a successful singing career well into the 2000’s. “Berimbau” is the lead track from Gilberto’s third solo album Look at the Rainbow. It’s a slowly building number with a fantastic chorus, and features the percussive musical bow the song is named after. It’s also a tune that showcases the depth of her talents as a true vocalist, not just a novelty artist.  Thirty years ago this week, an album was released that found its way into my CD changer and wouldn’t leave for several years. It was from a band I had seen the year before in Cleveland while supporting Blur. And although, the album was initially panned by critics, it’s now looked upon as a landmark “shoegazer” recording that stands the test of time.
After the success of Slowdive’s debut Just for a Day, chief songwriter Neil Halstead was struggling to create their sophomore effort. He had gone through a difficult breakup with fellow bandmate Rachel Goswell, and Creation Record’s Alan McGee wanted a more commercial sound. Under too much pressure, Halstead temporarily left the recording sessions and holed up in a rented cottage in Wales. While there, he laid the foundation to their brilliant follow up “Souvlaki” on his guitar. “Souvlaki Space Station” is the standout track on the album for me. It’s not nearly as well written as the more emotionally charged songs that Halstead wrote, but it is magical; a swirly wall of delay that showcased the creativity each band member possessed. A handful of friends and I look back upon this album with fondness, and not just because it captured an exciting time in our lives, but for the wonderful songwriting and sonic landscapes. |
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