Kalpana Kalpana (Editor)

Summer in the City

Updated on
Edit
Like
Comment
Share on FacebookTweet on TwitterShare on LinkedInShare on Reddit
B-side
  
"Butchie's Tune"

Format
  
7" 45rpm

Label
  
Kama Sutra

Released
  
July 4, 1966

Length
  
2:41

Genre
  
Rock, pop, psychedelic pop

"Summer in the City" is a song recorded by The Lovin' Spoonful, written by John Sebastian, Mark Sebastian and Steve Boone.

It appeared on their album Hums of the Lovin' Spoonful, and reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in August 1966, for three consecutive weeks. The song features a series of car horns during the instrumental bridge, starting with a Volkswagen Beetle horn, and ends up with a jackhammer sound, in order to give the impression of the sounds of the summer in the city. The song became a gold record. It is ranked number 401 on Rolling Stone's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

The signature keyboard part is played on a Hohner Pianet, and the organ is a Vox Continental.

Cover versions

  • Joe Cocker covered "Summer in the City" on his 1994 album Have a Little Faith. It was released as the lead single and reached the charts in several European countries.
  • Joe Jackson recorded a stripped down version of the song for his 2000 live album Summer in the City: Live in New York with only piano, bass and drums.
  • References

    Summer in the City Wikipedia