Summer of '69

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“Summer of '69”
“Summer of '69” cover
Single by Bryan Adams
from the album Reckless
B-side "Kids Wanna Rock"
"The Best Was Yet to Come"
Released 1984
Format gramophone record
Recorded 1984
Genre Hard rock
Length 3:32
Label A&M Records
Writer(s) Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance
Producer Bob Clearmountain
Bryan Adams
Bryan Adams singles chronology
"Heaven"
(1985)		 "Summer of '69"
(1985)		 "One Night Love Affair"
(1985)

"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.[1]

Contents

[edit] Content and meaning

The song has been conventionally interpreted as a nostalgic, somewhat melancholy recollection of an erstwhile era during which the singer was among a group of optimistic adolescents.[2]

In his recent Anthology (Bryan Adams album) (2005) as well as the song's intro during live concerts, Adams stresses "Summer of '69" has "nothing to do with the year 1969," as Adams was only nine years old at the time. He has implied it is a reference to the sex position: "… [A] double entendre, it's about sex, much like [one of Adams' professed favorite songs] Bob Seger's 'Night Moves,'" which follows a similar theme of nostalgia and summer love.[3]

Co-writer Jim Vallance strongly disagrees, confirming the conventional interpretation. He notes Jackson Browne's "Running on Empty (song)" as his own influence, recalling Adams cited the film Summer of '42 as his.[4] He has added, "… 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."[2]

[edit] Characters

The line "Jimmy quit, Jody got married" refers to two actual people. "Jimmy" is Jim Wesley, Adams' drummer in his early days (1979–1983) who quit the band because he and Bryan did not get along; he went on to sell carpeting as a means to earn money he wasn't making as a musician. As of 2008, Jody Perpick still worked for Adams as his tour manager and sound engineer.[4]

[edit] Personnel

Bryan Adams (co-writer): rhythm guitar, vocals
Keith Scott: lead guitar
Dave Taylor: bass
Pat Steward: drums
Jim Vallance (co-writer): percussion

[edit] 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 on their 2002 tour.
  • Ryan Adams performed a cover of the song when he played at The Emmore Theatre, 2005.
  • Shayne Ward covered this song during an episode of X-factor.
  • The song was covered by the punk rock band NOFX.
  • The Top 6 guys sang this song in their tribute to Bryan Adams at the American Idol season 7 grand finale.

[edit] References in other works

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ "Rhythms of the Road" in the Toronto Globe and Mail, 6 August 2006.
  2. ^ a b "Summer of '69," on SongFacts.com.
  3. ^ Dave Marsh (liner notes), Anthology, 2005.
  4. ^ a b "Summer of '69," on JimVallance.com.
  5. ^ Summer of 0079, rec.arts.anime in Google Groups.

[edit] External links

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Bryan Adams
Studio albums
Compilation albums
Live albums
Hit singles
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