Summertime Blues
Encyclopedia
"Summertime Blues" is the title of a song co-written and recorded by American
rockabilly
artist Eddie Cochran
. It was written in the late 1950s by Cochran and his manager Jerry Capehart
. Originally a single B-side, it was released in August 1958 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 a notable hit for the English
rock band, The Who
.
placed it at number 77 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks.
The song is ranked number 73 in Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
. It was also covered by Cheech Marin
in the movie Born In East L.A.
. Alvin and the Chipmunks
covered the song for "Island Fever," a 1987 episode of their TV series
.
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.
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 Jackson, with his "signature laid-back vocal style, the long, tall Georgian turns this '50s teen anthem into a '90s country classic."
and was released in June 1994. It features Jackson mud bogging
in a pickup truck and playing guitar
in a field.
, released October 1962. Lead vocal on the track was jointly sung by lead guitarist Carl Wilson, not yet 16, and rhythm guitarist Dave Marks, just turned 14. Never released on a single in the US, it gained enough popularity in The Philippines early in 1966 to post no. 7 on that country's hit parade as listed by Billboard
in its weekly 'Hits of the World' charts.
recorded their version of "Summertime Blues" in 1967 and included it on their 1968 release entitled Vincebus Eruptum
. The single peaked at #14 on the Billboard Hot 100, pushing the sales of the album even higher to #11. While not as widely played or recognized as The Who version, it certainly is more distorted with a far more intense guitar sound. This version was ranked #73 on the list of "The 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time" of Rolling Stone. This version omits the responses and instead has each band member do a quick "solo" — Stephens' consists of little more than running his hand up and down his guitar neck in a masturbation
gesture after the lyric "I tried to get a date". A portion of Blue Cheer's version appears in the movie Troll.
Rush
did a cover of this version for their Feedback
EP. Rush
Bassist Geddy Lee cites Blue Cheer as the first Heavy Metal
Band.
played "Summertime Blues" as a staple of their concerts from their early days up to 1976, with intermittent appearances thereafter. It has not been played since bassist
John Entwistle
's death in 2002. It was performed during the 1967 US tour, from which the first known Who recordings 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
. The single from this album peaked at number 38 in the UK and number 27 in the US.
(1969), as well as Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970
and the CD release of Live at the Royal Albert Hall
.
magazine reviewed the song favorably, saying that The Who gives it a "wild updating" and "certain to put them right up there at the top."
recorded her version of "Summertime Blues" on her Clearly Love
album in 1975.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rockabilly
Rockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, dating to the early 1950s.The term rockabilly is a portmanteau of rock and hillbilly, the latter a reference to the country music that contributed strongly to the style's development...
artist Eddie Cochran
Eddie Cochran
Eddie Cochran , was an American rock and roll pioneer who in his brief career had a small but lasting influence on rock music through his guitar playing. Cochran's rockabilly songs, such as "C'mon Everybody", "Somethin' Else", and "Summertime Blues", captured teenage frustration and desire in the...
. It was written in the late 1950s by Cochran and his manager Jerry Capehart
Jerry Capehart
Jerry Capehart was a songwriter and music manager. Capehart co-wrote the famous rock 'n' roll songs "Summertime Blues" and "C'mon Everybody" with Eddie Cochran, whom he also managed. He died in Nashville, Tennessee....
. Originally a single B-side, it was released in August 1958 and peaked at number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
on September 29, 1958 and number 18 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. It has been covered by many artists, including being a number-one hit for country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
artist, Alan Jackson
Alan Jackson
Alan Eugene Jackson is an American country music singer, known for blending traditional honky tonk and mainstream country sounds and penning many of his own hits. He has recorded 13 studio albums, 3 Greatest Hits albums, 2 Holiday albums, 1 Gospel album and several compilations, all on the Arista...
, and a notable hit for the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
rock band, The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
.
Personnel
- Eddie CochranEddie CochranEddie Cochran , was an American rock and roll pioneer who in his brief career had a small but lasting influence on rock music through his guitar playing. Cochran's rockabilly songs, such as "C'mon Everybody", "Somethin' Else", and "Summertime Blues", captured teenage frustration and desire in the...
: vocal, guitars, guitar overdub - Connie 'Guybo' Smith: electric bass
- Earl PalmerEarl PalmerEarl Cyril Palmer was an American rock & roll and rhythm and blues drummer, and member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame....
: drums - Possibly Sharon SheeleySharon SheeleySharon Sheeley was an American songwriter, born in California, who wrote songs for Glen Campbell, Ricky Nelson, Brenda Lee, and Sheeley's former fiancé, Eddie Cochran.-Life:...
and Jerry CapehartJerry CapehartJerry Capehart was a songwriter and music manager. Capehart co-wrote the famous rock 'n' roll songs "Summertime Blues" and "C'mon Everybody" with Eddie Cochran, whom he also managed. He died in Nashville, Tennessee....
: hand clapping
Chart performance
| Chart (1958) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Austrian Singles Chart | 18 |
| UK Singles Chart | 18 |
Legacy
In March 2005, Q magazineQ (magazine)
Q is a popular music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom.Founders Mark Ellen and David Hepworth were dismayed by the music press of the time, which they felt was ignoring a generation of older music buyers who were buying CDs — then still a new technology...
placed it at number 77 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks.
The song is ranked number 73 in Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
In popular culture
The song appears on the soundtrack for the movie CaddyshackCaddyshack
Caddyshack is a 1980 American comedy film directed by Harold Ramis and written by Brian Doyle-Murray, Ramis, and Douglas Kenney. It stars Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield, Ted Knight, Michael O'Keefe, Cindy Morgan, and Bill Murray...
. It was also covered by Cheech Marin
Cheech Marin
Richard Anthony "Cheech" Marin is an American comedian, actor and writer who gained recognition as part of the comedy act Cheech & Chong during the 1970s and early 1980s, and as Don Johnson's partner, Insp. Joe Dominguez on Nash Bridges...
in the movie Born In East L.A.
Born in East L.A.
Born in East L.A. is a 1987 American comedy film written and directed by Cheech Marin of the Cheech & Chong comedy team.The film is about an American of Chicano descent whom authorities deport to Tijuana...
. Alvin and the Chipmunks
Alvin and the Chipmunks
Alvin and the Chipmunks is an American animated music group created by Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. in 1958. The group consists of three singing animated anthropomorphic chipmunks: Alvin, the mischievous troublemaker, who quickly became the star of the group; Simon, the tall, bespectacled intellectual;...
covered the song for "Island Fever," a 1987 episode of their TV series
Alvin and the Chipmunks (TV series)
Alvin and the Chipmunks is an American animated television series featuring The Chipmunks, produced by Bagdasarian Productions in association with Ruby-Spears Enterprises from 1983–87, and DIC Entertainment from 1988-90....
.
Alan Jackson version
American country musicCountry music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
artist Alan Jackson
Alan Jackson
Alan Eugene Jackson is an American country music singer, known for blending traditional honky tonk and mainstream country sounds and penning many of his own hits. He has recorded 13 studio albums, 3 Greatest Hits albums, 2 Holiday albums, 1 Gospel album and several compilations, all on the Arista...
recorded the song for his 1994 album, Who I Am
Who I Am (Alan Jackson album)
Who I Am is the fourth studio album by American country music artist Alan Jackson. The album was released on June 28, 1994 via Arista Records...
. 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
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
). Jackson said that he was inspired by Buck Owens
Buck Owens
Alvis Edgar Owens, Jr. , better known as Buck Owens, was an American singer and guitarist who had 21 No. 1 hits on the Billboard country music charts with his band, the Buckaroos...
' version.
Critical reception
Deborah Evans Price, of BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
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 Jackson, with his "signature laid-back vocal style, the long, tall Georgian turns this '50s teen anthem into a '90s country classic."
Music Video
The video was directed by Michael SalomonMichael Salomon
Michael Salomon is a music video/film director, who has directed many music videos, including many of Toby Keith's music videos...
and was released in June 1994. It features Jackson mud bogging
Mud bogging
Mud bogging is a form of off-road motorsport popular in Canada and the United States in which the goal is to drive a vehicle through a pit of mud of a set length...
in a pickup truck and playing guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
in a field.
Chart positions
"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 |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 | 4 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 1 |
The Beach Boys version
Recorded four years after the Eddie Cochran original (and some two years after his death), the Beach Boys paid tribute to him on their first album, Surfin' SafariSurfin' Safari
-Musicians:*Alan Jardine - vocals, acoustic bass *Mike Love - vocals*David Marks - rhythm guitar, vocals *Brian Wilson - bass guitar, piano, vocals*Carl Wilson - lead guitar, vocals*Dennis Wilson - drums, vocals...
, released October 1962. Lead vocal on the track was jointly sung by lead guitarist Carl Wilson, not yet 16, and rhythm guitarist Dave Marks, just turned 14. Never released on a single in the US, it gained enough popularity in The Philippines early in 1966 to post no. 7 on that country's hit parade as listed by Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
in its weekly 'Hits of the World' charts.
Blue Cheer version
The American psychedelic blues-rock band Blue CheerBlue Cheer
Blue Cheer was an American psychedelic blues-rock band that initially performed and recorded in the late 1960s and early 1970s and was sporadically active until 2009...
recorded their version of "Summertime Blues" in 1967 and included it on their 1968 release entitled Vincebus Eruptum
Vincebus Eruptum
-Personnel:Blue Cheer*Dickie Peterson – vocals, bass*Leigh Stephens – guitar*Paul Whaley – drumsAdditional personnel*Abe "Voco" Kesh – production*John MacQuarrie – engineering*John Van Hamersveld – photography...
. The single peaked at #14 on the Billboard Hot 100, pushing the sales of the album even higher to #11. While not as widely played or recognized as The Who version, it certainly is more distorted with a far more intense guitar sound. This version was ranked #73 on the list of "The 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time" of Rolling Stone. This version omits the responses and instead has each band member do a quick "solo" — Stephens' consists of little more than running his hand up and down his guitar neck in a masturbation
Masturbation
Masturbation refers to sexual stimulation of a person's own genitals, usually to the point of orgasm. The stimulation can be performed manually, by use of objects or tools, or by some combination of these methods. Masturbation is a common form of autoeroticism...
gesture after the lyric "I tried to get a date". A portion of Blue Cheer's version appears in the movie Troll.
Rush
Rush (band)
Rush is a Canadian rock band formed in August 1968, in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario. The band is composed of bassist, keyboardist, and lead vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart...
did a cover of this version for their Feedback
Feedback (Rush album)
Rhapsody praised the album, calling it one of their favorite cover albums. Allmusic reviewer Thom Jurek called the tracklist "amazing" and said "None of these tunes are done with an ounce of camp...
EP. Rush
Rush (band)
Rush is a Canadian rock band formed in August 1968, in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario. The band is composed of bassist, keyboardist, and lead vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart...
Bassist Geddy Lee cites Blue Cheer as the first Heavy Metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
Band.
Chart performance
| Chart (1968) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Dutch Singles Chart | 2 |
The Who version
The WhoThe Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
played "Summertime Blues" as a staple of their concerts from their early days up to 1976, with intermittent appearances thereafter. It has not been played since bassist
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
John Entwistle
John Entwistle
John Alec Entwistle was an English bass guitarist, songwriter, singer, horn player, and film and record producer who was best known as the bass player for the rock band The Who. His aggressive lead sound influenced many rock bass players...
's death in 2002. It was performed during the 1967 US tour, from which the first known Who recordings were made, including a June 1967 date at the Monterey Pop Festival
Monterey Pop Festival
The Monterey International Pop Music Festival was a three-day concert event held June 16 to June 18, 1967 at the Monterey County Fairgrounds in Monterey, California...
.
The first version to be released by The Who appeared on the 1970 album Live at Leeds
Live at Leeds
Live at Leeds is The Who's first live album, and is the only live album that was released while the group were still recording and performing regularly. Initially released in the United States on 16 May 1970, by Decca and MCA and the United Kingdom on 23 May 1970, by Track and Polydor, the album...
. The single from this album peaked at number 38 in the UK and number 27 in the US.
Studio version
The Who recorded a studio version of this track in London on June 28, 1967, just after the Monterey performance. This was left unreleased until 1998 when it appeared on the remastered CD of Odds & Sods. Other live versions from The Who are featured in the Monterey Pop Festival CD box set and the concert and documentary film WoodstockWoodstock (film)
Woodstock is a 1970 American documentary on the Woodstock Festival that took place in August 1969 at Bethel in New York. Entertainment Weekly called this film the benchmark of concert movies and one of the most entertaining documentaries ever made...
(1969), as well as Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970
Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970
Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970 is a double live album by The Who, recorded at the Isle of Wight Festival on 29 August 1970, and released by Sony in 1996. A DVD of the concert was also released....
and the CD release of Live at the Royal Albert Hall
Live at the Royal Albert Hall (The Who album)
Live at the Royal Albert Hall is a three-CD live album set by The Who, released in 2003.Discs one and two were recorded on 27 November 2000 and consist of John Entwistle, Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend, Zak Starkey, and John "Rabbit" Bundrick performing a concert at the Royal Albert Hall for the...
.
Critical reception
BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
magazine reviewed the song favorably, saying that The Who gives it a "wild updating" and "certain to put them right up there at the top."
Chart performance
| Chart (1970) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian RPM Top Singles | 8 |
| Dutch Singles Chart | 25 |
| UK Singles Chart | 38 |
Olivia Newton-John version
Olivia Newton-JohnOlivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John AO, OBE is a singer and actress. She is a four-time Grammy award winner who has amassed five No. 1 and ten other Top Ten Billboard Hot 100 singles and two No. 1 Billboard 200 solo albums. Eleven of her singles and 14 of her albums have been certified gold by the RIAA...
recorded her version of "Summertime Blues" on her Clearly Love
Clearly Love
Clearly Love was an album by Olivia Newton-John, released in 1975.-Reception:The album's peak of #12 in the U.S. was also something of a disappointment, considering that Newton-John's previous two albums, If You Love Me, Let Me Know and Have You Never Been Mellow, had both reached #1...
album in 1975.