Is it Summer Yet? According to the Stroud Crowd It Is

Yes, Virginia, it's summer and the good old deejay, Bob Stroud, on the Drive has said so. He said so in his annual Rock and Roll Roots Salute to Summer, always the first Sunday after the event. He does not play the same songs every year, but does include some favorites.

This past June 24th, the three-hour playlist went like this with Bob's comments, mine in parentheses. See if any of these bring back memories, or, are favorites:

1. Beach Baby- First Class--from 1974
2. Sea Cruise- Beach Boys- their cover of Frankie Ford's classic, unreleased until 1980 (Ooowee, oohwie, baby)
3. Summertime- Buckinghams- their cover of the classic- Chicago hometown heroes- (personally, I still like Janis Joplin's version the best. Talk about your blues!! Oh yes, also Billy Stewart's skat version)

4. Daydream- Lovin' Spoonful- (just stretch out on the grass under a tree. Put your hands behind your head and let the world float by)
5. Popsicle- Jan & Dean- Bob is partial to the red, white & blue Bomb Pops himself. (This is a great doo-wop number.)
6. Come on Down to My Boat- Every Mother's Son

7. Summer Song- Chad and Jeremy
8. Car Hop- Exports- instrumental surf song- (never heard it before)
9. Summer Rain- Johnny Rivers

10. (You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth) Hot Summer Night- Meatloaf- from "Bat Out of Hell"- (great album, especially with "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" a song that always reminds me of a little bar right across from Preservation Hall in New Orleans where a female bartender and I sang the song, and might not have sounded too bad. Who needs no stinkin' karaoke!!!)
11. Margaritaville- Jimmy Buffett- (Does it Get any better than this. Kids today just don't understand the pleasures of stepping on a poptop. We named our basement bar after this song.)
12. Sunny Afternoon- Kinks- a jaundiced look at the season. The taxman took everything!!! Poor Ray. (I got a big fat mama trying to break me.)

13. Good Day Sunshine- Beatles
14. Summer Side of Life- Gordon Lightfoot
15. Hot Fun in the Summertime- Sly & the Family Stone- 1969- (Probably my second favorite song with summer in the name)

16. Dancing in the Streets- Mamas and Papas- (Loved the talking at the end)
17. Mr. Blue Sky- Electric Light Orchestra- off the "Out of the Blue" album
18. Live for the Sun- Sunrays- produced by the Wilson brothers (of the Beach Boys) father, Murray Wilson.

19. Summertime- Billy Stewart- from 1966. (He took Buddy Holly's "hiccups to a whole new level.)
20. Do It Again- Beach Boys- (Always reminds me of being a freshman at Northern Illinois. Kind of a sad look back at the glory days.)
21. Summer Breeze- Isley Brothers- featuring the screaming guitar of Ernie Isley- (The old Seals & Crofts song would never be the same.)

21. Summertime Blues- Blue Cheer- San Francisco psychedelic band
22. Racing in the Street- Bruce Springsteen- (Kind of boring if you ask me)
23. In the Summertime- Mungo Jerry- 1970- (My favorite "summer" song. How would you spell that shoo, shoo shoo sound they made through the whole song?)
24. Hot Summer Day- It's a Beautiful Day- from 1969

25. Summer in the City- Lovin' Spoonful- 1966- (Hot town, summer in the city. Back of my neck getting dirt and gritty.)
26. Under the Boardwalk- Drifters- 1964- (If you've ever been under a boardwalk, you'd know this is a very distasteful place to be. Where do you think everything they drop does. Plus, sand that doesn't have the sun shine on it--yuck!!)
27. Grazing in the Grass- Hugh Masakela- 1968

28. Summer Sun- Jamestown Massacre- from Chicago- 1972
29. Turn Down Day- Cyrkle
30. School's Out- Alice Cooper- 1972 (My official retirement song last May and the name of our boat!!!)

31. Spill the Wine- Eric Burdon & War- (War's big break. "Imagine me, a long-haired...")
32. Summer Means Fun- Bruce and Terry- written in 1964 by PF Sloan where the girls are 2-1 over the boys.
33. All Summer Long- Beach Boys


What, no "Summertime, Summertime" by the Jaimes!!! My third favorite, oh well.

Mighty Good Listenin' and Rememberin' this Day. --RoadDog