LimeWire Music Blog

After several long weeks of rain, summer has finally reared its head in the greater New York area. I don’t necessarily welcome the tropical heat and humidity, but I still cherish the seasonal shifts and eclectic weather that comes with the season.   

Despite my distaste for the weather, I’m still excited about barbeques, Coney Island hijinx, the beach, and, most importantly, summer music. Free summer gigs been underway since Memorial Day weekend, but I’m moreso referring to a slew of summer jams cranking on my headphones during the long days and humid nights.  New and old favorites keep my spirit alive as the rest of us drip away in the heat.  I think this calls for a video playlist.

1. Angelique Kidjo – “Summertime”
Let us begin with a timeless classic.  Over the years, there have been countless covers of “Summertime,” the breezy hit originally penned by George Gershwin for the Broadway play Porgy and Bess. Most folks of my generation are instantly reminded of the Sublime sample, which almost ruined the beautiful melody for me over years of overexposure. Fortunately, this particular version, sung in French for the Jazz: A Saint Germain compilation, salvaged what was left of this fantastic tune. 

Note: For a less sensual, but no less captivating version of “Summertime,” peep Billie Holiday’s take here.

2. Donna Summer - ”Love to Love You Baby”
If there’s one song I equate with those hot summer nights, it’s this particular tune.  Though my taste for disco focuses primarily on ’80s Italo, a more robotic and new wave-tinged take, I can’t help but love this seductive gem.  Both ripe for the bedroom, dance floor, or roller rink, this song still gives me chills during those opening few seconds.  Don’t get me started on those moans, either.

Dirty Confession: Speaking of hot summer nights, I kind of love this track, even though I totally know better.

3. The Jam – “(Love Is Like A) Heatwave”
This one should be familiar to most readers, as it dates back to 1963.  Originally made famous by Martha and the Vandelles, this particular version gets a more punk rock/mod treatment by one of the best and most underrated bands of the era. This live performance of the track dates back to the release of Setting Sons, arguably the band’s finest moment. 

4. Beach Boys – “I Get Around”
I’m not gonna lie:  I loved the hell out of this song growing up, splashing around in my Aunt’s pool while it played loudly on the boombox tucked away at a safe, but respectable distance.  Though there are arguably more appropriate Beach Boys tunes to tap for this playlist (you know, all the ones about surfing, girls on the beach, and/or revved up engines and summer asphalt), this one just triggers that final dose of nostalgia necessary for its inclusion.  Damn, those harmonies still get me every time. 

5. Eddie Cochran – “Summertime Blues”
Let’s just get the obvious cuts out of the way. It’s difficult to choose between the sloppy, blues and metal-ridden Blue Cheer rendition or the more infamous, rockabilly original, so let’s just include both, shall we? 

6. The Human League – “Love Action”
This particular new wave cut has nothing to do with summer, but the catchy, synth-driven vibe is perfect for a long, breezy convertible singalong. Given that it’s no less solid than their lone U.S. hit (”Don’t You Want Me Baby,” for those playing at home), let’s show a little love for the rest of Dare, the League’s classic 1981 breakthrough. 

7. Julee Cruise – “Summer Kisses, Winter Tears”
A smoky, jazz-inspired take on a song made famous by Elvis, this version showcases Julee Cruise’s otherworldly, ethereal vocals while invoking a sense of seasonal longing. 

Note: Though it’s a little less literally appropriate, the Twin Peaks track “Rockin’ Back Inside My Heart” also invokes a similar sense of summertime passion and melancholy. Dig it. 

8. The Alarm – “Rain in the Summertime”
I feel like I put this particular ’80s rave-up on every single video playlist I make. Hey, it works.  

9. Cocteau Twins – “Heaven or Las Vegas”
Romantic as sin, this particular latter-era Cocteau Twins track is a personal favorite every single summer, complete with a swirled-out verse and epic, layered chorus.  The heart swells as much as the heat whenever I hear this song. 

10. Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazlewood – “Summer Wine”
There are few combinations on this Earth that are irrefutable. Peanut butter and jelly. Cookies and milk. Lee Hazlewood and Nancy Sinatra. You see where I’m going here, right?  Smoky and seductive, “Summer Wine” is best for those hazy summer nights spent drinking underneath the stars. 

11. Lily Allen – “Smile”
I know, I am extremely late to this party.  I can’t say I dig what Lily Allen does on a regular basis (though I do find her spunkiness charming, at the very least), but I can’t deny the appeal of her very first single. When it dropped in 2006, I was all over it, and listened to it on repeat throughout those long summer days.  A lot has changed over the course of three years, but not my love for ”Smile.”  

12. Bruce Springsteen – “Spirit in the Night”
LWMB’s Al Sotack professed his love for another Springsteen classic back on the 4th of July, but this song, a little more thinly veiled, still embodies the fun and fancy free aspects of summer, from more innocent romance, to high energy hijinx on a hot Saturday night. Like the Human League, this track is a little more about the vibe than the actual lyrical content, and this particular live version, plucked from a NJ concert in 1978, doesn’t hold anything back.