SAVE THE HOOPLA ABOUT CHANGING COLORS

This is the third time I've posted this thematic trio in the past five years. I guess I always get lazy at the end of the summer. Exhaling. Actually, the next month is usually the most enjoyable of the year. The weather's usually good, the water temperature cooling but not yet cold. We'll get Santa Ana conditions, hot and dry with offshore breezes. Tourists gone, kids back in school. If we could repeat the month between mid-September and mid-October for the entire year I'd be just fine.  

 

I know. You don't come here for a weather report. Here's the three end of summer songs. One from a Southern California band, one from a UK pop singer and one from an East coast vocal group, all of similar vintage (the sixties). I still don't get this seasons thing.

~ NOTE: ALL MEDIA IS HOSTED BY THE BLOGS & SITES NAMED BELOW ~

Listen:
The Beach Boys - All Summer Long mp3 at The Pop History Dig
Dusty Spingfield - Summer Is Over mp3 at Tumblr
The Drifters - Sand In My Shoes mp3 at R Strathdee (?)

DUSTY THE SELECTER

Okay, so I'm watching the beginning of some movie and it's sizing up to be not my kind of film. Just before I was getting ready to shut it off, Dusty Springfield's "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me" kicks in, That was an hour ago and I can't get the damn song out of my head. It's is a good song, if a little over dramatic. Maybe that's what I like about it. Those English women pop singers could be super polished at times, with big ol' orchestras going on. I've always lumped her with Lulu and Petula Clark in that regard. I'm sure in other places there were Sandie Shaw and others, but my introduction to these singers came from U.S. top 40 radio, and those were the three with hits over here.

When I was looking for photos, I came across the one above. What was Dusty Springfield listening to? The only possible clue is the LP in her hand. Curious, and up to a challenge, I opened up my antiquated Photo-Paint program and fucked with the perspective of the image. The result is below. Bob-B-Soxx and the Blue Jeans' "Zip-A-Dee Doo Dah", a Phil Spector/Wrecking Crew joint. Dig Billy Strange's solo at 1:27. Yee haw.

 ~ NOTE: ALL MEDIA IS HOSTED BY THE BLOGS & SITES NAMED BELOW ~

Listen:

Dusty Springfield - You Don't Have To Say You Love Me mp3 at Blognoblat (?)
Bob B. Soxx and the Blue Jeans - Zip A Dee Doo Dah mp3 at Beware of the Blog

SPRAY TAN ROCK

Hey, I don't know where you are but, in my parts, today is the last day of summer. Sort of. I'm in Southern California. Fall colors here are radiant sunsets. September and October are the warmest, driest, and sunniest months. The ocean is at it's warmest. The crowds are gone. Shit, what's not to like?

I try to stay away from thematic posts, because a similar theme rarely means a common musical thread. The closest thing to a thread with these is that they're all great songs. They may not have the same feel, but they're all about the end of summer, or lack thereof. Dig the Dusty cut. She wins this one.

~ NOTE: ALL MEDIA IS HOSTED BY THE BLOGS & SITES NAMED BELOW ~

Listen:
The Beach Boys - All Summer Long mp3 at The Pop History Dig
The Doors - Summer's Almost Gone (streaming) at YouTube
Dusty Spingfield - Summer Is Over mp3 at ATumblr (?)
The Drifters - Sand In My Shoes (streaming) at YouTube
The Sandals - The Endless Summer mp3 at Rock 'n' Soul Ichiban
Bonus:
The Sandals - The Endless Summer (film soundtrack) at Rock 'n' Soul Ichiban Twelve songs

DUSTY IN TRASTOS

Dusty Springfield was all over the place. She must have been, she had "Dusty in London," "Dusty in New York," and "Dusty in Memphis" records. No matter where she recorded, she was always had top notch producers and arrangers. Take "Anyone Who Had a Heart." It's got that guitar, that only plays about four notes, and it's fucking awesome. It sets the tone of the whole song. Then there's swamp-ish guitar and horns on "Son of a Preacher Man," part of the reason the "Dusty in Memphis" LP is so highly regarded. And on "I Only Want to Be With You," the production is big. Like Spector, without all the bells and whistles. (Would I love to hear a great reggae version of that one.)

~ NOTE: ALL MEDIA IS HOSTED BY THE BLOGS & SITES NAMED BELOW ~

Dusty Springfield - Anyone Who Had a Heart mp3 at Popdose
Dusty Springfield - I Only Want to Be With You mp3 at Cuky
Dusty Springfield - Son of a Preacher Man mp3 at Harmony Talk
Dusty Springfield - I Jut Don't Know What to Do With Myself mp3 at Art of Piano
Dusty Springfield - Great Shakes (commercial) mp3 at Baked Ziti
Dusty Springfield bio at LastFM