EV002a: My Own Summer
Inspired by Jamie Summerfield and Russell Tanner’s collaborative mixtape EV002: Summertime I’ve stuck together a playlist of my own on the same theme.
Cheekily giving it the EV002a number as it hangs from the same thread I’ve made it a (roughly) 80 minute CD compilation rather than a C90 format mixtape.
You can hear it on Spotify and the tracklisting (with some comments from me) is right here:
- Light & Day / Reach for the Sun - The Polyphonic Spree
Somewhat bastardized by a certain supermarket the ‘Spree never the less capture the carefree elation of a sun-kissed day of freedom. I signed on to their cult in 2002 (ish) when I saw them at Rock City, Notts. - A Summer Wasting - Belle and Sebastian
There seems to be a sort of theme within a theme emerging - that I think summer is primarily about lounging around enjoying longer days from beneath the sun beams. I cannot deny it, in my core I feel this is the natural order of things. - Summer Breeze - The Isley Brothers
This has so much goodness in it I can’t hear it without feeling dappled sunlight on my back and smiling in a relaxed all-is-good sort of way. - The Sea - Morcheeba
More musical evidence that I like kicking back and letting go of responsibility when the season hits. - Drinking in LA - Bran Van 3000
There was a summer (‘99) when I would cry drunkenly weep & whirl around the dancefloor to this. It was actually November when I headed out to LA for the drinking (hey, America, I respect your age-restriction laws. I promise there was nowt cheeky about my Vimto) but it’s kind of always summer in LA. - Boys of Summer - Don Henley
This kind of polished production appealed to me in my pre-teen years and when something harpoons your heart at that age your head can never really talk you out of the dumb love. - Hot in the City - Billy Idol
On a various artists vinyl album I liked when I was about 7. For a while I thought Billy Idol was representative of the punk movement because, image wise, he’d got mixed up with Sid Vicious in the catalogue within my child mind. It’s alright, I’ve reclassified him now. - Summer - Buffalo Tom
This is one of those songs that was a 20 second clip in my brain followed by the Chart Show ident, featuring as it did on one of the many indie chart countdowns I’d taped onto VHS for repeat viewing pleasure. It got included on this merit alone. - My Own Summer - Deftones
My better half turned me onto a great many things and Deftones is but one of them. This is here for him as much as me…that is to say, it’s inclusion is for Us. - Burn Baby Burn - Ash
Of course I, myself, have never had a sunburn *cough* - Island in the Sun - Weezer
There is loads of their surf-pop infused recordings that I could fit into this theme but as this one had ‘sun’ in the title it made it. Sounds quite melanchonic for the most part, with a sinister edge provided by the chirpy blustering chorus. - Staying Out for the Summer - Dodgy
In 1995 I did my GCSE’s, turned 16, wore Adidas Campus with my dad’s old Fred Perrys and had a Justine Frischmann-inspired graduated bob. In many ways I was a complete arse, in others I was just your typical Britpop teenager. I did, indeed, stay out for the summer. - Sunny Afternoon - The Kinks
Love a bit of storytelling in song. - Under the Boardwalk - The Drifters
I know, gutting that I didn’t chose the Bruce Willis version *wink*. Nice vocal harmonies that ultimately lead to uncontrollable outbreaks of hip swaying and finger clicking. - Waterfalls - TLC
I have no clear reason for including this. It just says summer to me in someway. Guess we just have to deal with that. - The Road to Mandalay - Robbie Williams
I am a sucker for a europoppy bah-bah-BAH and this is Bob’s aural twinkle. I can’t say I like him, but he’s been in the background of my life for so long he’s kinda become part of the furniture… - Unemployed in Summertime - Emiliana Torrini
This was on a mixtape someone made for the aforementioned better half when we were indeed ‘only just turned 21’. It captured a moment in time and still reminds me of our first weekend away as a couple (Portmeirion). - For Tomorrow - Blur
This song is nearing two decades in age but is still box fresh for me. Mixed up memories of summers of ‘93/’94 listening to Modern Life over and and over but also last summer, front line at Hyde Park, the sun setting behind me as I lalalala as I ascend to gig heaven.
Over and out, Sarah :)
