Summer (War song)

Last updated
"Summer"
Single by War
from the album Greatest Hits
B-side "All Day Music"
ReleasedJune 21, 1976
Genre R&B
Length3:58 (7" version) 6:40 (full version)
Label United Artists
Composer(s) War
Producer(s) Jerry Goldstein
War singles chronology
"Me and Baby Brother"
(1976)
"Summer"
(1976)
"L.A. Sunshine"
(1977)

"Summer" is a song by the band War, recorded on April 4, 1976 and released on June 21, 1976, as a single from their Greatest Hits album in 1976. "Summer" peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart, hit number four on the R&B chart, [1] and reached number one on the Easy Listening chart. It was one of three entries to make the chart. [2]

Contents

Lonnie Jordan recalls the jingle from Burger King at the time, "Have it your way", was so catchy that he "borrowed" it as the melody for the line, "'Cause it's summer..." [3]

Chart positions

Chart (1976)Peak
position
Canada RPM Top Singles [4] 10
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 7
U.S. Billboard Easy Listening 1
U.S. Billboard Hot Soul Singles 4

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [5] Gold1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Christmas version

In 2023, War released a re-recorded version of “Summer”, entitled “Christmas”, with holiday-themed lyrics. [6]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Secretly</span>

"Secretly" is a popular song. It was written by Al Hoffman, Dick Manning, Mark Markwell, and Hugo Peretti and Luigi Creatore and published in 1958. The best-known recording of the song was done by Jimmie Rodgers, which was a gold record.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You'll Never Find Another Love like Mine</span> 1976 single by Lou Rawls

"You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine" is a song written by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff and performed by R&B singer Lou Rawls on his 1976 album, All Things in Time. The song proved to be Rawls' breakthrough hit, reaching number 1 on both the R&B and Easy Listening charts as well as number 4 on the dance chart and number 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100. This was the first and only time that one of Rawls' records reached Billboard's pop Top Ten.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Since I Don't Have You</span> 1958 song by the Skyliners

"Since I Don't Have You" is a song written and composed by Jackie Taylor, James Beaumont, Janet Vogel, Joseph Rock, Joe Verscharen, Lennie Martin, and Wally Lester. It was first a 1958 hit single for the doo-wop group the Skyliners on the Billboard Hot 100. Country music singer Ronnie Milsap had a hit with the song in 1991. American hard rock band Guns N' Roses also had some success in 1994 with their version of the song which reached the top 10 on the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Breaking Up Is Hard to Do</span> 1962 song by Neil Sedaka

"Breaking Up Is Hard to Do" is a song recorded by Neil Sedaka, co-written by Sedaka and Howard Greenfield. Sedaka recorded this song twice, in 1962 and 1975, in two significantly different arrangements, and it is considered to be his signature song. Between 1970 and 1975, it was a top-40 hit three separate times for three separate artists: Lenny Welch, The Partridge Family and Sedaka's second version.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chain Gang (song)</span> 1960 single by Sam Cooke

"Chain Gang" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Sam Cooke, released on July 26, 1960.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tell Me a Lie</span>

"Tell Me a Lie" is a song composed by Mickey Buckins and Barbara Wyrick. Originally recorded by Lynn Anderson for her 1974 What a Man My Man Is album, it was released later that same year as a single by Sami Jo Cole, who took it to number 21 on both of the major U.S. pop charts. It also charted in Canada (#17). Cole's version was also an Adult Contemporary hit, reaching number 14 in the U.S. and number 27 in Canada.

"Let It Shine" is a 1973 single written by Nashville songwriter Linda Hargrove.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tin Man (America song)</span> 1974 single by America

"Tin Man" is a 1974 song by the pop rock band America. It was written by band member Dewey Bunnell and produced by George Martin, who also plays the piano part on the recorded version. The song was included on the band's album Holiday, also from 1974.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foolish Heart (song)</span> 1984 single by Steve Perry

"Foolish Heart" is a song written by Steve Perry and Randy Goodrum, and was performed by Perry from his first solo album, Street Talk. It was released as the fourth single from the album in November 1984 and peaked at number 18 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number two on the Adult Contemporary chart in February 1985.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">My Special Angel</span>

"My Special Angel" is a popular song by Jimmy Duncan, published in 1957.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Love Ballad (L.T.D. song)</span>

"Love Ballad" is a song by R&B/Funk band L.T.D. Jeffrey Osborne is the lead singer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Until It's Time for You to Go</span> 1965 song by Buffy Sainte-Marie

"Until It's Time for You to Go" is a song from the 1965 album Many a Mile by Canadian singer-songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie. Sainte-Marie included a French-language reworking of the song, "T'es pas un autre", on her 1967 album Fire & Fleet & Candlelight. French translation was made by Quebecer songwriter Claude Gauthier.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hurt (Roy Hamilton song)</span> 1954 song

"Hurt" is a 1954 song by Jimmie Crane and Al Jacobs. "Hurt" was originally performed by Roy Hamilton, whose version peaked at number eight on the R&B Best Seller chart and spent a total of seven weeks on the chart. A version by Ricky Denell also received considerable radio airplay in 1954 on pop radio stations. The song is considered to be the signature hit of Timi Yuro, whose version went to number four on the Billboard pop chart in 1961. Juice Newton's 1985 version scored number one on Billboard's Country chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Java (instrumental)</span> 1963 single by Al Hirt

"Java" is an instrumental adaptation from a 1958 LP of piano compositions, The Wild Sounds of New Orleans, by Tousan, also known as New Orleans producer/songwriter Allen Toussaint. As was the case of the rest of Toussaint's LP, "Java" was composed in studio, primarily by Toussaint.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Helen Reddy discography</span>

Australian-American singer Helen Reddy (1941–2020), often referred to as the "Queen of 70s Pop", recorded 18 studio albums, seven of which have achieved sales of 500,000 units in the US for which they were awarded Gold certification by the Recording Industry Association of America. One of those seven, I Am Woman, eventually went Platinum by reaching sales of one million copies, and her first compilation album, Helen Reddy's Greatest Hits, was awarded Double Platinum status in 1992 for hitting the two million sales mark. The respective US and Canadian album charts in Billboard and RPM magazine each had appearances by 10 of these LPs during the 1970s.

"I'm Coming Home" is the title track from the 1973 album by Johnny Mathis. The song was written by Thom Bell and Linda Creed.

"Come On Over" is a ballad written by Barry and Robin Gibb and recorded by the Bee Gees for their album Main Course, with lead vocals by Robin, joined by Barry in the chorus.. A live version was recorded in Los Angeles during their Children of the World Tour and appeared on their first live album Here at Last...Bee Gees...Live. The song was more reminiscent of their older style as compared to the new R&B sound of "Jive Talkin'" and "Nights on Broadway". It would become a No.1 adult contemporary hit for Olivia Newton-John in 1976.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don't Stop Believin' (Olivia Newton-John song)</span> 1976 single by Olivia Newton-John

"Don't Stop Believin'" is the title track from the 1976 album by Olivia Newton-John. Written and composed specifically for Newton-John by John Farrar. It was released in August 1976 as the album's lead single. It peaked at number thirty-three on the Billboard Hot 100. It was her seventh number one on the Easy Listening chart, spending one week at the top of the chart in September 1976. The single also went to number fourteen on the country chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Live for Your Love</span> 1987 single by Natalie Cole

"I Live for Your Love" is a 1987 song by Natalie Cole. It was the second of four charting singles from her Everlasting LP, and was also the second greatest hit from the album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don't Throw It All Away</span> Song written by Gary Benson (NOT Andy Gibb)

"Don't Throw It All Away" is a song written by British musician Gary Benson and first released by the Shadows on their 1975 album Specs Appeal. Benson released his version as a single later the same year, which reached number 20 on the UK Singles Chart in the fall of 1975.

References

  1. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 608.
  2. Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 252.
  3. Graff, Gary (2016-05-12). "Sound Check: War is still raging – happily". MediaNews Group . Retrieved 2024-01-01.
  4. "Image : RPM Weekly - Library and Archives Canada". Bac-lac.gc.ca. July 17, 2013. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
  5. "American single certifications – War – Summer". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved August 21, 2019.
  6. "First Listen: 70s band WAR returns with a summery jam for the holidays".