| "Summer Babe" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by Pavement | ||||
| from the album Slanted and Enchanted | ||||
| Released | August 23, 1991 | |||
| Recorded | 1990 | |||
| Studio | Louder Than You Think Studios (Stockton, California) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length |
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| Label | ||||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) | Pavement | |||
| Pavement singles chronology | ||||
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Summer Babe, also known as Summer Babe (Winter Version), is the debut single by the American indie rock band Pavement.
Summer Babe was first released as a 7" single (listed and described as an EP at the time) by Chicago's Drag City Records on August 23, 1991, titled Summer Babe. It was their only single on the Drag City label before the band moved to New York–based Matador Records. [3] [4] [5] The songs on the Drag City single would later be included on the Drag City compilation Westing (By Musket & Sextant) , and on Matador's Slanted & Enchanted: Luxe & Reduxe . The song didn't enter the U.S. Billboard charts. [6] [7]
A slightly different mix of the song with different vocals, officially known as Summer Babe (Winter Version), later became the first track on the band's debut album, Slanted and Enchanted , released in April 1992. [8] In 2004, Summer Babe (Winter Version) was ranked number 286 by Rolling Stone magazine on its list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time". [9] (In 2010, the list was updated, and now the song is at number 292. [6] ) In 2019, Paste ranked the song number two on their list of the 15 greatest Pavement songs, [10] and in 2022, Consequence of Sound ranked the song number five on their list of the 10 greatest Pavement songs. [11]
The songs were written by Stephen Malkmus, who was then living in Hoboken or Jersey City at the time along with Scott Kannberg, and the recording was produced by the duo. [12] [6]
Pitchfork said the song "sketches Malkmus' balancing act between the court jester and the savant. It takes a foolish confidence to start your debut single with "Ice baby" only two years removed from Vanilla Ice's billboard-topping single. "Summer Babe" careens between self-seriousness and complete nonsense; when Malkmus sings, with an exasperated laugh, "Drop off," it's as if he’s laughing at himself." [13]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Summer Babe" | 3:13 |
| 2. | "Mercy Snack: The Laundromat" | 1:39 |
| 3. | "Baptist Blacktick" | 2:03 |
| Total length: | 6:55 | |
The music video of the song, which is quite rare, was directed by a woman referred to as "Tanya S," an early member of the Silver Jews. The video features Malkmus, Nastanovich, and Ibold miming the song (with either some or no instruments) along with backdrops of New York City and clips of Malkmus' then-girlfriend (another early ex-Silver Jews member) interspersed. [14] [15]
Pavement is an American indie rock band that formed in Stockton, California, in 1989. For most of their career, the group consisted of Stephen Malkmus, Scott Kannberg, Mark Ibold (bass), Steve West (drums), and Bob Nastanovich. Initially conceived as a recording project, the band at first avoided press or live performances, while attracting considerable underground attention with their early releases. Gradually evolving into a more polished band, Pavement recorded five full-length albums and ten EPs over the course of their decade-long career, though they disbanded with some acrimony in 1999 as the members moved on to other projects. In 2010, they undertook a well-received reunion tour, followed by another international tour in 2022–24.
Exile in Guyville is the debut album by American singer-songwriter Liz Phair, released on June 22, 1993, by Matador Records. It was recorded at Idful Music Corporation in Chicago between 1992 and 1993 and produced by Phair and Brad Wood. The album received critical acclaim and in 2020, it was ranked No. 56 by Rolling Stone in its 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list. It was certified gold in 1998.
Stephen Joseph Malkmus is an American musician best known as the primary songwriter, lead singer and guitarist of the indie rock band Pavement. He performs with Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, Pavement, and as a solo artist.
Slanted and Enchanted is the debut studio album by American indie rock band Pavement, released on April 20, 1992, by Matador Records. It is the only Pavement album to feature drummer Gary Young.
Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain is the second studio album by American indie rock band Pavement, released on February 14, 1994, by Matador Records. The album saw the band move on towards a more accessible rock sound than that of their more lo-fi debut Slanted and Enchanted and achieve moderate success with the single "Cut Your Hair". The album also saw original drummer Gary Young replaced by Steve West. It was a UK Top 20 hit upon release, although it was not so successful in the US charts.
Wowee Zowee is the third studio album by American indie rock band Pavement, released on April 11, 1995, by Matador Records. Most of it was recorded at Easley Recording in Memphis, Tennessee, where some members of the band had previously worked on Silver Jews' 1994 album Starlite Walker. The album showcases a more experimental side of the band, marking a return to the clatter and unpredictability of their early recordings after the more accessible sound of their 1994 studio album Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain. Its eclectic nature ranges from mellow yet distorted melodies to noise and punk rock, while the lyrics generally explore humorous and cryptic themes. At nearly one hour long, Wowee Zowee is Pavement's longest studio album, filling three sides of a vinyl record. Side four was left blank.
Brighten the Corners is the fourth studio album by American indie rock band Pavement, released on February 11, 1997, by Matador Records. The album received very positive reviews from critics.
Terror Twilight is the fifth and final studio album by the American indie rock band Pavement. It was released on June 8, 1999, on Matador Records in the US and Domino Recording Company in the UK.
Slay Tracks: 1933–1969 is the debut EP by American indie rock band Pavement. Pavement—at that time, a duo of just its two founding members Stephen Malkmus and Scott Kannberg (guitar)—recorded Slay Tracks with producer and future member Gary Young (drums) during a four-hour session. Pavement self-released the EP as a 7" vinyl record on the band's own record label Treble Kicker in 1989. The music of Slay Tracks was influenced by indie and punk rock bands such as Swell Maps and The Fall, and many of the lyrics were inspired by life in the band's hometown of Stockton, California.
Watery, Domestic is the fourth EP by American indie rock band Pavement. It is their final release to feature drummer Gary Young as a member.
"I Can't Explain" is a song by English rock band the Who, written by Pete Townshend and produced by Shel Talmy. It was released as a single in the United States on 19 December 1964 by Decca and on 15 January 1965 in the United Kingdom by Brunswick. It was the band's second single release and first under the Who name.
Garrit Allan Robertson Young was an American musician and music producer. He was best known as the original drummer of the indie rock band Pavement from its inception in 1989 until his departure in 1993.
Major Leagues is the final EP by American indie rock band Pavement. It was released on October 12, 1999, on Matador Records. To date, it is their final release of original material excluding reissues.
Westing (By Musket and Sextant) is a compilation of the early EPs and singles by American indie rock band Pavement. It features all the tracks from their first three EPs, Slay Tracks (1933–1969), Demolition Plot J-7, and Perfect Sound Forever, as well as the single mix of "Summer Babe," its B-sides, and two compilation tracks.
"Father to a Sister of Thought" is a song written by Stephen Malkmus of Pavement that appears on the band's third album, Wowee Zowee. On June 27, 1995, the song was released as the second single from the album in 7" vinyl and CD-single formats; the track list is the same for both versions. Both B-sides are included amongst the bonus tracks on 2006's deluxe Sordid Sentinels Edition reissue of Wowee Zowee.
The discography of Pavement, a Stockton, California-based indie rock group, consists of five studio albums, five double-length reissues of the albums, one compilation, ten extended plays, and thirteen singles. This list does not include material performed by members or former members of Pavement that was recorded with Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, Silver Jews, Preston School of Industry, Free Kitten, The Crust Brothers, or any other associated solo or side projects.
Quarantine the Past: The Best of Pavement is a compilation album released by Pavement on March 8, 2010, to coincide with the band's reunion. The title of the compilation references a lyric from the 1994 song "Gold Soundz", which is the first song featured on the compilation.
"Middle America" is a song by American rock band Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks. It is the fifth track and first single from their seventh studio album, Sparkle Hard, and was released as a digital single on February 7, 2018 by Matador Records and Domino Records.
Groove Denied is a studio album by American rock musician Stephen Malkmus. It is the third album credited to Malkmus and the first to not feature his band The Jicks. It was released on March 15, 2019 by Matador Records and Domino Recording Company.
Pavements is a 2024 American experimental musical biopic concert film directed by Alex Ross Perry. It is a documentary/fiction hybrid film about the American indie band Pavement, incorporating scripted scenes with documentary footage of the band and a musical stage play consisting of songs from their discography. It premiered at the 81st Venice International Film Festival on September 4, 2024.
