I remember it well, it was hot in Bellingham that year. I was mowing lawns for a living -- being a kid and all. I could not wait to get home from junior high school every weekday to play the hits for the neighborhood from my pirate AM radio station that I ran from my bedroom upstairs. We had "Sunny Afternoon" by the Kinks, "Good Day Sunshine" by the Beatles, "Sloop John B" by the Beachboys all heating up the charts. But those are not the tunes that made it to number one that summer. This one did. It was a jug band, masquerading as a rock group, that turned "Summer in the City" into an anthem of summer. Here is the Lovin' Spoonful.
Check out "This Day In History" -- music and vintage television from the 1950's through the 1980's. I enjoy writing these articles because they take me back to my days in radio broadcasting. Click on Elvis' gold record, below, to revisit those golden hits of yesteryear.
Steven - I don't think I had ever seen a video of The Lovin' Spoonful before now. Thanks for entering our song contest this month. Make sure you place the post into Active Rain Addicts as well. Have a great Sunday!
Okay Jason. Did not know about the addicts.
Talk about a walk down memory lane! I was in junior high school in '66 too. It was great to hear this song again---it gets my vote!
Thanks Pat,
It is a classic of summer, that much is certain.
Steven,
This song is definately a blast from the past, but a great one. Have a great week.
Harold,
It is a summer classic. There are few in that category.
Thank you! A true summer classic, and you brought back good memories!
Steven- That song captures the summer 1966, for me. I was working at CBS, in NYC. I had graduated from Cornell, the previous year and I was getting married, the following year. But, that summer, the world was my oyster. "Mary Tyler Moore meets NYC!"
1966 has to be, in memory, about my favorite year. It seemed like I had so much fun back then.
If I hadn't been so busy raising kids I'd probably have loved this song. Good lesson again.
Steven....ahhhh, 1966: so many memories and so much changing going on in my life and the WORLD. This is a great post. Thanks for sharing. Love the video!
Glad you all like the spoonful. They were one of my favorites.
Elaine,
Well, not as good as your bikini entry but the song holds up well. I played both those songs, Summer in the City and Afternoon Delight, Starland Vocal Band as I recall, on the radio. The Spoonful was a great group, probably under appreciated. I always like Daydream too.