Summer Breeze (song)

"Summer Breeze" is a song written and recorded by Seals and Crofts. Released in 1972, it reached No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the US. In 2013, it was ranked No. 13 in Rolling Stone′s "Best Summer Songs of All Time".[2]

"Summer Breeze"
Single by Seals and Crofts
from the album Summer Breeze
B-side	"East of Ginger Trees"
Released	August 31, 1972
Genre	Soft rock[1]
Length	3:25
Label	Warner Bros. Records
Songwriter(s)	Jim Seals, Dash Crofts
Producer(s)	Louie Shelton
Seals and Crofts singles chronology
"When I Meet Them" (1971) "Summer Breeze" (1972) "Hummingbird" (1973)

Original Seals and Crofts version

Released on their 1972 Summer Breeze album, Seals and Crofts' original version reached No. 6 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart in the US that same year. Bruce Eder of AllMusic referred to it as "one of those relentlessly appealing 1970s harmony-rock anthems ... appropriately ubiquitous on the radio and in the memory".[3]

Seals and Crofts performed the song live on the Bobby Darin Amusement Company variety show in 1972.

Chart performance

Weekly charts Chart (1972–73) Peak position Australia (Kent Music Report)[4] 16 Canada RPM Top Singles 6 New Zealand (Listener)[5] 14 U.S. Billboard Hot 100[6] 6 U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary 4 U.S. Cash Box Top 100[7] 6 Chart (2004) Peak position U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary[8] 17

Year-end charts Chart (1972) Rank U.S. (Joel Whitburn's Pop Annual)[9] 66 Chart (1973) Rank Australia 103

Isley Brothers version

"Summer Breeze"
Single by The Isley Brothers
from the album 3 + 3
A-side	"Summer Breeze (Part 1)"
B-side	"Summer Breeze (Part 2)"
Released	March 1974
Genre	Soul
Length	6:12
Songwriter(s)	Jim Seals Dash Crofts

The song was covered in a harder rock-soulful style by The Isley Brothers as a single in 1974. Issued also on their 1973 album 3 + 3, it reached number sixty on the pop chart, number ten on the R&B chart, and number sixteen on the UK Singles Chart. The Isleys' version is notable not only for the harmonies of the three vocal Isleys, O'Kelly, Rudolph and lead singer Ronald, but also for the guitar solo by younger brother Ernie. The group named The Main Ingredient also recorded a version of Summer Breeze.

The Isley Brothers performed it on a 1974 Soul Train show. It was also featured in a 2014 episode of Scandal and is sampled in the track "All in My Mind" released by MC Hammer along with his newly formed rap group, Oakland Fight Club featuring Mistah F.A.B. (2014).[10]

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[11]	Silver	200,000
Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Type O Negative version

"Summer Breeze"
Single by Type O Negative
from the album Bloody Kisses
Released	1995[12]
Recorded	1993
Studio	Systems Two, Brooklyn
Genre	Gothic metal
Length	4:49
Label	Roadrunner Records
Songwriter(s)	Jim Seals Dash Crofts
Producer(s)	Peter Steele Josh Silver[13]
Type O Negative singles chronology
"Christian Woman" (1993) "Summer Breeze" (1995) "My Girlfriend's Girlfriend" (1996)

Type O Negative released a cover of the song in August 1993 on their album Bloody Kisses altering their version to match their gothic metal style.[14] Their version was originally to be titled "Summer Girl", featuring new lyrics written by Peter Steele, but after Seals & Crofts found the lyrical content distasteful, the original lyrics were sung instead.[15]

Tracklist

All songs written by Peter Steele unless otherwise noted.

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Summer Breeze" (New Version)	Seals & Crofts	4:32
2.	"Summer Breeze" (Full Length New Version)	Seals & Crofts	8:19
3.	"Blood & Fire" (New Version)		4:35
4.	"Christian Woman" (edit)		4:26

Credits

• Peter Steele – lead vocals, bass guitar
• Kenny Hickey – guitar, backing vocals
• Josh Silver – keyboards, backing vocals
• Sal Abruscato – drums, percussion

References

1. "VH1's 40 Most Softsational Soft-Rock Songs". Stereogum. SpinMedia. May 31, 2007. Retrieved July 31, 2016.
2. Dolan, Jon; Joe Gross (July 1, 2013). "Best Summer Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 22, 2015.
3. Bruce Eder. "Summer Breeze - Seals & Crofts | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved October 7, 2016.
4. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 267. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
5. "flavour of new zealand - search listener". Flavourofnz.co.nz. Retrieved October 7, 2016.
6. Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
7. "Top 100 1972-12-02". Cashbox Magazine. Retrieved 2015-01-03.
8. Adult Contemporary Archive, September 18, 2004
9. Whitburn, Joel (1999). Pop Annual. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. ISBN 0-89820-142-X.
10. "MC Hammer and Oakland Fight Club create a new Raiders Anthem - Field of Teams". Retrieved April 16, 2016.
11. "British single certifications – Isley Brothers – Summer Breeze". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
12. "DISCOGRAPHY". Type O Negative. 2000. Archived from the original on July 11, 2000. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
13. Wiederhorn, Jon (August 17, 2018). "Why Type O Negative's 'Bloody Kisses' "Sounds Like Nothing Before and Nothing After"". Revolver. Retrieved April 30, 2020.
14. Huey, Steve. "Type O Negative - Bloody Kisses". AllMusic. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
15. Kennelty, Greg (August 29, 2016). "Type O Negative's 1993 Demos For Bloody Kisses Have Surfaced". Metal Injection. Retrieved March 21, 2017.