Summer of '69

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"Summer of '69"
Single by Bryan Adams
from the album Reckless
Released	1985
Format	gramophone record
Genre	rock
Length	03:32
Writer(s)	Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance
Chart positions
#5 (US Billboard Top 100)
Bryan Adams singles chronology
Run to You (1984)	"Summer of '69" (1985)	Heaven (1985)

"Summer of '69" is one of Canadian rock singer Bryan Adams's biggest hits and most recognizable songs.

The song was written by Adams and Jim Vallance, and released on his album Reckless in 1984. Immediately after the single release in 1985, the song became a smash hit in the US, reaching #5 on the Billboard Top 100 and remaining there for two weeks. As Adams' popularity grew in the 1990's and 2000's the song has had a resurgance and has subsequently become a hit all over the world. "Summer of '69" was voted the #1 song to drive to in Canada in 2006, some 22 years after its release. ^[1]

Contents 1 Theme 2 Covers 3 Songs It Has Subsequently Inspired 4 Characters 5 Notes 6 External links

[edit] Theme

Adams has said that the song has "nothing to do with the year 1969" ^[2]. In Anthology 1980-2005, he told journalist Dave Marsh that the title was simply about sex and his answer to Bob Seger's "Night Moves", one of his favourite songs that follows a similar theme of nostalgia and summer love. Adams was only 9 years old when the Summer of '69 occurred.

At the end of the song Adams sings the final lyric "...me and my baby in a '69..." ^[3], which supports the idea that the song is based on sex.

Jim Vallance (co-writer of the song) posted ^[4] the following at Song Facts: "...Bryan Adams is a great writer, a great singer, and a great friend. He's entitled to his recollections as to what inspired the song 'Summer Of '69'. My recollections just happen to be different than his."

[edit] Covers

• MxPx (from "On The Cover"), Tooth & Nail Records, 1995.
• Bowling For Soup (from "Let's Do It For Johnny!"), Jive Records, 2000.
• Starsound Orchestra (from "Plays the Hits Made Famous by BA") Delta Records, 2001.
• Libertine (from "Slowdown") Twenty Stone Blatt, 2004.
• Travis Matte And The Zydeco Kingpins (from "Zydeco Train"), Mhat Productions, 2005.
• Less than Jake (from "Wood Panel Racer Wagon with Mags"), Very Small Records, 1996.
• DJ Rankin V DJ Otzi (no information available)

[edit] Songs It Has Subsequently Inspired

• "Jesus of Suburbia" by Green Day from (from American Idiot), Reprise Records, 2004. Inspired part of the song.
• "Summer of 0079" inspired the anime filk about Mobile Suit Gundam from the viewpoint of Amuro Ray.^[5]

[edit] Characters

In the line "Jimmy quit, Jody got married", "Jody" refers to Jody Perpick who still works for Adams today as his Tour Manager & Sound Engineer. "Jimmy" refers to drummer Jim Wesley who worked for Adams in his club gigging days (1980-1981), who quit the band to go and sell carpets because there was no money to be made as a musician back then.

[edit] Notes

1. ^ http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060808.wwh-adams0808/BNStory/specialGlobeAuto
2. ^ http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=2759
3. ^ http://www.bryanadams.com/onlineshop/library/lyricsarchive-Summerof69.htm
4. ^ http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=2759
5. ^ http://groups.google.com/group/rec.arts.anime/msg/86e0aeb9dcbf6fbb

[edit] External links

• http://www.nashvillescene.com/Stories/Arts/Music/The_Spin/2006/08/10/The_Spin/index.shtml