♫ Summer Breeze ♫ (Redux)

Posted on by under Bits 'n Pieces, History, music

Summer is winding down … school started back this week (it took me 10 minutes to get out of my apartment complex this afternoon because of the school bus traffic), the leaves on the trees are already starting to turn colours (probably due to a lack of adequate rainfall and an excess of heat this summer), and already the Hallowe’en candy and decorations have filled the stores … I thought a nice summer song would be apropos tonight.  I dug through my archives and came up with this one that I last played three years ago …

Summer Breeze is one of those songs that has been recorded by two artists I like, very different sounding versions, yet I like them both.  Just depends, I think, on my mood of the moment which I prefer on a given day.

The more popular version in the U.S. was that by the writers of the song, Seals & Crofts, as in James Eugene “Jim” Seals and Darrell George “Dash” Crofts.  Released in 1972, this was their first hit single.  According to Seals, this was …

“A very simple song about a man coming home from work and hearing the dog barking and things like that, and to a lot of people the song’s about looking for security. Our meaning goes further than that, for a prison can be the prison of self and a person can become insecure and paranoid if he doesn’t have a direction in his personal life.  We operate on a different level, we try to create images, impressions and trains of thought in the minds of our listeners.”

One thing I did not know about Seals and Crofts is that Jim Seals is the brother of Dan Seals, who was “England Dan” in the duo England Dan and John Ford Coley.

Two years later, the Isley Brothers recorded their version which is more … um … sultry?  More like soul music, I think.  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 Isleys’ version did better in the UK than in the U.S., though I’m not quite sure why.

Summer Breeze
Seals & Crofts

See the curtains hangin’ in the window, in the evenin’ on a Friday night
A little light a-shinin’ through the window, lets me know everything is alright

Summer breeze, makes me feel fine, blowing through the jasmine in my mind
Summer breeze, makes me feel fine, blowing through the jasmine in my mind

See the paper layin’ in the sidewalk, a little music from the house next door
So I walked on up to the doorstep, through the screen and across the floor

Summer breeze, makes me feel fine, blowing through the jasmine in my mind
Summer breeze, makes me feel fine, blowing through the jasmine in my mind

Sweet days of summer, the jasmine’s in bloom
July is dressed up and playing her tune
And I come home from a hard day’s work
And you’re waiting there, not a care in the world
See the smile a-waitin’ in the kitchen, food cookin’ and the plates for two
Feel the arms that reach out to hold me, in the evening when the day is through

Summer breeze, makes me feel fine, blowing through the jasmine in my mind
Summer breeze, makes me feel fine, blowing through the jasmine in my mind

Songwriters: Darrell Crofts / Jimmy Seals
Summer Breeze lyrics © Songtrust Ave, Universal Music Publishing Group

20 thoughts on “♫ Summer Breeze ♫ (Redux)”

  1. I did not know about the Isley Brothers version of this song. I think I am a Seals and Croft fan for this one. Probably because that is the one I grew up singing along with.

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  4. Having heard the Seals and Croft version before, I opted for the Isley Brothers. Psychedelic soul. That guitar solo at the end was totally unexpected. Not quite a summer breeze, but certainly a soft wind carrying scents of jasmine and others aromas. Love it.

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  6. I’d never heard the Seals and Crofts version before but I liked it. This wass really my intro to the Isley Brothers as a musical force and it realy made me appreciate them. Grea memories thanks.
    Huge Hugs

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  9. It’s an ok song, but not a particular favourite of mine. I knew both versions and preferred Seals and Crofts – hardly surprising when you know my liking for singer-songwriters and folk music. The Isleys stretched it out too much, and I thought it was a long way from their best. Give me This Old Heart Of Mine any day in preference to this one!

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