Summer Breeze (song)

{{Infobox song

| name = Summer Breeze

| image = Summer breeze by seals & crofts (US vinyl, side A).png

| alt =

| caption = One of side-A labels of the US single

| type = single

| artist = Seals and Crofts

| album = Summer Breeze

| B-side = East of Ginger Trees

| released = August 31, 1972

| recorded =

| studio =

| venue =

| genre = Soft rock{{cite web|url=http://www.stereogum.com/5507/40_most_softsational_softrock_songs/franchises/list/|title=VH1's 40 Most Softsational Soft-Rock Songs|date=May 31, 2007|website=Stereogum|publisher=SpinMedia|access-date=July 31, 2016}}{{Cite podcast|url=https://slate.com/podcasts/hit-parade/2020/07/yacht-rock-was-smooth-music-played-by-70s-80s-studio-pros|title= What a Fool Believes Edition|website=Hit Parade {{!}} Music History and Music Trivia|publisher=Slate|last=Molanphy|first=Chris|date= July 31, 2021|access-date= February 20, 2024}}

| length = 3:25

| label = Warner Bros. Records

| writer = Jim Seals, Dash Crofts

| producer = Louie Shelton

| prev_title = When I Meet Them

| prev_year = 1971

| next_title = Hummingbird

| next_year = 1973

| misc = {{External music video

| 1 = [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQQbjpomexo Seals & Crofts - "Summer Breeze" (Official Audio)] on YouTube

| header = Official audio

}}

"Summer Breeze" is a 1972 song by American soft rock duo Seals and Crofts. It is the title track of their fourth studio album, and was released as the album's lead single in August 1972. The song reached No. 6 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in the US. In 2013, it was ranked No. 13 in Rolling Stone′s "Best Summer Songs of All Time".{{Cite magazine |date=2019-03-06 |title=Best Summer Songs of All Time – Rolling Stone |magazine=Rolling Stone |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-summer-songs-of-all-time-43407/summer-breeze-seals-crofts-82142/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190306111814/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-summer-songs-of-all-time-43407/summer-breeze-seals-crofts-82142/ |archive-date=2019-03-06 |access-date=2022-10-21 }} The song also became a hit for the Isley Brothers in 1974.

Original Seals and Crofts version

Released nine days ahead of 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".{{cite web|author=Bruce Eder |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/summer-breeze-mw0000644043 |title=Summer Breeze - Seals & Crofts | Songs, Reviews, Credits |website=AllMusic |access-date=2016-10-07}}

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

A remixed version of the song was featured in a commercial for the Gap in 2004,{{Cite web |date=2024-05-24 |title=Gap.Com skirts ad featuring remix of....well...."Summer Breeze" by Seals & Croft |url=https://www.ilxor.com/ILX/ThreadSelectedControllerServlet?boardid=41&threadid=30049 |access-date=2024-05-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240524004425/https://www.ilxor.com/ILX/ThreadSelectedControllerServlet?boardid=41&threadid=30049 |archive-date=May 24, 2024 }} and the duo would also re-record the song for their album Traces later that year, which became a hit on the Adult Contemporary charts.

=Personnel=

Jim Seals – lead & background vocals, guitar, saxophone
Dash Crofts – background vocals, electric guitar
Larry Knechtel – piano
Harvey Brooks – bass
Jim Gordon – drums

=Chart performance=

==Weekly charts==

class="wikitable sortable"
align="left"\|Chart (1972–73) !align="left"\|Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report){{cite book\|last=Kent\|first=David\|author-link=David Kent (historian)\|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992\|edition=illustrated\|publisher=Australian Chart Book\|location=St Ives, N.S.W.\|year=1993\|isbn=0-646-11917-6\|page=267}} \| style="text-align:center;"\|16
align="left"\|Canada RPM Top Singles {{cite web\|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.4225.pdf\| title=RPM Top 100 Singles - December 9, 1972}} \| style="text-align:center;"\|6
align="left"\|New Zealand (Listener){{cite web\|url=http://www.flavourofnz.co.nz/index.php?qpageID=search%20listener&qartistid=853#n_view_location \|title=flavour of new zealand - search listener \|website=Flavourofnz.co.nz \|access-date=2016-10-07}} \| style="text-align:center;"\|14
align="left"\|U.S. Billboard Hot 100Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990 - {{ISBN\|0-89820-089-X}} \| style="text-align:center;"\|6
align="left"\|U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary \| style="text-align:center;"\|4
align="left"\|U.S. Cash Box Top 100{{cite web\|url=http://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/70s_files/19721202.html \|title=Top 100 1972-12-02 \|work=Cashbox Magazine \|access-date=2015-01-03 \|df=mdy }} \| style="text-align:center;"\|6

class="wikitable sortable"

align="left"|Chart (1972–73)

!align="left"|Peak
position

Australia (Kent Music Report){{cite book|last=Kent|first=David|author-link=David Kent (historian)|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992|edition=illustrated|publisher=Australian Chart Book|location=St Ives, N.S.W.|year=1993|isbn=0-646-11917-6|page=267}}

| style="text-align:center;"|16

align="left"|Canada RPM Top Singles {{cite web|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.4225.pdf| title=RPM Top 100 Singles - December 9, 1972}}

| style="text-align:center;"|6

align="left"|New Zealand (Listener){{cite web|url=http://www.flavourofnz.co.nz/index.php?qpageID=search%20listener&qartistid=853#n_view_location |title=flavour of new zealand - search listener |website=Flavourofnz.co.nz |access-date=2016-10-07}}

| style="text-align:center;"|14

align="left"|U.S. Billboard Hot 100Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990 - {{ISBN|0-89820-089-X}}

| style="text-align:center;"|6

align="left"|U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary

| style="text-align:center;"|4

align="left"|U.S. Cash Box Top 100{{cite web|url=http://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/70s_files/19721202.html |title=Top 100 1972-12-02 |work=Cashbox Magazine |access-date=2015-01-03 |df=mdy }}

| style="text-align:center;"|6

class="wikitable"
Chart (2004) !Peak position
U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary[https://www.billboard.com/charts/adult-contemporary/2004-09-18 Adult Contemporary Archive, September 18, 2004] \| style="text-align:center;"\|17

class="wikitable"

Chart (2004)

!Peak
position

U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary[https://www.billboard.com/charts/adult-contemporary/2004-09-18 Adult Contemporary Archive, September 18, 2004]

| style="text-align:center;"|17

==Year-end charts==

class="wikitable"
align="left"\|Chart (1972) ! style="text-align:center;"\|Rank
U.S. (Joel Whitburn's Pop Annual){{cite book \|last=Whitburn \|first=Joel \|date=1999 \|title=Pop Annual \|location=Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin \|publisher=Record Research Inc. \|isbn=0-89820-142-X}} \| style="text-align:center;"\|66

class="wikitable"

align="left"|Chart (1972)

! style="text-align:center;"|Rank

U.S. (Joel Whitburn's Pop Annual){{cite book |last=Whitburn |first=Joel |date=1999 |title=Pop Annual |location=Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin |publisher=Record Research Inc. |isbn=0-89820-142-X}}

| style="text-align:center;"|66

class="wikitable"
align="left"\|Chart (1973) ! style="text-align:center;"\|Rank
Australia \| style="text-align:center;"\|103

class="wikitable"

align="left"|Chart (1973)

! style="text-align:center;"|Rank

Australia

| style="text-align:center;"|103

Isley Brothers version

{{Infobox song

| name = Summer Breeze

| image = Summer breeze part 1 by isley brothers US single.png

| alt =

| caption = Side A of the US single

| type = single

| artist = The Isley Brothers

| album = 3 + 3

| A-side = Summer Breeze (Part 1)

| B-side = Summer Breeze (Part 2)

| released = March {{Start date|1974}}

| recorded =

| studio =

| venue =

| genre = Soul

| length = 6:12

| label = T-Neck

| writer = {{plainlist}}

Jim Seals
Dash Crofts

| producer =

| prev_title =

| prev_year =

| next_title =

| next_year =

| misc = {{External music video

| 1 = [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGCaDB2hwRs "The Isley Brothers - Summer Breeze, Pts. 1 & 2 (Official Audio)"] on YouTube

| header = Official audio}}

}}

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 Isley Brothers performed "Summer Breeze" on the music TV show Soul Train in 1974. It was featured in season 8, episode 18 of The Blacklist and also in a 2014 episode of Scandal. It was sampled in the track "All in My Mind" by MC Hammer along with his newly formed rap group, Oakland Fight Club featuring Mistah F.A.B. (2014).{{cite web|url=http://fieldofteams.csnbayarea.com/2013/11/04/hammer-and-oakland-fight-club-create-a-new-raiders-anthem/|title=MC Hammer and Oakland Fight Club create a new Raiders Anthem - Field of Teams|access-date=April 16, 2016}}

=Credits=

Ronald Isley: lead & background vocals
O'Kelly Isley, Jr.: background vocals
Rudolph Isley: background vocals
Ernie Isley: electric & acoustic guitar, percussion
Marvin Isley: bass guitar, percussion
Chris Jasper: piano, keyboards
George Moreland: drums, percussion

=Certifications=

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=single|artist=Isley Brothers|title=Summer Breeze|award=Silver|relyear=2004|certyear=2020|id=16302-606-1|access-date=March 28, 2020}}

{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true|noshipments=true|streaming=true}}

=Chart performance=

class="wikitable sortable"

!Chart (1974)

!Peak
position

Canada Singles (RPM){{cite web|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.5024b.pdf| title=RPM Top 100 Singles - April 27, 1974}}

|align="center"|84

UK Singles (Official Charts Company){{cite web|title=officialcharts.com|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/10762/isley-brothers/|website=officialcharts.com|accessdate=April 20, 2022}}

|align="center"|16

align="left"|US Billboard Hot 100{{cite book |title= Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012 |last=Whitburn |first=Joel |authorlink=Joel Whitburn |year=2013 |publisher=Record Research |page=412}}

|align="center"|60

align="left"|US Billboard Hot Soul Singles{{cite book |title= Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004|last=Whitburn |first=Joel |authorlink=Joel Whitburn |year=2004 |publisher=Record Research |page=278}}

|align="center"|10

Type O Negative version

{{Infobox song

| name = Summer Breeze

| cover =

| alt =

| caption =

| type = single

| artist = Type O Negative

| album = Bloody Kisses

| released = 1995{{cite web |url=http://www.typeonegative.net/disc.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000711064748/http://www.typeonegative.net/disc.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2000-07-11 |title=DISCOGRAPHY |publisher=Type O Negative |date=2000 |access-date=2020-05-02 }}

| recorded = 1993

| studio = Systems Two, Brooklyn

| venue =

| genre = Gothic metal

| length = 4:49

| label = Roadrunner Records

| writer = * Jim Seals

Dash Crofts

| producer = Peter Steele, Josh Silver{{cite web |url=https://www.revolvermag.com/music/why-type-o-negatives-bloody-kisses-sounds-nothing-and-nothing-after |title=Why Type O Negative's 'Bloody Kisses' "Sounds Like Nothing Before and Nothing After" |last=Wiederhorn |first=Jon |publisher=Revolver |date=2018-08-17 |access-date=2020-04-30 }}

| prev_title = Christian Woman

| prev_year = 1993

| next_title = My Girlfriend's Girlfriend

| next_year = 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.{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/bloody-kisses-mw0000061539 |title=Type O Negative - Bloody Kisses |last=Huey |first=Steve |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=2020-05-01 }} 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.{{cite web |url=http://www.metalinjection.net/av/type-o-negatives-1993-demos-for-bloody-kisses-have-surfaced |title=Type O Negative's 1993 Demos For Bloody Kisses Have Surfaced |work=Metal Injection |access-date=March 21, 2017 |date=August 29, 2016 |last=Kennelty |first=Greg}}

A Rick Rubin remixed version is featured in the opening of the 1997 slasher film I Know What You Did Last Summer and is also included in the film's soundtrack.

=Tracklist=

All songs written by Peter Steele unless otherwise noted.

{{Track listing

| extra_column =

| all_writing =

| total_length =

| title1 = Summer Breeze

| note1 = New Version

| writer1 = Seals and Crofts

| length1 = 4:32

| title2 = Summer Breeze

| note2 = Full Length New Version

| writer2 = Seals and Crofts

| length2 = 8:19

| title3 = Blood & Fire

| note3 = New Version

| length3 = 4:35

| title4 = Christian Woman

| note4 = edit

| length4 = 4:26

}}

=Credits=

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

Other cover versions

The Ray Conniff Singers recorded a version in 1973, which appeared on the I Can See Clearly Now (a.k.a. Clair) album, and was released in the UK as a 45 on the CBS label (S CBS 1196) in January 1973.{{cn|date=April 2025}}
English singer Geoffrey Williams released a version in 1992 as a single, and it peaked at number 56 on the week ending August 16, 1992 on the UK Singles Chart.{{Cite web |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/singles-chart/19920822/7501 |title=Official Singles Chart Top 75 (16 August 1992 – 22 August 1992) |access-date=January 5, 2022 |website=Official Charts }} It also peaked at number 32 on the week ending November 22, 1992 on New Zealand's Official Top 40 Singles chart.{{Cite web |title=Geoffrey Williams – Summer Breeze (song) |url=https://charts.nz/showitem.asp?interpret=Geoffrey+Williams&titel=Summer+Breeze&cat=s |access-date=January 5, 2022 |website=charts.org.nz }}{{Cite web |url=https://aotearoamusiccharts.co.nz/archive/singles/1992-11-20 |title=Official Top 40 Singles (22 November 1992) |access-date=January 5, 2022 |website=The Official NZ Music Charts }}
In 1998 Mexican singer Yuri recorded a Spanish language version of the track titled "Soy Feliz" ("I Am Happy") for her album Huellas.{{cite web |url=https://www.discogs.com/es/release/12164371-Yuri-Huellas|title=Yuri – Huellas (1998, CD) |work=Discogs |access-date=January 8, 2024}} The song was released as the second single from the album and a music video was filmed.{{cite web |url=https://www.discogs.com/release/5835971-Yuri-Soy-Feliz|title=Yuri – Soy Feliz|work=Discogs |access-date=January 8, 2024}}{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aILRMCm-3gY|title=Yuri – Soy Feliz|work=YouTube |date=November 3, 2018 |access-date=January 8, 2024}}
In 2009 the Swedish indie pop/rock trio Peter Bjorn and John released a version of the song, with vocals in English.{{cn|date=April 2025}}
In 2006 George Benson and Al Jarreau released a jazz-inspired version of the song, from their album ]]Givin' It Up''.{{cn|date=April 2025}}

References

Category:1972 songs

Category:1972 singles

Category:1974 singles

Category:1992 singles

Category:1995 singles

Category:1998 singles

Category:Seals and Crofts songs

Category:Songs written by James Seals

Category:The Isley Brothers songs

Category:Warner Records singles

Category:T-Neck Records singles

Category:Roadrunner Records singles