Pool Party Songs
With triple-digit high temperatures in Sonoma Valley over the last week, if you’re like us, that pool you spend 360 days a year taking care of so you can go in it five times a year is primed and ready. But, what about some music to enjoy by the pool for that pool party you’re planning? A quick perusal of the inter-webs showed no really good list to our liking, so we’ve decided to lay down our top-eight pool party songs. Not all of them mention a swimming pool, but all will suffice just fine. Can someone bring me another cold one?
8) Sea Cruise – We could give you ten guesses as to who wrote this one, but you would likely miss them all. Covered dozens of times over the years by artists like Jerry Lee Lewis, Commander Cody, the Beach Boys, Nicky Hopkins and even Status Quo all had covers of this tune written in 1934 by Huey “Piano” Smith.
7) Channel Swimmer – Originally recorded in 1975 and never released with the album “The Original Soundtrack” which yielded 10CC’s biggest hit “I’m not in Love” and also a million-dollar record deal, but was released years later as a bonus track on the CD box set.
6) Hot Fun in the Summertime – Rolling Stone magazine declared this song, recorded and released in 197 by Sly and the Family Stone as number 247 in their list of the 500 greatest songs of all time and tells the story of having fun in the summertime. Fairly simple.
5) Summer of ’69 – The fourth single released from Canadian-born pop rocker Bryan Adams blockbuster album “Reckless,” fueled on by the MTV generation with a memorable video that helped the song rise to number one on the Billboard top 200. The song, which is an “anthem of summer”, has various meanings, depending on whether you ask Adams or the co-writer of the tune Jim Vallance. Regardless, the song is a fantasy, as Adams would have been ten years old in 1969 and unlikely any of his peers were quitting the band or getting married anytime soon.
4) Splish Splash – It was a dare that gave Bobby Darin his first hit with this song, as legendary DJ Murray Kauffman bet Darin that he couldn’t actually write a song that started with the lyrics “Splish Splash I was takin’ a bath…” Not only did he write it, but it rose to number 3 on the US Pop Singles chart in 1958 and essentially kick started Darin’s career. The song has since been covered many times in movies and even had Donny Osmond singing it on an episode of the Brady Bunch.
3) All Summer Long – This track has a special meaning for us. Although we lived in Los Angeles at the time, we essentially missed the Beach Boys growing up, as if it wasn’t on a country music station, then we likely didn’t hear it. It took until seeing the movie “American Graffiti” and watching the credits roll to this song that we finally got it. The band sang primarily about beaches and beach parties, and this album would be the last one that featured that culture. The Beach Boys were rolling out hits during 1964, and this entire album reached number four during it’s 49 week run on the charts.
2) Night Swimming – We’d honestly never heard of this song, but it was on just about every other beach song list we saw, so we figured there had to be something to it. Much like the Beach Boys, we missed most of the early ‘90s music scene as we were busy lamenting the death of hair metal and realizing we were never going to be a rock star, and the fact that most of the acts of that generation just didn’t appeal to us. R.E M was still churning out hits at the time, although this wasn’t really one of them, as it wasn’t released as a single in the U.S and barely charted where it was released. The song is about exactly what it sounds like, skinny-dipping at night, and features string arrangements from Led Zeppelin’s John Paul Jones.
1) Twistin’ by the Pool – This was actually the song that was the inspiration for this list. “Make a pool song list, it will be easy.” Right. But if this song doesn’t get you in a mood for a pool party then nothing will. The song was released on an EP with other songs that didn’t make the cut for the “Love Over Gold” album. The US version had four songs, none of which matched any of the signature Dire Straits or even Mark Knopfler solo styles. The EP was the precursor to the bands epic release ”Brothers in Arms” with the hit “Money for Nothing” and more. In 2014, William Ruhlmann of Allmusic said about the song “…the closest thing to exuberant rock and roll this seemingly humorless band had ever attempted.” So there.
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Set List – The Rundown
Annex Wine Bar, 865 W. Napa St. Sonoma, 938-7779
Tonight, June 23: Calvin Ross. 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, June 24: Aiden Eljumaily. 7:30 p.m.
B. R. Cohn Winery, 15000 Sonoma Hwy. Glen Ellen, 800-330-4064
Sunday, June 25: Jason Bodlovich. 2 p.m.
Friday Farmers Market, Depot Park, 270 First St W. Sonoma
Today, June 23: Stewart Degner. 9:30 a.m.
Hood Mansion Lawn, 389 Casa Manana Rd. Santa Rosa, 833-6288
Tonight, June 23: Funky Fridays with Hour of Tower. 7 p.m.
HopMonk Tavern, 691 Broadway Sonoma, 935-9100
Tonight, June 23: Shelby, Texas. 5 p.m. Matt Bolton. 8 p.m.
Saturday, June 24: Dan Martin. 1 p.m. Smorgy. 8 p.m.
Sunday, June 25: Dawn Angelosante and Tony Gibson. 1 p.m.
Madrone Estate Winery, 777 Madrone Rd. Glen Ellen, 939-4500
Sunday, June 25: Michael Belair. 1 p.m.
Murphy’s Irish Pub, 464 First St. E. Sonoma, 935-0660
Tonight, June 23: Jon Emery and Tatiana McPhee. 8 p.m.
Saturday, June 24: Peace of G. 8 p.m.
Muscardini Cellars, 9380 Sonoma Hwy, Kenwood, 933-9305
Saturday, June 24: “Simmer Down Saturday” with the Rett Hamer Blues Band. 6 p.m.
Olde Sonoma Public House, 18615 Sonoma Hwy. Boyes Hot Springs, 938-7587
Tonight, June 23: Ryan Tatarian and Matt Silva. 6:30 p.m. Reggae Night with Byron Borges. 8 p.m.
Saturday, June 24: Karaoke. 7:30 p.m.
Passaggio Wines, 22020 Carneros Vineyard Way, Ste. 2, Sonoma, 934-8941
Saturday, June 24: Adam Traum. 1 p.m.
The Reel Fish Shop and Grill, 401 Grove St. El Verano, 343-0044
Tonight, June 23: Ten Foot Tone. 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, June 24: The Cork Pullers. 8:30 p.m.
Sebastiani Winery and Vineyards, 389 Fourth St. E. Sonoma, 933-3230
Tonight, June 23: the Blues Burners. 6 p.m.
Sonoma Community Center, 276 E. Napa St., Sonoma, 938-4626
Sunday, June 25: Kitchen Concert Series presents “The Fabulous ‘50s.” 6:30 p.m.
Sonoma Speakeasy and American Music Hall, 452 First St. E. ste. G. Sonoma, 996-1364
Tonight, June 23: Brandon Eardley. 6:30 p.m. Sonoma Sound Syndicate. 8 p.m.
Saturday, June 24: the Marks Brothers. 5 p.m. What’s Shakin’. 8 p.m.
Sunday, June 25: James Taylor and Carole King tribute with Bob Edmonson and Jodi Stevens. 4:30 p.m. Acoustic Blues Jam. 8:30 p.m.
Sonoma Valley Woman’s Club, 574 First St. E., 938-8313
Saturday, June 24: Hawaiian Jam Session. 2 p.m.
The Starling Bar, 19380 Sonoma Hwy. Sonoma, 996-3055
Tonight, June 23: Jamie Clark Band. 9 p.m.
Sunday, June 25: O and the Riots. 9 p.m.
St. Francis Winery, 100 Pythian Road at Hwy. 12, Santa Rosa, 538-9463
Sunday, June 25: the Dylan Black Project. 2 p.m.
If your gig isn’t in my column, you didn’t tell me about it. jmberry@sonomamusic.com