A Summer Song Cover

This week’s “Remake of a Classic” comes to us from the British duo, Chad & Jeremy (Chad Stuart and Jeremy Clyde). First released in July 1964, “A Summer Song” was originally written by Clive Metcalfe and Keith Noble (both of whom had connections with Pink Floyd). Metcalfe wrote the tune and Noble later added lyrics. One night they played the song at a bistro in London. Chad Stuart heard it, liked it, and later re-wrote the middle. "We never thought 'Summer Song' could possibly be a single," Stuart recalled. "It was just a pretty, romantic song. Or so we thought...you never can tell, can you?"

To some extent Stuart was right. That is, as far as the song’s reception in the UK, where it failed to chart. In fact, "A Summer Song" was played on the British show, Juke Box Jury, where guest judge Ringo Starr gave it a thumb’s down, saying it had no potential to become a hit in the U.S.

Well, Ringo got it wrong. Here in the States the song pretty much gave Chad & Jeremy the defining record of their career. It reached No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100, and went to No. 2 on the Adult Contemporary chart. It also reached No. 7 in Canada. Today, “A Summer Song” is considered one of the signature songs of the British Invasion. The tune has been featured on the soundtracks of Rushmore (1998), The Princess Diaries (2001), and Men in Black 3 (2012). It was also used in the "ESPN's Sports Heaven" commercial that aired during Super Bowl XL, as well as a 2019 TV commercial for Coors Light.

As for Chad & Jeremy, the duo disbanded in 1968. In the early 80s they reunited to record a new album and perform on a multi-band British Invasion nostalgia tour. They got together again in the early 2000s and began touring semi-regularly. Sadly, Stuart died on December 20, 2020 from pneumonia following a fall. Clyde now tours as a solo artist with a backing band, featuring newer music from his multi-album series, The Bottom Drawer Sessions, as well as the regular Chad & Jeremy favorites. He also occasionally tours as part of a duo with one of his oldest friends, Peter Asher of Peter & Gordon fame.

There are actually two versions of this song…one released in the U.K., and one released in the U.S. The UK version opens with Chad and Jeremy trading vocals, while the U.S. single features both men singing in unison and harmonizing throughout. I’ve gone with the U.S. version since that’s the version most people know.