“Summertime Blues” is a Teenage National Anthem

A whole lot of artists have “raised a fuss and a hollar”

Promotional image from Liberty Records.

In the hands of different artists, songs take on lives of their own. A California teenager wrote about a character who is misunderstood, repressed, and ultimately dismissed. A decade later, a San Franciscan power trio gave it a psychedelic makeover, and it was then embraced by a British group of mods. It topped the French charts in 1975 and then found a new life when a country music superstar gave it a spin in 1994. Ten years later, another powerful trio resurrected it, this time in the Great White North. Let’s dig into the history of “Summertime Blues.”

Eddie Cochran and his manager, Jerry Capehart, wrote the song. It was composed in half an hour the night before it was recorded. The great Earl Palmer played the minimal drum part while Cochran provided all the guitar parts. Connie “Guybo” Smith, Cochran’s longtime buddy, played the bass.

The B-Side

Liberty Records had been pushing Eddie Cochran to sing ballads. The A-side of his next single was slated to be the song “Love Again.” Disc jockeys flipped the record over, and “Summertime Blues” got a bigger reaction. History repeated itself when Cochran’s next release relegated “C’mon Everybody” to the B-side. It also went on to be a hit. Cochran’s biggest hit in America would prove to be “Summertime Blues.” It peaked at number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100.

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A Heavier Direction by Blue Cheer

Blue Cheer substituted screaming guitars for the deep-voiced Cochran’s imitation of Kingfish from Amos & Andy. Although only ten years had passed, rock music had moved about as far from the sounds of Cochran and Elvis Presley as possible. Cream and Jimi Hendrix used feedback as an instrument and pushed the limits of the genre. Blue Cheer had their biggest hit as the timeless lyrics resonated with the kids. It peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100.

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A Live Staple by The Who

The Who often performed “Summertime Blues” in concert. The gravelly-voiced responses were supplied by the bassist, John Entwistle, although they skipped the “tried to get a date” verse entirely. They included it on their Live at Leeds album, and it was even released as a single, peaking at number 27 on the Billboard Hot 100.

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La fille de l’été dernier

In 1975, French rocker Johnny Hallyday took the song to number 1 in his native country with the title, “La fille de l’été dernier.” That translates to “The Girl from Last Summer.” The recording and arrangement were closer to the Cochran original.

Je ne veux pas perdre de temps Il y a autre chose sur terre Que travailler pendant l’été Pour gagner une misère Ouais au téléphone quand j’appelle La fille que je préfère Mon patron me dit T’as du travail à faire

…and the English translation:

I don’t want to waste time There’s something else on earth Than working during the summer To earn a pittance Yeah, on the phone when I call The girl I prefer My boss tells me You’ve got work to do

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A Nashville Treatment

One of the biggest hits of 1993 was Alan Jackson’s “Chattahoochee.” It had a very similar structure to “Summertime Blues.” So similar, in fact, that he recorded his own version of the Cochran song and hit number 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. The addition of fiddle and steel fits perfectly with the landscape of mid-’90s country. Buck Owens had included the song on his 1988 album Hot Dog, and Jackson said it was an influence.

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Don’t forget about Canada

Rush released their version on the 2004 EP called Feedback. They pulled elements from different versions. The Canadians used the same first verse as The Who’s version, but inserted the wild guitar licks a la Blue Cheer. The song reached number 12 on Canada’s Radio and Records chart.

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There isn’t room in this article to list all of the artists who have recorded “Summertime Blues.” A few of the notable versions were by Ritchie Valens, Bobby Vee, The Crickets, Bobby Rydell, The Beach Boys (on their debut album), Sandy Nelson, Dick Dale & His Del-Tones, The Wild Angels, Alex Chilton, Robert Gordon & Link Wray, Olivia Newton-John, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, T-Rex, Heinz, Brian Setzer (on the soundtrack to La Bamba), Hot Rod Lincoln, Darrel Higham, Guitar Wolf, The Black Keys, Hank Marvin, and Dion.

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