For the past 43 years, this song has represented my sweet wife to me. As a girl she loved the smell of jasmine when it started blooming in the school courtyard. It meant school was almost out, and that the freedom of summer was so close you could smell it. This song came out her senior year. She unexpectedly passed away this June and her service was in July. I will never forget her arms reaching out to hold me. We are Christians and I know the freedom that she is experiencing in Heaven right now surpasses our comprehension. I look forward to being in her arms again. Thank you to all involved for this beautiful love song. Tears.
I like that very slow riff kinda melodic theme thing too with the instruments. Da da da da da' da da da da da. It's a very tasty melody. It's like a melody equivalent to David Gilmour's famous chord or arpeggio from the Gilmour interview.
THE SEVENTIES had so little to offer. It was God's mercy that such wonderful music was gifted during that awful time of mass inflation, unemployment, ugly fashions, rampant crime, duldrums...
Thats a great point. In the case of Seals and Crofts they were very inspired by their belief in the Baha'i Faith and included it in many of their songs -- such as Hummingbird and Year of Sunday
I hadn’t really heard this song since it was overplayed on the radio back in the 70’s, and I kind of tuned it out because of that. Hearing it again now, the harmonies just gobsmacked me. I wasn’t musically “mature” enough I guess when I was younger! Stunning indeed!
I am 64 and I listened to it the other day and was instantly transported to my home in the early 1970s... I think it encapsulates everything good and beautiful from my childhood. I know I am not alone in my feelings about this song.
Reminds me of my brother who died suddenly in 1974 when he was 15. He had it on 45, and I've played it regularly throughout my life. It always leaves me with a feeling of saudade - a profoundly nostalgic longing for the faded golden memories of my youth, and fond memories of people and days gone by.
@@roycehack2766 Don't turn into your parents! Sure, there's *hooks* and there's a lot less music, but it's certainly not "just noise". But now do you understand what your parents thought of your music?
We were so lucky to hear a golden age of popular music in the 60s and 70s. Kids today recognize the quality. They know good music when they hear it. :)
Age 15, and it was the summer of '72. The air was full of music... It was Exile on Main St., Layla, School's Out, American Pie, Nights in White Satin, Heart of Gold, Take it Easy, Doctor My Eyes, Brandy, and Summer Breeze--what a wealth of songwriting! Great analysis of a great song, Rick. I've been playing it wrong since that summer.
Oh my goodness, you've just captured the musical sweet spot of my formative years. I was 12 in '72. What great artists we had embracing us all back then.
I grew up listening to this song and have always loved it. Boy does it remind me of being a kid during summertime. That part of the song “waiting there….without a care in the world” is just unbelievable. So beautiful, just perfection.
I was at a concert around 75-76 and they were on the bill with REO Speedwagon, Joe Walsh and several others. Before they came out I thought, wow, with all the serious rocking going on they might not fit in. I was so wrong. They came out kicking ass and taking names. Everything they did stayed true to the way they recorded but they kicked it up a notch and the stuff the band was improvising was absolutely fantastic. What I really miss about the 70s was the uniqueness of every act. Name anyone from that era. No one else was doing anything remotely the same.
Yes!! I saw them by accident in 1977 at Six Flags Over Texas, which I now realize must have been a fun show for them, Summer outdoor concert in their home state. Dash brought out a solid body electric mandolin that someone had built for him and was going nuts running it through effects and playing power chords, bending notes, jumping into the air like Pete Townshend. I was surprised, but in retrospect, they were in The Champs, they came from the same scene as ZZ Top, so it makes sense that they could lay down the Texas rock n roll for the home crowd. Sounds like they did it elsewhere, too.
Yes. A most underappreciated fact. 60s production is too shrill or mushy many times but by the 70s they had figured it out and reached perfection before digital made everything thin and flat in the 80s.
So much real talent and real musicians, all inspiring and feeding off each other. I am so thankful that I am 73 and grew up with such incredible music.
It gives you chills because it's blowing through the jasmine in your mind. The thing about 70's music is they weren't afraid to be sensitive lyrically.
I saw Seals and Croft 3 times in concert. They were phenomenal. First time I saw them on television I didn't know who they were. I saw this guy playing a mandolin through a distortion pedal and it completely blew me away. I immediately called my brother and told him to turn his television on. That was the start of my love for this group.
Rick, you’ve become our cultural historian for the greatest musical generation in modern times (in my book the 60’s, 70’s singer/songwriters and bands) - hopefully more of the greats that you rattled off, America, Bread, JT and the others will be on tap in the future….I’ve been on a Fogelberg kick for the past few weeks, another shining example of the era. Souvenir’s, Wisteria, To the Morning, Leader of the Band….amazing writing and arrangements.
Yes! Would love to hear Rick talk about Bread. And maybe interview David Gates or Robb Royer (the two remaining members of the band still with us). Also...how about interviewing Kenny Loggins and Jim Messina?
@@womanbread oh yes, please great idea. If Rick could interview Loggins and Messina, that would make my musical year. haha Unfortunately, my fav musician in that band (which I saw live in 1972 not knowing what to expect, but fell in love with them because of the two sax/woodwind players) was John Clarke, who passed away in 2005. He showed me that us baritone sax players can play rock music!!!! lol
Same here regarding Fogelberg......to this day, I still believe the guitar solo on "Face The Fire" was one of his best. Some of my other favorites are "Missing You" "Heart Hotels" and "Tell Me To My Face". I'm currently 60 years old but even now when I listen to his music it still reminds me of being a teenager all those years ago.
Rick is the man I've always wanted to be. He's just a guy into music. Happy doing what he does. He has a happy wife and family but mostly makes a living doing what he loves doing. People like him are a treasure. I had one music teacher in my early education. Mr Strupper. Who taught me valuable lessons. Rick Beato is of that level of mindset. The guy just loves music.
I agree but only in that genre of music it seems to me ,my opinion, that every decade from 60 s to 2000 s a genere of music excelled at that particular song type writing.
By what measure? There is a ridiculous amount of great music being written now but it takes a bit more effort to keep up with it than just turning on the radio to your 70s station.
Jimmy and Dash…so many song that have so many sophisticated element. They had the sophisticated/accessible offerings nailed. I’m 66 years old and have listened to their music since 1971…their songs and arrangements are simply top notch…they blow my mind to this day.
I was lucky enough to meet Dash Crofts personally, as he was giving a talk on the Baha'i religion in Los Angeles in 1982. He pulled out a cassette player at one point, and began to sing a song he had written along to the backing track. I had always thought of his voice as reedy and small. Wow, was I wrong! His voice was so powerful (even in the higher ranges) as to hit my chest like a wave, so I could FEEL the voice hit me in the ribs (really!). He was sitting on the couch across from me. I still found this remarkable. Dash is a sweet, gentle man who truly wanted to spread the word of World Unity this religion promotes. What a magical way his voice blended with Jimmy Seals, and I can't imagine any other singer matched with him. I consider myself incredibly lucky to have been able to attend this talk, and I think it was meant to be. I lived right down the street from the house where he gave the talk in a town called La Canada.
I lived in Glendale in 1981-1982. I believe I was invited to this home for his talk. Unfortunately I had to attend a meeting for my job with the Verdugo Hills Council BSA. Always sorry I Missed It. It was a great time to be a young guy from Nebraska living in sunny Southern California.
This song is my childhood! I was 9 years old when this song was released In 1972. That same year my father bought me an AM transistor radio with a mono ear piece. I would carry this radio everywhere I went, and this song always seemed to be playing. My brother had the 45 and always played it. Such a beautiful song. I get so sentimental whenever I hear it. Absolute classic!!
I was born in 1960, so I was 13 years old when this song came out in 1973. Looking back through years musically to the 1970's, our auditory perception--our auditory faculties were so blessed to listen to artists that were multi-talented, and who truly understood the complexity that was needed to produce beautiful songs and melodies. I miss the people who really knew how to create music that touched our souls while we listened to our radios.
-- today 12-9-24 Michaeld Tolbert, good comment I been writing online since 2015 ? and I'd written often, " I wish I could write songs, instead of write," writing as I write as an amateur, to me isn't easy, yet, writing songs I agree is complex.
Agreed! If you haven't heard it, give yourself a treat and search for "The Lingering Mystery of Wildfire" - it's a five-minute NPR segment where Murphy talks about the origin and writing of the song, which came from a dream. It's delightful! -Tom
Their songs were all over the radio back in the 70's. Crusing around LA. When this song came out ..my brother and i were floored. We we singers. The harmony was fantastic. Miss those days..😊
The genius of this song is that it inspires complex emotions and tells a deep story while describing a common experience: coming home from work to find your partner greeting you with a meal and a hug. Narratively, that's all that happens, but there's so MUCH going on. The less commonly used 7th and 11th chords, the melancholy cadences, the music tells us that the singer understands how this simple joy is not something to be taken for granted, they've known sadness and loneliness. Rather than spelling this all out in the lyrics, he lets us draw conclusions based on our own life experiences. The light that "lets me know everything's all right" in the first verse becomes more important: there have been periods in his life when he came home to a house where there was no light on, nobody to greet him. And he remembers those times well. To me, it adds up to "I value this hug and this meal more than words can say." Brilliant songcraft.
You absolutely nailed it perfectly. Bravo! I’ve always keep this song in my library because it’s always reminded me of growing up as a kid. But there was always a sense of melancholy that I didn’t understand, I thought it was from just being a kid… now after a few years of not hearing it, now as an adult… I realize that it’s very much reminded of my life now. And that explanation of your description was exactly what I was thinking why I loved this song so much. And now I love it more, and it’s going onto my playlist!
amen to that. i was a young teen when this song came out and the lyrics were definitely a template, a blueprint really, for the way i wanted to live my own life: the long day’s work, the warm hug from my wife, and the happy home we two shared, spent treasuring each other
My dear friend (American) lived in the same Bahai Community as Seals n Crofts and their families. They played at local Bahai events. How cool. Regular, free Seals n Crofts mini concerts.She said.. "When we came to NZ we sold Jim and Dash our furniture..." I remember Dash Crofts sang at a Bahai Conference in NZ many years ago. Beautiful human. Divine music... Stunning harmonies. Wistfully gorgeous.
@@Bmwguy2011 Their faith and their music were always closely linked. The reference in Summer Breeze to "jasmine" is because that flower was a favourite of Baha'u'llah, the founder of their faith. "Hummingbird" also referenced him. Too many to mention. The same goes for England Dan (Jim Seals' brother) and John Ford Coley who followed that faith also.
It’s Jim Gordon on this track. You’re right about Jeff Porcaro on the other tracks. There is a RUclips video of the playing We Will Never…, and Jeff is in the background on drums.
I know Jeff played live with these guys, but I'm pretty sure it's Harvey Mason on those tunes. It's his cymbal sound and tom-tom use. He also said he had difficulty at these sessions because they gave him non musical direction. After a take they would tell him "gimme more apples and oranges." Harvey lived in our neighborhood and came to our high school for career day.
I saw Seals and Crofts with Mike Porcaro playing bass in 1974. Also saw Jeff play with Steely Dan the same year. I went to school with the Porcaros and Lukather. What a time it was!
How lucky were we on the school bus to hear these awesome songs from the 70's. Obviously family trips, vacations as well. Incredible music from that era.
I’ll tell you exactly how it gives me chills. I was born in 70 so this song rose in synchronicity with my emerging consciousness. I hear it and vividly see and smell the moment I walk into the living room after my Mom awakens me, radio on, Dad already gone to work, just me and her. She opens the curtains, light filters across our cheap burnt orange wicker couch. Feels so good.
This song is pure perfection. Thank you for the analysis. Whenever it comes on, my mind immediately goes back the summer of 1972. It was on the radio constantly in Detroit, Michigan.
When I hear of this song it transports me to sitting in the back seat of dad's 1976 Camaro (as a little kid) listening to "Summer Breeze" on 103 WDRC as we traveled north on the Merritt until it turned into the Wilbur Cross near Hamden, Conn circa 1977.
DRC sure brings back good memories, and driving those old familiar roads! I’m from Bristol, been in Florida since 79’ but those memories of the 70’s! We had awesome radio stations at that time, I explored all of it, CCC, PLR, HCN! Such a great time to be alive @SamLED1111! 🤘👊💯
This song more than any other reminds me of my childhood, growing up in the 70s. I can't put my finger on it but whenever I hear it I immediately go back in time
@@samiam5557I think it's a blanket term for a group of production/engineering methods that sound similar, not the actual songwriting. I get annoyed by the term "Country" music as well, which isn't a songwriting style, but more of common target demographic.
This song will always take me to an innocent time of my life, instantly transported to my parents summer cabin and the oldies radio station playing on in the background, smell of sunscreen, and the beach awaiting my return.
The most evocative song ever for me . Don't know why. I love so many songs from early 70s but this is the one that takes me back there instantly when I hear it.
You're one of the most influential musicians I've come across !! You're musically educated and on top of that !!! Your deep dives into music that we should all remember is a blessing !! I'm a self taught guitarist...if you can call it that. At 54 now, I've always had the 70's on my playlist just to keep myself grounded. Please keep educating the youngster's on how much feel/emotion have to do with music, even if some of us aren't Theory, educated.
I was 4 in 1972. I loved this song, along with Saturday in the Park, Take it Easy, etc. so many good songs. I don’t think there are any other years that can match ‘72. For legendary songs.
I was born in '72 in the UK, but the US hits of the time are something else. I started researching about 20 years ago, and all songs mentioned above I've bought, despite a few not being hits here! Saturday in the Park was only a minor hit believe it or not! The UK was obsessed with Glam Rock (Alice Cooper being the big US band with a massive hit in that genre). Also big hits from across the pond, Osmonds (and Donny on his own), David Cassidy and The Jackson Five (and Michael solo especially). I think the US had great hits at the time 😊
I played at a show with Seals and Crofts in the later half of the 70's. Just the two of them, I watched closely as they played this song and I was quite amazed when those electric lead parts were played on an electric mandolin with distortion or fuzz on it!
A fantastic song. Seals and Crofts used incredibly tight melodies. They slip in some jazzy chords. "And I come home, from a hard day's work. And you're waiting there, not a care In the wor - orld" An amazing bridge melody ending with a A6/B (B11 for Rick) - that's a KILLER CHORD.
I really wished Rick would have talked a little more about the unique instrumentation with this song as he does with his "What Makes This Song Great" series. One of the reasons why I still like this song so much to this day is because it's one of very few songs recorded that included the use of an old time toy piano, which is easily heard in the right channel in the opening riff and same repeating riffs later. I really feel the use of this as a song element was not just random, but meant to evoke a childlike sense of wonder the writer was trying to express - a time in youth when summers lasted forever and the world was something to be explored and enjoyed during childhood (and not fought/competed against as an adult). The addition of the toy piano sprinkled in a tiny bit of whimsy and gave the song a clever light-heartedness that otherwise wouldn't have been captured if it were never used. I've always loved that little detail about this song from so many years ago. Brilliantly done.
That's one of the things I've always loved about this song. There is no dated sound to a toy piano like a synth sound. It will live forever as fresh as the day it was recorded. Also the dual clarinets are amazing.
Yes, always loved the not exactly in tune toy piano - can you even still buy those? It's sad that it is cheaper today to make an all electronic synth toy keyboard than a real metal one.
Another 70s song I can think of that featured a toy piano was Walter Egan's "Magnet and Steel" - it can be heard twinkling in the background during the chorus parts. Also cool about this song: a young Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac helped with background vocals. The song was also produced by Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac. Apparently, they were all friends in the late 70s.
YES!....one of my all time faves........takes me back to places I first heard it....has such a nostalgic feel to it........that and Diamond Girl.....killer tracks!
I haven’t heard this song in literally years and suddenly hearing it now I’m transported back to the 70s as a kid growing up and hearing these songs on the radio as I’m having breakfast before going to school. What is it about music that touches the soul? Magical and undefinable. My love of the guitar also started at this time and I still play to this day.
I was 18, and you're right it was a great year! Learned this song the first day I bought the vinyl. That was back when I could reach the high notes--it's a challenge in the original key it's "meant for."
I do this tune solo- it works great. Thank you for confirming that I'm not alone in my adoration of this song. Been waiting for ages since you first teased this.
Be it Folk Rock, Folk Pop, Soft Rock or Yacht Rock this 1972 tune is an all time classic! Hands down. It still sounds fresh today as it was 52 years ago!
This song exemplifies why I still listen to so much 70s music (I'm 63). And it's one of only two songs I can think of that uses a child's toy piano for a signature sound.
I mention the toy piano to people and they just blank out like I was talking about seeing a UFO. My little sister had the toy piano that sounded like that. I peeled up the top to see what made the sounds and found steel tines about 1/8" thick. Good ear, James.
I also made a comment about the inclusion of the toy piano. I remember it being used in the chorus of another 70s favorite called "Magnet and Steel". Take a listen - it was used to brilliant effect there too.
The Cure used a toy piano during their MTV Unplugged for “A Letter To Elise”. I thought it was brilliant. They did MTV Unplugged very early on before the show became a big deal.
The flatness of the toy piano, and the overdriven lead electric guitar don't fit with the rest of the rest of the instrumentation, but they're what seals the door behind you when you're drawn into this song. Genius arrangement and production.
It’s funny how those memories live forever. I had a little radio that I listened to as I’d sleep and always remember the station playing “These Dreams” by Heart all the time.🤷♂️😴
The toy piano playing the intro hook is a brilliant production call. It fits perfectly in the mix and in context - it adds the percussive accent needed. And the electric guitar playing the back beat on 2 & 4 is classic!
Summer breeze brings back such memories. The only way I can really define it is bittersweet. It tugs at ones heart and memories. Pulling them in two different directions. Simply great music and that’s what great music does.
Seals and Crofts, was my very first concert at Red Rocks, back in 1973. Their opening act, was England Dan, And John Ford Coley. (Before we knew that England Dan was related) It was a totally special night, that I will always remember.
Every time I hear this song, I hearken back to the time I first heard it-on my trusty radio headphones-in the wee hours of a hot summer morning, as I rode my bike delivering newspapers in Lubbock, TX, in 1972. There was just something about that song that drew me in, even at the tender age of 10, and still does to this day.
Man, those close harmony vocals are priceless! Love it!! I must have been 7 or 8 years old when I heard it on the radio... Brings back beautiful childhood memories...
-- today 12-9-24 Chielbloos ? or Chiel Bloos ? Sunday 12-8-24, I'd written RICK a comment when I was at Farm Store drinking a Coca-Cola and smoking cigarettes and I'd tapped his audio of the song, 'Summer Breeze, ' than, I saw his audio was 32:50 than I'd written him a comment. Before tapping his audio, a lady I'd spoken to when I asked her the name of her niece she said, " Harmony. " I remembered 2 1970's, Coca-Cola and a Native American Indian commercials and the Coca-Cola song back than, 🎼 " I'd like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony. " I was wok 🔥king [ the 2 king-pals ] to Farm Store ? or Farm Stores ? I'm not sure of correct name than I got to Farm Stores [than my mom - n - me got doomed in the so-called land of milk - n - honey of the king and/or the 2 kings ? ]
an absolute classic. few songs instantly transfer me back to another time and place. could not agree more with your analysis about singer songwriters. some of the most brilliant music created ever.
The songs of my college years. My mother heard them and told me she liked them. They were exceptional musicians and had their own distinct harmony. In their unique harmonies they reminded me of the great sounds of CSNY, James Taylor, Simon and Garfunkle, 5th Dimension, Marvin Gaye and so many more. Accomplished musicians tend to create more complex, more developed music. I met some of their colleagues living in SOCAL through the Baha'i Faith they practiced. I still listen to them. A great blend of genres and the mandolin was so unusual for music of the time.
Louie Shelton produced this, legend. He most likely played guitar on it as well. I worked with Louie many years ago (in Australia) and he was/is a great guy and brilliant musically.
This song is so evocative of a time long ago. I have a Jasmine planted at my front door, jasmine in my mind indeed. I saw Seals and Crofts with my friend, Mike Porcaro playing bass in 1974 at the Universal Amphitheater in LA. Jeff Porcaro recommended his brother for the gig. Jeff was touring with Steely Dan at the time, saw Jeff play with SD too.
I think of this song every time I smell the Jasmine fragrance wafting in the summer air next to our swimming pool! Perfect. Loved growing up in the '70s and '80s!
Rick! Thank you for highlighting this wonderful song! I am from the UK and Summer songs are a wonderful way for us to enjoy what little sunshine we get! This is rated in my top five songs ever. We really appreciate you and your brilliant insight.
@autk all my friends and I were die hard hard rockers back then, but my best friend and I had this thing for Bread! We never told any of our friends about it, we used to listen to them for hours on end! We were both drummers. I still am, but sadly lost him the year we graduated HS to a motorcycle accident! I still think what he’d be like all these 50 years later! I’ve lived my whole life, which…he never got the chance to do! I often think of all the things I’ve missed sharing with him all these years later! You can tell, I’m a sentimental fool and we both shared that! I still miss him, and play Bread often and think of him! I text his sister and tell her I was just listening to Bread and thinking of him! Lots of great memories!
@@kvmalley brother I played in Rock and then Prog bands from 16 to 35 and then acoustic duo's...but I was sliced to the bone the minute IF came out and then mesmerized by GUITAR MAN....
I will forever associate this song (among others) with being in the back seat with my brother on road trips as a kid listening to the radio. Very specific memories that only music can provide.
Attended their concert at Scope in Norfolk, VA back in the 70s and met Jim Seals at a post-concert meeting of those of the Bahai Faith. My friends were Bahai and I tagged along. Although I wasn't Bahai, it made a long-lasting impression on me and I still remember it quite vividly today.
Rick, this is one of my favorite songs too! If you are feeling down, put on some running shoes, headphones and the intro of this song gets you stepping out, taking a deep breath, smiling and thinking "its great to be alive".
For the past 43 years, this song has represented my sweet wife to me. As a girl she loved the smell of jasmine when it started blooming in the school courtyard. It meant school was almost out, and that the freedom of summer was so close you could smell it. This song came out her senior year. She unexpectedly passed away this June and her service was in July. I will never forget her arms reaching out to hold me. We are Christians and I know the freedom that she is experiencing in Heaven right now surpasses our comprehension. I look forward to being in her arms again. Thank you to all involved for this beautiful love song. Tears.
God bless you both. ✝️
nice
Those memories are like lyrics themselves. Your girl is forever free smelling jasmine until you come home. 🥲
I pray for your peace and comfort today friend. How sweet it is to know she’s in the presence of a loving father. God bless you today
@@mercy4us Thank you and Yes. She was greeted by HIS arms reaching out to hold her!
Summer Breeze has a haunting quality to it. It also sounds kinda sad and happy at the same time. Very nuanced vibe.
Exactly. Haunting and beautiful. Sad and joyful at the same time. My favourite kind of music. 😌
I like that very slow riff kinda melodic theme thing too with the instruments. Da da da da da' da da da da da. It's a very tasty melody. It's like a melody equivalent to David Gilmour's famous chord or arpeggio from the Gilmour interview.
Amazing song.
Well said
Yeah, bitter sweet - reminds me of good times and bad times growing up.
Nobody ever talks about Seals & Crofts. This is one of my favorite songs. So glad you did a deep dive on this magical song.
Diamond Girl also.
Great band - terribly underrated.
Yes, it is magical, I used to play it on guitar in the 1970's.
Saw them in concert in college during the early 70s when they were so popular.
Great time for music..
Makes me wonder about their other songs
The 70's music, was a God thing. Never to be repeated.
❤
THE SEVENTIES had so little to offer. It was God's mercy that such wonderful music was gifted during that awful time of mass inflation, unemployment, ugly fashions, rampant crime, duldrums...
@@maguffintop2596 Agreed! I was 18 yrs old in 1977.
Dude. That’s the perfect reply. Hit the nail right on the head. It’s sad because music come from God, not machines or corporate offices.
Thats a great point. In the case of Seals and Crofts they were very inspired by their belief in the Baha'i Faith and included it in many of their songs -- such as Hummingbird and Year of Sunday
It’s actually their harmonies that make it so stunning
Exactly😊
I hadn’t really heard this song since it was overplayed on the radio back in the 70’s, and I kind of tuned it out because of that. Hearing it again now, the harmonies just gobsmacked me. I wasn’t musically “mature” enough I guess when I was younger! Stunning indeed!
I treasure the fact that I grew up with the AM radio music of the 70’s. Endless greatness.
I treasure the fact that FM was available in the '70s. Better quality and stereo!
There was only AM radio
@@Eduardo-om5ex first FM radio station started in 1940.
@ but it woudn’t playin left side tunes…
This song more than just about any other one I know encapsulates the 70's more than anything...every time I hear it, I'm 10 years old again.
Perfect comment. Feel the same.
Exactly!! I think I was 8.
I am 64 and I listened to it the other day and was instantly transported to my home in the early 1970s... I think it encapsulates everything good and beautiful from my childhood. I know I am not alone in my feelings about this song.
Agreed, this tune, and Dream Weaver.
I was 10 when this came out. So good.
Hummingbird was another stellar song Seals and Crofts did.
Now THAT'S the cut!❤
Yes, I’d love to hear Rick discuss hummingbird. Interesting structure. And the whole album is beautifully recorded.
Yup. That bridge is amazing. Glorious harmonies.
I believe track 1 of the album. And the sleeve had the lyrics.
Even more harmonically complex than Summer Breeze - ridiculous harmonies.
Reminds me of my brother who died suddenly in 1974 when he was 15. He had it on 45, and I've played it regularly throughout my life. It always leaves me with a feeling of saudade - a profoundly nostalgic longing for the faded golden memories of my youth, and fond memories of people and days gone by.
Sorry 😢
If he was spinning songs like this then his time was well spent. Life is a waterfall, we're one in the river then one again after the fall ✌🏼♥️🙏🏼
@@ponzo1967 Thank you for the kind thoughts. He also had albums like Bridge Over Troubled Water, Tubular Bells, and Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.
So true.
My heartfelt condolences too you❤. Your brother would be 65 nowadays collecting social security. Time goes fast. Thank you for your comment.
there's something magical about the early-mid 70s American pop songs esp those with orchestration backing... Campbell, Bread, Carpenters etc
Agreed, nearly lost. Now no melody no music just noise.
and Harry Nilsson
@@roycehack2766 Don't turn into your parents!
Sure, there's *hooks* and there's a lot less music, but it's certainly not "just noise". But now do you understand what your parents thought of your music?
Who listened to AM radio in the 70s?
More than 50 years on, I’m still blown away by this stunningly beautiful song. Glad you love it too.
The intro to this song immediately transports me back to that time. Love it.
Seals and Crofts has always been musical comfort food for me. No matter what kind of day I’ve had, this music brings me to another place.
My late father lived 'Hummingbird'
It brings me back to better peaceful world and my childhood.
The other masterpiece...We may never pass this way again.. unbelievably beautiful.
We were so lucky to hear a golden age of popular music in the 60s and 70s. Kids today recognize the quality. They know good music when they hear it. :)
It was a beautiful song! So melodic. Strong harmonies. Diamond Girl was another beautiful song.
Age 15, and it was the summer of '72. The air was full of music... It was Exile on Main St., Layla, School's Out, American Pie, Nights in White Satin, Heart of Gold, Take it Easy, Doctor My Eyes, Brandy, and Summer Breeze--what a wealth of songwriting! Great analysis of a great song, Rick. I've been playing it wrong since that summer.
Oh my goodness, you've just captured the musical sweet spot of my formative years. I was 12 in '72.
What great artists we had embracing us all back then.
Rita Coolidge wrote that piano piece at the end of Layla btw
@@1599maybole How interesting, I didn't know that but have filed it away for future pub-quiz use.
@@1599maybole Rita along with Jim Gordon, whom she was dating.
@ Gordon falsely claimed to have written it
Seals and Crofts are unreal!! Their songs make me ascend
I grew up listening to this song and have always loved it. Boy does it remind me of being a kid during summertime. That part of the song “waiting there….without a care in the world” is just unbelievable. So beautiful, just perfection.
I was 10 years old living in Toronto when the song came out. It takes me back and always makes me think of summer.
I was at a concert around 75-76 and they were on the bill with REO Speedwagon, Joe Walsh and several others. Before they came out I thought, wow, with all the serious rocking going on they might not fit in. I was so wrong. They came out kicking ass and taking names. Everything they did stayed true to the way they recorded but they kicked it up a notch and the stuff the band was improvising was absolutely fantastic. What I really miss about the 70s was the uniqueness of every act. Name anyone from that era. No one else was doing anything remotely the same.
I also saw them in an outdoor concert in CA. Very memorable.
Yes!! I saw them by accident in 1977 at Six Flags Over Texas, which I now realize must have been a fun show for them, Summer outdoor concert in their home state. Dash brought out a solid body electric mandolin that someone had built for him and was going nuts running it through effects and playing power chords, bending notes, jumping into the air like Pete Townshend. I was surprised, but in retrospect, they were in The Champs, they came from the same scene as ZZ Top, so it makes sense that they could lay down the Texas rock n roll for the home crowd. Sounds like they did it elsewhere, too.
The 70's sound production was also unmatched!
Yes. A most underappreciated fact. 60s production is too shrill or mushy many times but by the 70s they had figured it out and reached perfection before digital made everything thin and flat in the 80s.
They didn't have all the bells and whistles in equipment we have today so they really had to produce the record to it's fullest extent.
@alberteinstein9176 Agreed, but it was also the musicians and some of the equipment. Mics, pres, consoles, compressors, et al
@@pfzt Yep. Steely Freakin' Dan.
Great production but also kept fairly simple
So much real talent and real musicians, all inspiring and feeding off each other. I am so thankful that I am 73 and grew up with such incredible music.
It gives you chills because it's blowing through the jasmine in your mind. The thing about 70's music is they weren't afraid to be sensitive lyrically.
A 50-year-old amazing song that doesn't age. Not sure I can give a higher compliment than that.
I saw Seals and Croft 3 times in concert. They were phenomenal. First time I saw them on television I didn't know who they were. I saw this guy playing a mandolin through a distortion pedal and it completely blew me away. I immediately called my brother and told him to turn his television on. That was the start of my love for this group.
Rick, you’ve become our cultural historian for the greatest musical generation in modern times (in my book the 60’s, 70’s singer/songwriters and bands) - hopefully more of the greats that you rattled off, America, Bread, JT and the others will be on tap in the future….I’ve been on a Fogelberg kick for the past few weeks, another shining example of the era. Souvenir’s, Wisteria, To the Morning, Leader of the Band….amazing writing and arrangements.
Yes! Would love to hear Rick talk about Bread. And maybe interview David Gates or Robb Royer (the two remaining members of the band still with us). Also...how about interviewing Kenny Loggins and Jim Messina?
@@womanbread oh yes, please great idea. If Rick could interview Loggins and Messina, that would make my musical year. haha Unfortunately, my fav musician in that band (which I saw live in 1972 not knowing what to expect, but fell in love with them because of the two sax/woodwind players) was John Clarke, who passed away in 2005. He showed me that us baritone sax players can play rock music!!!! lol
Same here regarding Fogelberg......to this day, I still believe the guitar solo on "Face The Fire" was one of his best. Some of my other favorites are "Missing You" "Heart Hotels" and "Tell Me To My Face". I'm currently 60 years old but even now when I listen to his music it still reminds me of being a teenager all those years ago.
Louie Shelton plays the lead guitar lick. Iconic studio musician. Check him out.
Rick is the man I've always wanted to be. He's just a guy into music. Happy doing what he does. He has a happy wife and family but mostly makes a living doing what he loves doing. People like him are a treasure. I had one music teacher in my early education. Mr Strupper. Who taught me valuable lessons. Rick Beato is of that level of mindset. The guy just loves music.
great Rick..thank you for your proficieny and passion for educating us..with so much knowledge and joy❤
The seventies is when songwriting peaked.
I agree but only in that genre of music it seems to me ,my opinion, that every decade from 60 s to 2000 s a genere of music excelled at that particular song type writing.
No doubt
By what measure? There is a ridiculous amount of great music being written now but it takes a bit more effort to keep up with it than just turning on the radio to your 70s station.
It started to go downhill in the 80,s no doubt but yes songwriting peaked in the 70,s
Survivorship bias.
Jimmy and Dash…so many song that have so many sophisticated element. They had the sophisticated/accessible offerings nailed.
I’m 66 years old and have listened to their music since 1971…their songs and arrangements are simply top notch…they blow my mind to this day.
I was lucky enough to meet Dash Crofts personally, as he was giving a talk on the Baha'i religion in Los Angeles in 1982. He pulled out a cassette player at one point, and began to sing a song he had written along to the backing track. I had always thought of his voice as reedy and small. Wow, was I wrong! His voice was so powerful (even in the higher ranges) as to hit my chest like a wave, so I could FEEL the voice hit me in the ribs (really!). He was sitting on the couch across from me. I still found this remarkable. Dash is a sweet, gentle man who truly wanted to spread the word of World Unity this religion promotes. What a magical way his voice blended with Jimmy Seals, and I can't imagine any other singer matched with him. I consider myself incredibly lucky to have been able to attend this talk, and I think it was meant to be. I lived right down the street from the house where he gave the talk in a town called La Canada.
Too damn bad there aren’t more like him. And instead… smh. Great story! Thank you!
Look for his version of the Lord's Prayer. It knocks my socks off.
I lived in Glendale in 1981-1982. I believe I was invited to this home for his talk. Unfortunately I had to attend a meeting for my job with the Verdugo Hills Council BSA. Always sorry I Missed It. It was a great time to be a young guy from Nebraska living in sunny Southern California.
This song is my childhood! I was 9 years old when this song was released In 1972. That same year my father bought me an AM transistor radio with a mono ear piece. I would carry this radio everywhere I went, and this song always seemed to be playing. My brother had the 45 and always played it. Such a beautiful song. I get so sentimental whenever I hear it. Absolute classic!!
I was a year older than you,it was my mothers favorite song,being 10 years old hearing that playing on AM radio was timeless!
I was born in 1960, so I was 13 years old when this song came out in 1973.
Looking back through years musically to the 1970's, our auditory perception--our auditory faculties were so blessed to listen to artists that were multi-talented, and who truly understood the complexity that was needed to produce beautiful songs and melodies.
I miss the people who really knew how to create music that touched our souls while we listened to our radios.
-- today
12-9-24
Michaeld Tolbert, good comment
I been writing online since 2015 ?
and I'd written often,
" I wish I could write songs,
instead of write," writing as I write
as an amateur, to me isn't easy,
yet, writing songs I agree is complex.
1960, too! Loved all the music from late 60's and the 70's.
I can’t speak to the musical analysis but I get that same feeling when I hear Michael Murphy's Wildfire.
That’s a masterpiece
Agreed! If you haven't heard it, give yourself a treat and search for "The Lingering Mystery of Wildfire" - it's a five-minute NPR segment where Murphy talks about the origin and writing of the song, which came from a dream. It's delightful! -Tom
Man that’s a hard one!
And King’s Tapestry.
Their songs were all over the radio back in the 70's.
Crusing around LA. When this song came out ..my brother and i were floored. We we singers. The harmony was fantastic. Miss those days..😊
The genius of this song is that it inspires complex emotions and tells a deep story while describing a common experience: coming home from work to find your partner greeting you with a meal and a hug. Narratively, that's all that happens, but there's so MUCH going on. The less commonly used 7th and 11th chords, the melancholy cadences, the music tells us that the singer understands how this simple joy is not something to be taken for granted, they've known sadness and loneliness. Rather than spelling this all out in the lyrics, he lets us draw conclusions based on our own life experiences. The light that "lets me know everything's all right" in the first verse becomes more important: there have been periods in his life when he came home to a house where there was no light on, nobody to greet him. And he remembers those times well. To me, it adds up to "I value this hug and this meal more than words can say." Brilliant songcraft.
Thank you for enumerating that, something I have felt yet hadn't considered until reading your comment
You absolutely nailed it perfectly. Bravo! I’ve always keep this song in my library because it’s always reminded me of growing up as a kid. But there was always a sense of melancholy that I didn’t understand, I thought it was from just being a kid… now after a few years of not hearing it, now as an adult… I realize that it’s very much reminded of my life now. And that explanation of your description was exactly what I was thinking why I loved this song so much. And now I love it more, and it’s going onto my playlist!
amen to that. i was a young teen when this song came out and the lyrics were definitely a template, a blueprint really, for the way i wanted to live my own life: the long day’s work, the warm hug from my wife, and the happy home we two shared, spent treasuring each other
My dear friend (American) lived in the same Bahai Community as Seals n Crofts and their families. They played at local Bahai events. How cool. Regular, free Seals n Crofts mini concerts.She said..
"When we came to NZ we sold Jim and Dash our furniture..."
I remember Dash Crofts sang at a Bahai Conference in NZ many years ago.
Beautiful human.
Divine music...
Stunning harmonies.
Wistfully gorgeous.
Yeah few in here are linking this songwriting to their religion or worship.
Yes , wistful comes to mind .
@@Bmwguy2011 Their faith and their music were always closely linked. The reference in Summer Breeze to "jasmine" is because that flower was a favourite of Baha'u'llah, the founder of their faith. "Hummingbird" also referenced him. Too many to mention. The same goes for England Dan (Jim Seals' brother) and John Ford Coley who followed that faith also.
A very young Jeff Porcaro played drums on We Will Never Pass this Way Again and Diamond Girl. These guys were brilliant 👏
It’s Jim Gordon on this track. You’re right about Jeff Porcaro on the other tracks. There is a RUclips video of the playing We Will Never…, and Jeff is in the background on drums.
I know Jeff played live with these guys, but I'm pretty sure it's Harvey Mason on those tunes. It's his cymbal sound and tom-tom use. He also said he had difficulty at these sessions because they gave him non musical direction. After a take they would tell him "gimme more apples and oranges." Harvey lived in our neighborhood and came to our high school for career day.
@@garygibson5983no itts definitely Jeff on diamond girl and we will
I saw Seals and Crofts with Mike Porcaro playing bass in 1974. Also saw Jeff play with Steely Dan the same year. I went to school with the Porcaros and Lukather. What a time it was!
Summer Breeze was the sound of summer to me.
Played this record lying on the living room floor in my early teens. Hummingbird also a classic. So much nostalgia it hurts.
How lucky were we on the school bus to hear these awesome songs from the 70's. Obviously family trips, vacations as well. Incredible music from that era.
Love this song! Mom bought me “Get Closer” on 45, but “Summer Breeze” and “Diamond Girl” are two of my favorite hits from the 70s!
Also, you mentioned one of my favorite Beatles’ songs, “If I Fell”.
I’ll tell you exactly how it gives me chills. I was born in 70 so this song rose in synchronicity with my emerging consciousness. I hear it and vividly see and smell the moment I walk into the living room after my Mom awakens me, radio on, Dad already gone to work, just me and her. She opens the curtains, light filters across our cheap burnt orange wicker couch. Feels so good.
I was born in 70 as well and have the same memories. Always reminds me of driving in my mom’s red Volkswagen bug and her singing.
Very vivid memories of the dental office early visits for me.
@ Ha! Sorry to hear that. Certainly not your fault you lost the Summer Breeze lottery
The outro to Hummingbird. What kind of magic?
This song is pure perfection. Thank you for the analysis. Whenever it comes on, my mind immediately goes back the summer of 1972. It was on the radio constantly in Detroit, Michigan.
Such a summer, American family vibe. It's like I'm growing up in the 70's again.
It’s the orchestration in those songs the strings and horns. The whole thing is so so sophisticated
Marty Paich, David's father did all their arrangements on their classic albums.
It’s a timeless song that brings you in and takes you to summertime. Beautiful! Rick Beato is music teacher to the world!
When I hear of this song it transports me to sitting in the back seat of dad's 1976 Camaro (as a little kid) listening to "Summer Breeze" on 103 WDRC as we traveled north on the Merritt until it turned into the Wilbur Cross near Hamden, Conn circa 1977.
DRC sure brings back good memories, and driving those old familiar roads! I’m from Bristol, been in Florida since 79’ but those memories of the 70’s! We had awesome radio stations at that time, I explored all of it, CCC, PLR, HCN! Such a great time to be alive @SamLED1111! 🤘👊💯
@kvmalley yes! 99.1 WPLR! And early KC101.
On my top ten list of greatest songs ever, its one of those songs that makes you feel like you’re there
What else is on the list?
I enjoy hanging with Beato learning music theory. Fun stuff and one of my favorite tunes. Crazy mix of somber and beautiful. Well done.
This song more than any other reminds me of my childhood, growing up in the 70s. I can't put my finger on it but whenever I hear it I immediately go back in time
The songwriting and music of the 70s is truly sublime.....the high water mark for songwriting and soft rock, also known as yacht rock.
I hate that contemporary term "Yacht Rock".
@@samiam5557I think it's a blanket term for a group of production/engineering methods that sound similar, not the actual songwriting. I get annoyed by the term "Country" music as well, which isn't a songwriting style, but more of common target demographic.
Yacht rock?...Like in Boston Mass.?
Beato doesn't like YR label!
@@kaila62kaila Neither does Donald Fagen.
This song will always take me to an innocent time of my life, instantly transported to my parents summer cabin and the oldies radio station playing on in the background, smell of sunscreen, and the beach awaiting my return.
Would add Cat Stevens to that list of great early 70s singer-songwriters 👏
Indeed
The list is long....!
Carly Simon too
Carly Simon, Rod Stewart, Carole King, Elton John, etc.
And America
The most evocative song ever for me . Don't know why. I love so many songs from early 70s but this is the one that takes me back there instantly when I hear it.
You're one of the most influential musicians I've come across !! You're musically educated and on top of that !!! Your deep dives into music that we should all remember is a blessing !! I'm a self taught guitarist...if you can call it that. At 54 now, I've always had the 70's on my playlist just to keep myself grounded. Please keep educating the youngster's on how much feel/emotion have to do with music, even if some of us aren't Theory, educated.
Their harmonies were also incredible. Loved 'Summer Breeze' as well as 'Hummingbird' on the title album.
I was 4 in 1972. I loved this song, along with Saturday in the Park, Take it Easy, etc. so many good songs. I don’t think there are any other years that can match ‘72. For legendary songs.
Yup. Brandy, Do it again, Don’t mess around with Jim, Go all the way!
Saturday in the Park. Another great Summer song 😊
I was 5 in '72. Never Been To Spain, American Pie, A Horse With No Name, Heart Of Gold, etc. All great songs!🎵
Allman Brothers' "Eat a Peach" came out in 72 as well.
I was born in '72 in the UK, but the US hits of the time are something else. I started researching about 20 years ago, and all songs mentioned above I've bought, despite a few not being hits here! Saturday in the Park was only a minor hit believe it or not! The UK was obsessed with Glam Rock (Alice Cooper being the big US band with a massive hit in that genre). Also big hits from across the pond, Osmonds (and Donny on his own), David Cassidy and The Jackson Five (and Michael solo especially). I think the US had great hits at the time 😊
I played at a show with Seals and Crofts in the later half of the 70's. Just the two of them, I watched closely as they played this song and I was quite amazed when those electric lead parts were played on an electric mandolin with distortion or fuzz on it!
A fantastic song. Seals and Crofts used incredibly tight melodies. They slip in some jazzy chords.
"And I come home, from a hard day's work. And you're waiting there, not a care In the wor - orld" An amazing bridge melody ending with a A6/B (B11 for Rick) - that's a KILLER CHORD.
Reminds me of sitting on the grass during school break in the 70s and listening to the music of the day. And what days. Best. Summer. Song. Ever.
I really wished Rick would have talked a little more about the unique instrumentation with this song as he does with his "What Makes This Song Great" series.
One of the reasons why I still like this song so much to this day is because it's one of very few songs recorded that included the use of an old time toy piano, which is easily heard in the right channel in the opening riff and same repeating riffs later.
I really feel the use of this as a song element was not just random, but meant to evoke a childlike sense of wonder the writer was trying to express - a time in youth when summers lasted forever and the world was something to be explored and enjoyed during childhood (and not fought/competed against as an adult). The addition of the toy piano sprinkled in a tiny bit of whimsy and gave the song a clever light-heartedness that otherwise wouldn't have been captured if it were never used.
I've always loved that little detail about this song from so many years ago. Brilliantly done.
That's one of the things I've always loved about this song. There is no dated sound to a toy piano like a synth sound. It will live forever as fresh as the day it was recorded. Also the dual clarinets are amazing.
So glad you mentioned the toy piano. Such a distinctive sound that I figured out back when it came out. A great song indeed.
Yes, always loved the not exactly in tune toy piano - can you even still buy those? It's sad that it is cheaper today to make an all electronic synth toy keyboard than a real metal one.
In Rick’s skunk Baxter interview, skunk talked about the cheesy intro instruments of “It keeps you running”. It’s part of the whole …
Another 70s song I can think of that featured a toy piano was Walter Egan's "Magnet and Steel" - it can be heard twinkling in the background during the chorus parts.
Also cool about this song: a young Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac helped with background vocals. The song was also produced by Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac. Apparently, they were all friends in the late 70s.
Great memory of trip to LA - leaving hotel at 4am for the airport and smelling the jasmine in the courtyard - beautiful song
YES!....one of my all time faves........takes me back to places I first heard it....has such a nostalgic feel to it........that and Diamond Girl.....killer tracks!
The bridge on this song has given me chill since I first heard it back when it was on the radio all the time as a kid.
Actually what gives me the chills are the harmonies after the bridge, always puts a smile on my face when I hear it....
I haven’t heard this song in literally years and suddenly hearing it now I’m transported back to the 70s as a kid growing up and hearing these songs on the radio as I’m having breakfast before going to school. What is it about music that touches the soul? Magical and undefinable. My love of the guitar also started at this time and I still play to this day.
This came out in late summer of 1972. I was 17 years old. And 1972 was a great year!
I was 18, and you're right it was a great year! Learned this song the first day I bought the vinyl. That was back when I could reach the high notes--it's a challenge in the original key it's "meant for."
Thunder Island by Jay Ferguson and Lonely Boy by Andrew Gold are my timeless songs. They sound as fresh today as they did the first time I heard them.
Yes!!!
I was 19 years old then. It reminds me of my first girl friend. And while listening to Ventura highway we had our first kiss. Amazing times.
Be good to hear more from the America songbook. Such talent ❤
Great memory!
That is literally perfect. Did you break up to "Sister Golden Hair"?
Music is a special because it can take you back in time. I'm talking about a literal physiological feeling I get when I hear songs from this era.
I do this tune solo- it works great. Thank you for confirming that I'm not alone in my adoration of this song. Been waiting for ages since you first teased this.
Be it Folk Rock, Folk Pop, Soft Rock or Yacht Rock this 1972 tune is an all time classic! Hands down. It still sounds fresh today as it was 52 years ago!
This song exemplifies why I still listen to so much 70s music (I'm 63). And it's one of only two songs I can think of that uses a child's toy piano for a signature sound.
I mention the toy piano to people and they just blank out like I was talking about seeing a UFO. My little sister had the toy piano that sounded like that. I peeled up the top to see what made the sounds and found steel tines about 1/8" thick. Good ear, James.
I also made a comment about the inclusion of the toy piano. I remember it being used in the chorus of another 70s favorite called "Magnet and Steel".
Take a listen - it was used to brilliant effect there too.
The Cure used a toy piano during their MTV Unplugged for “A Letter To Elise”. I thought it was brilliant. They did MTV Unplugged very early on before the show became a big deal.
The flatness of the toy piano, and the overdriven lead electric guitar don't fit with the rest of the rest of the instrumentation, but they're what seals the door behind you when you're drawn into this song. Genius arrangement and production.
This is the song that was on when I put the batteries in and turned on my first transistor radio back in the day. (1972 evidently) Very good memories!
It’s funny how those memories live forever. I had a little radio that I listened to as I’d sleep and always remember the station playing “These Dreams” by Heart all the time.🤷♂️😴
The toy piano playing the intro hook is a brilliant production call. It fits perfectly in the mix and in context - it adds the percussive accent needed. And the electric guitar playing the back beat on 2 & 4 is classic!
One of my wife’s favorite of all
Times!
Greatly appreciated Rick, wonderful analysis of this master piece!
Summer breeze brings back such memories. The only way I can really define it is bittersweet. It tugs at ones heart and memories. Pulling them in two different directions. Simply great music and that’s what great music does.
Saw them in Ann Arbor in 1971 or 1972 can’t remember exactly. Spent a lot of time up there listening to some great music. The 70s were fabulous.
Totally - might be the most bittersweet song of all time.
Seals and Crofts, was my very first concert at Red Rocks, back in 1973. Their opening act, was England Dan, And John Ford Coley. (Before we knew that England Dan was related) It was a totally special night, that I will always remember.
My first concert too, in Santa Barbara. I was pretty young at the time.
@@lilycat1694 First year of HS, for me.
It gives me chills too, thinking of this song... in December!
This was my wife's favorite band (widower). Just... thank you Rick.😢❤
I made my living for the last 40 years playing this music. The songs are great and always stand up.
Every time I hear this song, I hearken back to the time I first heard it-on my trusty radio headphones-in the wee hours of a hot summer morning, as I rode my bike delivering newspapers in Lubbock, TX, in 1972. There was just something about that song that drew me in, even at the tender age of 10, and still does to this day.
Hummingbird. Always Hummingbird!
Yes! I would love to see Rick examine that song! More modulations than you could shake a stick at!
Yes, a thousand times yes!
@@LadyCin611 ALWAYS!! ❤
Man, those close harmony vocals are priceless! Love it!! I must have been 7 or 8 years old when I heard it on the radio... Brings back beautiful childhood memories...
👍
-- today
12-9-24
Chielbloos ?
or
Chiel Bloos ?
Sunday 12-8-24,
I'd written RICK a comment when I was at Farm Store drinking a Coca-Cola
and smoking cigarettes and I'd tapped his audio of the song, 'Summer Breeze, '
than, I saw his audio was 32:50 than I'd
written him a comment.
Before tapping his audio,
a lady I'd spoken to
when I asked her the name of her niece
she said, " Harmony. "
I remembered 2 1970's,
Coca-Cola
and a Native American Indian commercials
and the Coca-Cola song back than,
🎼 " I'd like to teach
the world to sing in perfect harmony. "
I was wok 🔥king
[ the 2 king-pals ]
to Farm Store ?
or Farm Stores ?
I'm not sure of correct name
than
I got to Farm Stores
[than
my mom - n - me got doomed
in the so-called
land of milk - n - honey
of the king
and/or
the 2 kings ? ]
One of favorite song ever. Perfect harmonies .
an absolute classic. few songs instantly transfer me back to another time and place. could not agree more with your analysis about singer songwriters. some of the most brilliant music created ever.
The songs of my college years. My mother heard them and told me she liked them. They were exceptional musicians and had their own distinct harmony. In their unique harmonies they reminded me of the great sounds of CSNY, James Taylor, Simon and Garfunkle, 5th Dimension, Marvin Gaye and so many more. Accomplished musicians tend to create more complex, more developed music. I met some of their colleagues living in SOCAL through the Baha'i Faith they practiced. I still listen to them. A great blend of genres and the mandolin was so unusual for music of the time.
I have always loved this song and Seal & Crofts, they wrote many stellar songs that take me back to my childhood.
Louie Shelton produced this, legend. He most likely played guitar on it as well. I worked with Louie many years ago (in Australia) and he was/is a great guy and brilliant musically.
This song is so evocative of a time long ago. I have a Jasmine planted at my front door, jasmine in my mind indeed.
I saw Seals and Crofts with my friend, Mike Porcaro playing bass in 1974 at the Universal Amphitheater in LA. Jeff Porcaro recommended his brother for the gig. Jeff was touring with Steely Dan at the time, saw Jeff play with SD too.
I think of this song every time I smell the Jasmine fragrance wafting in the summer air next to our swimming pool!
Perfect.
Loved growing up in the '70s and '80s!
Rick! Thank you for highlighting this wonderful song! I am from the UK and Summer songs are a wonderful way for us to enjoy what little sunshine we get! This is rated in my top five songs ever. We really appreciate you and your brilliant insight.
It’s a great sunbathing tune, like Close to You and Saturday in the Park, etc.
One of my favorite compositions. The Isley Brothers version is incredible!
That's my favourite. I was in the UK in the 70s, and I don't even remember hearing the Seals and Croft version.
Isles Brothers version..incredible!!
@@dizzylizzy7582same here! I much prefer the Isley brothers version👍🏽
I was going to say as well, the Isley Brothers version is my go-to.
Nah. Can't beat the original.
Nothing can ever compare to the music of the 70's. not Grunge, not death metal, not goth metal-NOTHING!! glad to have lived thru it.
When melody ruled the airwaves.
Agreed. I only listen to music created from 1963 to 1995.
Summer Breeze and Diamond Girl are my go to Seals and Croft songs when I need to de-stress.
Some songs are just magical and hearing them over and over and over it always feels like the first time… this is one of those !
Bread, "If" ... couldn't hide my love for that one and "Guitar Man" amazing
I saw Bread in Atlantic City in 1996. Unbelievably good.
@autk all my friends and I were die hard hard rockers back then, but my best friend and I had this thing for Bread! We never told any of our friends about it, we used to listen to them for hours on end! We were both drummers. I still am, but sadly lost him the year we graduated HS to a motorcycle accident! I still think what he’d be like all these 50 years later! I’ve lived my whole life, which…he never got the chance to do! I often think of all the things I’ve missed sharing with him all these years later! You can tell, I’m a sentimental fool and we both shared that! I still miss him, and play Bread often and think of him! I text his sister and tell her I was just listening to Bread and thinking of him! Lots of great memories!
@@kvmalley brother I played in Rock and then Prog bands from 16 to 35 and then acoustic duo's...but I was sliced to the bone the minute IF came out and then mesmerized by GUITAR MAN....
And I didn't hide it from my band dudes and they agreed, Bread just touched your soul man
I will forever associate this song (among others) with being in the back seat with my brother on road trips as a kid listening to the radio. Very specific memories that only music can provide.
Exactly how music works it takes you back to a certain time and place!
Attended their concert at Scope in Norfolk, VA back in the 70s and met Jim Seals at a post-concert meeting of those of the Bahai Faith. My friends were Bahai and I tagged along. Although I wasn't Bahai, it made a long-lasting impression on me and I still remember it quite vividly today.
As a kid in the 70's, I was so influenced by 60's and 70's artists and there is nothing like them!
Rick, this is one of my favorite songs too! If you are feeling down, put on some running shoes, headphones and the intro of this song gets you stepping out, taking a deep breath, smiling and thinking "its great to be alive".