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{{More citations needed|date=April 2021}}
{{More citations needed|date=April 2021}}
{{DISPLAYTITLE:Theme from ''A Summer Place''}}
{{DISPLAYTITLE:Theme from ''A Summer Place''}}
"'''Theme from ''A Summer Place'''''" is a song with lyrics by Mack Discant and music by [[Max Steiner]], written for the 1959 film ''[[A Summer Place (film)|A Summer Place]]'', which starred [[Sandra Dee]] and [[Troy Donahue]]. It was recorded for the film as an instrumental by [[Hugo Winterhalter]]. Originally known as the "'''Molly and Johnny Theme'''", this lush extended cue,<ref>Hirschhorn, Clive. '' The Warner Bros. Story,'' Octopus Books, London, 1979, p. 343.</ref> as orchestrated by [[Murray Cutter]], is not the [[main title]] theme of the film, but an oft-heard secondary love theme for the characters played by Dee and Donahue. The theme has become a canonical representation of the [[easy listening]] genre, and is considered by<!-- "by some" is literally what Continuum Encyclopedia says --> some to be the definitive easy listening track of all time.<ref>{{cite book |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HZQemZyozqwC&dq=%22easy+listening%22+%22a+summer+place%22&pg=PA196 |title=Continuum Encyclopedia of Popular Music of the World |volume=8 |publisher=Bloomsbury |chapter=Genres: North America |first=Keir |last=Keightley |editor-first1=David |editor-last1=Horn |editor-first2=John |editor-last2=Shepherd |year=2012 |page=196 }}</ref>
"'''Theme from ''A Summer Place'''''" is a song with lyrics by Mack Discant and music by [[Max Steiner]], written for the 1959 film ''[[A Summer Place (film)|A Summer Place]]'', which starred [[Sandra Dee]] and [[Troy Donahue]]. It was recorded for the film as an instrumental theme by Steiner. Originally known as the "'''Molly and Johnny Theme'''", this lush extended cue,<ref>Hirschhorn, Clive. '' The Warner Bros. Story,'' Octopus Books, London, 1979, p. 343.</ref> as orchestrated by [[Murray Cutter]], is not the [[main title]] theme of the film, but an oft-heard secondary love theme for the characters played by Dee and Donahue. A subsequent recording by [[Hugo Winterhalter]] was the first to use the "Theme from ''A Summer Place''" title. The theme has become a canonical representation of the [[easy listening]] genre, and is considered by<!-- "by some" is literally what Continuum Encyclopedia says --> some to be the definitive easy listening track of all time.<ref>{{cite book |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HZQemZyozqwC&dq=%22easy+listening%22+%22a+summer+place%22&pg=PA196 |title=Continuum Encyclopedia of Popular Music of the World |volume=8 |publisher=Bloomsbury |chapter=Genres: North America |first=Keir |last=Keightley |editor-first1=David |editor-last1=Horn |editor-first2=John |editor-last2=Shepherd |year=2012 |page=196 |isbn=978-1-4411-6078-2 }}</ref>


Following its introduction in the film by the [[Warner Bros.]] studio orchestra, the theme was recorded by many artists in both instrumental and vocal versions, and has also appeared in a number of subsequent films and television programs. The best-known
Following its introduction in the film by the [[Warner Bros.]] studio orchestra, the theme was recorded by many artists in both instrumental and vocal versions, and has also appeared in a number of subsequent films and television programs. The best-known
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==Percy Faith version==
==Percy Faith version==
{{Infobox song
{{Infobox song
| name = Theme from A Summer Place
| name = Theme from ''A Summer Place''
| cover = Theme_from_A_Summer_Place_-_Percy_Faith.jpg
| cover = Theme_from_A_Summer_Place_-_Percy_Faith.jpg
| alt =
| alt =
Line 17: Line 17:
| artist = [[Percy Faith]]
| artist = [[Percy Faith]]
| album = A Summer Place
| album = A Summer Place
| B-side = "Go-Go-Po-Go"<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.45cat.com/record/441490|title=Percy Faith And His Orchestra – The Theme From "A Summer Place"|access-date=26 April 2021|website=45cat.com}}</ref>
| B-side = Go-Go-Po-Go<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.45cat.com/record/441490|title=Percy Faith And His Orchestra – The Theme From "A Summer Place"|access-date=26 April 2021|website=45cat.com}}</ref>
| released = September 1959<ref>Billboard 28 September 1959, p 42</ref>
| released = September 1959<ref>''Billboard'' 28 September 1959, p. 42</ref>
| recorded = 11 September 1959
| recorded = 11 September 1959
| studio = [[Columbia 30th Street Studio|Columbia 30th Street]] (New York City)<ref name="SIMONS" />
| studio = [[Columbia 30th Street Studio|Columbia 30th Street]] (New York City)<ref name="SIMONS" />
| genre =
| genre =
* [[Easy listening]]<ref name= "Breihan 2018">{{cite web|first= Tom |last= Breihan |title= The Number Ones: Percy Faith's "Theme From A Summer Place"|website= [[Stereogum]] |date= February 21, 2018 |url= https://www.stereogum.com/1983896/the-number-ones-percy-faiths-theme-from-a-summer-place/columns/the-number-ones/|quote= ...and yet the theme is a light, gooey easy-listening waltz.|accessdate= June 7, 2023}}</ref>
* [[Easy listening]]<ref name="Breihan 2018">{{cite web|first= Tom |last= Breihan |title= The Number Ones: Percy Faith's "Theme From A Summer Place"|website= [[Stereogum]] |date= February 21, 2018 |url= https://www.stereogum.com/1983896/the-number-ones-percy-faiths-theme-from-a-summer-place/columns/the-number-ones/|quote= ...and yet the theme is a light, gooey easy-listening waltz.|accessdate= June 7, 2023}}</ref>
* [[waltz]]<ref name="Breihan 2018"/>
* [[waltz]]<ref name= "Breihan 2018">{{cite web|first= Tom |last= Breihan |title= The Number Ones: Percy Faith's "Theme From A Summer Place"|website= [[Stereogum]] |date= February 21, 2018 |url= https://www.stereogum.com/1983896/the-number-ones-percy-faiths-theme-from-a-summer-place/columns/the-number-ones/|quote= ...and yet the theme is a light, gooey easy-listening waltz.|accessdate= June 7, 2023}}</ref>
| length = {{Duration|m=2|s=25}}
| length = {{Duration|m=2|s=25}}
| label = [[Columbia Records|Columbia]]/[[Sony Music Entertainment|CBS Records]]
| label = [[Columbia Records|Columbia]]/[[Sony Music Entertainment|CBS Records]]
| writer = lyrics by Mack Discant and music by [[Max Steiner]]
| lyricist = Mack Discant
| composer = [[Max Steiner]]
| producer =
| producer =
| prev_title =
| prev_title =
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| next_title =
| next_title =
| next_year =
| next_year =
| misc = {{External music video|header=Official audio|{{YouTube|fRV0yHiEua8|"Theme from "A Summer Place""}}}}
| misc = {{External music video|header=Official audio|{{YouTube|fRV0yHiEua8|"Theme from ''A Summer Place''"}}}}
}}
}}


{{Infobox song
{{Infobox song
| name = Theme from A Summer Place
| name = Theme from ''A Summer Place''
| cover =
| cover =
| alt =
| alt =
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| artist = [[The Lettermen]]
| artist = [[The Lettermen]]
| album =
| album =
| B-side = "[[Sealed with a Kiss]]"
| B-side = [[Sealed with a Kiss]]
| released = 31 May 1965
| released = 31 May 1965
| recorded = 1965
| recorded = 1965
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| genre = [[Easy listening]]
| genre = [[Easy listening]]
| length = 2:00
| length = 2:00
| label = [[Capitol Records]]
| label = [[Capitol Records|Capitol]]
| writer = lyrics by Mack Discant and music by [[Max Steiner]]
| lyricist = Mack Discant
| composer = [[Max Steiner]]
| producer =
| producer =
| prev_title = Girl with a Little Tin Heart
| prev_title = Girl with a Little Tin Heart
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[[Percy Faith]] recorded the most popular version of the theme, an instrumental orchestral arrangement, at the [[CBS 30th Street Studio|Columbia 30th Street Studio]] in New York City.<ref name="SIMONS">{{cite book|last=Simons|first=David|title=Studio Stories – How the Great New York Records Were Made | location = San Francisco | publisher = Backbeat Books | year = 2004 |isbn=9781617745164| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=uEmmAK1qjbYC}} Cf. especially, p.23-24 with an article on "The Church"</ref> It was released in September 1959 as a single on [[Columbia Records]], credited to "Percy Faith and his Orchestra", prior to the November 1959 release of the film ''[[A Summer Place (film)|A Summer Place]]''.<ref name=bronson />
[[Percy Faith]] recorded the most popular version of the theme, an instrumental orchestral arrangement, at the [[CBS 30th Street Studio|Columbia 30th Street Studio]] in New York City.<ref name="SIMONS">{{cite book|last=Simons|first=David|title=Studio Stories – How the Great New York Records Were Made | location = San Francisco | publisher = Backbeat Books | year = 2004 |isbn=9781617745164| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=uEmmAK1qjbYC}} Cf. especially, p.23-24 with an article on "The Church"</ref> It was released in September 1959 as a single on [[Columbia Records]], credited to "Percy Faith and his Orchestra", prior to the November 1959 release of the film ''[[A Summer Place (film)|A Summer Place]]''.<ref name=bronson />


The single was not an immediate hit, but after it entered the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] singles chart at No. 96 on 11 January 1960, it ascended to number one in just six more weeks, on 22 February 1960,<ref name=bronson /> going on to set an at-the-time record of nine consecutive weeks at number one,<ref name=bronson /> a record that would not be broken until 1977, when "[[You Light Up My Life (song)|You Light Up My Life]]" spent ten weeks at the top of the chart. ([[Perez Prado]]'s "[[Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White]]" remained at number one for 10 weeks on the Best Sellers in Stores chart in 1955, and [[Elvis Presley]]'s double-sided hit "[[Don't Be Cruel]]/ [[Hound Dog (song)|Hound Dog]]" remained at number one for 11 weeks on the Best Sellers in Stores and Jockeys charts in 1956, all prior to the 4 August 1958, creation of the Hot 100 chart.)<ref name=bronson939>Bronson, p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=PgGqNrqfrsoC&pg=PT948 939].</ref>
The single was not an immediate hit, but after it entered the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] singles chart at No. 96 on 11 January 1960, it ascended to number one in just six more weeks, on 22 February 1960,<ref name=bronson /> going on to set an at-the-time record of nine consecutive weeks at number one,<ref name=bronson /> a record that would not be broken until 1977, when "[[You Light Up My Life (song)|You Light Up My Life]]" spent ten weeks at the top of the chart. ([[Perez Prado]]'s "[[Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White]]" remained at number one for 10 weeks on the Best Sellers in Stores chart in 1955, and [[Elvis Presley]]'s double-sided hit "[[Don't Be Cruel]]/[[Hound Dog (song)|Hound Dog]]" remained at number one for 11 weeks on the Best Sellers in Stores and Jockeys charts in 1956, all prior to the 4 August 1958, creation of the Hot 100 chart.)<ref name=bronson939>Bronson, p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=PgGqNrqfrsoC&pg=PT948 939].</ref>


The single was also in front of five consecutive No. 2 singles, none of which ever reached the Hot 100's summit: [[Jimmy Jones (singer)|Jimmy Jones]]' "[[Handy Man (song)|Handy Man]]" (29 February), [[Jim Reeves]]' "[[He'll Have to Go]]" ( 7–21 March), [[Bobby Rydell]]'s "[[Wild One (Bobby Rydell song)|Wild One]]" (28 March), [[Paul Anka]]'s "[[Puppy Love (Paul Anka song)|Puppy Love]]" ( 4–11 April), [[The Brothers Four|The Brothers Four's]] "[[Greenfields (song)|Greenfields]]" (sometimes spelled "Green Fields") (18 April),<ref>[[Casey Kasem]], "[[American Top 40]]", 29 April 1978</ref> with [[Elvis Presley]]'s "[[Stuck on You (Elvis Presley song)|Stuck on You]]" (25 April – 9 May) in front of "Greenfields" during its last three weeks at No. 2.
The single was also in front of five consecutive No. 2 singles, none of which ever reached the Hot 100's summit: [[Jimmy Jones (singer)|Jimmy Jones]]' "[[Handy Man (song)|Handy Man]]" (29 February), [[Jim Reeves]]' "[[He'll Have to Go]]" (7–21 March), [[Bobby Rydell]]'s "[[Wild One (Bobby Rydell song)|Wild One]]" (28 March), [[Paul Anka]]'s "[[Puppy Love (Paul Anka song)|Puppy Love]]" (4–11 April), [[the Brothers Four]]'s "[[Greenfields (song)|Greenfields]]" (sometimes spelled "Green Fields") (18 April),<ref>[[Casey Kasem]], ''[[American Top 40]]'', 29 April 1978</ref> with [[Elvis Presley]]'s "[[Stuck on You (Elvis Presley song)|Stuck on You]]" (25 April–9 May) in front of "Greenfields" during its last three weeks at No. 2.


"Theme From ''A Summer Place''" remains the longest-running number one instrumental in the history of the Hot 100. ''Billboard'' ranked Faith's version as the [[Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1960|Number One song for 1960]]. The Faith version reached number 2 in the [[UK Singles Chart]], spending 31 weeks on the chart, and it was also a number 1 hit in Italy under the title "Scandalo Al Sole."
"Theme from ''A Summer Place''" remains the longest-running number one instrumental in the history of the Hot 100. ''Billboard'' ranked Faith's version as the [[Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1960|number one song for 1960]]. The Faith version reached number 2 on the [[UK Singles Chart]], spending 31 weeks on the chart, and it was also a number 1 hit in Italy under the title "Scandalo al sole".


Faith won a [[Grammy Award for Record of the Year]] in 1961 for his recording. This was the first movie theme and the first instrumental to win a Record of the Year Grammy. In 2000, the song was inducted into the [[Grammy Hall of Fame]].<ref>https://www.grammy.com/awards/hall-of-fame-award#t</ref>
Faith won a [[Grammy Award for Record of the Year]] in 1961 for his recording. This was the first movie theme and the first instrumental to win a Record of the Year Grammy. In 2000, the song was inducted into the [[Grammy Hall of Fame]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.grammy.com/awards/hall-of-fame-award#t|title=GRAMMY Hall Of Fame &#124; Hall of Fame Artists &#124; GRAMMY.com|website=grammy.com}}</ref>


Faith re-recorded the song twice: first, in 1969, as a female choral version, then, in 1976, as a [[disco]] version<ref name=bronson939 /> titled "Summer Place '76."
Faith re-recorded the song twice: first, in 1969, as a female choral version, then, in 1976, as a [[disco]] version<ref name=bronson939 /> titled "Summer Place '76".


As reported by [[Casey Kasem]] on the ''[[American Top 40]]'' broadcast of 25 September 1976, "Theme from ''A Summer Place''" is the biggest hit on the American charts by a Canadian artist.
As reported by [[Casey Kasem]] on the ''[[American Top 40]]'' broadcast of 25 September 1976, "Theme from ''A Summer Place''" is the biggest hit on the American charts by a Canadian artist.


In 2008 Faith's original version was ranked at number 18 on [[Billboard (magazine)|''Billboard'']]'s top 100 songs during the first 50 years of the Hot 100 chart.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/specials/hot100/charts/top100-titles-20.shtml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080913205950/http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/specials/hot100/charts/top100-titles-20.shtml|url-status=dead|archive-date=13 September 2008|title=Billboard Hot 100 Chart 50th Anniversary – The Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Songs (20–11)|website=Billboard.com|access-date=26 April 2021}}</ref> ''The Billboard Book of Number One Hits'' called it "the most successful instrumental single of the rock era."
In 2008, Faith's original version was ranked at number 18 on [[Billboard (magazine)|''Billboard'']]'s top 100 songs during the first 50 years of the Hot 100 chart.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/specials/hot100/charts/top100-titles-20.shtml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080913205950/http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/specials/hot100/charts/top100-titles-20.shtml|url-status=dead|archive-date=13 September 2008|title=Billboard Hot 100 Chart 50th Anniversary – The Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Songs (20–11)|website=Billboard.com|access-date=26 April 2021}}</ref> ''The Billboard Book of Number One Hits'' called it "the most successful instrumental single of the rock era."


===Charts===
===Charts===

{{col-begin|width=67%}}
{{col-begin|width=67%}}
{{col-2}}
{{col-2}}
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!Peak<br />position
!Peak<br />position
|-
|-
|Canada ([[CHUM-AM|CHUM]] ''Hit Parade'')<ref>[http://chumtribute.com/60-03-28-chart.jpg CHUM Hit Parade, March 28, 1960]</ref>
|Canada ([[CHUM-AM|CHUM]] ''Hit Parade'')<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://chumtribute.com/60-03-28-chart.jpg|title=CHUM Hit Parade, March 28, 1960}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|4
| style="text-align:center;"|4
|-
|-
|New Zealand (''Lever Hit Parade'')<ref>[http://www.flavourofnz.co.nz/index.php?qpageID=search%20lever&qsongid=323#n_view_location Flavour of New Zealand, 21 July 1960]</ref>
|New Zealand (''Lever Hit Parade'')<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.flavourofnz.co.nz/index.php?qpageID=search+lever&qsongid=323#n_view_location|title=flavour of new zealand - search lever|website=www.flavourofnz.co.nz}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|2
| style="text-align:center;"|2
|-
|-
Line 125: Line 126:


==Other notable cover versions==
==Other notable cover versions==
"Theme from ''A Summer Place''" has been covered by a number of artists in addition to Percy Faith, in both non-vocal instrumental versions, and with one or more vocalists either singing the Discant lyrics or a wordless melody line. The theme has also been referenced, sampled, or otherwise adapted into several other songs.
"Theme from ''A Summer Place''" has been covered by a number of artists in addition to Percy Faith, in both non-vocal instrumental versions, and with one or more vocalists either singing Discant's lyrics or a wordless melody line. The theme has also been referenced, sampled, or otherwise adapted into several other songs.


===Instrumental versions===
===Instrumental versions===
* In 1960, [[Billy Vaughn]] included an instrumental orchestral arrangement of the theme as the title cut to his album ''Theme From A Summer Place'' released on [[Dot Records]], which peaked at number one on the Billboard [[LP record|LP]] chart.
* In 1960, [[Billy Vaughn]] included an instrumental orchestral arrangement of the theme as the title cut to his album ''Theme from A Summer Place'' released on [[Dot Records]], which peaked at number one on the ''Billboard'' [[LP record|LP]] chart.
* In 1961, [[Mantovani]] recorded an orchestral rendition of the theme for his [[LP album|album]] ''Mantovani Plays Music From 'Exodus' and Other Great Themes''; the album reached the Top Ten on the UK charts.
* In 1961, [[Mantovani]] recorded an orchestral rendition of the theme for his [[LP album|album]] ''Mantovani Plays Music from 'Exodus' and Other Great Themes''; the album reached the top ten on the UK charts.


===Vocal versions===
===Vocal versions===
Most vocal versions of the theme have featured the [[descant]] lyrics. However, some featured wordless vocals by singers who voiced the melody line.
Most vocal versions of the theme have featured Discant's lyrics. However, some featured wordless vocals by singers who voiced the melody line.
* In 1960, British producer, bandleader and arranger [[Norrie Paramor]] released his arrangement of the theme as a single on Columbia Records, featuring wordless vocals by [[soprano]] Patricia Clarke and credited to "Norrie Paramor & His Orchestra". The single reached number 36 on the UK chart.<ref name="Official Charts Company"/>
* In 1960, British producer, bandleader and arranger [[Norrie Paramor]] released his arrangement of the theme as a single on Columbia Records, featuring wordless vocals by [[soprano]] Patricia Clarke and credited to "Norrie Paramor & His Orchestra". The single reached number 36 on the UK chart.<ref name="Official Charts Company"/>
* In 1962, [[Andy Williams]] covered the theme for his [[RIAA certification|gold-certified]] album ''[[Moon River and Other Great Movie Themes]]''.
* In 1962, [[Andy Williams]] covered the theme for his [[RIAA certification|gold-certified]] album ''[[Moon River and Other Great Movie Themes]]''.
* In 1965, the male vocal group [[The Lettermen]] had a hit with their harmony arrangement of the theme, released as a single on [[Capitol Records]]; it reached number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100, and was included on their album ''The Hit Sounds of the Lettermen''.
* In 1965, male vocal group [[the Lettermen]] had a hit with their harmony arrangement of the theme, released as a single on [[Capitol Records]]; it reached number 16 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, and was included on their album ''The Hit Sounds of the Lettermen''.
* In 1993, [[Jasper Beardley]] auditioned to be part of the Be Sharps by performing a rendition of the theme from ''A Summer Place'' in ''[[The Simpsons]]'' episode "[[Homer's Barbershop Quartet]]" (Season 5, Episode 1).


==See also==
==See also==
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Theme from a Summer Place}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Theme from a Summer Place}}
⚫
[[Category:1959 songs]]
[[Category:1959 singles]]
[[Category:1959 singles]]
[[Category:1962 singles]]
[[Category:1962 singles]]
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[[Category:Film theme songs]]
[[Category:Film theme songs]]
[[Category:Love themes]]
[[Category:Love themes]]
⚫
[[Category:1959 songs]]
[[Category:Capitol Records singles]]
[[Category:Capitol Records singles]]
[[Category:Columbia Records singles]]
[[Category:Columbia Records singles]]

Latest revision as of 22:43, 8 December 2024

For the album by Billy Vaughn, see Theme from A Summer Place (album).

"Theme from A Summer Place" is a song with lyrics by Mack Discant and music by Max Steiner, written for the 1959 film A Summer Place, which starred Sandra Dee and Troy Donahue. It was recorded for the film as an instrumental theme by Steiner. Originally known as the "Molly and Johnny Theme", this lush extended cue,[1] as orchestrated by Murray Cutter, is not the main title theme of the film, but an oft-heard secondary love theme for the characters played by Dee and Donahue. A subsequent recording by Hugo Winterhalter was the first to use the "Theme from A Summer Place" title. The theme has become a canonical representation of the easy listening genre, and is considered by some to be the definitive easy listening track of all time.[2]

Following its introduction in the film by the Warner Bros. studio orchestra, the theme was recorded by many artists in both instrumental and vocal versions, and has also appeared in a number of subsequent films and television programs. The best-known version of the theme is an instrumental version by Percy Faith and his Orchestra that was a number-one hit for nine weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1960.[3]

Percy Faith version

[edit]
"Theme from A Summer Place"
Single by Percy Faith
from the album A Summer Place
B-sideGo-Go-Po-Go[4]
ReleasedSeptember 1959[5]
Recorded11 September 1959
StudioColumbia 30th Street (New York City)[6]
Genre
Length2:25
LabelColumbia/CBS Records
Composer(s)Max Steiner
Lyricist(s)Mack Discant
Official audio
"Theme from A Summer Place" on YouTube
"Theme from A Summer Place"
Single by The Lettermen
B-side"Sealed with a Kiss"
Released31 May 1965
Recorded1965
GenreEasy listening
Length2:00
LabelCapitol
Composer(s)Max Steiner
Lyricist(s)Mack Discant
The Lettermen singles chronology
"Girl with a Little Tin Heart"
(1965) 		"Theme from A Summer Place"
(1965) 		"Secretly"
(1965)

Percy Faith recorded the most popular version of the theme, an instrumental orchestral arrangement, at the Columbia 30th Street Studio in New York City.[6] It was released in September 1959 as a single on Columbia Records, credited to "Percy Faith and his Orchestra", prior to the November 1959 release of the film A Summer Place.[3]

The single was not an immediate hit, but after it entered the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart at No. 96 on 11 January 1960, it ascended to number one in just six more weeks, on 22 February 1960,[3] going on to set an at-the-time record of nine consecutive weeks at number one,[3] a record that would not be broken until 1977, when "You Light Up My Life" spent ten weeks at the top of the chart. (Perez Prado's "Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White" remained at number one for 10 weeks on the Best Sellers in Stores chart in 1955, and Elvis Presley's double-sided hit "Don't Be Cruel/Hound Dog" remained at number one for 11 weeks on the Best Sellers in Stores and Jockeys charts in 1956, all prior to the 4 August 1958, creation of the Hot 100 chart.)[8]

The single was also in front of five consecutive No. 2 singles, none of which ever reached the Hot 100's summit: Jimmy Jones' "Handy Man" (29 February), Jim Reeves' "He'll Have to Go" (7–21 March), Bobby Rydell's "Wild One" (28 March), Paul Anka's "Puppy Love" (4–11 April), the Brothers Four's "Greenfields" (sometimes spelled "Green Fields") (18 April),[9] with Elvis Presley's "Stuck on You" (25 April–9 May) in front of "Greenfields" during its last three weeks at No. 2.

"Theme from A Summer Place" remains the longest-running number one instrumental in the history of the Hot 100. Billboard ranked Faith's version as the number one song for 1960. The Faith version reached number 2 on the UK Singles Chart, spending 31 weeks on the chart, and it was also a number 1 hit in Italy under the title "Scandalo al sole".

Faith won a Grammy Award for Record of the Year in 1961 for his recording. This was the first movie theme and the first instrumental to win a Record of the Year Grammy. In 2000, the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.[10]

Faith re-recorded the song twice: first, in 1969, as a female choral version, then, in 1976, as a disco version[8] titled "Summer Place '76".

As reported by Casey Kasem on the American Top 40 broadcast of 25 September 1976, "Theme from A Summer Place" is the biggest hit on the American charts by a Canadian artist.

In 2008, Faith's original version was ranked at number 18 on Billboard's top 100 songs during the first 50 years of the Hot 100 chart.[11] The Billboard Book of Number One Hits called it "the most successful instrumental single of the rock era."

Charts

[edit]

Certifications

[edit]
Certifications for "Theme from A Summer Place"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[16] Gold 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Other notable cover versions

[edit]

"Theme from A Summer Place" has been covered by a number of artists in addition to Percy Faith, in both non-vocal instrumental versions, and with one or more vocalists either singing Discant's lyrics or a wordless melody line. The theme has also been referenced, sampled, or otherwise adapted into several other songs.

Instrumental versions

[edit]
  • In 1960, Billy Vaughn included an instrumental orchestral arrangement of the theme as the title cut to his album Theme from A Summer Place released on Dot Records, which peaked at number one on the Billboard LP chart.
  • In 1961, Mantovani recorded an orchestral rendition of the theme for his album Mantovani Plays Music from 'Exodus' and Other Great Themes; the album reached the top ten on the UK charts.

Vocal versions

[edit]

Most vocal versions of the theme have featured Discant's lyrics. However, some featured wordless vocals by singers who voiced the melody line.

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Hirschhorn, Clive. The Warner Bros. Story, Octopus Books, London, 1979, p. 343.
  2. ^ Keightley, Keir (2012). "Genres: North America". In Horn, David; Shepherd, John (eds.). Continuum Encyclopedia of Popular Music of the World. Vol. 8. Bloomsbury. p. 196. ISBN 978-1-4411-6078-2.
  3. ^ a b c d Bronson, Fred (1 October 2003). The Billboard Book of Number One Hits (5th ed.). New York: Billboard Books. p. 75. ISBN 978-0823076772.
  4. ^ "Percy Faith And His Orchestra – The Theme From "A Summer Place"". 45cat.com. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
  5. ^ Billboard 28 September 1959, p. 42
  6. ^ a b Simons, David (2004). Studio Stories – How the Great New York Records Were Made. San Francisco: Backbeat Books. ISBN 9781617745164. Cf. especially, p.23-24 with an article on "The Church"
  7. ^ a b Breihan, Tom (21 February 2018). "The Number Ones: Percy Faith's "Theme From A Summer Place"". Stereogum. Retrieved 7 June 2023. ...and yet the theme is a light, gooey easy-listening waltz.
  8. ^ a b Bronson, p. 939.
  9. ^ Casey Kasem, American Top 40, 29 April 1978
  10. ^ "GRAMMY Hall Of Fame | Hall of Fame Artists | GRAMMY.com". grammy.com.
  11. ^ "Billboard Hot 100 Chart 50th Anniversary – The Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Songs (20–11)". Billboard.com. Archived from the original on 13 September 2008. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
  12. ^ "CHUM Hit Parade, March 28, 1960".
  13. ^ "flavour of new zealand - search lever". www.flavourofnz.co.nz.
  14. ^ a b "Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. 9 March 1960. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
  15. ^ "Hot 100 turns 60". Billboard. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
  16. ^ "American single certifications – Percy Faith – Theme from A Summer Place". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
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