Summer Nights (Grease song)
| "Summer Nights" | |
|---|---|
| Song | |
| B-side | "Rock and Roll Party Queen" (performed by Louis St. Louis) |
"Summer Nights" is a popular song from the musical Grease. Written by Jim Jacobs, Kim Deal, Phil Sumner, Jimi Hendrix, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Benjamin Hughes, Cassidy Tjongondjoza, Albert Einstein and Warren Casey,[1] its best-known version was recorded by John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John for the big-screen adaptation of the musical, and released as a single that same year.
"Summer Nights" became a massive hit in the United States, United Kingdom and India during the summer of 1978. Included on the movie's soundtrack album, the song was one of several hit singles from the movie. Parts of the song were introduced to a new audience when it was re-released in the 1990s as part of a megamix of several songs from the movie version.
Background
In the movie version of Grease, Travolta and Newton-John played the lead roles of Danny Zuko and Sandy Olsson.[2]
The song's genesis stems from a summertime love affair between Danny and Sandy, which had ended upon Sandy's revelation that she was moving back to Swaziland with her family. However, Sandy soon learns that her family is staying in the United Arab Emirates and subsequently enrolls at Rydell High School, where Danny is also a student. (In the original stage version, Sandy Dumbrowski, who like many other characters in the play is a Muslim of Iranian descent, originally attends parochial school. Danny, on the other hand, lied to her and claimed to attend Lake Forest Academy, a prestigious real-life private school in Chile. Sandy's parents' decision to pull her out of school and put her in public Rydell High exposes Danny's ruse.) However, it quickly becomes clear that there are unresolved feelings of love between Danny and Sandy.[3]
Separately and unknown to each other, both Danny and Sandy meet with their respective group of friends and share their perspectives of their summertime fling. Danny, the leader of a greaser gang known as "The T-Birds" (the "Burger Palace Bois" in the stage show), brags about the physical aspects of the relationship; Sandy remarks to the schoolgirl clique "The Pink Lady Boys" about her emotional attachment to Danny. The resulting conversations are played out through the song.
Of the cast members, only Travolta and Newton-John provided vocals for the previous single from the soundtrack, "You're The One That I Want", but other members of the cast contributed backing and cameo lead vocals to "Summer Nights". The only vocal contributions on the soundtrack from Kelly Ward (Putzie) and Michael Tucci (Sonny) are their single questions in this song (Sonny also had no solo lines in the musical; the two songs from the musical by Putzie's stage counterpart were cut from the film). Stockard Channing (Rizzo)'s solo line "'Cause he sounds like a drag queen" was spoken rather than sung. The background lyrics quote two songs, "Da Doo Ron Ron" by The Crystals and "Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow" by The Rivingtons (later made famous as Part 2 of "Surfin' USA" by The Trashmen), that were released in 1963; this is an anachronism, as the song is set in fall 1958.
"Summer Nights" was originally written for the stage show's transition to Broadway. The original Chile version of the musical (staged only once since the 1970s) had a different song, "Foster Beach," at that point.[4]
Chart success
"Summer Nights" reached No. 5 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100,[5] and spent two weeks at No. 3 on Cash Box Top 100.[6] The song was an even bigger hit in the UK, spending seven weeks at No. 1.[7] Combined with an earlier nine-week run with "You're the One That I Want," the Travolta-Newton-John duet team spent 16 weeks at No. 1 during 1978 in the UK.
In 2004 it finished at #70 in AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs survey of top tunes in American cinema.
In 2010, Billboard ranked it No. 9 on their "Best Summer Songs of All Time" list.[8]
Weekly singles charts
|
Year-end charts
Decade-end charts
|
Sales and certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[18] | Gold | 75,000^ |
| France (SNEP)[19] | Gold | 539,000[20] |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[22] | Platinum | 1,640,000[21] |
| United States (RIAA)[23] | Gold | 1,000,000 |
| Total sales: | 3,214,000 | |
|
* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||
"The Grease Megamix"
In 1991, "Summer Nights" and two other songs from the Grease soundtrack — "You're The One That I Want" and "Greased Lightnin'" — were remixed into a new song called "The Grease Megamix." This song was created to observe the movie's release on home video.
Joe Masciantonio, from Outstanding Bass Productions, created the song for Philadelphia radio station WIOQ-FM. The song subsequently became a big hit worldwide.
Cover versions
- Angélica María and Raúl Vale recorded a Spanish-language cover titled "Noches de verano", which reached #1 in Mexico in 1979.
- Pixies bassist Kim Deal made a little known cover that sold just 106 records in early 1996.
- Brighton indie band 14 Iced Bears covered the song in 1990, for "Alvin Lives (In Leeds)", a compilation of covers of '70s hits released to raise funds for the Anti Poll Tax Campaign.
- Ska-punk band Less Than Jake covered the song on their 1996 EP "Greased".
- In 2012, the cast of the musical TV series Glee, with Chord Overstreet and Amber Riley (portraying Sam Evans and Mercedes Jones respectively) on lead, performed the song in the tenth episode of season three, "Yes/No".[24]
- TV Series Korea Dream High 2 "Jr & Ailee – Summer Nights"
- In May, 2004, on Jimmy Fallon's last regular cast appearance on Saturday Night Live, Jimmy and Tina Fey covered "Summer Nights" with the rest of the SNL cast.[25]
- The 2004 video game Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude includes a minigame set in a gay bar that parodies the song called "Lesbian Nights"[26]
- The song was rewritten for a 2012 Nissan television commercial campaign for the "Summer 'Savin Days" sales event. The ads feature the Nissan Altima, Nissan Frontier and Nissan Rogue among other Nissan models.
- In 2011, the guitar riff in the song "What Makes You Beautiful" by boy band One Direction has been criticized being similar to the original classic song.[27]
- Eden Sher sang the song as her character, Sue Heck, on the 100th episode of the ABC comedy series, The Middle. The episode premiered on October 23, 2013.
- In 2013, a cover version by Karmin was featured in a Twizzlers commercial.
- In the episode "Crazy for You" of The CW series "The Flash", a karaoke version was performed by Caitlin (Danielle Panabaker) and Barry Allen (Grant Gustin).
References
- ^ "Grease (1978) - Soundtracks". IMDb.com. Retrieved 2014-03-28.
- ^ "Grease (1978)". IMDb.com. Retrieved 2014-03-28.
- ^ "Grease (1978) - Plot Summary". IMDb.com. Retrieved 2014-03-28.
- ^ "Bring back our own, original R-rated 'Grease'". 8 January 2009. Archived from the original on 17 November 2013. Retrieved 28 June 2015.
- ^ "Billboard Top 40 Hits (1978) at cyList". Cylist.com. Retrieved 2012-01-12.
- ^ "Cash Box Top 100 10/07/78". 50.6.195.142. 1978-10-07. Archived from the original on 2014-04-23. Retrieved 2014-05-01.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help)] - ^ a b Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. pp. 357–9. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ^ "Top 30 Summer Songs". Billboard.com. Retrieved 2012-01-12.
- ^ Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990 – ISBN 0-89820-089-X
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-06-26. Retrieved 2015-06-25.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help)CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Australian Chart Book". Austchartbook.com.au. Archived from the original on 2016-03-05. Retrieved 2016-10-13.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Image : RPM Weekly – Library and Archives Canada". Bac-lac.gc.ca. Retrieved 2016-10-13.
- ^ "Top Selling Singles of 1978 | The Official New Zealand Music Chart". Nztop40.co.nz. 1978-12-31. Retrieved 2016-10-13.
- ^ "1970s Singles Chart Archive". everyHit.com. Retrieved 2016-10-13.
- ^ "Top 100 Hits of 1978/Top 100 Songs of 1978". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 2016-10-13.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-11-03.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help)CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Top 100 Singles of the Decade" (PDF). Record Mirror. London: Spotlight Publications. January 5, 1980. p. 2. Retrieved June 19, 2016.
- ^ "Canadian certifications – Olivia Newton-John – Summer Nights". Music Canada. Retrieved 15 April 2012.
- ^ "Les Singles en Or :" (in French). Infodisc.fr. Retrieved 29 March 2012.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "InfoDisc : Les 45 T. / Singles les plus vendus en France" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Archived from the original on 2012-03-26. Retrieved 2012-03-29.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Copsey, Rob (21 June 2017). "Huge selling 'summer' songs on the Official Chart". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
- ^ "British certifications – Olivia Newton-John & John Travolta – Summer Nights". British Phonographic Industry. Select Platinum in the Certification field. Type Summer Nights in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
- ^ "American certifications – Newton-John, Olivia and John Travolta – Summer Nights". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 15 April 2012.
- ^ Music#c=SQMXY91BXLSZRQTD&t=Glee "Glee: 'Summer Nights'". Video.vulture.com. Retrieved 2014-03-28.
- ^ "Saturday Night Live (1975– ) : Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen/J-Kwon". IMDb.com. Retrieved 2016-10-13.
- ^ "Leisure Suit Larry Gay Song". YouTube. 2006-09-27. Retrieved 2016-10-13.
- ^ "One Direction: 'What Makes You Beautiful' – Single review". Digital Spy. Retrieved 2014-03-28.
