It’s full tilt summer in my city, New Orleans. We had a fleeting encounter with a tropical storm, which I’ll write about tomorrow. After Bertha drifted away, the heat settled on the city like a shroud or some such shit. Hot time, summer in the city.

John Sebastian, Mark Sebastian, and Steve Boone wrote Summer In The City in 1966. It began life as a stand-alone single but ended up on the Hums Of The Lovin Spoonful album. It was the band’s only number one hit song. It featured a harder rock sound than the rest of their output. Hot time, summer in the city.

We begin with a heaping spoonful of summer:

It gets hot in Memphis too.

Quincy Jones had a hit with this week’s tune in 1973. It features Valerie Simpson on lead vocals. Is she the girl of the album title that got it bad? Discuss amongst yourselves.

I’m not a fan of the Karate Kid movies but I dig The Pointer Sisters:

Joe Cocker brings his gravelly voice to bear on the Lovin’ Spoonful classic.

Here’s Isaac Hayes with a souped up version from 1995.

Finally, a 21st Century version by Joe Jackson:

What would the Friday Cocktail Hour be without an instrumental version of the week’s tune? This time, The Ventures.

That’s it for this week. Let’s drink to cooler weather. It’s what The Lovin’ Spoonful would want. Never argue with cartoon rock stars on a park bench.