Lounging
Chill, silly, and fun music from the long 1960s for lying in the sun
The inspiration for this playlist came partly from my teenage fantasy to one day own a beach or lake house and lead the kind of life where I could take most of the summer off, and partly from a real trip to the south of France where I spent a lot of time sitting around in the summer heat with nothing to do.
The sonic starting place was several largely unrelated songs from the mid- to late 60s that all express the kind of laziness I aspire to in the summer. Maybe it’s because everyone was blissed out on pot back then? I say “the long 1960s” in the subtitle because the range of years represented in the end result is actually 1959–1971, and I was a 20th century history major and old habits die hard.
“Sun King” by The Beatles (Abbey Road, 1969)
I’ve always thought this should be used in a film over some sort of establishing shot of an immaculately groomed sunny lawn (either with or without loungers). But then you’d have to pay Beatles royalties so that image will just have to live in my head.
“Pet Sounds” by The Beach Boys (Pet Sounds, 1966)
“The Theme from ‘A Summer Place’” by Percy Faith & His Orchestra (single, 1959)
I know that a lot of people old enough to remember Percy Faith think this kind of music is incredibly silly, but when I was exposed to this theme as a child without the cultural context, I thought it was the most beautiful thing I’d ever heard.
“Lolita Ya Ya” by Nelson Riddle (Lolita (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), 1962)
“Je T’aime” by The Harry J All Stars (Liquidator, 1969)
There are many versions of this song, originally written by Serge Gainsbourg for Brigitte Bardot. This is my favorite, and it provides a nice bridge into the more reggae-heavy back half of the playlist.
“Love Theme From ‘The Flight Of The Phoenix’” by The Brass Ring (Love Theme From The Flight Of The Phoenix, 1966)
“Le soleil” by Brigitte Bardot (single, 1966)
Speaking of Bardot…
“Let’s Go Away For A While” by The Beach Boys (Pet Sounds, 1966)
“Aqua Marina” by The Tornados (b-side, 1965)
Someday I will write the Joe Meek-focused newsletter I promised way back when I started doing this. While this track wasn’t composed by him, it’s a great example of how his production style was both ahead of its time (electronic sounds that anticipated the use of synthesizers in pop) and very early 60s (corny vocal choruses that now instantly date his music).
“Jack the Ripper” by The Harry J All Stars (Liquidator, 1969)
“Il surf della luna 1” by Giovanni Fusco (Deserto rosso (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), 1962)
“Monkey Spanner” by Dave & Ansel Collins (Double Barrel, 1971)
I’ve realized more and more in recent years how much of the American and British music I love was descended from or explicitly riffing on Jamaican ska, rocksteady, and reggae, so therefore I will also love those genres. I’m still in the “poking around” phase and not yet in the “being knowledgeable about particular artists” phase, but I’m working on it.
“Perfidia” by The Ventures (The Ventures, 1961)
The end of this playlist has a more upbeat, dance-y vibe. I was envisioning the kind of summer evening where you feel much more lively once the sun goes down and it gets cooler.
This is another melody that absolutely everyone has recorded. I love how every time the Ventures covered something, they made it sound more like “Walk, Don’t Run” than you’d think possible. It’s like when an actor is very good but all their characters have kind of the same vibe.
“Reggae Merengue” by Tommy McCook & The Supersonics (b-side, 1970)
“Grazing In The Grass” by Hugh Masakela (single, 1968)
“Dr. Decker” by Baba Brooks with Don Drummond (b-side, 1965)
“Tear Drop” by Santo & Johnny (single, 1959)
Everyone knows “Sleep Walk,” but Santo & Johnny have many more songs with the same haunting steel guitar that perfectly evokes heading home late on a summer night.
Whether or not you have ready access to a beach house, I hope your lifestyle allows for plenty of lounging this summer. If you liked this playlist and you haven’t already subscribed, please do! I have a livelier 60s mix coming up soon.