Summer (The First Time)


"Summer " is a song by American singer Bobby Goldsboro, recorded for his album of the same name and released as a single in June 1973. It was written by Bobby Goldsboro, Ashley Abram and Timmy Tappan, and produced by Goldsboro and Bob Montgomery. The song was Goldsboro's second UK hit recorded on United Artists Records UP35558 and peaked at number nine in the UK Singles Chart, spending 10 weeks in the UK Top 50 singles chart. It reached number seven in the Australia, and became a Top 40 Pop and Adult Contemporary hit in both the U.S. and Canada.
The song is a 1973 reminiscence about a 17-year-old boy's first romantic experience with a 31-year-old woman. Using a repeating piano riff, 12-string guitar, and an orchestral string arrangement, the song was suggestive enough to spark some controversy at the time. The sound of seagulls combined with the string arrangement at the start of the record, which last 57 seconds until the vocals come in, creates the impression of being on a beach in mid-summer.
It is believed the song was inspired by the film Summer of '42, a coming-of-age comedy-drama released in 1971.

Chart history

Weekly charts

Year-end charts