Theme From A Summer Place

Album: A Summer Place Soundtrack (1959)
Charted: 2 1
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Songfacts®:

  • This instrumental song that indicates summer romance was part of the score for the 1959 movie A Summer Place, which stared Troy Donahue and Sandra Dee and was set on an island in Maine.
  • This was written by Austrian film composer Max Steiner, who also wrote the score for Casablanca.
  • In the US, this was the top selling single of 1960. It won the 1960 Grammy for Record Of The Year, becoming the first movie theme to win the award. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Edward Pearce - Ashford, Kent, England, for all above
  • Faith was a composer who arranged songs for a variety of artists, including Tony Bennett and Johnny Mathis. He recorded this with his orchestra.
  • Faith's version was not used in the movie. That version was performed by Hugo Winterbalter's orchestra.
  • This stayed at #1 in the US for 9 weeks, the longest run of any instrumental song. Perhaps listeners were anxious to escape the cold - it first hit #1 in February. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Bertrand - Paris, France
  • In 1976, Faith released a disco version of this song called "Summer Place '76."

Comments: 21

  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn this day in 1965 {August 1st} a vocal version of "Theme from 'A Summer Place'" by The Lettermen peaked at #2 {for 1 week} on Billboard's Easy Listening chart, for the week it was a #2, the #1 record for that week was "Save Your Heart For Me" by Gary Lewis and The Playboys...
    "Theme from 'A Summer Place'" peaked at #16 {for 1 week} on the Billboard's Top 100 chart...
    Between 1961 and 1975 the Las Vegas, Nevada trio had twenty-eight records on the Easy Listening chart, sixteen made the Top 10 with one reaching #1, "When I Fall In Love", for one week in December of 1961...
    Tony Butala, the only surviving member of the trio, will celebrate his 81st birthday in three months on November 20th, 2021...
    Bob Engemann died on January 20, 2013, at the age of 77, and Jim Pike passed on June 9, 2019, at 82...
    May they both R.I.P.
    And from the 'For What It's Worth' department, the remainder of the Easy Listening Top 10 on August 1st, 1965:
    At #3. "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me" by Mel Carter
    #4. "Too Many Rivers" by Brenda Lee
    #5. "Marie" by The Bachelors
    #6. "(Such An) Easy Question" by Elvis Presley
    #7. "You'd Better Come Home" by Petula Clark
    #8. "A Little Bit of Heaven" by Ronnie Dove
    #9. "One Dyin' and A Buryin': by Roger Miller
    #10. "Trains and Boats and Planes" by Billy J. Kramer and The Dakota
  • Ronnie C from Alabama This has always been one of my favorite songs - good skating rink memories. But I swear I just heard this melody in a 1949 movie called “The Dark Past” starring Lee J Cobb. Couldn’t believe it, but I know I heard it.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn this day in 1969 {May 17th} the Ventures performed their covered version of "Theme from 'A Summer Place'" on the ABC-TV Saturday-afternoon program, 'American Bandstand'...
    Nine weeks later "Theme from 'A Summer Place'" peaked at #83 {for 2 weeks} on Billboard's Top 100 chart, it spent a total of five weeks on the Top 100...
    And on the same 'Bandstand' episode they also performed "Hawaii Five-O", at the time it was at #6 on the Top 100, the week before it had peaked at #4 {for 1 week} and it stayed on the chart for fourteen weeks...
    Between 1960 and 1969 the Tacoma, Washington quartet had fourteen Top 100 records, three made the Top 10, "Walk - Don't Run" {#2* for 1 week in 1960}, "Walk - Don't Run '64" {#8 in 1964} and the above "Hawaii Five-O"...
    Sadly, three of the four original members of the quartet have passed away; drummer Mel Taylor {1933 - 1996}, lead guitarist Bob Bogle {1934 - 2009} and guitarist Nole 'Nokie' Edwards {1935 – 2018}...
    May all three R.I.P.
    * The week "Walk - Don't Run" peaked at #2, the #1 record for that week was "It's Now or Never" by Elvis...
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn July 20, 1965, the Lettermen were guests* on the Philadelphia-based syndicated television program 'The Mike Douglas Show Show'...
    The day before, July 19th, 1965, the trio were 101 miles up Interstate 95 in New York City, and were making an appearance on the syndicated TV program 'The Merv Griffin Show'...
    {See next post below}.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn July 19, 1965, the Lettermen were guests on the syndicated television program 'The Merv Griffen Show'...
    At the time their covered version of "A Theme from 'A Summer Place'" was at #26 on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart; just under two weeks later it would peak at #16 {for 1 week} and it spent 9 weeks on the Top 100...
    Between 1961 and 1971 the trio had twenty records on the Top 100 chart; their two biggest hits both peaked at #7, "When I Fall In Love" for 1 week in 1962 and "Goin' Out of My Head/Can't Take My Eyes Off of You" for 2 weeks in 1968...
    According wikipedia.com, since 1961 there have been sixteen different members of The Lettermen.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn February 22nd 1960, "The Theme from 'A Summer Place'" moved into the #1 position on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart; it would hold the top spot for nine consecutive weeks...
    During its stay at #1 it prevented five records from reaching the top spot; "Handy Man" by Jimmy Jones, "He'll Have to Go" by Jim Reeves, "Wild One" by Bobby Rydell, "Puppy Love" by Paul Anka, and "Greenfields" by the Brothers Four..
    All five above records peak at #2...
    And as stated in the next post below it took a King to knock Mr. Faith out of the #1 position.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn January 5th 1960 "The Theme from A Summer Place" by Percy Faith entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart; and on February 22nd it peaked at #1 (for 9 weeks) and spent 21 weeks on the Top 100...
    Two vocal version of the song have charted on the Top 100; Dick Roman (#64 in 1962) and the Letterman (#16 in 1965)...
    Elvis Presley, but of course, with "Stuck On You" was the artist who knocked it out of the top spot...
    R.I.P. Mr. Faith (1908 - 1976), Mr. Roman (1938 - 1976), and to The King (1935 - 1977).
  • Steve Dotstar from Los Angeles, CaFirst of all, I would like to say how magnificent Percys arrangement is...it is a true classic!
    A debt is owed to the great Fats Domino, who brought into style the 50's triplet beat as early as 1950 and influenced a generation of teen beat songs, of which this one is also based..
    Another amazing fact, is that The actual "theme"
    for the movie Summer Place was not this theme, but another...This is the Molly And Johnny Theme
    (included in the film)which symbolized the 2 young lovers Sandra Dee and Troy Donahue... The popularity of Percy's record made this "theme" synonymous with the film, and the Molly and Johnny Theme will forever be known as the "Theme From A Summer Place"....
    Steve Owen AKA Steve Dotstar
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyAccording Billboard; Perez Prado's "Cherry Pink & Apple Blossom White" was No. 1 from 04-30-1955 to 07-08-1955; that's a total of 10 weeks!!! (Incidentally; the record that knocked Cherry Pink out of No. 1 was the 1st rock 'n roll record to make it to No. 1; that's "Rock Around the Clock" by Bill Haley & his Comets}
  • Barry from Sauquoit, Ny'A Summer Place' is featured in the 2011 Toyota Avalon TV ads. {Maybe they should use 'Stop Stop Stop' by The Hollies}
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyThe instrucmental rockers, The Ventures, covered this song in 1969, it peaked at No. 83 and stayed in the Top 100 for five weeks!!!
  • Camille from Toronto, OhHearing this song transports me back to summers of a simpler time in life when I was a carefree child growing up surrounded by family and friends. No, it wasn't an idyllic childhood, but when I hear a tune like this that reminds me of those days, all I remember are the wonderful memories.
  • Jon from Scotland, United KingdomAlthough I'd heard - and loved - "Theme from a Summer Place" many years previous, my favourite memory of this song comes from 1998 when I spent a magical summer at Atlantic Beach, NC, and the Percy Faith version seemed to be played every hour on a quite antiquated oldies radio station. It was definitely a big part of the soundtrack to that summer for me.
  • Ken from Brighton, MiI was two years old when this song was released. It is one of my favorite songs. I could listen to it ten times a day everyday. It's the most beautful instrumental ever composed.
  • Andy from Las Vegas, NvMax Steiner also wrote the music to "Gone With The Wind" and "King Kong," among other notables.
  • David from Hudson, NyJoanie Sommers recorded a version of this in the early-'60s.
  • Rick from Wellston, Ohthis song was used in the opening of the film omega man starring charleton heston
  • Wilfred from Melbourne, AustraliaI believe this song was parodied in "The Simpsons" during a search for a new member for Homer's band, the "B-Sharps". The parody in the show is sung by a friend of Grandpa Simpson who lives with him at the retirement village.
  • Keith from Slc, UtThere are lyrics to this, covered by the Lettermen and some girl group back in the '60s.

  • Ruud from South-holland, NetherlandsFunny fact, Stephen King uses the song in his movies, like Hearts of Atlantis and The Shining...
  • Tiffany from Dover, FlI heard this in a "Freakazoid" episode when it accompanies relaxing scenes to replace violent ones.
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