Dancing In The Street

Summer's here and the time is right, and what a tune the original was, not too keen on the Jagger / Bowie version from my youth it has to be said.

Anyway, while not all for dancing, here are a few tracks that for me hold many memories of summers past, and like the official start of summer (which is when DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince gets its first airing each year) these to me are the soundtrack to summer.

The Style Council - Long Hot Summer. On holiday in West Wales with family and my mate Huw.

 And this was us on that holiday, in the time honoured fashion of that era, my mum cut my head off in the pic...

Dodgy - Staying Out For The Summer. The potheads best and most catchy tune. A hazy memory of them on the main stage at Reading Festival.

The Small Faces - Itchycoo Park. What better way to spend a day than listening to the Small Faces in the sun.

Happy Mondays - Step On. The height of Madchester and the E generation rolled up in one. The memory of singing this in the Lions of Bledlow pub after Kimble point-point races, a long day and night.

The Undertones - Here Comes The Summer. If there is such a thing as perfect pop this is about as close as I think you can get. And for fans of the Peel Sessions "Hey Mickey, what's incoherently mean?"

The Kinks - Waterloo Sunset. The first holiday away with mates and no parents. Margate, July 84. No idea how this song fitted in to the actual holiday, must have been on someones tape at the time and played a lot. Also one of the finest records ever made.

With thanks to Crackers from twitter for providing a little inspiration, and his opening offer was:

The Isley Brothers - Summer Breeze