Seals and Crofts – Summer Breeze …1970’s AM Radio Gold Week

We just got 2-3 inches of snow last night…Summer Breeze is just what we need.

I’m probably the only one out there that always thought it was “Seals and Croft” not a plural Crofts. Other than me not paying attention all my life to that…this song IS the 70s. No song I can write about represents AM Gold better than this one.

Jim Seals and Dash Crofts were from Texas. They belonged to a later version of The Champs…The Champs had a hit “Tequila” in 1958. When the group dissolved in 1965, they worked with several other artists including Gene Vincent. In 1969 they released their first album as a duo. “Summer Breeze” was the first hit single, appearing on their fourth album in fall 1972.

“Summer Breeze” almost went nowhere. By the fall of 1972 the album Summer Breeze had been out for a couple of months, but the title single…the song the duo had worked so hard to perfect had barely charted, and their label informed them it would do no more promotion. While they were on tour in Boston, their manager convinced them that while they were there, they should show up to one of the city’s most popular radio stations and play “Summer Breeze” for a DJ.

The DJ ended up liking it. After listening to it, he looked up and delivered the news… Summer Breeze was going into rotation. The song quickly caught on in Boston and other markets like Philadelphia and Dallas, soon followed. When they got back to L.A., they heard Summer Breeze on the car radio.

Jim Seals is the brother of Dan Seals, who was “England Dan” in the duo England Dan and John Ford Coley. They had several hit songs in the ’70s.

The song peaked at #6 in the Billboard 100, #6 in Canada, and #14 in New Zealand in 1973.

I’ve always liked a 1974 cover by the Isley Brothers also, featuring much livelier guitar. It peaked at #16 in the UK. Some of the other artists to cover it include Johnny Mathis, The Main Ingredient, and Jason Mraz.

Jim Seals: “A very simple song about a man coming home from work and hearing the dog barking and things like that, and to a lot of people the song’s about looking for security. Our meaning goes further than that, for a prison can be the prison of self and a person can become insecure and paranoid if he doesn’t have a direction in his personal life.”

From Songfacts

“Blowing through the jasmine in my mind”? Long before it was a Disney princess, jasmine was a kind of flower that blooms in the summer. Also good for tea, Seals & Crofts use it to bring about feelings of contentment and harmony in this song, which is a feel-good classic about enjoying some simple pleasures in life with the ones you love. Jim Seals explained in 1972: “We operate on a different level, we try to create images, impressions and trains of thought in the minds of our listeners.”

Seals & Crofts were devoted to the Baha’i faith, and believed that by writing about life itself, many meanings would emerge for the listener.

Type O Negative released a very foreboding cover of “Summer Breeze” in 1993 that was used in the 1997 movie I Know What You Did Last Summer. Other movies to use the song include:

Rock Odyssey (1987)
King of California (2007)
Land of the Lost (2009)
Vacation Friends (2021)

It also appears in these TV shows:
Freaks and Geeks (“Dead Dogs and Gym Teachers” – 2000)
How I Met Your Mother (“Matchmaker” – 2005)
Girls (“The Return” – 2012)
Family Guy (“Yacht Rocky” – 2019)
The Blacklist (“The Protean (No. 36)” – 2021)

Summer Breeze

See the curtains hangin’ in the window, in the evenin’ on a Friday night
A little light a-shinin’ through the window, lets me know everything is alright

Summer breeze, makes me feel fine, blowing through the jasmine in my mind
Summer breeze, makes me feel fine, blowing through the jasmine in my mind

See the paper layin’ in the sidewalk, a little music from the house next door
So I walked on up to the doorstep, through the screen and across the floor

Summer breeze, makes me feel fine, blowing through the jasmine in my mind
Summer breeze, makes me feel fine, blowing through the jasmine in my mind

Sweet days of summer, the jasmine’s in bloom
July is dressed up and playing her tune
And I come home from a hard day’s work
And you’re waiting there, not a care in the world
See the smile a-waitin’ in the kitchen, food cookin’ and the plates for two
Feel the arms that reach out to hold me, in the evening when the day is through

Summer breeze, makes me feel fine, blowing through the jasmine in my mind
Summer breeze, makes me feel fine, blowing through the jasmine in my mind

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Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball fan, old movie and tv show fan... and a songwriter, bass and guitar player.

64 thoughts on “Seals and Crofts – Summer Breeze …1970’s AM Radio Gold Week”

  1. I enjoyed reading your post Max. This song starts out with a breeze blowing the curtains around on a Friday night, and when the guy sees a light shining through the window, he senses that everything is going to be alright. The breeze allows him to smell the Jasmine which is blooming because ii is Summer. Normal things are going on, which gives the man a sense of security. He sees a paper on the sidewalk and hears music coming from the house next door, which he takes as an invite to stop by for a visit. The man comes home from work and sees his lover waiting for him with dinner ready. They are looking forward to spending a long weekend together and they embrace because life is good, while the Jasmine brings out feelings of contentment and harmony. The man is ready to chill out with his woman and he is grateful for the simpler things that life has to offer.

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  2. Man, I love that tune, Max! Yes, some might dismiss it as Yacht rock/pop, whatever. I don’t care. There’s so much warmth in that sound, you can literally feel the summer breeze. It’s a perfect summer song. It’s always reminded me a bit of Cat Stevens. We’re expecting a mix of rain and snow today. If I end up having to shovel, “Summer Breeze” will come in handy! 🙂

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      1. It looks like we’ve essentially been spared – very little snow, though it’s getting very cold.

        After thinking back and forth, I decided to go to my first bar concert in like forever this evening – a great Neil Young tribute band. I’ve been friendly with the musicians for a number of years. The show is supposed to start in 10 minutes or so. I’ve been already here for an hour or so since I misread the event details – yet another sign I definitely need new glasses!😆

        Liked by 2 people

      6. Ours is melting all away today. It seems like we might be getting more snow in winters now. In the 70s and 80s we got a lot…nothing compared to you but now we are getting it again.

        Liked by 1 person

  3. Yes, this is so ‘AM radio’. I clearly remember watching that Midnight Special performance. My brother and I were often home alone on Saturday nights, while our parents were out partying at Knights of Columbus BYOB events. 😀

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    1. That sounds like a great memory. For me it was the Vega rides with my sister with this song.
      The Midnight Special…I remember the show and for some reason “Foghat” and the Doobie Brothers on there…just parts of it and SNL.

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  4. I’ve always loved this tune…with me it’s a kind of mind block–sometimes I say Seals and Crofts, sometimes it’s Seals and Croft…same with Keith Richard and Keith Richards. It’s weird, especially since I’m a huge Stones fan (pre 2000, that is)…anyway, I didn’t know about The Champs and Gene Vincent. That puts more umph in their catalog, for sure. No wonder, the Isley’s covered Summer Breeze…Ron Isley is an AWSOME guitarist! He was one of Stevie Ray Vaughn’s favorite guitarists.

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    1. I didn’t know that about Ron Isley being a favorite of Vaughns! That is something else.

      I have been saying it wrong all of my life…I think the Stones first manager changed it to Richard because of the success of Cliff Richard if I remember right.

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  5. One of the finest singles of the decade… maybe the first big “yacht rock” song, and I say that in a positive respect. One of the few rock/pop acts that my Dad knew of and liked … they had pretty widespread appeal.

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      1. They had several great singles but this was tops.
        Hope your snow melts soon! We had sleet yesterday but it was just barely warm enough not to freeze everything. Sunny & cool today. I remember one time going through Nashville area around late March & it had snowed…picturesque because some of the blossom trees were already blooming.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Oh yea I think the roads will be fine by tomorrow…it’s getting up in the 50s. I hope this zaps some snakes around here…at least the bad ones lol.
        It’s cold here today but the ground had been so warm plus they salted everything before….I’m running behind today…getting your first one now.

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  7. Ouch! Snow. We virtually never get snow of any significance (and dorset is further north than parts of Canada) thanks to the Atlantic currents. Great song, but my heart belongs to the Isleys version and i echo the comments about the guitar work, and throw in the brilliant vocals too. Seals and croft is laid back loveliness, isleys sultry and sexy and aching…

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    1. Both versions give you a different appreciation of it…it is a good song.
      In the 70s and 80s we got much more snow here…but the current changed and now we are starting to get more again.

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  9. They made some great music. I knew Jim was Dan’s brother.

    I just read that, back in 2010, Juliet Seals Crossley, Amelia Crofts Dailey (their daughters) & Genevieve Bogan Dozier (daughter of the duo’s engineer) formed the group The Hummingbirds.

    https://thehummingbirdsmusic.bandcamp.com/album/the-humming-birds-ep

    In 2018, Brady Seals (cousin) & Lua Crofts (another daughter) started touring as Seals & Crofts 2, performing the catalog.

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    1. I would go see them! I LOVE his jacket…Vic I need that damn jacket!
      Great stuff. It didn’t go to spam…I was finishing up the Twilight Zone skeleton posts…all are finished…now all I have to do is write the paragraph about them…it ends on April 24

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      2. Yea that looks like a vintage one….or a retro one.

        I don’t think so….unless I find someone who would want to do half…. a comedy would be hard to do….there are not many that are made to go over every episode.
        Star Trek, Outer Limits, Tales from the Darkside…would be the obvious ones…the original Star Trek

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      6. Yea like Quinn and Hans….that is probably the only way I would do it again…Now Star Trek I would think about because it’s only 3 seasons.

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      8. No not yet…once I’m done I might. I just looked at Star Trek…it would be only 79 episodes….there is only 79 episodes so that would be 6 months….much better!
        I would ask you also on the right show.

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      10. Yes….I need to watch Firefly lol…I’ve always wanted to…would you want to do it?

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      12. Yes…I will not do one alone again probably. I would do them again with spliting up duties. Many of the TZ I could have used help.

        I like this swapping…Dave and I are guest hosting each others site one day next week…

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      13. Would I craft a post and send it to you or are you offering access to your site? Quinn & Hans are co-editors…and, judging by what Quinn said, he set up the site, which would make him Administrator.

        What avenue are you thinking?

        Liked by 1 person

      15. I have talked to Keith about it also some…I like this reaching out and sharing some.

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  12. I’ve loved “Summer Breeze” since I was a nursery-schooler; hearing it on the radio the night I graduated high school only added to the joy it gives me. The Isleys and Type O Negative both did great jobs, too. And I’ve been the “actually” guy clarifying Dash Crofts’ “plurality” more than once, so you weren’t alone.

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  13. I sometimes find this one tips over too close to kitsch, but at the same time it’s kind of magical – that vocal blend on the chorus is just gorgeous, almost sounds like a synth. I didn’t realise for a long time that they were using their surnames – I thought it was some weird, arty band name.

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    1. I think this may have been one of the first so called “Yacht Rock” songs. It does have a nice quality about it. They had more hits than I thought.

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    1. Yes it isn’t that well known over here…the other one was on radio in the 70s here… I was around 7-8 and remember it playing all of the time.

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  16. Pingback: Seals and Crofts – Summer Breeze …1970’s AM Radio Gold Week – MobsterTiger

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