"Where's Summer B.?" is a song from Ben Folds Five's 1995 first album, Ben Folds Five.[1] It was written by Ben Folds and Darren Jessee.[2] The song, though up-tempo, deals with the disappointment of returning to a hometown after being away and seeing things much the same as before.
| "Where's Summer B.?" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Ben Folds Five | ||||
| from the album Ben Folds Five | ||||
| Released | August 8, 1995 (album) 1996 (single) | |||
| Recorded | Wave Castle, Chapel Hill, North Carolina February 1995 | |||
| Genre | Alternative rock | |||
| Length | 4:07 | |||
| Label | Passenger/Caroline Vital Distribution (single) | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Benjamin Scott Folds Darren Michael Jessee | |||
| Producer(s) | Caleb Southern | |||
| Ben Folds Five singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
History
editThe song is told from the point of view of a friend of Summer B.'s. Summer has returned to her hometown after being away for a significant period of time. The friend explains the various mundane events that have occurred in Summer's absence.
The title character of Summer B. is a reference to Summer Burke, a friend of the band. Burke is credited with designing the band's distinctive stick drawing piano logo.[3] Other real-life friends of Jessee's are mentioned throughout the song.
Additional versions
editA censored version of the song appears with the original album recording on the Summer EP, a four song CD released by Passenger/Caroline to promote the band to radio programmers. The censored (or "clean") version fades out the word "shit".
Singles
editCommercial CD single
editThe song was released as a CD single on June 7, 1996, in the United Kingdom, distributed by Vital Distribution for Passenger/Caroline. The other tracks of the single were recorded live on August 12, 1995, at Ziggy's in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, by John Alagia and Doug Derryberry.[4] These tracks were mixed at Rutabaga Studios in Arlington, Virginia, in May, 1996. "Tom and Mary" also appears on the Japanese release of Ben Folds Five.
- Where's Summer B.? – 4:06
- Tom & Mary (Live) – 2:51
- Emaline (Live) – 3:40
Commercial 7" vinyl single
editThe song was released as a 7" vinyl single on June 7, 1996, in the United Kingdom, distributed by Vital Distribution for Passenger/Caroline. The track on the "B" side, "Tom and Mary", was recorded live on August 12, 1995, at Ziggy's in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, by John Alagia and Doug Derryberry.[4] "Tom and Mary" was mixed at Rutabaga Studios in Arlington, Virginia, in May, 1996, and also appears on the Japanese release of Ben Folds Five.
- Side A: Where's Summer B.? – 4:06
- Side B: Tom & Mary – 2:51
Promotional CD single
editA promotional CD single was released in 1996 for the United Kingdom by Passenger/Caroline that featured both the album cut and the censored version of the song.[5]
Compilations and soundtracks
editThe album version of the song appears as the lead-off track on the 2000 charity compilation album Songs for Summer.[6] The album was released to benefit Free Arts for Abused Children[7] in memory of Summer Brannin, who died of kidney cancer at the age of 21. The album is a collection of some of Brannin's favorite songs and features a 'Summer' theme.
Personnel
edit- Ben Folds – piano, vocals
- Darren Jessee – drums, vocals, tambourine
- Robert Sledge – bass guitar, vocals
Production
edit- Producer: Caleb Southern
- Mixing: Marc Becker