Summer (The First Time) - Bobby Goldsboro (1973) 7/9/22

In 1971, the R-Rated film "Summer of '42" was a hit at the box office.

It was the semi-true story of three teen boys vacationing on Nantucket Island during WW2, and the girls they awkwardly tried to seduce.

The most interesting plot concerned 17-year-old Hermy, [played by Gary Grimes, who found himself in a relationship with Dorothy, a lonely 32-year-old woman, played by Jennifer O'Neal, whose husband had just been killed in the war. You can read more about the film here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Summer_of_%2742

In 1973, Bobby Goldsboro released "Summer (The First Time)." Although it was not connected to the film, it covered the same basic plot in song.

Because the song itself would also qualify as R-rated, many radio stations decided not to play it. It still became a hit, however, reaching #18 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary Chart and #21 on the Hot 100.

Interestingly, the song began with several seconds of surf and sea gull sound effects mixed with string and a repeating piano riff. It gave the overall effect of standing on a beach in the summertime--and radio DJs (like myself) would sometimes talk over it, giving the weather forecast.

You almost never hear it anymore...so I thought I'd trot out "Summer (The First Time)" by Bobby Goldsboro today as a perfect example of a "Great, but forgotten, Summer Song of the '70s!"