# Summer Wind

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1965 song performed by Wayne Newton

For the Desert Rose Band song, see [Summer Wind (The Desert Rose Band song)](/source/Summer_Wind_(The_Desert_Rose_Band_song)).

"Summer Wind" Single by Wayne Newton from the album Summer Wind B-side "I'll Be Standing By" Released 1965 (1965) Genre Traditional pop Length 2:58 Label Capitol Songwriters Heinz Meier (composer), Hans Bradtke (original lyricist), Johnny Mercer (English lyricist) Producers T.M. Music, Inc.[1]

"Summer Wind" Single by Frank Sinatra from the album Strangers in the Night B-side "You Make Me Feel So Young" Released August 1966 Genre Traditional pop Length 2:58 Label Reprise Songwriters Heinz Meier (composer), Johnny Mercer (lyricist) Producer Sonny Burke Frank Sinatra singles chronology "Strangers in the Night" (1966) "Summer Wind" (1966) "That's Life" (1966)

"**Summer Wind**" is a 1965 song, originally released in Germany as "**Der Sommerwind**" and written by [Heinz Meier](/source/Heinz_Meier_(composer)) and German language lyrics by Hans Bradtke. [Johnny Mercer](/source/Johnny_Mercer) re-wrote the song into English along the same themes as the original, which talked of the changing of the seasons using the Southern European [sirocco](/source/Sirocco) wind as a metaphor. In America, it was first recorded by [Wayne Newton](/source/Wayne_Newton) and subsequently by [Bobby Vinton](/source/Bobby_Vinton) and [Perry Como](/source/Perry_Como).

The song is best known for a 1966 recording by [Frank Sinatra](/source/Frank_Sinatra) which peaked at number 25 on the [Billboard Hot 100](/source/Billboard_Hot_100) chart and number one on the [Easy Listening](/source/Adult_Contemporary_(chart)) chart. The Sinatra version originally appeared on his album, *[Strangers in the Night](/source/Strangers_in_the_Night_(Frank_Sinatra_album))*. A variety of singers and bands have covered the song since, including [Shirley Bassey](/source/Shirley_Bassey), [Fun Lovin' Criminals](/source/Fun_Lovin'_Criminals), [Michael Bublé](/source/Michael_Bubl%C3%A9) and [James Dean Bradfield](/source/James_Dean_Bradfield). [Barry Manilow](/source/Barry_Manilow), [Westlife](/source/Westlife), and [Willie Nelson](/source/Willie_Nelson) have included the song on their albums of [jazz standards.](/source/Jazz_standard)

## Background

"Der Sommerwind" was a song composed in 1965 by Heinz Meier, with [German language](/source/German_language) lyrics written by Hans Bradtke. The song was rewritten into [English](/source/English_language) by [Johnny Mercer](/source/Johnny_Mercer), who had heard the song being sung by Danish singer [Grethe Ingmann](/source/Grethe_Ingmann) who had also recorded the song in her native language as "Sommervind". He wrote replacement lyrics along the same theme.[2] The song talks of the [sirocco](/source/Sirocco) wind which passes from North Africa into Southern Europe at the end of summer, and uses this as a metaphor for the changing of the seasons and the passing of time.[3] It was recorded for the American market in 1965 by [Wayne Newton](/source/Wayne_Newton) as the title track for his album *Summer Wind*.[4] At the time of his release, it was predicted to be as successful as his recording of *[Red Roses for a Blue Lady](/source/Red_Roses_for_a_Blue_Lady)*,[5] which had reached tenth place on the Top 40 and the number one spot on the Easy Listening chart.[6] However it reached only the 86th position.[7] It was also recorded that year by both [Bobby Vinton](/source/Bobby_Vinton),[3] and [Perry Como](/source/Perry_Como).[8] Como's version was recorded in Nashville in 1965 and was one of only seven tracks he worked on with [Anita Kerr](/source/Anita_Kerr) and her singers.[8]

## Cover versions and in popular culture

### Frank Sinatra version

The best known version of the song is by Frank Sinatra.[9] He had previously worked with Mercer on a number of songs, including "[One for My Baby (and One More for the Road)](/source/One_for_My_Baby_(and_One_More_for_the_Road))" and [Nancy Sinatra](/source/Nancy_Sinatra) would later recall Mercer being Sinatra's favourite lyricist.[2] It was recorded for the singer's album *[Strangers in the Night](/source/Strangers_in_the_Night_(Frank_Sinatra_album))*, which was the final album he worked on with arranger and conductor [Nelson Riddle](/source/Nelson_Riddle).[9] The composition of Sinatra's version used both an [electronic organ](/source/Electronic_organ) and a [big band](/source/Big_band), and the lyrics were modified to drop the second [chorus](/source/Chorus_(song)).[3] This was Mercer's final work to reach the top forty within the United States.[2] Sinatra would later re-record the song with [Julio Iglesias](/source/Julio_Iglesias) for the 1993 album *[Duets](/source/Duets_(Frank_Sinatra_album))*.[10]

The song is also well known for being the last song played on [New York City](/source/New_York_City) radio station [WCBS-FM](/source/WCBS-FM) on June 3, 2005, before they flipped from classic hits to the [Jack FM](/source/Jack_FM) variety hits format.[11] Two years later, the end of the song was also played by the station when they started the montage relaunching the classic hits format.[12]

The B-side, "[You Make Me Feel So Young](/source/You_Make_Me_Feel_So_Young)," is a live version from the *[Sinatra at the Sands](/source/Sinatra_at_the_Sands)* album, arranged by [Quincy Jones](/source/Quincy_Jones) and featuring the [Count Basie](/source/Count_Basie) Orchestra.

During an appearance on *[The Late Show With Stephen Colbert](/source/The_Late_Show_With_Stephen_Colbert)*, [Bruce Springsteen](/source/Bruce_Springsteen) said he would choose Sinatra's version of the track when asked to hypothetically pick only one song to listen to for the rest of his life. Likewise, in an interview on the [Yes Network](/source/Yes_Network)'s *CenterStage*, [Bob Costas](/source/Bob_Costas) named "Summer Wind" his favorite song.

#### Appearances in other media

The song was featured in the films *[The Pope of Greenwich Village](/source/The_Pope_of_Greenwich_Village)*, *[Matchstick Men](/source/Matchstick_Men)*, and *[Blade Runner 2049](/source/Blade_Runner_2049)*.

In television, the song was featured at the end of the season six episode of *[The Simpsons](/source/The_Simpsons)* titled "[Bart of Darkness](/source/Bart_of_Darkness)" (1994), and in the closing credits of the first episode of the second season of *[Ozark](/source/Ozark_(TV_series))* (2018).

## Charts

**Wayne Newton version**

Chart (1965) Peak position US Billboard Hot 100 (Billboard)[7] 78

**Frank Sinatra version**

Chart (1966) Peak position Canada RPM Top Singles[13] 24 US Billboard Hot 100[14] 25 US Easy Listening (Billboard)[14] 1 UK Singles Chart (Official Charts Company)[15] 36

## See also

- [List of Billboard Easy Listening number ones of 1966](/source/List_of_Billboard_Easy_Listening_number_ones_of_1966)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Wayne Newton - Summer Wind"](http://www.45cat.com/record/5470).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-eskew331_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-eskew331_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-eskew331_2-2) [Eskew (2013)](#eskew2013): p. 331

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-fried273_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-fried273_3-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-fried273_3-2) [Friedwald (1995)](#friedwald1995): p. 273

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Album Reviews"](https://books.google.com/books?id=HCkEAAAAMBAJ). *Billboard*. 25 September 1965. p. 76.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["New 45 RPM Releases"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/3566317//). *The Sun and Erie County Independent*. [Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com). July 22, 1965. p. 10. Retrieved November 6, 2015.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** [Witburn (2002)](#whitburn2002): p. 70

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-billnewton_7-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-billnewton_7-1) ["Wayne Newton Song Chart History – Hot 100"](https://www.billboard.com/artist/wayne-newton/chart-history/). *[Billboard](/source/Billboard_(magazine))*. [Prometheus Global Media](/source/Prometheus_Global_Media). Retrieved November 6, 2015.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-como_8-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-como_8-1) [Macfarlane & Crossland (2009)](#macfarlanecrossland2009): p. 129

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-fried272_9-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-fried272_9-1) [Friedwald (1995)](#friedwald1995): p. 272

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** ["Remembering the Voice"](https://books.google.com/books?id=fQ4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA22). *Billboard*. 30 May 1998. p. 22.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** ["101.1 WCBS-FM Becomes Jack-FM"](https://formatchange.com/1011-wcbs-fm-becomes-jack-fm/). *Format Change Archive*. 2005-06-03. Retrieved 2019-07-28.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** ["101.1 WCBS-FM Returns"](https://formatchange.com/1011-wcbs-fm-returns/). *Format Change Archive*. 2007-07-12. Retrieved 2019-07-28.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** ["Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada"](http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.5732&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.5732.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.5732). *Collectionscanada.gc.ca*. 1966-10-17. Retrieved 2018-05-09.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-whit223_14-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-whit223_14-1) [Witburn (2002)](#whitburn2002): p. 223

1. **[^](#cite_ref-ukcharts_15-0)** ["Summer Wind"](http://www.officialcharts.com/search/singles/summer%20wind/). UK Official Charts. Retrieved November 5, 2015.

## Sources

- Eskew, Glenn T. (2013). *Johnny Mercer: Southern Songwriter for the World*. Athens, Georgia: The University of Georgia Press. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780820333304](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780820333304).

- Friedwald, Will (1995). [*Sinatra! The Song is You*](https://archive.org/details/sinatrasongisyou00frie_1). New York: Scribner. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780684193687](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780684193687).

- Macfarlane, Malcolm; Crossland, Ken (2009). *Perry Como: A Biography and Complete Career Record*. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Co. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780786437016](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780786437016).

- [Whitburn, Joel](/source/Joel_Whitburn) (2002). *Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–2001*. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research.

v t e Frank Sinatra singles Discography Columbia singles (1939–1940) "It's Funny to Everyone but Me" "On a Little Street in Singapore" "Ciribiribin" "All or Nothing at All" RCA Victor singles (1940–1942) "Imagination" "I'll Be Seeing You" "East of the Sun (and West of the Moon)" "I'll Never Smile Again" "The One I Love (Belongs to Somebody Else)" "Our Love Affair" "We Three (My Echo, My Shadow and Me)" "Stardust" "Dolores" "It's Always You" "Oh! Look at Me Now" "Without a Song" "Let's Get Away from It All" "This Love of Mine" "Blue Skies" "Pale Moon (An Indian Love Song)" "Embraceable You" "Just as Though You Were Here" "Take Me" "In the Blue of Evening" "How About You?" "There Are Such Things" Bluebird singles (1942–1943) "Night and Day" "The Night We Called It a Day" "The Song Is You" Columbia singles (1943–1953) "Close to You" "You'll Never Know" "Sunday, Monday, or Always" "People Will Say We're in Love" "Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'" "A Lovely Way to Spend an Evening" "White Christmas" "Saturday Night (Is the Loneliest Night of the Week)" "I Dream of You (More Than You Dream I Do)" "Ol' Man River" "Stormy Weather" "When Your Lover Has Gone" "Dream" "If I Loved You" "You'll Never Walk Alone" "Mighty Lak' a Rose" "Nancy (with the Laughing Face)" "America the Beautiful" "Day by Day" "Full Moon and Empty Arms" "Soliloquy (Part 1 & 2)" "Begin the Beguine" "Silent Night" "Adeste Fideles" "Jingle Bells" "Oh! What It Seemed to Be" "September Song" "Five Minutes More" "Sweet Lorraine" "Time after Time" "Mam'selle" "Almost Like Being in Love" "Tea for Two" "My Romance" "So Far" "A Fellow Needs a Girl" "But Beautiful" "I've Got a Crush on You" "All of Me" "Nature Boy" "Everybody Loves Somebody" "My Melancholy Baby" "Autumn in New York" "Why Can't You Behave?" "Some Enchanted Evening" "Bali Ha'i" "Let's Take an Old Fashioned Walk" "I Only Have Eyes for You" "The Old Master Painter" "Peachtree Street" "Goodnight, Irene" "Nevertheless (I'm in Love with You)" "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" "We Kiss in a Shadow" "April in Paris" "I Could Write a Book" "The Birth of the Blues" Capitol singles (1953–1961) "I'm Walking Behind You" "I've Got the World on a String" "My One and Only Love" "South of the Border (Down Mexico Way)" "I Love You" "Young at Heart" "Don't Worry 'bout Me" "Three Coins in the Fountain" "The Gal That Got Away" "Someone to Watch Over Me" "Melody of Love" "Learnin' the Blues" "Love and Marriage" "(Love Is) The Tender Trap" "You're Sensational" "True Love" "Well, Did You Evah!" "Mind If I Make Love to You?" "Hey! Jealous Lover" "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" "All the Way" "Chicago (That Toddlin' Town)" "Witchcraft" "Mistletoe and Holly" "French Foreign Legion" "High Hopes" "Old MacDonald" "My Blue Heaven" "I'll Remember April" "I Love Paris" Reprise singles (1961–1983) "Granada" "I'll Be Seeing You" "The One I Love (Belongs to Somebody Else)" "I'm Getting Sentimental Over You" "Polka Dots and Moonbeams" "Without a Song" "Stardust" "Come Rain or Come Shine" "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" "Me and My Shadow" "Call Me Irresponsible" "I Have Dreamed" "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" "My Kind of Town" "Softly, as I Leave You" "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" "The Little Drummer Boy" "It Was a Very Good Year" "Strangers in the Night" "Summer Wind" "You Make Me Feel So Young" "That's Life" "The September of My Years" "Somethin' Stupid" "The World We Knew (Over and Over)" "My Way of Life" "My Way" "Goin' Out of My Head" "Something" "Bein' Green" "Send In the Clowns" "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" "Theme from New York, New York" "Here's to the Band" "To Love a Child" Qwest singles (1983–1984) "Teach Me Tonight" "Mack the Knife" "It's All Right with Me" "Until the Real Thing Comes Along" Compositions "This Love of Mine" "Sheila" "Peachtree Street" "Take My Love" "I'm a Fool to Want You" "Mistletoe and Holly" "Mr. Success" Category

Authority control databases MusicBrainz work 2

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Summer Wind](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Summer_Wind) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Summer_Wind?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.