{{short description|1980s British social phenomenon}} {{For|the Danny Wilson song "The Second Summer of Love"|Bebop Moptop}} {{EngvarB|date=September 2017}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2017}} {{Infobox historical event | Event_Name = Second Summer of Love | partof = | Image_Name = The Sun newspaper Spaced Out 1989.jpg | Imagesize = 200px | Image_Alt = | Image_Caption = Tabloid headline during the Second Summer of Love 1989 | Participants = Ravers, house musicians | Location = United Kingdom | Date = 1988–1989 | nongregorian = | Deaths = | Result = Rise of acid house music, raves, and acid house parties | URL = }} The '''Second Summer of Love''' was a 1980s social phenomenon in the United Kingdom which saw the rise of acid house music and unlicensed rave parties.<ref>{{cite book |last=Reynolds |first=Simon |year=1998 |title=Energy Flash |publisher=Picador|p=35-68}}</ref> Although primarily referring to the summer of 1988, it continued into the summer of 1989<ref>{{cite web|url=https://mixmag.net/feature/summer-of-love-cover-feature|title=30 years on: The Summer Of Love continues to inspire us|work=MixMag|author=Bill Brewster|date=24 April 2018}}</ref>, when house music and the prevalence of the drug MDMA fuelled an explosion in youth culture culminating in mass free parties and the era of the rave. The music of this era fused dance beats with a psychedelic, 1960s flavour, and the dance culture drew parallels with the hedonism and freedom of the 1967 Summer of Love in San Francisco. The smiley logo is synonymous with this period in the UK.
==History== The Second Summer of Love began in 1988 in the UK,<ref name=guardian>{{cite journal|last=Bainbridge|first=Luke|title=A second summer of love|journal=The Guardian|date=19 April 2008 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2008/apr/20/electronicmusic.culture}}</ref> and rose from the house music British nightclubs dating from 1987 to 1988 Shoom (run by Danny Rampling), Future (run by Paul Oakenfold), Spectrum (run by Oakenfold and Ian St Paul), Trip (run by Nicky Holloway), and The Haçienda (run by Mike Pickering and Graeme Park).<ref name="guardian 3">{{cite news|last=Bainbridge|first=Luke|title=Acid house and the dawn of a rave new world|work=The Guardian|date=23 February 2014|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/feb/23/acid-house-dawn-rave-new-world}}</ref> It was particularly associated with the sudden increase in independent gatherings outdoors in fields and in disused warehouses as well as with the new underground club scene, which had often become called raves.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://artsandculture.google.com/story/the-second-summer-of-love-museum-of-youth-culture/GgVRnYyUZ_UeIg?hl=en|title=The Second Summer of Love|website=Google Arts & Culture|author=Chris Warne|publisher=Museum of Youth Culture|access-date=October 7, 2022|archive-date=7 October 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221007000725/https://artsandculture.google.com/story/the-second-summer-of-love-museum-of-youth-culture/GgVRnYyUZ_UeIg?hl=en|url-status=dead}}</ref> Beyond those held around London, events sprung up in areas such as Blackburn and Nottingham, before spreading across all the UK, with very large numbers of distinct gatherings held weekly by late summer of 1988. There were both illegal and legal gatherings in terms of adherence to event planning laws.
While the prime musical point of convergence throughout the phenomenon was house music at first mostly imported from the US underground nightlife centres Chicago, Detroit and New York, another basis for the scene was focused upon enabling people to open up to other genres of music. This was typically music seen as not very commercial for the time, including music of the hippie eras and some folk derived music.
Five DJs associated with the early British house music scene reported they were inspired to start these events after holidaying on Ibiza in the summer of 1987 with their friend Johnny Walker.<ref name=guardian/> Ibiza was where acid house music first became popular in Europe and the after-hours nature of the club scene emerged.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://silvermagazine.co.uk/summer-of-love-the-rise-of-house-music-as-a-great-british-institution|title=Summer of Love – the rise of house music as a great British institution |date=16 August 2018|author=Chris Sullivan|work=Silver Magazine}}</ref>
[[File:Smiley badge.jpg|left|thumb|150px|A smiley badge, a symbol of the period]] In the early stages of the Second Summer of Love, the events and parties were often held in empty warehouses across the UK and were essentially illegal.<ref name="guardian 3" /><ref name="ministry of rock">{{cite web |last=Nickson|first=Chris |title=The Second Summer of Love|website=Ministry of Rock|date=24 April 2010 |url=http://www.ministryofrock.co.uk/thesecondsummeroflove.html}}</ref> Vague flyers around towns and cities advertised events and information travelled by word of mouth (as well as the newly popular mobile pager) between clubbers who were obliged to party incognito.<ref name="guardian 1">{{cite journal|last=Kinney|first=Fergal|title=Pills, mills and bellyaches: how Blackburn out-partied Manchester|journal=The Guardian|date=28 May 2020|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/may/28/pills-mills-and-bellyaches-how-blackburn-out-partied-manchester}}</ref> Increasingly huge parties started to be put on around the M25 orbital of London by promoters including Biology (Jarvis Sandy, Micky Jump and Tarquin de Meza), Energy (Jeremy Taylor and Tin Tin Chambers), Genesis (Andrew Pritchard, Wayne Anthony and Keith Brooks), Sunrise & Back to the Future (Tony Colston Hayter and Dave Roberts) and Weekend World (Tarquin de Meza).<ref name=guardian/><ref name="guard2">{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/jul/01/thirty-years-since-the-second-summer-of-love-1988|title=Thirty years since the second summer of love|work=The Guardian|date=1 July 2018|author=Sharon Walker}}</ref><ref>Clover, Joshua. ''1989: Bob Dylan didn't have this to sing about''. University of California Press (2009). p. 64</ref> In London, events were put on by Raindance and Labrynth.
1989 saw acid house explode, partly helped by the media attention, and also the big rave promoters.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://silvermagazine.co.uk/second-summer-of-love-ecstasy-the-rave-explosion-and-underground-parties|title= Second Summer of Love – Ecstasy, the rave explosion and underground parties|author=Chris Sullivan|date=26 September 2018|work=Silver Magazine}}</ref> As Gavin Hills is quoted in Simon Reynold's ''Energy Flash'', ''"1989 was the real explosion. The raves were very special. In some respects it was still underground, still something of a special club, even though it was a mass movement."''<ref>{{cite book |last=Reynolds |first=Simon |year=1998 |title=Energy Flash |publisher=Picador|p=63}}</ref>
Against the backdrop of Thatcherite United Kingdom which had promoted individualism, it was both a reflection of, and a reaction to it.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ukbassmusic.com/summer-rave-documentary/|title=The Summer of Rave (Documentary) - UKBM|date=17 June 2017|work=UK Bass Music}}</ref>
The summer of 1989 also saw the forming of the ''Pay Party Unit'', a national Police unit headed by Ken Tappenden. This unit attempted to disrupt and investigate not only those organising parties, but also record shops, clubs, and radio stations involved in their promotion.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.electronicsound.co.uk/features/long-reads/acid-in-the-theatre-of-madness/|title=Acid: In The Theatre Of Madness|date=10 October 2019|work=Electronic Sound}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=Matthew Collin|title=Altered State|publisher=Serpents Tail|year=1997|pp=105-109}}</ref>
The symbol of the time became a smiley face after the London crowd picked up the design when it was posted on one of the flyers from the third Shoom party.<ref name=guardian/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/history-smiley-face-acid-house-rave-culture/|title=A Brief History of the Smiley Face, Rave Culture's Most Ubiquitous Symbol|date=20 December 2016 |author=Michaelangelo Matos |work=Vice Magazine}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Savage|first=Jon|date=2009-02-21|title=The history of the smiley face symbol|website=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2009/feb/21/smiley-face-design-history|access-date=2016-06-28}}</ref> Revellers would soon become adorned in smiley t-shirts and badges. Clubgoers wore baggy clothing to combat the heat inside the clubs, and staff handed out ice pops.<ref name=guardian/> Water and Lucozade were a common feature because of the dehydrating effects of marathon dancing due to MDMA use.<ref name=guardian/>
===Music=== Acid house and hip house was typical of the Second Summer of Love. Acid house was characterised by the "squelching" bass produced by the Roland TB-303 and loud repetitive beats.<ref name="ministry of rock" /> It originated in Chicago and took on new qualities when it came to Europe.<ref name="ministry of rock" /> Songs from the period include "French Kiss" by Lil Louis, "On & On" by Jesse Saunders, "Mystery of Love" by Fingers Inc., "Love Can't Turn Around" by Farley "Jackmaster" Funk and Saunders (featuring Darryl Pandy), "I've Lost Control" by Sleezy D, and "Your Only Friend" by Phuture.<ref name="guardian 2">{{cite news|last=Savage|first=Jon|title=Back to the old house |work=The Observer|date=19 April 2008 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2008/apr/20/electronicmusic.clubs1}}</ref> Hip house would become a popular cross-over of a rap and house music, with tracks such as "Turn Up The Bass" by Tyree Cooper, "Who's In the House" by the Beatmasters, "Let It Roll" by Doug Lazy, and "That's How I'm Living" by Tony Scott.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.factmag.com/2014/01/22/20-best-acid-house/|title=The 20 best acid house records ever made|work=FACT|date=22 January 2014}}</ref>
===Radio=== The raves and music were promoted by pirate radio stations, including Kiss FM, Sunrise and Centreforce.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.future-past.co.uk/blogs/news/the-story-of-acid-house-pirate-radio-in-89-keep-it-locked|title=The Story Of Acid House Pirate Radio in 1989|author=Abigail Foster|date=12 September 2018|work=Future Past}}</ref>
===Drug use=== Ecstasy was the drug of choice during the time. LSD was still present, just not as prominently. Mark Moore, of group S'Express, said: ''"It definitely took ecstasy to change things. People would take their first ecstasy and it was almost as if they were born again."''<ref name=guardian/> Violence was uncommon due to the feelings of euphoria, love and empathy caused by ecstasy.<ref name="ministry of rock" /> Ecstasy use in raves is often linked to the reduction in football hooliganism at the time.<ref name="guard2" /><ref>{{cite book|author=Matthew Collin|title=Altered State|publisher=Serpents Tail|year=1997|pp=123-127}}</ref> The drug also increased the enjoyment of the music and encouraged dancing.<ref name="ministry of rock" /> Nicky Holloway, a DJ from the time, said: ''"The ecstasy and music came together. It was all part of the package. ... That may sound a little sad, but there's no way acid house would have taken off the way it did without ecstasy."''<ref name=guardian/>
===Media attention=== British news media and tabloids devoted an increasing amount of coverage to the hedonistic scene, focusing increasingly on its association with club drugs. Early positive reports such as running articles on the "acid house" fashion would soon become sensationalist negative coverage. The moral panic of the press began in late 1988, when ''The Sun'', which only days earlier on 12 October had promoted acid house as "cool and groovy" while running an offer on acid smiley face t-shirts, abruptly turned on the scene.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://reverbmusic.org/2017/09/29/raving-mad-the-acid-house-witch-hunt/ |title=Raving Mad: The Acid House Witch Hunt |date=29 September 2017|author=James Wijesinghe|work=Reverb Music}}</ref> On 19 October ''The Sun'' ran with the headline "Evils of Ecstasy," linking the acid house scene with the newly popular and relatively unknown drug. On 24 June 1989, the newspaper ran its infamous "Spaced Out!" headline after a Sunrise party.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theneweuropean.co.uk/brexit-news/britain-second-summer-of-love-pills-thrills-29688|title=Pills, thrills, and Britain's second Summer of Love|work=The New European|date=31 July 2018|author=Andrew Woods|access-date=30 January 2021|archive-date=26 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126155615/https://www.theneweuropean.co.uk/brexit-news/britain-second-summer-of-love-pills-thrills-29688|url-status=dead}}</ref>
===Entertainments Bill and Freedom to Party=== In December 1989, Conservative MP Graham Bright first proposed the Entertainments (Increased Penalties) Bill, increasing the fine for organising an unlicenced party from £2,000 to £20,000 as well as possible six months imprisonment.<ref>{{cite book|author=Matthew Collin|title=Altered State|publisher=Serpents Tail|year=1997|pp=110-117}}</ref> The bill would pass through Parliament during early 1990<ref>{{cite book|author=Simon Reynolds| title=Energy Flash|publisher=Picador|year=1998|p=66}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/jul/12/90s-spiral-tribe-free-parties|title=Fight for the right to party|date=12 July 2009|author=Tim Guest|work=The Guardian}}</ref> and into law by the summer.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1990/20|title=Entertainments (Increased Penalties) Act 1990|work=legislation.gov.uk}}</ref> The ''Freedom to Party'' rally was held on 27 January 1990 in response to the bill, with 8000 people descending onto Trafalgar Square.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://909originals.com/2020/01/27/on-this-day-in-1990-the-freedom-to-party-rally-took-over-londons-trafalgar-square/|title=In January 1990, the Freedom To Party rally took over London’s Trafalgar Square...|work=909 Originals|date=27 January 2020}}</ref>
== See also == {{Portal|1980s}} * Balearic beat * Madchester * House music
== References == {{Reflist}}
==Further reading== * Wayne Anthony. ''Class of 88''. Virgin Books, 1998. {{ISBN|0-7535-0240-2}}. * Jane Bussmann. ''Once in a Lifetime: The Crazy Days of Acid House and Afterwards'', Virgin Books, 1998. {{ISBN|0-7535-0260-7}} * Simon Reynolds. ''Energy Flash: A Journey Through Rave Music and Dance Culture''. Picador, 1998. {{ISBN|0-330-35056-0}} * Matthew Collin. ''Altered States: The Story of Ecstasy and Acid House''. Serpent's Tail, 1997. {{ISBN|1-85242-377-3}} * Sheryl Garratt. ''Adventures in Wonderland: A Decade Of Club Culture''. Headline, 1999. {{ISBN|0-7472-5846-5}} * Kirk Field. ''Rave New World: Confessions of a Raving Reporte''r, Nine Eight / Bonnier 2022 {{ISBN|9781788707732}}
{{Electronic music festivals}}
Category:Acid house Category:1988 in the United Kingdom Category:1989 in the United Kingdom Category:Madchester Category:Youth culture in the United Kingdom Category:History of Manchester Category:Rave culture in the United Kingdom Category:Counterculture of the 1980s