Summer Jam

There are a number of songs which rear their pretty heads at this time of year as the harshness of the British winter and never-ending drudge of springtime gives in to tropical highs. We are a nation of weather watchers and prone to never be satisfied even when bathed in tropical sunshine, but one thing that the summer is always good for is digging out those tunes that seem to play sunrays through the speakers. Now there are numerous examples to mention, but I challenge you to find a more lazily happy and tranquil example than this old gem - Major Lance's "Um, Um, Um , Um, Um, Um" (don't tell me either that you won't be able to remember the title). Lance was one of Chicago soul's leading lights in the 1960s and an old friend of Curtis Mayfield who wrote many of his hits, including "Um..", and whose Impressions often performed backing harmonies. His style was often quite Latin-tinged, and he became a popular staple of the Northern Soul circuit in the UK in the 1970s, but for me the highlight of his output is this track made for Sunday chilling. Check it out and slide away (but for heaven's sake, please resist the 70s disco remix).