Theme from A Summer Place

The "Theme from A Summer Place" is a song with lyrics by Mack Discant and music by Max Steiner, written for the 1959 movie A Summer Place, which starred Sandra Dee and Troy Donahue. Its popularity is somewhat of a rarity since it is a single-melody song with no chorus. It is one of the most well known examples of beautiful music.

The song was a US number-one hit instrumental for Percy Faith in 1960 and was the best-selling single of the year. It reached number two in the UK. Faith re-recorded the song twice; first in 1969 as a female choral version, then in 1976 as a disco version titled "Summer Place 76." Interestingly, Percy Faith's version was not the one in the movie, which was recorded by Hugo Winterhalter.

"Theme from A Summer Place" was also covered by Dick Roman, The Tornados (both in 1962), The Lettermen in 1965 (placing at number sixteen in the Billboard charts) and The Ventures in 1969.

A very impressive jazz version of the song was also recorded by the legendary singer Julie London. It was appeared on her LP called "Our Fair Lady" in 1965. "Theme from A Summer Place" with Julie London was also published on her album called "Best of Julie London" in 2000.

American pop singer Eamon sampled "Theme from A Summer Place" for his 2006 song "Elevator." The melody serves to illustrate the song's exploration of "elevator music" as an aphrodisiac.

This was the first movie theme to win a Grammy Award for Record of the Year (1961). It still stands as the longest-running #1 instrumental hit in the US, running for 9 weeks.

[edit] Pop culture references

Dean Torrence of Jan & Dean sang part of the melody in the fadeout of another song, "Like a Summer Rain" (1966)
In National Lampoon's Animal House, Stork and his toga party date dance while the song plays.
In The Simpsons episode "Homer's Barbershop Quartet", Jasper sings this song only by repeating "Theme from A Summer Place" over and over, apparently assuming that these words constitute the full lyrics.
It was regularly used by the cult 1970s BBC radio sketch comedy show The Burkiss Way to begin its "intermission" sketches.
It is also the theme song of Miami radio station WAQI 710 Radio Mambi's show Marta Flores La Noche y Usted.
The song is both used and referenced in the series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Oz is asked "what a girl would have to do to impress him." He responds that "it involves a feather boa and the theme from A Summer Place." Much later in the series, in the episode "Him", slow-motion shots of a jock who unknowingly casts a love spell over several of the main characters, and their reactions (including those of Willow, who is a lesbian), are set to the song itself.
The song is playing in the background during a scene in the 2001 remake of Ocean's 11 in which a couple involved in an affair are talking in a restaurant. A major theme of the movie "A Summer Place" is marital infidelity.
The animated TV show Freakazoid! features the "Theme from A Summer Place" as the recurring theme for the Relax-O-Vision gag in the episode also called "Relax-O-Vision".
In the 1989 film Batman, when The Joker meets Vicki Vale in the museum, he sits down at her table and plays the song on cassette to set the mood.
The song was used extensively in the television miniseries, Rose Red.
Used as background song in the movie "Con Air" in the scene where the body falling from the sky.
Played in "Rocky III", when Rocky defeats his final opponent.
Used as a background song in a scene from the Tom Hanks film "The Terminal".
Played at James Owen's wedding scene from the movie "America and Back in 30 Days".
In the Movie "Ace Ventura", Jim Carrey farts the tune after he defeats the gorillas.
While Gerald Hamster showers in "Nipple Freeze", he unconsciously hums this tune while trimming his pubic hair.
Upon stumbling on a lost artifact in the movie "Skidmark" (1994), the music commences as Matt, a flamboyant homosexual, prances around inside the dilapidated cave, while caressing his discovery.
Used as background music for astronaut's wives fashion show in the episode 'The original wives club' episode of HBO's miniseries 'From the earth to the moon'.

Preceded by "Teen Angel" by Mark Dinning	Billboard Hot 100 number one single February 22, 1960	Succeeded by "Stuck On You" by Elvis Presley
Preceded by "The Battle of New Orleans" by Johnny Horton	Billboard Hot 100 Number one single of the year 1960	Succeeded by "Tossin' and Turnin'" by Bobby Lewis