It’s an emotionally versatile song - euphoric from one angle, mournful from another, contemplative and deeply alive all at once. And I mean “well-loved” in both the “widely revered” and “often used” senses.īetween people who’ve played Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, saw You Got Served and Girls Trip and Rocky, and listened to just about any major hip-hop act over the last 30 years, it’s safe to say that it’s one of the most well-traveled R&B instrumentals ever recorded. There’s not necessarily a go-to soundtrack for this particular moment - yeah, I know the Doors gave it a shot - but for times when the sun’s going down earlier than you’d like, and daytime 70s recede to evening 50s, zoning out to a good song that sneaks some autumnal wistfulness underneath its effortlessly sunny summer vibe is a solid prescription.Īnd few songs really capture that feeling without words like “Summer Madness,” the Kool & The Gang instrumental that’s become one of their most well-loved signature songs. ![]() I know it probably doesn’t feel like it where you are, but the calendar doesn’t lie: It really is the last week of summer, and at some point soon, daylight’s going to feel precious and scarce even if it’s still shorts weather.Īnd if you’re anything like me, this time of year feels like the ideal state of summer, when the heat’s no longer oppressive and all the residual malaise of school-age end-of-summer-vacation anxiety has finally receded from your subconscious. Breaks With Tradition is a new Stereogum column that examines a certain song that’s been frequently sampled and how that song has been used through the years.
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