It may be hot in the summertime, but everything's cool in this Sly & the Family Stone classic. Written and produced by Sly Stone, the song celebrates the balmy days when school is out and the sun is shining. The song is a showcase for the entire band; all seven members sing on the chorus and along with vocalists Sly and Rose Stone, guitarist Freddie Stone and bass player Larry Graham each get lines. Their horn players, sax man Jerry Martini and trumpet player Cynthia Robinson (a rare female horn player in a hit-making band) also get their due.
Sly Stone was never known for punctuality, and he didn't deliver "Hot Fun In The Summertime" until August 1969. Epic Records rush released it, but by then the summer was almost over. It reached its US chart peak of #2 (behind "I Can't Get Next To You" by The Temptations) on October 18.
This song was released shortly after the Woodstock festival, where the band did a memorable set. This helped pique interest in Sly & the Family Stone, and gave the song a nice boost on the charts.
See your Spotify stats (with number of plays and minutes listened) and discover new music.
Music data, artist images, album covers, and song previews are provided by Spotify. Spotify is a trademark of Spotify AB.