"Suddenly Last Summer" by The Motels

       Hello friends! Thanks for checking back with Kyle’s Radio Dial, where we specialize in bringing you great songs that deserve a second listen! Today the spotlight falls on a top ten hit from late 1983, recorded by California based new wave group The Motels. Sit back, and listen to “Suddenly Last Summer”.

Comprising of front woman Martha Davis, Guy Perry, Marty Jourard, Michael Goodroe, Brian Glascock, and Scott Thurston, The Motels are best remembered today for their 1982 US #9 hit “Only the Lonely”. However, “Suddenly”, taken from the 1983 LP Little Robbers, equaled the peak position of the earlier hit, yet has been largely forgotten by current terrestrial radio.

From the moment I first heard it as a nine-year old (my age when the song debuted), I detected a bit of an unsettling and despondent vibe… what exactly happened last summer? Why has it affected this woman so much? Why do the descending tones in the bridge of the song give me the chills? (Yes, even at that age, I was interested in figuring out the stories behind popular songs. Don’t judge me.)

For years I assumed “Suddenly” was simply about a bad breakup, though eventually, and after really listening to the lyrics, my interpretation became that the song is about some sort of physical abuse, quite possibly rape. Consider these lines from verse one.

“It happened one summer… It happened one time… It happened forever… For a short time”

The event only happened once and ended quickly, but was devastating enough to seem like it went on forever.

“A place for a moment… an end to a dream… forever I loved you… forever it seemed.”

She truly loved this other person, and was expecting a sweet and emotional interaction (the “moment”), until the event which changed her forever, crushing any future dreams she may have had with this individual.

Though it’s a bit vaguer, the second verse seems to outline her internal conflict in coming to grips with what happened the previous summer. She goes back and forth between wanting to leave, and wanting to stay, and being frightened and feeling alone. The verse ends with her declaring “and wish that I could…”, without further clarification. I assume this means she wishes she could move past this trauma, but the line is rather ambiguous, as I'm sure it was intended.

Now, it was the chorus which really solidified my interpretation of the song…

“One summer never ends... one summer never begins. It keeps me standing still, it takes all of my will, and then suddenly... last summer”. 

The summer that “never ends” is the one in which the event occurred, the memory of which she revisits in her mind constantly. The summer that never begins, is the summer that should've been – fun, carefree, relaxing, filled with great memories. The aftermath of emotions is crippling her, and then SUDDENLY, she remembers the event all over again. Pretty deep and heavy stuff for a new wave pop song.

It was only recently that I read a quote from Martha Davis in which she explains that “Suddenly…” was not speaking to a specific relationship or event, but the feeling of melancholy and loss of innocence as one reaches adulthood. She goes on to say that the song was inspired by the final visit of the ice cream truck, as the seasons change from summer to fall. The repeating melody throughout the song was an attempt to mimic the song of the ice cream truck.

I am not one to question her, she wrote the song after all, however, I got something different out of “Suddenly”, and I feel that what makes any work of art great. Different listeners, (or readers, or viewers), can take away from the same work of art many different feelings and interpretations that even the creator may not have intended. Bravo, Martha, “Suddenly” is truly a great song for that very reason.

Nowadays, I hear “Only the Lonely” on the radio several times a year, but it's been forever since I've heard “Suddenly...” probably at least 10 years or more, despite it’s equal chart popularity, and being, arguably, the better song.

So give “Suddenly” a spin, and create your own interpretation of this classic track. Leave me a comment if you’d like to compare notes.

“One summer never ends... one summer never begins. It keeps me standing still, it takes all of my will, and then suddenly... last summer”.

"Days of the Week" by Stone Temple Pilots

       Ah yes, friends, I'm glad to see you have all made it over to my modest little corner of the “interwebs” in the new year! We kick off our fifth year of bringing you underplayed hits and overlooked album cuts, with an upbeat number from one of the '90s most influential alternative rock groups., although the song now carries a degree of sadness about it due to recent events. Tonight, we present, San Diego's own Stone Temple Pilots, and “Days of the Week”!

“Monday, back from the dead... I'm letting it go, back for another one.”

Featuring Eric Kretz on drums, bass by Robert DeLeo, Rob’s older brother Dean on lead guitar, and vocalist Scott Weiland’s deeply personal lyrics, “Days” serves as Scott's commentary on how heroin addiction negatively impacted his marriage. With lines that reference compulsion, frustration, and regret, in addition pushing away those you love, then desperately needing them back again, the song's remorse and self-awareness is made more palatable by the upbeat, hook-laden, Cheap Trick-style vibe of the music, authored by Dean.

“Tuesday, shoot me in the head, I'm takin' it back, takin' it back, I'll take it back.”

Released as a single from STP's 2001 LP Shangri-La Dee Da, “Days...” made its biggest impact on two rock-specific sub-charts of the Billboard listings. On the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, it reached #4, and the on the Modern Rock Tracks, it hit #5. This success did not translate into hot 100 acceptance, amazingly, and “Days...” ended up stalling one position below the hot 100, essentially landing at US #101. This phenomenon is known as “bubbling under”.

This was no anomaly in STP's chart career however. Despite their iconic status, STP never had a Billboard top 40 presence. Their highest single on the Hot 100 was 2000’s “Sour Girl”, which managed US #78. No, STP made their mark on the aforementioned Mainstream Rock and Modern Rock (Alternative) charts, in addition to the Album Rock charts. However, they were clearly no slouches in those areas, as Scott and the guys frequently reached the top 20 on all three lists with great tracks like “Sex Type Thing”, “Creep”, “Vasoline”, “Big Bang Baby”, “Trippin’ on a Hole in a Paper Heart”, and their cover of the 1973 Led Zeppelin classic “Dancing Days”. 

Of course, STP’s popularity was also helped by frequent inclusion on the MTV programs 120 Minutes and Alternative Nation, (the latter of which was hosted by the snarky and beauteous Kennedy), so top 40 radio acceptance wasn't necessarily missed by the boys from San Diego. 

“Wednesday, she's looking for a friend, she'll get what she wants... can't seem to get enough.”

Tragically, Scott left us on December 3, 2015. There's no need to go into the reasons here, as you can read all about it on other websites if you choose. What we'd like to say is this...

Scott's legacy, perfected while singing lead for STP for the majority of their history, and with the supergroup Velvet Revolver, is that of an extremely talented vocalist, who always brought his own unique energetic presence to concerts, videos, and studio recordings. Scott’s lyrics, while often cryptic, nevertheless delved into topics like alienation, addiction, the loss of innocence, the trappings of fame, and troubled relationships, which resonated with an entire generation of cynical young adults coming of age in the ‘90s and beyond.

Thanks for the music Scott. From all of us here at the Dial, we hope you achieve much deserved peace in the next life.

“I've got to find a way to find her... where can she be? Four days of the week, she thinks I'm the enemy.”