I don’t usually waffle on with the Special Editions, they speak for themselves – but this one is highly personal for me. Literally my favourite thing in the entire world… after Arsenal, and pizza, and Pina Coladas … and Arrowwords. Ok, one of my favourite things is a summer evening drive (ideally to a beer garden) with the “windows down and the system up”, to quote the great Eminem.
Best Coast – The Only Place (2:42)
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“We’ve got the ocean, got the babes
Got the sun, we’ve got the waves
This is the only place for me“
Kicking off with absolute summer vibes.
Billy Ocean – When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going (4:08)
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I don’t know if this is because it’s one that particularly sticks in the memory of music Bobble Barnes would have on in the car when we’d go out in his [Gold] Ford Cortina 1600E, but for me this is the ultimate driving song. That bass ffs.
Bully – All I Do (3:41)
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A little self indulgent and a hint of recency bias as this is what I’m almost entirely listening to and from work right now. And after a long hard slog in the sun, driving home and knowing there’s a cold shower and an ever colder bottle of Corona waiting for me gives me the feels. As does this song when the choruses kick in.
Circa Waves – T-Shirt Weather (3:12)
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Again, a little like Best Coast it’s total summer.
The Courtney’s – Country Song (3:57)
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The Courtney’s keep it simple and the bass drum on this song is gonna get those toes a tapping down by the pedals and the steering wheel in some serious danger with the fingers.
French Films – This Dead Town (3:54)
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French Films always have that summers surf pop feel about them, this one though a little more anthemic though would have been perfection back during my 10 year stint delivery Chinese around Banbury.
Martha – Neon Lung (3:38)
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Sure, these playlists are being shared with anyone that cares – but at the end of the day it’s my music to please me. So there’s no shame in a little self love. And I love this song, and just imagine driving down some country road surrounded by the yellow rapeseed fields when the last minute or so of this kicks in!
The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart – Until The Sun Explodes (2:26)
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Fairly certain I could have picked any tPoBaH song for a summer drive playlist, the hazy, dreamy, shoegaze buzz is what it’s all about … This one mentions the sun, so…
Swim Deep – King City (3:35)
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This one is all about the memories, summer of 2012. Hannah and I had just moved in together to Unicorn Cottage, we’d drive to Wroxton Abbey or wherever, she’d be taking photos and whatnot, I’d be happy.
Yuck – Get Away (4:26)
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Memories too, of the summer before. The Girl knows full well how fondly I look back on my single days back in the flat at the Wharf, a far simpler time 🤣🤣
This was the soundtrack to that summer!
Lee's Hits In Your Ears 