"Summerlove Sensation" is a song originally recorded by the Bay City Rollers. It was part of their 1974 album Rollin'. In the same year, it was also released as a single five months prior. The single peaked at no. 3 on the UK Singles Chart.[3] It also spawned two successful cover versions in the late 1970s, first a French adaption performed by French pop singer Sylvie Vartan, and a cover by American singer Bobby Vinton that was a minor hit in the charts.[4][5]

"Summerlove Sensation"
Single by Bay City Rollers
from the album Rollin'
B-side"Bringing Back The Good Times"
Released26 July 1974 (1974 -07-26)[1]
Recorded1974
GenreGlam rock[2]
Length3:17
LabelBell
Songwriter(s)Phil Coulter, Bill Martin
Producer(s)Phil Coulter, Bill Martin
Bay City Rollers singles chronology
"Shang-A-Lang"
(1974)
"Summerlove Sensation"
(1974)
"All of Me Loves All of You"
(1975)
Music video
"Summerlove Sensation" (TopPop, 1974) on YouTube

Charts

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Chart (1974) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report) 53
Ireland (IRMA)[6] 5
Japan
UK Singles (OCC)[7] 3

Sylvie Vartan version (in French)

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"Petit rainbow"
 
Single by Sylvie Vartan
from the album Georges
LanguageFrench
English titleLittle rainbow
B-side"Bla bla bla"
ReleasedAugust 1977 (1977 -08)
GenrePop, disco
Length3:33
LabelRCA Victor
Songwriter(s)Phil Coulter, Bill Martin, Pierre Grillet
Producer(s)Jacques Revaux
Sylvie Vartan singles chronology
"Masculin singulier"
(1977)
"Petit rainbow"
(1977)
"Georges"
(1977)
Music video
"Petit rainbow" (French TV, 1978) on YouTube

The song was later reworked into French under the title "Petit rainbow" (meaning "Little rainbow"). It was recorded by Sylvie Vartan and released in August 1977 as the lead single off of her 1977 studio album Georges. In France her version of the song spent one week at no. 1 on the singles sales chart (from 7 to 13 October 1977).[8] The song also reached Number 1 on the French Belgian charts for two weeks in 1977, charting in Belgium from 17 September to 24 December 1977.[9] The song was also adapted into German from French by Michael Kunze as "Ein kleines Herz auf der Haut" (English: "A little heart on the skin", French: "Un petit coeur sur la peau") in 1978 but failed to chart.[10]

Track listing

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7" single (1977, France etc.)

A. "Petit rainbow" ("Summer Love Sensation") (3:33)
B. "Bla bla bla" (2:46)[11]

Charts

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Chart (1977) Peak
position
France (SNEP)[8] 1
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[12] 1

Bobby Vinton version

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"Summerlove, Sensation"
 
Side A of the US single
Single by Bobby Vinton
B-side"My First, My Only Love"
ReleasedAugust 1978 (1978 -08)
Recorded1978
GenrePop, adult contemporary
Length3:23
LabelElektra
Songwriter(s)Phil Coulter, Bill Martin
Producer(s)Phil Coulter
Bobby Vinton singles chronology
"All My Todays"
(1977)
"Summerlove, Sensation"
(1978)
"Disco Polka (Pennsylvania Polka)"
(1979)
Audio
"Summerlove, Sensation" on YouTube

Bobby Vinton covered "Summerlove, Sensation" (adding a comma to the title) in 1978 as a non-album single, released that August on Elektra Records. His version reached #44 on the U.S. Billboard Easy Listening chart during the summer of that year, with Coulter returning to produce Vinton's version.[13] Vinton's version was also released as a promotional single in Canada around the same time but failed to chart.[14] Vinton and Coulter also co-wrote the single's B-side, "My First, My Only Love".[15]

Charts

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Chart (1978) Peak
position
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[16] 44

References

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  1. ^ "Bay City Rollers - Summerlove Sensation - ultratop.be".
  2. ^ Stanley, Bob (13 September 2013). "Young Love: Weenyboppers and Boy Bands". Yeah Yeah Yeah: The Story of Modern Pop. Faber & Faber. p. 380. ISBN 978-0-571-28198-5.
  3. ^ "BAY CITY ROLLERS | full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2017-11-16.
  4. ^ "Sylvie Vartan - Petit rainbow - ultratop.be". www.ultratop.be. Retrieved 2024-06-27.
  5. ^ Whitburn, Joel (1993). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993. Record Research. p. 249.
  6. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Summerlove Sensation". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved April 7, 2020.
  7. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2017-11-16.
  8. ^ a b "Petit rainbow - Sylvie Vartan - Hit-Parade.net". Retrieved 2017-11-16.
  9. ^ "Sylvie Vartan - Petit rainbow - ultratop.be". www.ultratop.be. Retrieved 2024-06-27.
  10. ^ "Sylvie Vartan - Ein kleines Herz auf der Haut - ultratop.be". www.ultratop.be. Retrieved 2024-06-27.
  11. ^ "ultratop.be - Sylvie Vartan - Petit rainbow". Ultratop. Retrieved 2017-11-23.
  12. ^ "Sylvie Vartan - Petit rainbow - ultratop.be". www.ultratop.be. Retrieved 2024-06-27.
  13. ^ Whitburn, Joel (1993). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993. Record Research. p. 249.
  14. ^ "Bobby Vinton - Summerlove, Sensation (CAN)".
  15. ^ "Bobby Vinton - Summerlove, Sensation - 45cat.com".
  16. ^ Whitburn, Joel (1993). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993. Record Research. p. 249.