Perhaps "restaurant with character" might be a better term (not necessarily the same thing as a restaurant with characters).

I know what Gailor means, but I can't verbalize it. G&A has soul. Applebee's doesn't.

Character is probably the term I'd have used.

Oh, EL, what a pandora's box you've done gone and opened.

I like the "ooga-shaka" version of "Hooked On A Feeling".

Sam Cooke's cover of "Summertime" is a great summer song. Of course, I think anything Sam Cooke did was great.

If you can sing, you can sing the phone book. Sam Cooke could sing.

Just about anything Beach Boys is great summertime music, especially if you can listen to it while riding around in an "arrest-me-red" Mustang convertible. Another topic asked "what is American cuisine?" In my mind, the only true American music is hot rod and surfer music.

And, finally, until they admit Jimmy Buffet and the Coral Reefer Band to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, it is just a sham. And don't tell me they don't deserve to be in because they never had a number one hit. Neither did the Grateful Dead.

I'm logging off now and heading to the beach. Rum and fruit juice await. Somebody call 911 for Rock Chicklet.

I think I get what Gailor means by restaurants with soul, but I don't believe I've ever been in one in Baltimore. The one that comes to my mind is The Pana Cafe in Miami Beach. A cute little bakery/cafe with various Latino menu items (a mix of Cuban and various South American cuisine) that seats maybe 30 max. There is a house accordian player who does requests and everyone in the place sings along. Now, that to me is a restaurant with soul!

BTW, since Summer in the City is high on your hit parade, you might be interested in knowing that Steve Boone (of the Lovin' Spoonful) has at times lived in Baltimore!

Oooh, thank you for paging me Bucky. This is a huge category. I just got back from yoga, so I'm a little too blissed out. Lemme work on it.

You don't like the Supremes? You're kidding, right? Nothing better for riding in the car with the top down, radio turned up.

Bucky -- you're referring to Blue Suede's cover of "Hooked on a Feeling". That was part of the evil Swedish "gateway song" conspiracy of 1974 -- once the States had been softened up by a taste of Blue Suede's weed, we became ripe for the taking by the smack that was ABBA. (I was in London in March 1974, when "Waterloo" started to get heavy radio rotation, just before it won that year's Eurovision song contest. Never was I so happy to get home.)

Is "soul" in this context the same thing as authenticity?

Is "soul" in this context the same thing as authenticity?

Don't make me and Rick James come back from soul brother heaven and put a beat down on you. 'Cause you know I will. Count me out now ... 5 ... 6 ... 7 ... 8

I second third and forth the Lovin Spoonful's Summer in the City. Every time I hear it, it instantly brings back memories the great times I had in the summers of late sixties.

Those who remember WCAO as "the" Baltimore radio station of the sixties might find this streaming radio station of interest. The letters are similar in Rhythm, WDJO and when they play their jingles it sounds so similar. http://www.oldies1160.com/

To usher in Spring: Los Lobos: How Will the Wolf Survive.
And it works all summer, too -- especially at annoyingly high volume ... in a convertible ... with liberal doses of Paul Cebar ... who has soul.

The Bob Sima song "Map in my Lap" is the best summer song of this summer. The chorus goes like "A plan in my head, a map in my lap and a knee on the steering wheel". That is about a perfect summer for me. Ask Sam Sessa about it.

Eurovision! Now, there is some serious musical fun! Where else are you going to hear Ukrainian drag queens and Finnish zombie imitators?

I hate, hate, hate the Beach Boys. And Jimmy Buffet. Not to mention Elvis.

Don't know as I get seasonal with music, but I've been listening to Garmana, Hedningarna and Queen Latifah lately.

EL -- what's so bad about The Supremes? Granted, Berry Gordy made them do a lot of Vegas-style dreck in an effort to build up crossover appeal with the Lawrence Welk crowd, especially in the "Diana Ross & The Supremes" era. However, their early years (when Florence Ballard was still in the group) include some of the greatest hits of Motown, thanks to the Holland-Dozier-Holland songwriting team. Or were you too smitten with Beatlemania at the time to notice? ;-)

Six words: Stop in the Name of Love. Not to mention Baby Love. Gak. So I'd have to disagree about H-D-H. I'd much rather listen to Maxine Brown or Gladys Knight and the Pips. I was never a Beatles fan; I was more into rock 'n' roll and rhythm & blues, being from Tennessee and all. EL

For restaurants with soul, try Ras Doobie de Chef, a hole-in-the wall Jamacian place near Camden Yards.

And Bucky, Amen to Jimmy Buffet in the Rock and Roll hall of fame. The man IS summer.

FLIRV said: For restaurants with soul, try Ras Doobie de Chef

Ras Doobie has been gone for quite awhile, now.

For a while now, my favorite summer song has been "The Rainbow" by The Apples in Stereo. As for soul, I'm guessing either a lot (aka "not Applebee's") or only a very, very few have it. I'm thinking small, privately-owned, maybe quiet, niche...Thai Restaurant? If Greg's Bagels counts as a restaurant, I'm going with Greg's Bagels.

Lissa you hate Elvis??? How can you hate Elvis? Even Kentucky Rain? Even In The Ghetto?

I agree with Bucky and Frequent Little Italy Restaurant Visitor.

Jimmy Buffet, outdoors in the summer, is the most fun a person can have without risking jail time or parenthood.

Does "Summer" from Vivaldi's Seasons count?

I don't remember if these songs appeared in summer (and I'm too lazy to do the research) but I still fondly recall "Rhapsody in the Rain" and a couple of songs by the Cowsills.

Most summer songs that come to mind are a bit cliche, so I'm going to throw out some swervy choices.

Lou Reed - Perfect Day
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_WEvqxxQiU&feature=related
Drink sangria in the park...

In honor of my Ukrainian friend who tans herself like a rotisserie chicken and is suspiciously orangey all winter, I would suggest Lou Reed's, "I Wanna Be Black"

Yo La Tengo - The Summer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hu9DnE7gTIU
Beautiful dream pop for langorous summer drifting.

Rod Stewart - Maggie May
If Rod had died after this, he would be revered as a demi-god.

''Sunshine Superman'' Donovan
Could have tripped out easy.

''I'm Not in Love'' 10CC
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIiWBPdhPH8
This is part of my dream-pop group for laying in the sun with a few pina coladas. Also, it's a reaction to the Lovin' Spoonful. For those not in the know, 10CC's name is the supposed metric equivalent of the Lovin' Spoonful, which is well, a really naughty expression taken from an old blues song.

Anything by Bad Company.

B52's - Rock Lobster, duh.

I used to welcome summer with a playing of the entire Who album
Quadrophenia.

Alice Cooper - School's Out

Warren Zevon - Desperados Under the Eaves
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKuMQ8tHrXA
California, salty margaritas and trying to find a girl who understands him. I hope he did. RIP. This for the end of summer when you just feel like crying or just after sunset when you've had one too many margaritas. "Except in dreams you're never really free .."

As summer turns to fall, you will need to put on Yo La Tengo's brilliant Autumn Sweater.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiaVxfFFQpc&feature=related
Ah ah, we could slip away. You in your autumn sweater ...

And when your autumn sweater isn't enough, just cuddle up in a Motel 6 with Yo La Tengo for the winter:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MxCUdEI7_k
or the double espresso version:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PV7u_gjpXWU
Now I drift off to sleep while the snow falls on the street...

Now as Mulitmedia Chicklet I would really recommend a movie called Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring. It's Korean movie that beautifully fuses the changes of seasons with the changes in a boy's life as he lives in seclusion with a monk on a tiny island in the middle of a secluded lake. Just amazing.

RC, I thought you were the Ukrainian with the tanning addiction.

Lou Reed's Perfect Day is sublime. Bad Company? Dream-pop droning around the seaons with YLT. Nice.

RC, I'll grant you that Maggie May is one of the best by Rod Stewart, but what has it got to do with summer?

Stachmo

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=1yKgAEkCKxY

Alice Cooper--School's Out. Of course. How could we have missed that one?

Thanks Rock Chicklet.

Summer Nights - Van Halen (Van Hagar actually)

Dahlink?!? What's it got to do with summer? I am focussing more on the end of summer here, but the second line tells you:
Wake up Maggie I think I got something to say to you
It's late September and I really should be back at school ...
...I suppose I could collect my books and get on back to school ...

The original ode to a cougar. Grrrowwwllll....

Just for that I'm going to plant Bananarama's Cruel Summer in your head. Click on the link if you think you're strong enough.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5n6chxpEINs

Speaking of Swedish cultural infiltration:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgcTHf3tbtc&feature=related

If you're strong enough, you could end the summer in Rio:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5c0NeG-8ZI

If you survived that gob full of eighties goo, then the only remedy is a strong summer emetic like Bikini Kill. Kathleen Hanna has real Girl Power. Oh bondage, up yours indeed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZxxhxjgnC0

Van Hagar blows.

RC - Anything by Bad Company.
-- Absolutely! Moving On, Ready for Love....Ahhh. Nothing like Bad Company to make me feel like a teenage rebel all over again.

RC & Cheese Girl - especially Rock Steady! Without a doubt the sexiest song ever!

Joyce, I can't take Elvis' voice. It just makes me homicidal.

Once again, I fail my pop culture roll...

Well if you hate Elvis' voice then it's game over since he didn't write any songs or really play an instrument. But he really could rock a white bejeweled cape.

Elvis is kitsch. In the Ghetto is kitsch. Viva Las Vegas is super-kitsch.

Bubba Ho-Tep is awesome (Bruce Campbell as zombie mummy fighting Elvis with a walker in a retirement home.)

If you're in uncomfortable position and have got no money to get out from that point, you would need to take the loans. Because that will aid you definitely. I take secured loan every single year and feel OK because of that.