"Summer Babe", also known as "Summer Babe (Winter Version)", is the debut single by the American

indie rock Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the mu ...

band Pavement. It was first released as a 7" single (listed and described as an EP at the time) by Chicago's

Drag City Records Drag City is an American independent record label An independent record label (or indie label) is a record label that operates without the funding or distribution of major record labels; they are a type of small- to medium-sized enterprise, ...

on August 23, 1991, titled ''Summer Babe''. It was their only single on the Drag City label before the band moved to New York–based

Matador Records Matador Records is an independent record label, with a roster of mainly indie rock, but also punk rock, experimental rock, alternative rock, and electronic acts. History Matador was created in 1989 by Chris Lombardi in his New York City apart ...

. The songs on the Drag City single would later be included on the Drag City compilation '' Westing (By Musket & Sextant)'', and on Matador's '' Slanted & Enchanted: Luxe & Reduxe''. The song didn't enter the U.S. ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' charts. A slightly different mix of the song with different vocals, officially known as ''Summer Babe (Winter Version)'', later became the first track on the band's debut album, ''

Slanted and Enchanted ''Slanted and Enchanted'' is the debut studio album by American indie rock band Pavement, released on April 20, 1992 by Matador Records. It is the only Pavement album to feature drummer Gary Young. The album received critical acclaim and is ...

'', released in April 1992. In 2004, ''Summer Babe (Winter Version)'' was ranked number 286 by ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'' magazine on its list of the "

500 Greatest Songs of All Time "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" is a recurring survey compiled by the American magazine ''Rolling Stone''. It is based on weighted votes from selected musicians, critics, and industry figures. The first list was published in December 2004 in ...

". (page 3) (In 2010, the list was updated, and now the song is at number 292.) In 2019, '' Paste'' ranked the song number two on their list of the 15 greatest Pavement songs, and in 2022, ''

Consequence of Sound ''Consequence'' (previously ''Consequence of Sound'') is an independently owned New York-based online magazine featuring news, editorials, and reviews of music, movies, and television. In addition, the website also features the Festival Outlook ...

'' ranked the song number five on their list of the 10 greatest Pavement songs.

Composition

The songs were written by

Stephen Malkmus Stephen Joseph Malkmus (born May 30, 1966) is an American musician best known as the primary songwriter, lead singer and guitarist of the indie rock band Pavement. He currently performs with Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks and as a solo artist ...

, who was then living in

Hoboken Hoboken ( ; Unami: ') is a city in Hudson County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city's population was 60,417. The Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program calculated that the city's population was 58,69 ...

Jersey City Jersey City is the second-most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, after Newark.Scott Kannberg Christopher Scott Kannberg (born August 30, 1966), known professionally as Scott Kannberg and Spiral Stairs, is an American musician best known for being a founding member of the indie-rock band Pavement serving as guitarist and occasional lea ...

, and the recording was produced by the duo.

Reception

Pitchfork A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to th ...

'' said the song, "sketches Malkmus' balancing act between the court jester and the savant. It takes a foolish confidence to start your debut single with "Ice baby" only two years removed from

Vanilla Ice Robert Matthew Van Winkle (born October 31, 1967), known professionally as Vanilla Ice, is an American rapper, actor, and television host. Born in South Dallas, and raised in Texas and South Florida, Ice released his debut album, ''Hooked'', ...

's billboard-topping single. "Summer Babe" careens between self-seriousness and complete nonsense; when Malkmus sings, with an exasperated laugh, "Drop off," it's as if he’s laughing at himself."

Track listing

Music video

The music video of the song, which is quite rare, was directed by a woman referred to as "Tanya S," an early member of the Silver Jews. The video features Malkmus, Nastanovich, and Ibold miming the song (with either some or no instruments) along with backdrops of

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

and clips of Malkmus' then-girlfriend (another early ex-Silver Jews member) interspersed.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Summer Babe 1991 debut singles Pavement (band) songs 1991 songs Songs written by Stephen Malkmus Jangle pop songs