"Summer" could be described as Mogwai's equivalent of a pop song. The original version of "Summer" is still played live regularly, whereas the Priority Version, while not usually played live anymore, used to be played live quite commonly in the late 1990s. The piece was originally titled "Martin", most likely after Mogwai drummer Martin Bulloch. "Summer" could possibly be the first Mogwai composition ever written because the 1995 Deadcat Motorbike demos contain a track labelled "Summer".
Priority version
The version of "Summer" which appeared on the band's 1997 debut album, Mogwai Young Team, entitled "Summer " was first played live for a Peel session in late 1996. Stuart Braithwaite commented on this version of the piece: "I think that we must have been on crack when we wrote it because it's crap."
Musical composition
The track begins with a quiet recording of the chorus of "Summer", with lots of reverb. At, it fades out and the bass riff of "Summer" kicks in, accompanied by an Organ. At, it is joined by the drums, and a glockenspiel playing the melody. At, the distorted guitars are brought in, playing a heavily distorted E5 chord along with heavy drumming. At, the quiet glockenspiel melody returns briefly, before being drowned out at by the guitars playing the E5 chord. This is followed at, by a guitar solo, played by Stuart Braithwaite, with the glockenspiel playing along. At, there is another heavily distorted guitar section, followed by a brief return to the glockenspiel melody, and then back to the guitar section. At, a similar guitar solo is played, until, when all the instruments begin playing frantically and heavily, until, when another guitar section is played. At, the glockenspiel melody is played one last time, accompanied by organ and drums, until, when everything finishes playing, except the organ, which slowly fades out.
"Summer" was also used in a Levi advert during an American footballSuper Bowl clash in 2003 which earned the band £250,000. This advert also raised their global awareness.
