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Three Ultra-Cool Duets to Get You Through An Early Summer Heatwave
Rate-A-Record #51
This weekend, we’re going to hit the 100-degree mark for the first time this year in my part of the world, a hellish fact which makes it the ideal time for a summer-themed Rate-A-Record. I briefly considered recycling an article about surf rock from two years ago, but that would be lazy, so I needed something new.
In searching for ideas, I fell down a YouTube/Spotify rabbit hole and as often happens ended up somewhere I never expected. I’ve written 50 Rate-A-Record articles, multiple other music stories, and more odes to Bruce Springsteen than any one person should, yet I have not written one story about duets. That revelation, however, would only solve my dilemma if I could find duets that had a summer vibe.
The first song that came to mind was “Summer Nights,” the Olivia Newton-John/John Travolta duet from Grease. It’s one of those earworms you try to avoid, and I refuse to subject you to it here. A deeper dive into the abyss yielded “Endless Love” and “Up Where We Belong.” God help me, no and no.
Then, buried in a playlist from years ago, was a song that fit perfectly. Let’s start there.
“Summer Wine” — The Corrs & Bono
