Looking at the history of two songs of the same name by two legendary artists

Are Will Smith and Louis Armstrong’s Songs ‘Summertime’ Related to Each Other?

After winning his first Grammy award in 1989, Will Smith
[https://www.netflixjunkie.com/tag/will-smith/] dropped a single so electric in
1991 that it became the catalyst for his second Grammy win. This was, of course,
‘Summertime’ by the hip-hop group, DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince. A jazz
enthusiast is bound to notice the common name shared by the duo’s song and
another classic from the 50s by the father of jazz, Louis Armstrong. Unlike the
genres, the themes of the two tracks also coincide like their names.

For those wondering if a thread connects the two ‘Summertime’ tracks, here is
the full picture. 


THE TALE OF THE TWO SUMMERTIME SONGS

Despite what the songs’ names suggest, there is no connection between Armstrong
and DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince’s tracks except for their topics. In their
ways, both songs sing praises of the glorious season of the year when the sun
shines, birds chirp and rejuvenated folks are buzzing with joy. Armstrong’s
‘Summertime’ originated from an inspiration set by George Gershwin’s opera piece
in 1934.



Meanwhile, Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff, who just reunited last year for a Grammy
event,
[https://www.netflixjunkie.com/music-news-grammys-hip-hop-fifty-will-smith-and-dj-jazzy-jeff-epic-reunion-lights-up-the-night/]
used Kool & the Gang’s ‘Summer Madness’ as a base for ‘Summertime’s’ background
beats. While their track was recognized by the Grammy Awards body within a year
of its release, Armstrong’s album, which contained this song, was awarded a
Grammy Hall of Fame award almost half a century after its release.

ALSO READ: Amidst ‘Class of ‘88’ Launch, Will Smith Reveals How This 1998 Grammy
Winning Track Was Made
[https://www.netflixjunkie.com/music-news-amidst-class-of-88-launch-will-smith-reveals-how-this-nineteen-hundred-ninety-eight-grammy-winning-track-was-made/]

One thing that Smith’s fans noticed about ‘Summertime’ was a difference in his
voice. There is an intriguing tale behind how this happened. 


WHY DOES WILL SMITH SOUND DIFFERENT IN THE 1991 TRACK? 

In ‘Summertime’ Smith’s vocals sound a lot more low-pitched than his usual
music. Not only was this fact picked up by fans but also by rap mogul, Snoop
Dogg. During a Brotherly Love Sessions episode, he asked Smith why he sounded
like the iconic rap star Rakim in it. The Men in Black actor explained that
although Rakim was his “favorite rapper” back then, his voice turned raspy
simply because his vocal cords were tired.



The now 55-year-old had been partying the night before. After finishing work on
his previous album, he and DJ Jazzy Jeff went clubbing, so when the task of
recording ‘Summertime’ was sprung on him out of nowhere the next day, his “voice
was blown out”. While telling this story, Smith also disclosed that he had
penned down the entire track which would win him a Grammy award the next year!

ALSO READ: Jada Pinkett Smith and 2Pac Lip-Syncing to a Will Smith Song Is the
90s Throwback We All Needed
[https://www.netflixjunkie.com/music-news-jada-pinkett-smith-and-2pac-lip-syncing-to-a-will-smith-song-is-the-nineties-throwback-we-all-needed/]

Between Will Smith and Louis Armstrong, whose ‘Summertime’ do you like more?
Share your thoughts in the comments. 

Ibadat Kaur

Comment

Are Will Smith and Louis Armstrong’s Songs ‘Summertime’ Related to Each Other? - Netflix Junkie

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Ibadat Kaur is an entertainment writer at Netflix Junkie. Her love for Narcos &amp; Pedro Pascal is what brought her to the world of entertainment news. She has immense love for historical and investigative documentaries on people and cultural practices. If this was not enough, she was a blogger prior to keeping her step in the glitz and glamor of the entertainment world and covered culture and heritage while traveling across Central and South America. For Ibadat, writing has been her safe space, and she aims to pick up reviewing anthology formats like Black Mirror &amp; Criminal at Netflix Junkie. If you want an expert on comedy (dark and satire) psychology or travel, then Ibadat is your person. While you will mostly find her covering everything and anything from the world of entertainment, about her favorite celebrities, shows, and movies, Ibadat is an avid Schitt's Creek fan and loves the novel George Orwell’s 1984. And if not this, she will be seen actively backpacking for her next trip, petting her dog Raven, or studying the human condition (side-eye).

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Are Will Smith and Louis Armstrong’s Songs ‘Summertime’ Related to Each Other? - netflix-junkie

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After winning his first Grammy award in 1989, <a href="https://www.netflixjunkie.com/tag/will-smith/">Will Smith</a> dropped a single so electric in 1991 that it became the catalyst for his second Grammy win. This was, of course, ‘Summertime’ by the hip-hop group, DJ Jazzy Jeff &amp; the Fresh Prince. A jazz enthusiast is bound to notice the common name shared by the duo’s song and another classic from the 50s by the father of jazz, Louis Armstrong. Unlike the genres, the themes of the two tracks also coincide like their names.
For those wondering if a thread connects the two ‘Summertime’ tracks, here is the full picture. 
<h2>The tale of the two Summertime songs</h2>
Despite what the songs’ names suggest, there is no connection between Armstrong and DJ Jazzy Jeff &amp; the Fresh Prince’s tracks except for their topics. In their ways, both songs sing praises of the glorious season of the year when the sun shines, birds chirp and rejuvenated folks are buzzing with joy. Armstrong’s ‘Summertime’ originated from an inspiration set by George Gershwin’s opera piece in 1934.
<div class="flex-video widescreen youtube"><iframe loading="lazy" title="DJ Jazzy Jeff &amp; The Fresh Prince - Summertime" width="1170" height="878" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Kr0tTbTbmVA?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
Meanwhile, <a href="https://www.netflixjunkie.com/music-news-grammys-hip-hop-fifty-will-smith-and-dj-jazzy-jeff-epic-reunion-lights-up-the-night/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff, who just reunited last year for a Grammy event,</a> used Kool &amp; the Gang’s ‘Summer Madness’ as a base for &#8216;Summertime&#8217;s&#8217; background beats. While their track was recognized by the Grammy Awards body within a year of its release, Armstrong’s album, which contained this song, was awarded a Grammy Hall of Fame award almost half a century after its release.
ALSO READ: <a href="https://www.netflixjunkie.com/music-news-amidst-class-of-88-launch-will-smith-reveals-how-this-nineteen-hundred-ninety-eight-grammy-winning-track-was-made/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Amidst ‘Class of ‘88’ Launch, Will Smith Reveals How This 1998 Grammy Winning Track Was Made</a>
One thing that Smith’s fans noticed about ‘Summertime’ was a difference in his voice. There is an intriguing tale behind how this happened. 
<h2>Why does Will Smith sound different in the 1991 track? </h2>
In ‘Summertime’ Smith’s vocals sound a lot more low-pitched than his usual music. Not only was this fact picked up by fans but also by rap mogul, Snoop Dogg. During a Brotherly Love Sessions episode, he asked Smith why he sounded like the iconic rap star Rakim in it. The Men in Black actor explained that although Rakim was his “favorite rapper” back then, his voice turned raspy simply because his vocal cords were tired.
<div class="flex-video widescreen youtube"><iframe loading="lazy" title="BrotherlyLo❤️eSessions with Charlie Mack ft Snoop Dogg discussing Will Smith &amp; DJ Jazzy Jeff" width="1170" height="878" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VrIqq0s3Oac?start=139&#038;feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
The now 55-year-old had been partying the night before. After finishing work on his previous album, he and DJ Jazzy Jeff went clubbing, so when the task of recording ‘Summertime’ was sprung on him out of nowhere the next day, his “voice was blown out”. While telling this story, Smith also disclosed that he had penned down the entire track which would win him a Grammy award the next year!
ALSO READ: <a href="https://www.netflixjunkie.com/music-news-jada-pinkett-smith-and-2pac-lip-syncing-to-a-will-smith-song-is-the-nineties-throwback-we-all-needed/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jada Pinkett Smith and 2Pac Lip-Syncing to a Will Smith Song Is the 90s Throwback We All Needed</a>
Between Will Smith and Louis Armstrong, whose ‘Summertime’ do you like more? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Amidst ‘Class of ‘88’ Launch, Will Smith Reveals How This 1998 Grammy Winning
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Looking at the history of two songs of the same name by two legendary artists, Will Smith and Louis Armstrong to unravel their connections.

Ibadat Kaur, a Hollywood News writer at Netflix Junkie, has writ over 500+ copies on the latest updates of celebrities like Ryan Reynolds and Henry Cavill. Kaur also delves into sling form copies around the nuances of series. One example of this is her piece on Sex Education Season 4 where she talked about how the show turned a hated character like Aimee into one loved by many. Away from work, her time spent training her dog, Raven, keeps her going.

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Are Will Smith and Louis Armstrong’s Songs ‘Summertime’ Related to Each Other?

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