Summer Time (song)

This article is about the James Barker Band song. For other songs, see Summertime § Songs.
"Summer Time"
Single by James Barker Band
ReleasedJune 12, 2020 (2020-06-12)
GenreCountry
Length3:06
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Todd Clark
James Barker Band singles chronology
"Slow Down Town"
(2020) 		"Summer Time"
(2020) 		"Over All Over Again"
(2021)

"Summer Time" is a 2020 song recorded by Canadian country group James Barker Band.[1] It was co-written by the band's frontman James Barker, with Gavin Slate, Travis Wood, and producer Todd Clark.[2]

Background

"Summer Time" was released amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, following a run of seventy-five consecutive live stream shows online from the band. Frontman James Barker reflected on the importance of summer to Canadians and wanted to spread some optimism in the pandemic summer, saying "we hope ... fans connect with that nostalgic feeling of a more relaxed state of mind".[3]

Critical reception

Katie Colley of ET Canada called the song "catchy", saying it puts you in the "summer spirit".[4] 93.7 JR Country referred to the track as a "summer anthem" and "sunshine for your ears", noting "shimmery guitar riffs and James Barker's warm vocals".[5] Chris Parton of Sounds Like Nashville said the song is "purpose built for fun in the sun" with "breezy guitars" and "a foot-tapping beat", noting Barker's "bright, carefree vocal".[6]

Commercial performance

"Summer Time" reached a peak of No. 15 on Billboard Canada Country chart, marking the band's eighth Top 20 hit.[7] It also charted at No. 24 on the Hot Canadian Digital Songs chart in the week after its release.[8] The song has been certified Gold by Music Canada.[9]

Live performance

James Barker Band performed "Summer Time" live at the 2020 Canadian Country Music Awards, with the band being split into groups of two, performing from both Oro-Medonte, Ontario and Nashville, Tennessee.[10] The award show was broadcast live on Global in Canada, as well as on the Global App, and aired on several Corus radio stations in Alberta and Ontario.[11]

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from AllMusic.[2]

Charts

Chart (2020) Peak
position
Canada Country (Billboard)[7] 15
Canada Digital Songs (Billboard)[8] 24

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[9] Gold 40,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ "James Barker Band - Summer Time". New Country Songs. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Summer Time - James Barker Band". AllMusic. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
  3. ^ "JAMES BARKER BAND RELEASE BRAND NEW SONG "SUMMER TIME" TODAY". UMusic.ca. Universal Music Canada. June 12, 2020. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
  4. ^ Colley, Katie (June 12, 2020). "James Barker Band Are On 'Summer Time' With Their Catchy New Single". ET Canada. Corus Entertainment. Archived from the original on June 12, 2020. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
  5. ^ "James Barker Band Has The Feel-Good Summer Song You've Been Waiting For!". 93.7 JR Country. July 3, 2020. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
  6. ^ Parton, Chris (June 19, 2020). "JAMES BARKER BAND ADJUST THEIR CLOCKS TO 'SUMMER TIME'". Sounds Like Nashville. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
  7. ^ a b "James Barker Band Chart History (Canada Country)". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 1, 2021. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
  8. ^ a b "James Barker Band Chart History (Hot Canadian Digital Song Sales)". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 30, 2021. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
  9. ^ a b "Canadian single certifications – James Barker Band – Summer Time". Music Canada. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  10. ^ "James Barker Band - Summer Time (The 2020 CCMA Awards)" (video). YouTube. September 27, 2020. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
  11. ^ Colley, Katie (August 31, 2020). "Tim McGraw, Sam Hunt, Kane Brown & More To Perform At 2020 CCMA Awards". ET Canada. Archived from the original on September 3, 2020. Retrieved December 16, 2022.