60s - Theme From "A Summer Place" (Percy Faith)

Theme From "A Summer Place"

Theme from "A Summer Place" is a song with music by Max Steiner (and lyrics by Mack Discant), written for the 1959 movie, A Summer Place, which starred Sandra Dee and Troy Donahue. It was first recorded for the film by Hugo Winterhalter.

But it was Percy Faith and his orchestra who made it a #1 on the US Billboard Hot 100for 9 weeks (!) from February to April 1960. It remains the longest-running #1instrumental in the history of the chart. It reached number two in the UK.

Percy Faith also won a Grammy Award for Record of the Year in 1961 for his recording. This was the first movie theme and the first instrumental to win a Record of the Year Grammy.

He re-recorded the song twice – first, in 1969, as a female choral version, then, in 1976, as a disco version titled "Summer Place 76".

Other covered versions include Billy Vaughn (1960), The Lettermen (1965), The Ventures (1969), and Andy Williams (1962).