Wasn't the Summer Short?
| "Wasn't the Summer Short?" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 US 7-inch single | ||||
| Single by Johnny Mathis | ||||
| from the album Johnny's Newest Hits | ||||
| B-side | "There You Are" | |||
| Released | September 8, 1961 | |||
| Recorded | February 8, 1961 | |||
| Genre | Pop | |||
| Length | 2:56 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Songwriter | Ruth Lyons | |||
| Producer | Irving Townsend | |||
| Johnny Mathis singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Wasn't the Summer Short?" on YouTube | ||||
"Wasn't the Summer Short?" is a popular song written by Ruth Lyons that was recorded by Johnny Mathis in 1961. It charted that same year.
Recording and release
[edit]Johnny Mathis recorded "Wasn't the Summer Short?" on February 8, 1961, with an orchestra conducted by Ray Ellis. It was produced by Irving Townsend and released as a single seven months later, on September 8.[1]
Chart performance
[edit]"Wasn't the Summer Short?" spent its one week on the Billboard Hot 100 in the issue of the magazine dated October 23, 1961, at number 89.[2] It also reached number 17 on Cash Box magazine's Looking Ahead chart, which was described as a "compilation, in order of strength, of up and coming records showing signs of breaking into The Cash Box Top 100".[3]
Critical reception
[edit]In their review column, the editors of Cash Box gave "Wasn't the Summer Short?" a letter grade of B+. They described it as a "fine ballad outing".[4] The editors of Billboard wrote that the song was "sung with sincerity and plaintive effectiveness".[5]
Charts
[edit]| Chart (1961) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100[2] | 89 |
| US Looking Ahead (Cash Box)[3] | 17 |
References
[edit]- ↑ Columbia Records (2015). The Singles (Liner notes). Johnny Mathis. Columbia Records. 88875120552.
- 1 2 "Johnny Mathis Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 23, 2025. Retrieved November 6, 2025.
- 1 2 "The Cash Box Looking Ahead" (PDF). Cash Box. New York: Cash Box Publishing Co., Inc. November 11, 1961. p. 16. Retrieved November 6, 2025.
- ↑ "The Cash Box Record Reviews > Best Bets > Johnny Mathis – "Wasn't the Summer Short?"" (PDF). Cash Box. New York: Cash Box Publishing Co., Inc. September 23, 1961. p. 12. Retrieved November 6, 2025.
- ↑ "Reviews of This Week's Singles > Spotlight Winners of the Week > Johnny Mathis – "Wasn't the Summer Short?"" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 73, no. 35. September 18, 1961. p. 72. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved November 6, 2025.
