Lana Del Rey Shares ‘Gershwin Version’ of “Summertime”
Although winter is coming here in the northern hemisphere, Lana Del Rey is, as usual, singing about summertime. Today, she shared a new, jazzy cover of “Summertime,” as originally composed by George Gershwin. You may recognize the melody and first line from Lana’s 2019 cover of Sublime’s “Doin’ Time,” which itself had sampled Herbie Mann’s recording of Gershwin’s “Summertime.” Confused yet? In any case, Lana has long been a fan of jazz, and her new cover of the 1935 composition is superb.
Over smooth piano, stand-up bass, and lightly brushed drums, Lana croons the relaxed tune. We haven’t heard Lana sound this jazzy since “Yayo” in 2012. Here, three backup singers add beautiful layers to the song, lending it an older, more authentic vibe.
The new “Summertime” cover also comes with a playful music video. Lana and her fellow musicians arrive in a classic car, transforming a patio surrounded by trees into a fresh stage. While most of this is a performance video, we do get some silly shots of the group driving in the car with an obvious green screen behind them.
Watch the fun music video for “Summertime” below:
You can stream or buy Lana’s “Summertime The Gershwin Version” cover from all the major music providers here. Lana is also donating to the New York Philharmonic and LA Phil.
Lana stated:
So happy to have recorded this song to support the wonderful arts institutions that are the LA and NY Philharmonic orchestras that have faced such difficult challenges this year.. I’ll be donating to both to support them and loved making this video I hope you like it
Upcoming Covers Album
Speaking of cover songs, Lana Del Rey is about to release a new covers album next month. It will include American standards and classics, and is expected out by Christmas. Lana decided to share this digital album because her upcoming studio album, Chemtrails Over The Country Club, has been delayed to spring 2021.
It’s not confirmed, but it is possible that “Summertime The Gershwin Version” may appear on her forthcoming covers album.
Chemtrails Over The Country Club
Last month, Lana shared “Let Me Love You Like A Woman” as the first taste of the upcoming album. Lana already filmed the music video for “Chemtrails Over The Country Club,” the album’s title track. Last summer, Lana also previewed her new song “Tulsa Jesus Freak.”
We know a few additional titles that Lana mentioned during her interview with Jack Antonoff for Interview Magazine’s September issue. One confirmed song is “White Dress/Waitress,” which they wrote early, starting with Jack Antonoff playing piano; she calls it the album’s “defining moment.” She described it further:
What I like about that song is that for all of its weirdness, when you get to the end of it, you understand exactly what it’s about. I hate when I hear a song that has a great melody, but I have no idea what they’re talking about. In the grunge movement, a lot of the lyrics were super abstract, but the melodies and the tonality were such a vibe that you felt like you knew exactly what the singer was thinking. Nowadays, you get a beautiful melody but you don’t really know what the person is talking about, or if it’s even important to them.
Lana also mentioned “Dealer” – which may or may not make the tracklisting. She stated that her album doesn’t quite feel perfect yet, and might need one more defining song. “Dealer” may be that song – a track in which Lana is “just screaming my head off.” That’ll be a different sound for her!
Overall, Lana has described Chemtrails Over The Country Club as having a Midwestern sound and being folky.
Additional Upcoming Projects
In late July, Lana released the audiobook version of her first poetry collection, Violet Bent Backwards Over The Grass. The physical and ebook versions were published on September 29th, with the audiobook on CD and vinyl out October 2nd. You can purchase Violet Bent Backwards Over The Grass from the major audiobook providers here. Alternately, get the spoken poems on CD, vinyl, or picture disc from Lana’s official site. You can also order the hardcover book or ebook from the major book retailers now. Both the hardcover and ebook feature more than 30 poems – over double what was included in the audiobook format.
Next March, Lana will release her second poetry book, titled Behind The Iron Gates – Insights From An Institution.
Beyond her own music, Lana recently appeared on an updated version of Matt Maeson’s single “Hallucinogenics.”
Furthermore, Lana has a film scoring project coming up, which will gift fans even more music. She’s composing for the upcoming film adaptation of Lewis Carroll novel Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland.
“Summertime The Gershwin Version”
Enjoy Lana’s new cover of “Summertime The Gershwin Version” and its fun music video. Look out for more covers on her upcoming covers album, due sometime in December. Also keep up on all we know about Chemtrails Over The Country Club here; it’s due out in spring 2021. As always, keep checking back here for all the latest Lana Del Rey music news.
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