The Sound of the Summer of Love

The legendary Summer of Love, which actually lasted three summers from 1967 to 1969, is being honored in an exhibition in Freiburg. Dr. Knut Holtsträter, from the Center for Popular Culture and Music at the University of Freiburg , and several of his students have put together the exhibition "Summer of Love und der lange deutsche Winter des Nachhörens – Woodstock und die Schallplatte" (Summer of Love and the Long German Winter of Listening: Woodstock and Vinyl), which opens on July 11, 2017. Alexander Ochs talked to him and two seminar participants about their favorite records.

Photo: Patrick Seeger

Dr. Holtsträter, what's your favorite record in the exhibition?

That's a tough question! I think the record with the title "Strictly For Snobs" is the most fun. It's a label compilation released by the music division of MGM, the big film studio. I bought the record for three euros at a flea market. It has 16 instrumental songs on it, eight on each side, all played by an orchestra, including well-known hits like "Girl From Ipanema" and "Blowin' In The Wind." I really like that relaxing West Coast sound. It's a mix of Jazz and Easy Listening, and it's an extremely high-quality production. There's also a lot of information on the cover – for example, about the orchestra. The ironic title "Strictly for Snobs" is obviously meant somewhat seriously. I can imagine playing it at a dinner or cocktail party.

Dr. Knut Holtsträter teaches at the Center for Popular Culture and Music. It was his idea to design this exhibition together with his students.
Photo: Patrick Seeger

Mr. Nopper, what's your favorite record in the exhibition?

A self-titled record by Janis Joplin's earlier band "Big Brother & The Holding Company." She played with them just before she had her big breakthrough. I think two things are exciting about this album: For one, there's the cutting-edge cover design by the comic artist Robert Crumb; for two, the cover shows just how close-knit the emerging hippy scene already was in California at the time. There are also many clues and references – for example, to the concert promoter Bill Graham and the Hells Angels. Musically, the album is surprisingly unremarkable. The song "Summertime" is on it, but overall the record fits in the regular folk and country tradition.

Maxim Nopper is a media and cultural studies student and seminar participant.
Photo: Patrick Seeger

Mr. Rabian, what's your favorite record in the exhibition?

I picked put two singles that are really famous: "San Francisco (Be Sure To Wear Some Flowers In Your Hair)" by Scott McKenzie and "All Along The Watchtower" by Jimi Hendrix and his band. The songs were released in 1967 and 1968, respectively. What fascinates me is the different reactions to the two songs. The song "San Francisco" was also very well-known in Germany and was number one on the charts here. Jimi Hendrix's song was different. "All Along The Watchtower" was in the top 20 in the States, but it didn't make it on the charts at all in Germany. The song was originally written by Bob Dylan, but Hendrix's version is much better known. I was also surprised at how cheap these records are today. I saw records selling for 85 cents on the Internet.

Seminar participant Garrett Rabian is from Pennsylvania, USA, and is spending a year abroad at the University of Freiburg. He studies engineering and German.
Photo: Patrick Seeger

Exhibition Opening on July 11, 2017
The exhibition "Summer of Love und der lange deutsche Winter des Nachhörens – Woodstock und die Schallplatte" (Summer of Love and the Long German Winter of Listening: Woodstock and Vinyl) will be showing from July 11 to September 8, 2017, in the foyer of the Carl Schurz Haus , Eisenbahnstraße 62, 79098 Freiburg. Opening hours are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is free.