Even casual fans are familiar with Type O Negative's slowed-down and sexed-up cover of "Summer Breeze," originally by Seventies soft rockers Seals and Crofts, but did you know about the "banned" version featuring characteristically explicit lyrics rewritten by Peter Steele to fit the band's sleazy aesthetic?
A true cover of the original ended up making the cut for Type O's seminal 1993 album Bloody Kisses, with its innocent lyrics touting airy sweet nothings:
See the paper layin' in the sidewalk, a little music from the house next door
So I walked on up to the doorstep, through the screen and across the floor
Steele's "Summer Girl" rewrite took a much less breezy approach (and even dropped an in-joke about Type O guitarist Kenny Hickey):
Kenny Hickey lying on the sidewalk, devil music from the house next door
So I step on over his vomit, through the screen and across the floor
"Peter changed some of the lyrics of 'Summer Breeze' because he felt he needed to add some humor and Type O references," recalls Roadrunner Records A&R man Monte Conner. "He didn't know he needed the songwriter and publisher's permission to do that. We approached the publisher, who then approached Seals and Crofts, who clearly were not amused and rejected the request. So the band were forced to go in and re-record the vocals and they remixed the song to make it into a straight-up cover."
Really, it's not hard to imagine why S&C would've disapproved of Steele taking their song and imagining his "Summer Girl" leading him into the bedroom and "spreading out to take me." The legendary goth-doom lothario's original version may not have made Bloody Kisses, but it can still be found on the unofficial release Suicide Is Self-Expression, and is easily found on YouTube, as seen above. Below, you can read the full lyrics.
"Summer Girl" lyrics:
Her golden hair moving as the wind blows
Full moon on a Friday night
Little candle burning in the window
Lets me know everything's all right
Summer Girl make me feel fine
Always in the corner of my mind
Kenny Hickey lying on the sidewalk
Devil music from the house next door
So I step on over his vomit
Through the screen and across the floor
Sweet days of summer
Her love is in bloom
July is dressed up
And playing her tune
When I come home
From a hard days night
And you're waiting there
I don't have a care
A care in this world
See her smile lead me to the bedroom
Fire burning and there's wine for two
Feel your legs spreading out to take me
Just can't wait to get inside of you
