Last week, Jimmy Fallon got a loop pedal masterclass from Ed Sheeran. This week, he unearthed the “first draft” of Bryan Adams’ classic anthem, Summer of ’69, with Kevin Bacon.
During the latest edition of the pair’s long-running skit, Adams’ smash hit is labelled as “a nostalgic, rocking tune that would capture a generation”. However, it’s joked that “America never heard its first draft... until now.”
Cue Bacon and Fallon – armed with a Gibson Les Paul and Fender Stratocaster, and decked out in era-appropriate rock garb – who take to the stage to perform a choice re-write that changes every line of the song to be about electric guitars.
That’s right: there’s no room for Jimmy to quit, or for Jody to get married, in this version.
Now, Bacon is certainly no Adams, but look past that fact and the pair's performance – and their, er, interesting lyrical choices – prove that their comedic talents more than make up for that.
It starts off simply enough, with Bacon singing: I got my first real six-string / Bought it at the Five and Dime / I counted and there were six strings / I played it and it sounded fine.
But things take a turn. The bell above the shop door rings, and another customer walks into the store. They both want the same guitar – the store’s only six-string.
They quickly realize they could start a band together if only they had a six-string each. Luckily, the other patron – Fallon in a questionable Beatles-gone-emo wig – has a nifty solution.
He sings: Maybe we could buy a 12-string / And have it sawed in two / That way, we'd have two six-strings / Then I could jam with you!
And that's exactly what they do, with store credit no less. They then realize that one another's half-12-string is better, leading to the brilliantly stupid punchline: That was the summer we switched the strings.
The song finishes with the subtle flutter of a guitar solo, presumably from house band virtuoso Kirk Douglas, but Bacon and Fallon's miming skills are not a patch on their lyricism.
Fallon has proven his nerdy muso credentials plenty of times on his eponymous chat show. There was the time he nerded out over P-90 pickups and fixed a pro guitarist’s feedback problem, and he’s jammed with Keith Richards, too.
He also often showcases the musical talents of his guests, with Amanda Seyfried recently stunning viewers with a dulcimer cover of a Joni Mitchell classic.
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