In 1991 all living original Beach Boys members (except Brian Wilson, still under the care of his abusive psychologist Gene Landy) returned to the studio with Terry Melcher to record their follow-up to “Kokomo” with the album Summer in Paradise. This marked the first and only Beach Boys studio album that Brian Wilson had no participation in whatsoever. Produced entirely on a Macintosh Quadra computer, Summer in Paradise was recorded using a Beta version of Pro Tools with a rhythm section that was almost entirely synthesized. Despite its effort to be “the quintessential soundtrack of summer” the album quickly turned into an unmitigated disaster: musically, lyrically, and commercially. Al Jardine was suspended from the band in the early stages of the recording due to a “severe attitude problem,” however he was reinstated in final weeks leading up to the completion the project.

It's easy to appreciate Donna Summer all over again while watching these vintage music videos. "She Works Hard for the Money" features her least interesting vocal, though the video remains an uncompromising, tough look at the dreary lot of women in the menial workforce…
John Craven and the team - Keeley Donovan, Jules Hudson and Margherita Taylor - unveil the stories behind an extraordinary season: summer.