Second Summer of Love

2025-08-19T18:46:46Z

2A00:23C6:9E3B:3101:E1EB:86BD:184A:C2D6: /* Further reading */

{{short description|1980s British social phenomenon}}
{{For|the Danny Wilson song "The Second Summer of Love"|Bebop Moptop}}
{{EngvarB|date=September 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2017}}
{{Infobox historical event
|Event_Name = Second Summer of Love
|partof =
|Image_Name = The Sun newspaper Spaced Out 1989.jpg
|Imagesize = 200px
|Image_Alt =
|Image_Caption = "Spaced Out!" – tabloid headline during the Second Summer of Love 1989
|Participants = Ravers, house musicians
|Location = [[United Kingdom]]
|Date = 1988–1989
|nongregorian =
|Deaths =
|Result = Rise of [[acid house]] music, [[rave]]s, and [[Acid house party|acid house parties]]
|URL =
}}
The '''Second Summer of Love''' was a late-1980s social phenomenon in the United Kingdom which saw the rise of [[acid house]] music and unlicensed [[rave]] parties.<ref>{{cite book |last=Reynolds |first=Simon |year=1998 |title=Energy Flash |publisher=Picador |isbn=0-330-35056-0}}</ref> Although primarily referring to the summer of 1988,<ref>{{cite web |last=Elledge |first=Jonn |date=11 January 2005 |url=http://www.ak13.com/article.php?id=278 |title=Stuck still |publisher=AK13 |access-date=13 June 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707100825/http://www.ak13.com/article.php?id=278 |archive-date=7 July 2011}}, "By the end of 1988, the second summer of love was over"</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://dancemusic.about.com/od/genres/a/HistHardHouse_2.htm |title=History of Hard House |access-date=13 June 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060516040340/http://dancemusic.about.com/od/genres/a/HistHardHouse_2.htm |archive-date=16 May 2006 |df=dmy-all}}"As the second "Summer of Love" arrived in 1989"</ref> it lasted into the summer of 1989, when [[electronic dance music]] and the prevalence of the drug [[MDMA]] fuelled an explosion in [[youth culture]] culminating in mass [[free party|free parties]] and the era of the rave. The music of this era fused dance beats with a [[psychedelic music|psychedelic]], 1960s flavour, and the dance culture drew parallels with the [[hedonism]] and [[liberty|freedom]] of the 1967 [[Summer of Love]] in [[San Francisco]]. The [[smiley]] logo is synonymous with this period in the UK.

==History==
The Second Summer of Love began in 1988 in UK,<ref name=guardian>{{cite journal|last=Bainbridge|first=Luke|title=A second summer of love|journal=The Guardian|date=19 April 2008 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2008/apr/20/electronicmusic.culture}}</ref> and rose from the [[house music]] British nightclubs dating from 1987 to 1988 [[Shoom]] (run by [[Danny Rampling]]) and Future (organised by [[Paul Oakenfold]]), Trip (run by [[Nicky Holloway]]), [[Slam (DJs)]] and [[The Haçienda]] (run by [[Mike Pickering]] and Graeme Park).<ref name="guardian 3">{{cite news|last=Bainbridge|first=Luke|title=Acid house and the dawn of a rave new world|work=The Guardian|date=23 February 2014|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/feb/23/acid-house-dawn-rave-new-world}}</ref> It was particularly associated with the sudden increase in independent gatherings outdoors in fields and in disused warehouses as well as with the new underground club scene, which had often become called [[rave]]s.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://artsandculture.google.com/story/the-second-summer-of-love-museum-of-youth-culture/GgVRnYyUZ_UeIg?hl=en|title=The Second Summer of Love|website=[[Google Arts & Culture]] |author=Chris Warne |publisher=Museum of Youth Culture |access-date=October 7, 2022}}</ref> Beyond those held around London, events sprung up in areas such as Blackburn and Nottingham, before spreading across all the UK, with very large numbers of distinct gatherings held weekly by late summer of 1988. There were both illegal and legal gatherings in terms of adherence to event planning laws.

While the prime musical point of convergence throughout the phenomenon was [[house music]] at first mostly imported from the US underground nightlife centres [[Chicago]], [[Detroit]] and [[New York City|New York]], another basis for the scene was focused upon enabling people to open up to other genres of music. This was typically music seen as not very commercial for the time, including music of the hippie eras and some folk derived music.

Five DJs associated with the early British house music scene reported they were inspired to start these events after holidaying on [[Ibiza]] in the summer of 1987 with their friend Johnny Walker.<ref name=guardian/> Ibiza was where acid house music first became popular in Europe and the after-hours nature of the club scene emerged.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://silvermagazine.co.uk/summer-of-love-the-rise-of-house-music-as-a-great-british-institution|title=Summer of Love – the rise of house music as a great British institution |date=16 August 2018|author=Chris Sullivan|work=Silver Magazine}}</ref>

[[File:Smiley badge.jpg|left|thumb|150px|A [[smiley]] badge, a symbol of the period]]
In the early stages of the Second Summer of Love, the events and parties were often held in empty warehouses across the UK and were essentially illegal.<ref name="ministry of rock">{{cite web |last=Nickson|first=Chris |title=The Second Summer of Love|website=Ministry of Rock|date=24 April 2010 |url=http://www.ministryofrock.co.uk/thesecondsummeroflove.html}}</ref><ref name="guardian 3" /> Vague flyers around towns and cities advertised events and information travelled by word of mouth (as well as the newly popular mobile pager) between clubbers who were obliged to party incognito.<ref name="guardian 1">{{cite journal|last=Kinney|first=Fergal|title=Pills, mills and bellyaches: how Blackburn out-partied Manchester|journal=The Guardian|date=28 May 2020|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/may/28/pills-mills-and-bellyaches-how-blackburn-out-partied-manchester}}</ref> Increasingly huge parties started to be put on around the [[M25 motorway|M25]] orbital of [[London]] by promoters including “Biology” (Jarvis Sandy, Micky Jump & Tarquin de Meza), “Energy” (Jeremy Taylor & Tin Tin Chambers), “Genesis (Andrew Pritchard, Wayne Anthony & Keith Brooks), “Sunrise/Back to the Future” (Tony Colston Hayter & Dave Roberts) and “Weekend World” (Tarquin de Meza).<ref name=guardian/><ref name="guard2">{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/jul/01/thirty-years-since-the-second-summer-of-love-1988|title=Thirty years since the second summer of love|work=The Guardian|date=1 July 2018|author=Sharon Walker}}</ref> In London, events were put on by [[Raindance (rave music promoter)|Raindance]], and at [[The Four Aces Club#Club Labrynth|Labrynth/Four Aces]].

The symbol of the time became a [[smiley]] face after the London crowd picked up the design when it was posted on one of the flyers from the third Shoom party.<ref name=guardian/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/history-smiley-face-acid-house-rave-culture/|title=A Brief History of the Smiley Face, Rave Culture's Most Ubiquitous Symbol|date=20 December 2016 |author=Michaelangelo Matos |work=Vice Magazine}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Savage|first=Jon|date=2009-02-21|title=The history of the smiley face symbol|website=[[The Guardian]] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2009/feb/21/smiley-face-design-history|access-date=2016-06-28}}</ref> Revellers would soon become adorned in smiley t-shirts and badges.

Water and [[Lucozade]] were a common feature because of the dehydrating effects of marathon dancing due to MDMA use.<ref name=guardian/> Clubgoers wore baggy clothing to combat the heat inside the clubs, and staff handed out [[ice pop]]s.<ref name=guardian/>

{{clear}}

===Music===
[[Acid house]] and [[hip house]] was typical of the Second Summer of Love. Acid house was characterised by the "squelching" bass produced by the [[Roland TB-303]] and loud repetitive beats.<ref name="ministry of rock" /> It originated in Chicago and took on new qualities when it came to Europe.<ref name="ministry of rock" /> Songs from the period include "[[French Kiss (Lil Louis song)|French Kiss]]" by [[Lil Louis]], "On & On" by [[Jesse Saunders]], "Mystery of Love" by [[Fingers Inc.]], "[[Love Can't Turn Around]]" by [[Farley "Jackmaster" Funk]] and Saunders (featuring [[Darryl Pandy]]), "I've Lost Control" by [[Derrick Harris (musician)|Sleezy D]], and "Your Only Friend" by [[Phuture]].<ref name="guardian 2">{{cite news|last=Savage|first=Jon|title=Back to the old house |work=The Observer|date=19 April 2008 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2008/apr/20/electronicmusic.clubs1}}</ref> Hip house would become a popular cross-over of a rap and house music, with tracks such as "Turn Up The Bass" by [[Tyree Cooper]], "Who's In the House" by [[the Beatmasters]], "[[Let It Roll (Doug Lazy song)|Let It Roll]]" by [[Doug Lazy]], and "That's How I'm Living" by [[Tony Scott (rapper)|Tony Scott]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.factmag.com/2014/01/22/20-best-acid-house/|title=The 20 best acid house records ever made|work=FACT|date=22 January 2014}}</ref>

===Radio===
The raves and music were promoted by [[UK pirate radio|pirate radio]] stations, including [[Kiss 94|Kiss FM]], Sunrise and [[Centreforce]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.future-past.co.uk/blogs/news/the-story-of-acid-house-pirate-radio-in-89-keep-it-locked|title=The Story Of Acid House Pirate Radio in 1989|author=Abigail Foster|date=12 September 2018|work=Future Past}}</ref>

===Drug use===
Ecstasy was the drug of choice during the time. LSD was still present, just not as prominently. [[Mark Moore]], of group [[S'Express]], said: "It definitely took ecstasy to change things. People would take their first ecstasy and it was almost as if they were born again."<ref name=guardian/> Violence was uncommon due to the feelings of euphoria, love and empathy caused by ecstasy.<ref name="ministry of rock" /> Ecstasy use in raves is often linked to the reduction in [[football hooliganism]] at the time.<ref name="guard2" /> The drug also increased the enjoyment of the music and encouraged dancing.<ref name="ministry of rock" /> Nicky Holloway, a DJ from the time, said: "The ecstasy and music came together. It was all part of the package. ... That may sound a little sad, but there's no way acid house would have taken off the way it did without ecstasy."<ref name=guardian/>

===Media attention===
British news media and [[Tabloid journalism|tabloid]]s devoted an increasing amount of coverage to the hedonistic scene, focusing increasingly on its association with [[club drug]]s. Early positive reports such as running articles on the "acid house" fashion would soon become sensationalist negative coverage. The moral panic of the press began in late 1988, when [[The Sun (United Kingdom)|''The Sun'']], which only days earlier on 12 October had promoted acid house as "cool and groovy" while running an offer on acid smiley face t-shirts, abruptly turned on the scene.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://reverbmusic.org/2017/09/29/raving-mad-the-acid-house-witch-hunt/ |title=Raving Mad: The Acid House Witch Hunt |date=29 September 2017|author=James Wijesinghe|work=Reverb Music}}</ref> On 19 October ''The Sun'' ran with the headline "Evils of Ecstasy," linking the acid house scene with the newly popular and relatively unknown drug. On 24 June 1989, the newspaper ran its infamous "Spaced Out!" headline after a Sunrise party.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theneweuropean.co.uk/brexit-news/britain-second-summer-of-love-pills-thrills-29688|title=Pills, thrills, and Britain's second Summer of Love|work=The New European|date=31 July 2018|author=Andrew Woods}}</ref>

== See also ==
{{Portal|1980s}}
* [[Balearic beat]]
* [[Madchester]]
* [[House music]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* Wayne Anthony. ''Class of 88''. Virgin Books, 1998. {{ISBN|0-7535-0240-2}}.
* [[Jane Bussmann]]. ''Once in a Lifetime: The Crazy Days of Acid House and Afterwards'', Virgin Books, 1998. {{ISBN|0-7535-0260-7}}
* [[Simon Reynolds]]. ''Energy Flash''. Picador, 1998. {{ISBN|0-330-35056-0}}
* Matthew Collin. ''Altered States: The Story of Ecstasy and Acid House''. Serpent's Tail, 1997.
* Sheryl Garratt. ''Adventures in Wonderland: A Decade Of Club Culture''. Headline, 1999.
* Kirk Field. ''Rave New World: Confessions of a Raving Reporte''r, Nine Eight / Bonnier 2022 {{ISBN|9781788707732}}

{{Electronic music festivals}}

[[Category:Acid house]]
[[Category:1988 in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:1989 in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Madchester]]
[[Category:Youth culture in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:History of Manchester]]
[[Category:Counterculture of the 1980s]]

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Second Summer of Love