John Zambetti and Walter Egan are celebrating forty yea… Read Full Bio ↴THE MALIBOOZ
John Zambetti and Walter Egan are celebrating forty years of making music together as The Malibooz. Formed in the “surf mecca” of New York City, The Malibooz proved to be a major attraction on the Eastern seaboard from 1964-66. They released an EP in 1964 and the single “Goin’ To Malibu” in 1965. This led to appearances at The New York State World's Fair. First, at the New York State Pavilion and then as part of the first color TV broadcast live from the RCA Pavilion.
(A section of this show appears on the 1981 Rhino Records release "Malibooz Rule! which was re-issued on CD in 1998 ).
In the Fall of 1966 John, Walter, & drummer Tom Scarp entered Georgetown University. By this time the British Invasion and the beginnings of psychedelia had displaced Surf Music. The boys quickly found additional musicians and with the addition of lead singer, Annie McLoone the band became known as Sageworth . By 1970, Sageworth had become the top draw in the Washington, D.C. area opening for acts such as Jefferson Airplane, The Grateful Dead, The Allman Brothers, and Poco, and culminating with an appearance before an estimated 500,000 people at the Washington Monument during the march on Washington.
Sageworth was pursued by several labels, primarily Columbia and MCA, however no deal was ever reached. After graduation, Walter stayed with Sageworth in D.C. collaborating with songwriters like Gram Parsons and finally moving the band to Boston. John formed the group "Wine-Dark-Sea” who performed original songs in the movie "Jigsaw Puzzle” which was a short film that opened for The Rolling Stones film "Gimme Shelter".
In 1971, John began medical school in NY and continued to do clubs, occasional concerts and session work. During that time he played with people like Emmylou Harris, Rick Roberts and The Flying Burrito Brothers, Jeff “Skunk” Baxter” and Dan Fogelberg. Meanwhile, Walter continued with Sageworth until 1972 when he moved to California to play with Linda Ronstadt and then Jackson Browne all the while honing his original material a pursuing a solo career. In 1975 John and Walter again joined forces to record a duo album which was never released.
After completing his medical education, Zambetti moved to California in 1976 to join Egan. The Walter Egan Band was signed to Columbia for five albums and then to MCA. Walter’s first two albums, “Fundamental Roll” and “Not Shy” were produced by Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks. “Not Shy” produced the million selling hit "Magnet & Steel" which was the American Music Awards nominee for Song of the Year in 1978. In 1998 "Magnet & Steel" appeared in the Golden Globe and Academy Award winning movie, "Boogie Nights". "Magnet & Steel" has also been used in several other movies including “Deuce Bigelow” as well as in a Toyota commercial.
John also pursued his solo work with The Johnny Z Band which was selected as one of the Top 10 L.A. Bands of 1980 by Music Connection Magazine. Well known to the L.A. club circuit, The Johnny Z Band shared the bill with many other up and coming L.A. groups like The Police and The Motels.
In 1981 Rhino Records signed The Malibooz for a reunion album "Malibooz Rule!". This yielded the single " Hot Summer Nights" which appeared in the movie "California Girls". The video for “Hot Summer Nights” was filmed around Zambetti’s guitar-shaped pool at his Topanga Canyon home and was one of the first videos aired on MTV. They followed up the album with a string of singles and concerts through 1984.
In 1987 The Johnny Z Band signed to Cypress/Polygram Records and released the album "Bring Back the Night". The title tune was co-produced by Fleetwood Mac’s Richard Dashut and the album included the duet with Emmylou Harris, "Right Between The Eyes". Walter and Supertramp’s John Helliwell also made guest appearances on the album.
During this period The Malibooz recorded the theme song for the Pay Per View TV show "Bikini Beach Party" and in 1992, The Malibooz recorded the CD "A Malibu Kind of Christmas" for Iloki Records. Three tunes from this CD, ( “It’s Just Not Christmas Without You”, “Santa Man”, and “Rudy” ) appeared on the soundtrack of the Whoopi Goldberg movie, "Theodore Rex" released in 1996. Also, in 1996, Rhino Records released the surf music boxed set "Cowabunga Surf!" which contains The Malibooz performance of "Goin' To Malibu".
Later that summer “Goin’ To Malibu” was chosen as the theme song for the MTV Malibu Beach House Beach Party which led to John’s appearance and interview on MTV.
In 1997 screenwriter Joe Eszterhas selected three Malibooz’ tunes for his movie, “An Alan Smithee Film, Burn, Hollywood, Burn” starring Sylvestor Stallone, Whoopi Goldberg, Jackie Chan and Eric Idle which was released in 1998. 1998 also saw the release of the film, “Plump Fiction” starring Sandra Bernhard with The Malibooz’ tune, “Fluorescent Hearse”.
In 1999 The Malibooz released “Living Water (The Surfer’s Mass). On this CD they explored the spiritual aspects of the ocean and surfing. It was chosen one of the top 5 albums of the year by CD Magazine.
2002 brought the CD, “Beach Access” which features a whole new line-up of songs from Walter & John. It made it to the semi-finals in 5 categories of the 2003 Grammy Awards including “Best Album Packaging” with its innovative use of real seashells in the CD case.
In 2003 legendary producer/director Bruce (The Endless Summer) Brown released the feature film, STEP INTO LIQUID, directed by Dana Brown with cinematography by JohnPaul Beeghley.
STEP INTO LIQUID features The Malibooz’ tune “The Call of the Wave” (from BEACH ACCESS). “The Call of the Wave” made it to the semi-finals in the category of “BEST SONG FROM A MOTION PICTURE” for the 2004 Grammy Awards.
The Malibooz ended 2003 with the release of the DVD of their first TV Special, “Celebrations: A MALBU CHRISTMAS”, hosted by Carmen Electra. The special included 13 songs (with 5 on-screen performances) by The Malibooz
April, 2004 saw the release of the STEP INTO LIQUID soundtrack. The film will have its official opening in Japan in August 2004.
June, 2004 The Malibooz will release “The WRVR Sessions ‘65”. This limited-edition 3-song CD contains the unretouched first recording session by The Malibooz from January, 1965. Due to the recent interest in the “East Coast Surf Sound of the ‘60s”, The Malibooz decided to release this CD. Ultimately, the band will release “The Malibooz’ Archives” which will be a multi-CD release containing all of the bands’ recordings from the ‘60s.
“The WRVR Sessions ‘65” made it to the semifinals of the 2005 Grammy’s for “BEST PACKAGING” (The CD packaging is an exact reproduction of the tape box of the original sessions, including a piece of recording tape displayed in the CD’s spine.)
“The Call of the Wave” made it to the semi-finals in the category of “BEST SONG FROM A MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK” for the 2005 Grammy Awards.
In October, 2004 The Malibooz performed at the legendary Cavern Club in Liverpool, England. Preceding the show they appeared on BBC Radio for an interview and live concert.
Summer is Over
The Malibooz Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
New memories came riding on the wind
Of sun and beach and sand and ocean breeze
Too soon October storms will bare the trees
In summertime the days they grow so long
By August nights are close and they are warm
But melancholy is this mystery
Summer is over
Summer is over
Nights growing colder
Summer is over
Too soon December snows will blanket this town
As seeds of spring lay sleeping in the ground
But summer isn’t over though it’s gone
When in my heart the feeling’s living on
The summer is over
Yeah summer is over
The nights growing colder
The summer is over
Today I thought about you for awhile
The memory of you just made me smile
Summer is over
Summer is over
Nights growing colder
Summer is over
Summer is over
Summer is over
Nights growing colder
Summer is over
The Malibooz's "Summer Is Over" is a nostalgic and wistful ballad that reflects on the passing of summertime with a sense of melancholy. The lyrics describe the chill of fall returning and bringing with it new memories of what has been left behind. The singer recalls the warm summer days spent on the beach, the sand between their toes, and the refreshing ocean breeze. However, the song constantly reminds us that these simple pleasures are short-lived, and soon enough, the stormy weather of October will arrive, preceding the frigid December snows that brings the death of nature that is winter.
As the singer ruminates on the end of the season, the lyrics reveal the bittersweet nature of summer's passing. The warm and sunny days that once allowed for endless relaxation and leisure are now replaced with the chilly nights, and with the coming of fall, the memories of summer days and nights retreat deep into the past. Reminiscing about the memories and experiences they shared with someone special during summer, the singer finds themselves reverting to a smile, knowing that in their heart, the memory of those sun-kissed moments lives on.
In retrospect, "Summer Is Over" is a song about coming to terms with the end of something beautiful and meaningful to most people. Its lyrics are particularly relevant to the end of a relationship, the end of summer, or the coming of old age. Dealing with endings can be tough, particularly when they mark the passing of things that we hold dear. As such, the song lacks the upbeat energy associated with other summer anthems but instead lingers on a sense of nostalgia for what has been lost but never forgotten.
Line by Line Meaning
Tonight I felt the chill of fall again
On this particular evening, I experienced the coldness characteristic of Autumn weather once more
New memories came riding on the wind
There were fresh recollections that surfaced unexpectedly, which were as fleeting and transient as the gusts of wind
Of sun and beach and sand and ocean breeze
These memories pertained to the various elements of summer - the brightness of the sun, the sandy beaches, the salty air from the ocean
Too soon October storms will bare the trees
It's inevitable that the autumnal rain and winds will strip the trees of their leaves prematurely, come October-time
In summertime the days they grow so long
During the summer, daytime hours tend to stretch out and feel longer than during other seasons
By August nights are close and they are warm
Once August rolls around, the nights start feeling more intimate and snug, with a comforting heat pervading them
But melancholy is this mystery
This phenomenon is a bittersweet enigma
How quickly summer turns to history
Despite how impactful summer can be, it passes by so swiftly and becomes a thing of the past
Too soon December snows will blanket this town
The winter season is fast-approaching, in which the township will become buried beneath layers of snow
As seeds of spring lay sleeping in the ground
Despite the approaching wintery landscape, the seeds of new growth remain dormant and slumbering within the earth
But summer isn’t over though it’s gone
While summer itself might have ended, it still remains alive within our thoughts and feelings
When in my heart the feeling’s living on
For me, the emotions that summertime evokes during its existence are still very much present within me
Today I thought about you for awhile
At the present moment, my thoughts lingered on you and your memory
The memory of you just made me smile
As I reminisced about you, my spirits were lifted and my countenance brightened
Summer is over
The season of summer has now come to an end
Nights growing colder
The ambient temperature in the evenings is decreasing, signaling the onset of cooler weather
Summer is over
The season of summer has irrevocably finished
Summer is over
The season of summer has now ended
Nights growing colder
The temperature at night-time is becoming progressively chillier
Summer is over
The season of summer has now passed
Contributed by Alexandra O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.