The Exponents “Summer You Never Meant”

Jordan and the boys head down to the beach for some proto-Jack Johnson surf pop. Jordan, whose hair in this video resembles mine when I don’t straighten it, sings the song sitting on a shady beachfront porch, occasionally joined by the other Exponents. They seem to just drift in when they feel like it. But it’s just as well they do, as there are plenty of guitars that need to be strummed.

This is cut with black and white footage of the band down on the beach, distant shots of surfers riding the waves, dogs on going mental on the beach, and kids running around – all the signs of the classic Kiwi summer.

But whenever we see the band, they’re dressed in long trousers and long sleeves. This, combined with all the surfers wearing wetsuits, suggests that this very summery video was shot on a cold winter’s day. Is it a cheap attempt at a summer setting? Or maybe this sneaky seasonal set dressing is a way of creating a “summer you never meant”?

Best bit: Lion Rock reflected in the glassy water of Piha beach.

NB: Warners NZ used to host this video but the video has been since made private. However, another version of it is on YouTube but it’s been geoblocked to New Zealand (and Germany). Here’s the geoblocked version. Ask your auntie how to watch it.

Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision

Next… loud, quiet, loud.