Now 100 Hits Summer (Sony Music/Universal)

Whether it is going to be a typical English summer of sunshine and showers or a scorching one, this new 100 hits compilation contains over 5 CD’s of songs that evoke summer memories. Not that all the tracks here were released in the summer months - some were keeping us warm during the winter months.

From current artists such as Dua Lipa, Lana Del Rey, Becky Hill, Dona Cat and George Ezra there are songs also from artists such as Cliff Richard and the Shadows, The Mamas and the Papas, Barry Manilow, Otis Redding and The Drifters.

If your car still had a CD player the compilation would make a long summer journey less boring with these uplifting songs that appeal through from teenagers to the older generation.

The big summer hit from a few years back, Despacito by Luis Fonsi brings a Latin groove to the party whilst Pitbull gives us his infectious track, Timber. Mind you when he performed the song at the open air theatre in Scarborough 2 years ago even he could not stop the relentless rain.

Bill Withers left us just a few months ago but he will always be remembered for Lovely Day - who can forget the part where he makes that vocal seem to never end?

You might recall the original version of Mas Que Nada by Sergio Mendes but I always thought the version when he teamed up with The Black Eyed Peas was better, this updated version brought a youthful freshness to the track.

Acid jazz singer Jamiroquai reminds of how good he can be when the fans have to wait a long time between albums with the superb Cosmic Girl. Chris Rea shows that he can do pop just as easily as he does the blues on the laid back On The Beach.

Carole King delivers It Might As Well Rain Until September, perhaps she knows something that we don’t whilst Katrina and The Waves prove that for them there was life before winning the Eurovision Song Contest with Waking On Sunshine.

Lanashire band 10cc are represented with the 1978 hit, Dreadlock Holiday which incidentally was released in the same summer as Cocapabana from Barry Manilow also included here.

The compilation ends with California Girls by The Beach Boys which really is the epitome of all summer pop songs.

I rate the album 4 out of 5