(Above: Y&T from the “Summertime Girls” video. Nice shorts.)

Got word this evening that Joey Alves, the guitarist for the band Y&T, passed away after a battle with ulcerative colitis.  He was 63. It’s the second death for the band in the last six months following the passing of drummer Leonard Haze last fall at the age of 61.

Y&T started out in California in 1974 as Yesterday and Today, but later went on to become one of the mid-80s “light metal” bands (think Quiet Riot) that predated the explosion of hair bands at the end of the decade. The song they were best known for was a staple on 97X/Quad Cities during my time there. Their album In Rock We Trust from 1984 – their sixth – went on to become the band’s best selling LP. It was the follow-up, Down For The Count, that gave us this song. It missed the Billboard Top 40, stalling at 55, but did better on the Modern Rock charts.

It’s a classic piece of 80s video; just watch out for the orange short shorts.  To relive the summer of ’85, click here.