A slightly remote possibility considering the weather that we have been experiencing over the past few days but I thought it might brighten this Monday morning if we thought about those endless sunny days of childhood. To remind us of those days here are some songs with the theme of the sun and sunshine.
“Sunrise, Sunset” is a song from the musical Fiddler on the Roof written in 1964 by composer Jerry Bock and lyricist Sheldon Harnick. This song is performed at the wedding of Tzeitel, Tevye and Golde’s eldest daughter. The two parents sing about how they can’t believe their daughter and her groom have grown up, while Hodel and Perchik sing about whether there may be a wedding in the nearby future for them.
“The Sun is Burning” is a track taken from ‘Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M.’ the debut studio album by American duo Simon & Garfunkel. Following their early gig as “Tom and Jerry”, Columbia Records signed the two in late 1963. It was produced by Tom Wilson and engineered by Roy Halee. The cover and the label include the subtitle exciting new sounds in the folk tradition. Recorded in March 1964, the album was released in October that year. The song was written by Englishman Ian Campbell and is probably the most harmonious comment on the prospect of a nuclear holocaust that you will ever hear.
“We’ll Sing in the Sunshine” is a 1964 hit song written and recorded by Gale Garnett which reached No.2 in Canada, and No.4 on the Billboard chart in October 1964. It also enjoyed success on easy listening and country music radio stations, spending seven weeks at No.1 on the Easy Listening chart and it also reached No.1 in Garnett’s native New Zealand that November.
“Good Day Sunshine” is a song by the Beatles from their 1966 album Revolver. It was written mainly by Paul McCartney and credited to the Lennon-McCartney partnership. McCartney intended it as a song in the style of the Lovin’ Spoonful’s contemporaneous hit single “Daydream”. The recording includes multiple pianos played in the barrelhouse style and evokes a vaudevilian mood.
“Sunshine of Your Love” is a 1967 song by Cream. With elements of hard rock, psychedelia and pop, it is one of Cream’s best known and most popular songs. Cream bassist and vocalist Jack Bruce based it on a distinctive bass riff he developed after attending a Jimi Hendrix concert. Guitarist Eric Clapton and lyricist Pete Brown later contributed to the song and drummer Ginger Baker plays a distinctive tom-tom drum rhythm.
Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In” is a medley of two songs written for the 1967 musical Hair by James Rado and Gerome Ragni (lyrics), andGalt MacDermot (music), released as a single by American R&B group the 5th Dimension. The song spent six weeks at number one on the US Billboard pop singles chart in the spring of 1969 and was eventually certified platinum in the US by the RIAA. I have used a clip from the 1979 movie of Hair
“Sunny Afternoon” is a song by the Kinks, written by chief songwriter Ray Davies. The track later featured on the Face to Face album. The song references the high levels of progressive tax taken by the British Labour government of Harold Wilson. Its strong music hall flavour and lyrical focus was part of a stylistic departure for the band, which had risen to fame in 1964–65 with a series of hard-driving, power-chord rock hits.
“Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun” is a song by Pink Floyd. It appeared on their second album, A Saucerful of Secrets (1968). It was written by Roger Waters] and features a drum part by Nick Mason played with timpani mallets. The track was planned for release as a single, with “Scream Thy Last Scream”, in September, before this was vetoed by the band’s record company, EMI. It is the only song recorded by Pink Floyd to feature material from all five band members, as there are several different guitar parts recorded by both David Gilmour and Syd Barrett.
“Here Comes the Sun” is a song by the Beatles from their 1969 album Abbey Road. It was written by George Harrison and is one of his best-known compositions. Harrison wrote the song in early 1969 at the country house of his friend Eric Clapton, where Harrison had chosen to play truant for the day to avoid attending a meeting at the Beatles’ Apple Corps organisation. The lyrics reflect his relief at the arrival of spring and the temporary respite he was experiencing from the band’s business affairs. As of September 2019, it was the most streamed Beatles song on Spotify globally.
