Ain't No Sunshine

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“Ain't No Sunshine”
Single by Bill Withers from the album Just As I Am
B-side	"Harlem"
Released	September, 1971
Format	7" record
Genre	Soul, R&B
Length	2:04
Label	Sussex Records
Writer(s)	Bill Withers
Producer	Booker T. Jones
Bill Withers singles chronology
	"Ain't No Sunshine" (1971)	"Grandma's Hands" (1971)
Alternate covers
French 7-inch single cover.

"Ain't No Sunshine" is a song by Bill Withers from his 1971 album Just As I Am. The song was released as a single in September 1971 and became a breakthrough hit for Withers, reaching number six on the U.S. R&B chart and number three on the U.S. Pop chart. Withers was still working at a factory that made toilet seats for 747s when he recorded the song. He originally intended to write more lyrics for the part of the song where he repeats the phrase "I know" twenty-six times, but the other musicians told him to leave it. "I was this factory worker puttering around", Withers said. "So when they said to leave it like that, I left it."^[1] "Ain't No Sunshine" is ranked 280th on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. "Ain't No Sunshine" is one of the few songs that is still a major hit on UK radio stations.

[edit] Cover versions

The song has been covered by many artists, including:

C.R.W Fallout Boy Nikki Webster Michael (Mikalikey) Knigton Katie Ley Patrick Ephraums James Taylor Freddie King Betty Wright Adam Again Al Green Buddy Guy Tracy Chapman Van Morrison Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Paul McCartney

Tom Jones Joe Cocker Kenny Rogers BoA Justin Timberlake & Robyn Troup Lyn Collins Ziggy Marley Rahsaan Roland Kirk Lighthouse Family Horace Andy Joan Osborne Stryke Presents The Azul Project

Maroon 5 Ben Harper Sting Lenny Kravitz Soul For Real Eva Cassidy Tori Amos Al Jarreau Maynard Ferguson D'Angelo Kaleidoskop

Michael Jackson The Jackson 5 Will Young Woven Hand Hanson Emily King Me First and the Gimme Gimmes Slavi Trifonov Ladysmith Black Mambazo Justin Nozuka Kashmere Stage Band

Harlem Underground Bamd Matt Andersen Ken Boothe Budka Suflera Ivan "Boogaloo Joe" Jones Magnetic Jam The Cadence Sydney Youngblood Gravity co. Rachel Z Finger Eleven

Bob Marley Augustus Pablo Jose Feliciano Maysa Akon Jeff Beck Philip Panov DMX (rapper)

There are also several songs sharing the same name and many lyrics from the hook but aren't true covers, such as by Akon, Cuban Link, Kid Frost and DMX. The last in particular is more "inspired by" than a true cover like the artist renditions listed in the above paragraph.

The song has also been translated into German by songwriter Lukas Hilbert; this version, entitled "Mein Tag, Mein Licht", has been performed by artists such as Jazzkantine and Yvonne Catterfeld.

[edit] Use in pop culture

The song has appeared in the films Notting Hill, Old School, and in Munich. On television it is briefly heard in the animated series Drawn Together (episode titled "Dirty Pranking No. 2) and also featured on an episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. It is also on a commercial for The Closer on TNT for the show to return in July.

[edit] References