Sunshine (Jonathan Edwards song)
| "Sunshine" | |
|---|---|
| Single by Jonathan Edwards | |
| from the album Jonathan Edwards | |
| Released | 1971 |
| Format | Single |
| Recorded | 1971 |
| Genre | Country folk, Pop |
| Length | 2:16 |
| Label | Capricorn |
| Writer(s) | Jonathan Edwards |
| Producer(s) | Peter Casperson |
| Certification | Gold |
"Sunshine" is a country folk song from 1971 by Jonathan Edwards, released as the first single from his debut album Jonathan Edwards. The single reached Billboard #4[1] and earned a gold record.[2]
"Sunshine" was not originally planned for release, but when an engineer accidentally erased the master of a track called "Please Find Me" near the end of sessions for the album, "Sunshine" was used to fill the hole.[2]
Edwards, who was working as a truck driver at that time, was quietly criticizing his boss at his job for his commanding Jonathan what duties to follow on his job as well as his boss's personal corruptions to the company, Especially in the lyrics: "He can't even run his own life/ And I'd be damned if you run Mine", and also for the line "He got cards he ain't showing". The refrain in the bridge goes: "Like how much does it cost?/ I'll buy it.? The time is all we've lost./ I'll try it". "Sunshine" was another name for God. Edwards stated in the song for "Sunshine" to go away today" but in the end, he promises to be singing and dancing, if an when he overcomes those personal problems on the job. ("Brand new bells will be Ring'in".)
"Sunshine" was released as a single and caught fire first on Boston radio, then nationwide, hitting #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on January 15, 1972[1] and earning a gold record.[2] Here's Edwards' take on its success: "It was just at the time of the Vietnam War and Nixon. It was looking bad out there. That song meant a lot to a lot of people during that time--especially me."[2]
Chart positions
| Chart (1972) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 4 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks[3] | 7 |
- Jonathan Edwards recorded and released a bluegrass version of "Sunshine" (along with an entire album) with the band "The Seldom Scene."
Covers
In 1980, Juice Newton scored a Top-40 hit, peaking at #35 on the Billboard Country chart with her version of "Sunshine".[4]
Susanna Hoffs (of the Bangles) recorded a version of the song for her first solo album in 1991, but the cut did not get chosen for the final pressing and remains unreleased.
Paul Westerberg's cover is featured on the Friends TV show soundtrack.
The Isley Brothers also cut a version of this song; it may be found on their 3 + 3 album.
The song is featured within the film Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy and is also included on the film's soundtrack.
"Sunshine" was featured in an episode of Aaron Sorkin's The Newsroom (U.S. TV series) (Season 1, Episode 7 "5/1"), where Will MacAvoy and Jim Harper perform it together at Will's party for the staff.
In July 2007, the original Jonathan Edwards recording joined the list of 1960s protest songs used to sell high-end consumer products when it was used as the only audio in a Jeep television spot, part of the Heritage campaign developed by the Cutwater agency.[5]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Billboard Jan 15, 1972". Archived from the original on 2007-09-29. Retrieved 2007-09-04.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "Jonathan Edwards bio". Archived from the original on 2007-07-13. Retrieved 2007-09-04.
- ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 85.
- ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 248.
- ↑ "Cutwater". Retrieved 2007-09-04.
External links
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