Sunshine (Jonathan Edwards song)
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2024}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Sunshine
| cover = Sunshine_-_Jonathan_Edwards.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Jonathan Edwards
| album = Jonathan Edwards
| B-side = Emma
| released = November 1971
| recorded = 1971
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = Country folk, country rock, pop
| length = 2:16
| label = Capricorn
| writer = Jonathan Edwards
| producer = Peter Casperson
| prev_title =
| prev_year =
| next_title = Train of Glory
| next_year = 1972
}}
"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 No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on January 15, 1972,{{cite magazine|title=Billboard Jan 15, 1972|magazine=Billboard |url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/1972-01-15/hot-100|access-date=September 4, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929152605/http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=379&cfgn=Singles&cfn=The+Billboard+Hot+100&ci=3070661&cdi=8848073&cid=01%2F15%2F1972|archive-date=September 29, 2007|url-status=dead}} and earned a gold record.{{cite web|title=Jonathan Edwards bio|url=http://www.jonathanedwards.net/_pages/bio.php|accessdate=September 4, 2007 |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20070713184430/http://www.jonathanedwards.net/_pages/bio.php |archivedate = July 13, 2007}}
"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.
The song was released as a single and first gained popularity{{citation needed|date=June 2013}} on Boston radio, before going nationwide. Regarding its success, Edwards stated, "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."
"Sunshine" bears some melodic resemblance to the traditional country blues song "Green Rocky Road",{{cn|date=August 2024}} popularized in the 1960s by folk singers Len Chandler and Dave van Ronk.
Charts
{{col-begin|width=75%}}
{{col-2}}
=Weekly charts=
{{col-2}}
=Year-end charts=
| class="wikitable" |
| Chart (1972)
! style="text-align:center;"|Rank |
|---|
| Canada Top Singles (RPM){{cite magazine |title=RPM's Top 100 Singles of '72 |magazine=RPM|date=January 13, 1973|page=20}}
| style="text-align:center;"|27 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100[http://www.musicoutfitters.com/topsongs/1972.htm Musicoutfitters.com]
| style="text-align:center;"|37 |
| U.S. Cash Box[http://tropicalglen.com/Archives/70s_files/1972YESP.html Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles, December 30, 1972]
| style="text-align:center;"|34 |
{{col-end}}
- Jonathan Edwards recorded and released a bluegrass version of "Sunshine" (along with an entire album) with the band The Seldom Scene.{{when|date=March 2013}}
Covers
In 1980, Juice Newton scored a top-40 hit, peaking at No. 35 on the Billboard country chart with her version of "Sunshine".{{cite book |title= The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition|last=Whitburn |first=Joel |author-link=Joel Whitburn |year=2004 |publisher=Record Research |page=248}}
Paul Westerberg's cover is featured on the Friends soundtrack.
The Isley Brothers also cut a version of this song for 3 + 3.
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.jonathanedwards.net/ Jonathan Edwards Official Site]
{{Jonathan Edwards}}
{{Juice Newton}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:The Isley Brothers songs