Sunshine Pop of the Sixties

Here is a video clip of the Australian folk-pop group The Seekers, performing their hit “Georgy Girl” which reached number one on the US pop charts in February 1967. Originating in Melbourne, The Seekers were the first popular music group from Down Under to make it big in the United Kingdom and the United States.

“Georgy Girl” is the title song on the soundtrack of the 1966 movie Georgy Girl, starring Lynn Redgrave. The song was nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Song. Interestingly, the co-writers of the song were not Aussies but Brits — Tom Springfield, the brother of Dusty Springfield and actor Jim Dale, who narrates the Harry Potter series of audiobooks.

The song appeared both at the beginning and at the end of the movie – each time a slightly different version than the pop single release.

It is unclear exactly where and when this clip was filmed, but it appears to be from 1967, after the song had become a monster hit.

One of my favorite songs from the ’60s is, without a doubt, the Tremeloes’ version of “Silence Is Golden”. Many prefer the 1964 recording by The Four Seasons, but this one is far superior, in my view. No offense to the Jersey Boys, who rocked it, but you only need to watch this video to experience these Brits’ raw talent. Their vocal performances, in four-part harmony, are astonishing … especially given the fact that this was filmed LIVE. The Tremeloes are performing here for a crowd of awkwardly groping teenagers, shuffling on the dance floor. (I hesitate to call it “dancing”, but the kids’ hairstyles make it amusing and more bearable to watch.) Maybe the song isn’t Sunshine Pop, per se, but it’s an exquisite slice of British Invasion pop that hit #1 on the UK charts and appeared on the 1967 album Suddenly You Love Me.

Visit CNN/entertainment for a great story about music and its lasting impact on people’s lives, “Love at First Listen” .

Here’s a link to the CNN user-generated news site, iReport , where you can sound off about which album “made you a music-lover for life”.

And, finally, here’s a link to a video posted by one iReporter (BoSoxGuy) and his take on the Great Albums of 1969.

Enjoy!

I miss records. Not only the sound quality — crackles, fuzz, and all — but the experience of lying back between speakers, studying the cardboard sleeve and liner notes while listening. What ’60s teenager didn’t spend hours doing that? (Or what ’80s teenager, as I was?) Vinyl LPs are still around, but they’re purchased mostly by DJs, rather than by the general public. If you’re on this side of the Digital Divide, like me, you probably listen to music on an MP3 player or from streaming radio and/or you have a media player like iTunes installed on your computer. I don’t even own a traditional stereo system anymore … nor do I know many people who do. But I seriously miss it.

This video clip features a fantastic collection of ’60s records — many of them considered “sunshine pop” today. You might assume that the collector is middle-aged, a Baby Boomer, someone who grew up with this music.  He’s spiriting us down Memory Lane, right? NOPE! He’s only 20 years old. That just goes to show you, this music stands the test of time … and it’s winning new fans!

Take a look:

Spanky & Our Gang, a folk-rock ensemble with origins in Chicago and Florida, emerged during the Summer of Love, a time so memorable in pop music. Their breakout single (“Sunday Will Never Be the Same”) was released in May 1967 on Mercury Records and would reach #9 on the charts the following month. The song had been offered previously to the Mamas & the Papas, as well as to the Left Banke, but Spanky & Our Gang – the dark horse in this trio – took it and ran with it. Malcolm Hale, a gifted multi-instrumentalist, created the choral opening with layered harmonies that would become the band’s signature sound. With its flawless production and exceptional vocal performances, the song launched the group’s first stunning success.

Written by Terry Cashman and Gene Pistelli, “Sunday Will Never Be the Same” is a heartbreaking tale of lost love. Musically, it sounds remarkably upbeat for a breakup song, but the lyrics tell quite a different story. Sunday was a day for romantic rendezvous and now the love affair is over. Sad. Elaine “Spanky” McFarlane manages to express the song’s melancholy with vocal beauty alone; her voice is slightly scratchy, a touch hoarse, a little on the verge of breaking. Yet, all the while, she stays afloat during the song’s jaunty moments and belts the song’s chorus out of the park. It is a brilliant performance. Stewart Mason of All Music Guide writes: “(It is) Mamas and the Papas-style folk-tinged sunshine pop with none of the jazz or art music elements that would color later singles.” True, “Sunday” is more straight-up folk-pop compared to their later releases; however, this is the band’s first crowning achievement – and certainly one of their best.

Hello, music fans – and welcome to your source for everything SUNSHINE POP!

This will be a spectacular trip for us all. Whether you remember the ‘60s or not, and whether you’re a Baby Boomer or a teenager or something in between, you’ll find something groovy here. Just keep reading and let us explore the sweet, summery sounds of a time when life seemed simpler than today.

Sunshine pop. What is that, exactly? It is a musical genre that flourished from the mid-‘60s until the early ‘70s – and you know it when you hear it. A few of these songs were typical AM radio fodder, although many of them have remained obscure. Some of the tunes were considered experimental in their sound and some were not. Yet they all seem to radiate an unmistakable energy. Back in the day, this music provided a welcome escape for listeners, especially in such chaotic and troubled times. Against the backdrop of the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Movement, sunshine pop transmitted nothing but happy feelings. With their fluid harmonies and stylish production values – all in a 3-minute package (more or less) – these songs were life rafts of hope in a turbulent world.

Now sit back, relax … and come up to the sunshine!