I'm talking specifically about the "Sunshine Pop" records.

Things like; Spiral Staircase - More Today......, David & the Giants - Ten Miles..., Buckinghams, Keith, etc...... were these all mid to late 70s or was anything like this played earlier?

wasn't jay and the American a wheel sound? there's certainly a few examples from the torch like, er, cant think now. lol.

1 hour ago, El Corol said:

 

I'm talking specifically about the "Sunshine Pop" records.

Things like; Spiral Staircase - More Today......, David & the Giants - Ten Miles..., Buckinghams, Keith, etc...... were these all mid to late 70s or was anything like this played earlier?

About right me thinks. Later 70' s some of them. 

Plenty in the early days. Reflections, Swinging Medallions, Frankie Valli, Len Barry, Human Beinz, Magnificent Men or are these more white soul pop?

5 hours ago, El Corol said:

 

I'm talking specifically about the "Sunshine Pop" records.

Things like; Spiral Staircase - More Today......, David & the Giants - Ten Miles..., Buckinghams, Keith, etc...... were these all mid to late 70s or was anything like this played earlier?

Spiral      Pre Torch, David/Giants   Mecca 74/75, Buckinghams   No Idea,   Keith Wigan 73/74

Mitch Ryder's stuff was also very early (Pre Torch), although whether it's "sunshine pop" I dont know.

In fact most things that got a 60's UK release would probably have been known prior to Wigan, obviously there will be a few that sneaked through, or lacked the quality, but were played later, Marion Ryan for a start.

Edited November 8, 20168 yr by Kegsy

I think it goes right back to the start of what we consider the Soul scene in the UK. The original mod clubs could programme the odd Phil Spector production or Beach Boys track and have them seamlessly accepted by the customers.

18 minutes ago, garethx said:

I think it goes right back to the start of what we consider the Soul scene in the UK. The original mod clubs could programme the odd Phil Spector production or Beach Boys track and have them seamlessly accepted by the customers.

Help Me Rhonda 

 You're Ready Now Frankie Valli

I can't think of many eras of the scene where there hasn't been at least a touch of this kind of sound. Searling's late Wigan heyday featured a few tracks which are out-and-out Sunshine Pop: the Construction "Hey Little Way Out Girl" and the Main Change "Sunshine Is Her Way". 

Then there are more recent discoveries like The Royale VII and The American Standard Band...

Er, i found the buckinghams in a thrift store in leeds circa 76 & gave it to Alan Rhodes to play at wigin. Sorry guys! 

Oh yeah, he also had some other pop bits off me  at the time like cindy lynn 

I like a pop 45 at a soul do! 

Its still goes on.

45 minutes ago, corbett80 said:

I like a pop 45 at a soul do! 

So do I - Why is this?! I love 'Main Change - Sunshine Is Her Way', even after the whole caravan at Cleethorpes ribbed me all weekend when I bought it, saying it was 'Sesame Street', then proceeded to make everyone who entered the caravan listen to it and give their take on it! Chantel immediately said....."I love this!"......(So that made it all good in spite of everyone else's views)

I also used to really enjoyed dancing to 'Wake Up To The Sunshine Girl' (Above)

Maybe I just like 'Sunshine' 

More 'Cheese' please (But not too much more) 

Len 

I'm probably totally on my own here but i've always really liked BJ Thomas 'Don't Have A Mind Of My Own'. I'd rather have that than 'Keep It Up'...

 

tin hat time! 

Edited November 8, 20168 yr by corbett80

Might upset a few people but two of the biggest "sunshine pop" records must be

Nothing Can Compare to You  Velvet Satins

I Can't Help Loving You  Paul Anka.

Writer and production credits feature an ex Four Season not to mention the pop background of Mr Anka

Love 'em both btw

True Sunshine Pop seemed to reach it peak around 1969, release wise.  Was it a Hippy Phenomenon ? Either way we've had some great tunes played in the first decade of NS that I doubt would be tried today.
One of my Favourites to get played ' bitd ', was Jackie Forrest Show Me How To Love, but suspect it'd be accompanied by tumbleweeds on the dance floor today (were they all pretty bad pressings ? seemed a few plays and they were rubbish, at least on the two I had )

Just what do you mean by sunshine pop....most just seem to be talking about pop.

15 minutes ago, chalky said:

Just what do you mean by sunshine pop....most just seem to be talking about pop.

Agree 100%.  Typing "sunshine pop" in as a youtube search will yield far better examples of the genre.

18 minutes ago, chalky said:

Just what do you mean by sunshine pop....most just seem to be talking about pop.

Was going to ask the same thing. Is it feelgood, happy go lucky, danceable pop that sounded like it was performed by a black artist.

Kev

I've always liked a good pop song my favourite being Lynne Randell - Ciao Baby. A scouser who emigrated to Oz! and my copy is on Australian CBS too

 

https://rateyourmusic.com/genre/Sunshine+Pop/

1 hour ago, chalky said:

Just what do you mean by sunshine pop....most just seem to be talking about pop.

Chalky's right. Sunshine pop is a very particular sound. Paul Anka, Velvet Satins etc. are nothing like it. Those are, to me, straight ahead Blue Eyed Soul. Both records made to sound like the currently-hip R&B-based discotheque styles of the day. Think Mock-Motown.

Fifth Avenue Band, Main Change, The Construction and The Buckinghams are classic Sunshine Pop. Well produced, (often with brass sections) and with a hint of jazz in the harmonic structure.

spanky and our gang...peppermint rainbow... all the paul leka produced things...lemon pipers..proper sunshine pop and  some great records

Well, you learn something everyday. Not heard of Sunshine Pop before but would these count, Robert John- Raindrops Love and SUNSHINE, John Lucien- What a Difference Love Makes, Lee Andrews -I've Had It, Leroy Taylor- Oh Linda.The last three more Sunshine Soul than pop but all have that happy, bouncy rhythm. I can't see the connection to Mitch Ryder and some of the others listed, more like blue eyed soul.

Ian Levine championed this type or sound from the early Mecca period , playing Spiral Starecase early 70's. Les Cockel also seemed to like this style so maybe some got late Wheel spins.

Rick

Does this fall into this category? I know it was a Wigan spin. I really rate it and went to considerable lengths to get one!

 

An old 'Wheel' sound that probably fits into the genre of 'Sunshine pop'....fitting seamlessly in with the Motown dancers of the era

 

and a great introduction for 'spotty faced youths' getting into this underground dancing scene......real feel good 'sound'

lads and lasses of a certain age...singalong now...you know the words !! LOL  :-)

 

Edited November 9, 20168 yr by jez jones

I'm surprised we are 25 replies into the thread before Samantha Jones - "Surrounded By A Ray Of Sunshine" gets a mention!

 

This one fits the bill perfectly, a kind of 'Mamas & The Papa's' meets Northern Soul. Unfortunately no youtube clip (or fortunately for some ).

Edited November 9, 20168 yr by Soul-Slider

On 11/8/2016 at 01:52, El Corol said:

 

I'm talking specifically about the "Sunshine Pop" records.

Things like; Spiral Staircase - More Today......, David & the Giants - Ten Miles..., Buckinghams, Keith, etc...... were these all mid to late 70s or was anything like this played earlier?

Judging by the posts I'd say that its always been around, from venues like Wheel and Torch through the Mecca and Wigan but died out during the renaissance.

15 hours ago, tiberius said:

Agree 100%.  Typing "sunshine pop" in as a youtube search will yield far better examples of the genre.

Still very soulful though .well some of it , and some of it just great happy feeling music ???

38 minutes ago, sjclement said:

Judging by the posts I'd say that its always been around, from venues like Wheel and Torch through the Mecca and Wigan but died out during the renaissance.

Not sure if this is entirely relevant to the initial post (please delete if you want), but was just wondering about the notion that these types of tunes died out during the renaissance, by which I assume you mean the recent massive revival of all things soulful. Tunes such as More Today... are still being played to death everywhere I go. There also seems to be an increase of what I call 'pop-soul', with sounds like Tell Me What He Said - Helen Shapiro and 30 21 40 Shape - Jimmy Jones becoming 'de rigeur' it seems. These are great tunes but, for me, have never been soul music. Add these to the endless Motown played at many events, mainly well-known ex-chart material like Stoned Love (with the nonsense long intro), and ex-chart Philly stuff, and you end up with the bland, hand-bag nights that have proliferated of late, advertising themselves as northern soul nights. I meet many people who call themselves 'northern soulers', who actually know very few of the tunes that I take for granted as northern classics. I have played several events, advertised as 'Northern Soul' and been met with absolutely blank faces across the room. Is true northern soul, or rare soul as I prefer to call it, steadily going more underground again while soul music generally is undergoing this revival?

2 minutes ago, John Moffatt said:

Not sure if this is entirely relevant to the initial post (please delete if you want), but was just wondering about the notion that these types of tunes died out during the renaissance, by which I assume you mean the recent massive revival of all things soulful. Tunes such as More Today... are still being played to death everywhere I go. There also seems to be an increase of what I call 'pop-soul', with sounds like Tell Me What He Said - Helen Shapiro and 30 21 40 Shape - Jimmy Jones becoming 'de rigeur' it seems. These are great tunes but, for me, have never been soul music. Add these to the endless Motown played at many events, mainly well-known ex-chart material like Stoned Love (with the nonsense long intro), and ex-chart Philly stuff, and you end up with the bland, hand-bag nights that have proliferated of late, advertising themselves as northern soul nights. I meet many people who call themselves 'northern soulers', who actually know very few of the tunes that I take for granted as northern classics. I have played several events, advertised as 'Northern Soul' and been met with absolutely blank faces across the room. Is true northern soul, or rare soul as I prefer to call it, steadily going more underground again while soul music generally is undergoing this revival?

People advertise Northern nights all over the gaff these days, there are two pubs near me who have held them lately, it's an advertising ploy. They reckon as long as they play Out On The Floor and The Snake alongside all the charted Motown/Philly,Billy Ocean etc. it's a Northern night.

19 minutes ago, Kegsy said:

People advertise Northern nights all over the gaff these days, there are two pubs near me who have held them lately, it's an advertising ploy. They reckon as long as they play Out On The Floor and The Snake alongside all the charted Motown/Philly,Billy Ocean etc. it's a Northern night.

Yep, that's the sort of thing I mean. Thankfully there are some events with integrity, so all is not lost.

 

Hasn't these kind of records always been played on the Northern scene - and I would emphasise the 'Northern' element of this as traditionally it was a 'dancing' scene where the sound was more important than the ethnicity of the performer (s) ? Call it 'pop', 'sunshine pop' or 'blue eyed soul' it has to have that particular sound that "fits in" with expectations. In the late 70's some DJ's did take the mickey with some of the selections as the scene hit the mainstream media.

Some 'white' tunes are more obvious than others, but there are some really soulful ones where you'd be hard pushed to know either way. I was surprised to find out a couple of years ago that the Enchanters on Tee Pee where white when a US collector said "not bad for a bunch of white boys" when we were discussing it. I didn't guess even though I've had it for years. Note to self - pay more attention  

Quote

John Moffatt and Kegsy I want to shake your hand. Couldn't have put it better. You capture my thoughts and experiences so succinctly. I'm finding more and more that Northern is being pushed to the back in favour of, well, I have no idea what it is, but it belongs in a disco. I don't wish to halt development (using the word in its loosest form) but the promotors of such music should  stop hijacking Northern in order to promote their wears.    

 

Seems these sort of sounds have been played  on the scene longer than I thought if Spiral Staircase MTTY was played pre Torch as Kegsy stated early in the thread.

The difference between souly pop and sunshine is easily summed up for me by two rcords from Paul Anka:

I Can't Help Loving You - soul pop/pop soul

When We Get There - sunshine pop

Maybe its the optimism these sounds give off, that make/made them popular (as well as usually being very catchy). Could it be they provide a "feel good" factor in amongst the rest of the nights soungs which are often about failed relationships/ two timin men and women/ havin no money etc

Dancable "candy"

Don't even need a vocal

 

1 hour ago, El Corol said:

Seems these sort of sounds have been played  on the scene longer than I thought if Spiral Staircase MTTY was played pre Torch as Kegsy stated early in the thread.

The difference between souly pop and sunshine is easily summed up for me by two rcords from Paul Anka:

I Can't Help Loving You - soul pop/pop soul

When We Get There - sunshine pop

Maybe its the optimism these sounds give off, that make/made them popular (as well as usually being very catchy). Could it be they provide a "feel good" factor in amongst the rest of the nights soungs which are often about failed relationships/ two timin men and women/ havin no money etc

Dancable "candy"

Both just pop to me though with neither rooted in the sunshine pop genre.  From what I understand more to the genre than just being feelgood and catchy?

1 hour ago, chalky said:

Both just pop to me though with neither rooted in the sunshine pop genre.  From what I understand more to the genre than just being feelgood and catchy?

Of course there is more to it than just being feelgood and catchy, - but I'm not here to get into the genre of "sunshine pop" in depth or the crossover between "sunshine" "soft psche" "folk rock" "bubblegum pop" or whatever. The thread wan't about that, just when these types of sounds started getting played.

Names of genres really are just that - names. (especially when given in hindsight) the reality is always more complex.

If you don't think When We Get There has no connection to the sunshine genre - we can beg to differ.

 

23 hours ago, corbett80 said:

I'm probably totally on my own here but i've always really liked BJ Thomas 'Don't Have A Mind Of My Own'. I'd rather have that than 'Keep It Up'...

 

tin hat time! 

Great record but I wouldn't call it "sunshine pop"

Think 5th Dimension "Up,Up and Away" or, anything by The Association for a typical sunshine pop sound.

1 minute ago, Tony Smith said:

Think 5th Dimension "Up,Up and Away" or, anything by The Association for a typical sunshine pop sound.

Up, up and away is imo a stellar sound, it's one of those records that... When they sing 'we can float among the stars together you and I' you really feel as if you are floating in a balloon 'suspended under the twilight canopy'...

Age of aquarius from 'Hair' was a fantastic version they did. I've always heard their music described as Bubble Rock. I love 5th Dimension, great bass too, Jo Osborne played on all their hits.

1 hour ago, El Corol said:

Of course there is more to it than just being feelgood and catchy, - but I'm not here to get into the genre of "sunshine pop" in depth or the crossover between "sunshine" "soft psche" "folk rock" "bubblegum pop" or whatever. The thread wan't about that, just when these types of sounds started getting played.

Names of genres really are just that - names. (especially when given in hindsight) the reality is always more complex.

If you don't think When We Get There has no connection to the sunshine genre - we can beg to differ.

 

The boundarys between sunshine pop, soft psych, bubblegum pop are very blurred.............where are the sunshine pop police when you need them?

3 hours ago, tiberius said:

The boundarys between sunshine pop, soft psych, bubblegum pop are very blurred.............where are the sunshine pop police when you need them?

Probably on the Dance floor enjoying themselves to a bit of fun music that's been around since "God wer a lad" most have danced to all the above tracks at one time or another pissed or sober but sssshhhh the soul police might catch you!!!!!!!!!!

Kirsty

Started summat here lol...........'Sunshine pop'...coming to a town near YOU !!   hehee  :-)

 

 

 

 

 

 

On 11/9/2016 at 13:15, El Corol said:

Seems these sort of sounds have been played  on the scene longer than I thought if Spiral Staircase MTTY was played pre Torch as Kegsy stated early in the thread.

The difference between souly pop and sunshine is easily summed up for me by two rcords from Paul Anka:

I Can't Help Loving You - soul pop/pop soul

When We Get There - sunshine pop

Maybe its the optimism these sounds give off, that make/made them popular (as well as usually being very catchy). Could it be they provide a "feel good" factor in amongst the rest of the nights soungs which are often about failed relationships/ two timin men and women/ havin no money etc

Dancable "candy"

Spot on, exceleent example of SP and blue-eyed soul

Would this be an appropriate moment to share this little sunshine pop gem that's been lurking in the darkest corners of my record box since it was a new release?  I'm not suggesting it's a northern dancer, not by any stretch -but there are one or two elements in there that make me think of Wigan in 73.  It's all wrong really. You'll probably hate it, but I've got an inexplicable soft spot for it.

 

On Wednesday, November 09, 2016 at 16:59, Tony Smith said:

Think 5th Dimension "Up,Up and Away" or, anything by The Association for a typical sunshine pop sound.

From the first time I heard Contact by the 3 degrees I thought it belonged in that sort of genre. Very Mike Sammes Singers!