The Smiley Smile Message Board

A few of us have written about the great, lone album by the Yellow Balloon in another thread and someone mentioned that we ought to make a thread where we could recommend our favorite Sunshine Pop / Soft pop recordings to each other?

I'd love that as I'm a sucker for a hefty dose of sunshine,... and the Beach Boys orignally led me towards digging this particular type of music. To my ears, songs like 'Wouldn't it be Nice' or 'The Little Girl I Once Knew' are like the archtypical Sunshine Pop anthems.

To get us in the mood, let me point Fellow obsessives towards this mood board I've compiled on Pinterest - 'California Montage'. It also features some of my all-time favorite songs that fit the genre. Much to peruse on there.

http://www.pinterest.com/kwandk/california-montage/

In the Yellow Balloon thread some of us already praised Mark Eric's 'A Midsummer's Day Dream' album. One of my all-time favorites.

Another one could be Del Shannon's Andrew Loog Oldham-produced Home & Away project which I dig way more than his psychedelic 'Further Adventues of Charles Westover' album.

Here's a few samples:

It's my Feeling
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NDMmCS-r_w

My Love Has Gone
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1ntZYBCeHk

Please chime in here with any recommendations!  :)

Another recommendation would be the two albums New York pop songwriters Pete Anders and Vini Poncia issued in 66 and 67 as the Tradewinds and the Innocense.

They honed their craft writing a bunch of Brill Building pop, including collaborating with Phil Spector on some great Ronettes / Darlene Love songs. When they struck out on their own after their time with Spector they really came into their own. Those two albums are really top notch! Pete Anders was one hell of a singer.

Here's a pseudo-psychadelic song from the first of the two:

Mind Excursion
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFCMhe-0uzA

And then there's 'Small Town Bringdown, - possibly my favorite song of theirs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBnw3YByV8c

I discovered this fantastic artist artist Brent Cash a couple of years ago. He has two albums out which you can hear on Spotify. Great songs and production in the sunshine pop and soft-rock vein.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUSOBdY9-yg

(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/52684612/How%2BWill%2BI%2BKnow%2BIf%2BIm%2BAwake.jpg)

I like them, too. I'd recommend this:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ANDERS-PONCIA-Masterworks-2CD-Set-64-Tracks-/280421096027

Also, while not exclusively Sunshine Pop, I think you would enjoy the Lost Jukebox series. 200+ volumes of pop obscurities from 1964-1972. You can find more information with a simple google search.

Hey, kwan-dk check out the Hobbits' album "Down to Middle Earth". It isn't entirely 'sunshine', but we know that most of it goes well w/ psychedelia. At least songs I heard one would define "sunshine pop", actually have tinges of various other genres, esp. psych. The generally regarded best song is "Sunny Day Girl", have a listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdQexsqXEdo
Nice little choon, kinda relaxing.

Yeah, I have that collection as well. It's great. There's cool stuff to be found in all their phases. From Doo wop over Wall of Sound pastiches and psych / sunshine pop to bubblegum.

And you're right. The Lost Jukebox series is epic! I generally find that there are atleast 5 to 10 good Sunshine Pop / Soft Pop tunes on each volume though I must confess I haven't gone through all of them. I think I only lasted through to no 120 or so!  ;D

Yeah, Brent knows where it's at. I dig both his albums. The cover artwork alone just oozes an early 70s A&M breezy pop sensibility.

There are definately some cool acts out there wearing that influence on their sleeve. Another example could be the latest couple of albums from Swing Out Sister. I love this one for instance:

'Let the Stars Shine'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPvCa7t5JT4

I can also highly recommend Crayon Fields from Australia. Their first album from the mid-00s had a very nice whimsy, and at times even eerie, take on the sound.

(http://cdn4.pitchfork.com/albums/9926/homepage_large.f8741d2d.jpg)

Check out 'Choir of Tiny Boys'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=379-a1Jaf6I

I love 'Living so Well' as well. Disregard the crap video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-Lk-Hblh0M

This is going to be a fantastic thread. Most people I mention this "genre" too have no clue what it entails.  And it definitely has its own "sound." Here is the wikipedia link. Pretty good summary of what sunshine pop is about:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunshine_pop

As for the trade winds, I only just discovered them (long live YouTube).  Two of my favorites:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSqfLrfeE-A

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_Z_yqSpXTU


So...what does sunshine pop do for me? Well, it stirs feelings of my original musical love: Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys. Listening to "I Believe In Her" by the Trade Winds gives me feelings of peace and relaxation. I can hear the wind as it dances on heights high above my head, that warm breeze that tickles your face on a hot July day. I can see the sparkle of sunshine punching through the trees on a summer day.  My mind can appreciate these seemingly simple but incredibly complex sunshine songs. My heart can be Brian Wilson "happy sad": love lost, love now, potential love...that one girl...a mirage of summer. I can whenever I want live the endless summer by pressing play. Now that is Sunshine Pop: an obscure highly underrated genre that I am glad to have discovered on my own volition and through the help of the wonderful members of this board.

See this thread is working already! Just discovered "What Is Happy Baby?" by The Californians. Great tune. Never heard it before. Great Pinterest page kwan dk. Love it and that whole California vibe.

Harpers Bizarre and The Turtles I would add to this genre....

Perfectly summed up markcharles75

I couldn’t have explained the feeling I get from certain sunshine pop songs any better

Thanks. Glad you liked it. That song is actually a cover version of the Cowsills hit. But I think the Californians version is much superior. That group issued some great singles but never got around to recording a Whole album. And I have yet to see a reissue gathering all their singles.

Another recommendation - the Deep Six. Folk Rock / Soft Rock with a Mamas & Papas slant, though a bit more sugarcoated. Check out their dreamy 'Winds of Morning' bossa nova. A fantastic song!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DF65RDhCJHo

Oh wow that Deep Six song is amazing. Reminds me of Sandy by Ronny and The Daytonas...same type of vibe.  I also agree with Peter concerning The Turtles and Harpers Bizarre. As this is a recommendation thread, I'd like to post the link to what I think is the definitive version of Witchi Tai To

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1L9RPEM634

The tinkling bells, surf guitar lines, beautiful outro as the strings swell...well, how could one not be in sonic heaven on earth? Now think of say the 70's or 80's or any period in music. Now think about this song. Wow. I do believe that this "type" of music, this genre, is unique is presentation and style. If you want to dive into this genre of sunshine pop, you will time and again find that it most certainly has its own sound and vibe, like "punk" or "metal" or whatever style you choose to listen to. But I am amazed that such a small minority even "listens" to this genre. I mean I have been on YouTube listening to a song that has been posted a couple of years with only less than a thousand views! Out of the whole world! And all I'm thinking is "damn this is so beautiful!" "Why aren't there more people digging this?"

   Yeah, that Deep Six cut is really cool! Thanks for reminding me about that album. And thanks, kwan_dk for pointing out that fantastic Swing Out Sister track 'cuz they never get enough love. I don't think most of what they do really fits the Sunshine Pop mold, but that one evokes the 5th Dimension sound so well.
   I have a feeling that most people checking out a thread about Sunshine Pop already have probably checked out the Twinn Connexion album from 1968.They walked a fine line between Baroque Pop and Sunshine Pop. But just in case, here's a link to a track to a truly groovy track by them:
Twinn Connexion- Young & Free            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omZ3ErVF0Xs

And kwan_dk, if you haven't discovered this group yet, I think you'll like this quite a bit. The whole album is excellent:
THe Carnival- Hope          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCSttWjD2pg

Oh man, don't get me started on 'Sandy' or the whole Sandy album!  :) That's one of my all-time favorites.

I've often thought about what could have been had John 'Bucky' Wilkin recorded a third Daytonas album. It could have been his 'Pet Sounds.' His two later solo albums are in a folk/country-pop vein and only so-and-so. But under the Ronny & Daytonas moniker he did issue a couple of singles during the mid to late 60s that showed great promise had a third album happened.

Here's 'Walk with the Sun'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1FWOUdxeiw

And 'The Girls and the Boys'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTszgjY08Gg

No, I haven't gotten to the Carnival yet. Thanks for the heads-up. Reminds me a lot of Triste Janeiro which I really dig. Must investigate further.

As for Twin Connexion, for some reason they don't appeal that much to me. Usually though, I'm all ears when something is decribed as 'walking a fine line between Baroque Pop and Sunshine Pop!'  ;D

Speaking of which, I can't resist shamelessly pointing toward my own band. We have a song called 'Follow the Sun' which fits that description nicely, heavy use of harpsichord and all. 'Baby I Long to Be Yours' and 'Stone Cold Crazy' off our debut album should also have some appeal to Sunshine Pop fans. You can hear all three songs here:

https://surfschooldropouts.bandcamp.com/album/summer-is-a-state-of-mind

2 the OP: have you heard of the Buffoons? They are really good & their version of "Sunday Will Never Be the Same" beats out the Spanky & Our Gang dullfest. Awful singing, even I could do that, which says a lot. Whereas Buffoons are genuine fans of the BBs, listen to "You Still Believe In Me": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hj1WX95rSMY

Re: "A Midsummer's Day Dream", as I'm into California, my favorite track is there "California Home". One of the best songs about state.

To get the topic further, check these links out:

Holy Mackerel - Love for Everyone (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBZV5_f8bHo)
Love Generation - Not Be Found (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5bSMNr05dU)
The Neighborhood - You Could Be Born Again (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkUswLn7m_I)
Free Design - Kites Are Fun (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPaAb3F_d6M) (one of my real faves. Don't any of you think that the guy sounds just like early "Miss America" Dennis? I can't be alone on that, coz the eerie similarity!)
And lastly, the beautiful
  "Trust" by Peppermint Trolley Company (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IBfzPW3E-Y) The band known for singing the "Brady Bunch" theme.

So Kwan_dk I've sat with your pinterest page for a couple of weeks now. I discovered fantastic tracks I never knew existed. Some of my favorites are Autumn (Thomas Group) Everyday (Main Attraction) Sit Down I Think I Love You (Mojo Men) <<<Can't stop listening to that one!  When Summer Comes (The Freshman) <<What a sunshine pop tune there! and finally I Couldn't Think About Living Without You (The Fairchilds) <<Fantastic Brian Wilson middle break there

So how often do you update your pinterest page? Its a fantastic medium/forum to spread the gospel of Sunshine Pop!

Thanks!

Re "Sandy" - do you know of the album of the same title by Sandy Salisbury? How good is that? Is it inferior to Ronny & the Daytonas'? Question to all.

Meanwhile, I liked the song of his called "All I Really Have Is a Memory": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zwqu3xxWtJU

I think it's not listed in the album above.

Thank you for the kind words, Mark! It's great to know that someone out there enjoyed the board and the song picks. I don't update it regularly, only if I stumble upon a nice image or have a few minutes to spare for song selections. And naturally, I tend to do this more actively during the summer where I'm especially in the mood for Sunshine Pop!  ;D

You should check out EVERYTHING by the Thomas Group! They recorded some fantastic stuff written for them by P.F. Sloan and Steve Barri. Some kind soul has cleaned up all the old singles and put them up on Soundcloud. These are probably the cleanest version I've heard yet. In my book, songs like 'Penny Arcade' and 'Autumn' are among the very best examples of how to write a delicious, dizzying pop ditty of the highest order.

https://soundcloud.com/thomas-group

Personally, I prefer the Ronny & Daytonas album but the two are difficult to compare as they have different approaches. I feel the Ronny & the Daytonas album is more in line with mid 60s 'Today' era Beach Boys stuff than what people would think of in terms of soft pop / sunshine pop.

The Sandy Salisbury album however is a curious mix of Curt Boettcher / Millennium whimsy, bubblegum and a bit of country-pop. I would highly recommend it - there's some awesome stuff on there. And the different collections of some of his less elaborate demos from the 60s are great as well.

Just another heads up.  A guy Harold Green just posted some more sunshine pop songs on YouTube. Some I'm familiar with already others I'm not. check it out!

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlTkOHjpV_xgcspGgbnK5u75-_g8E8Y66

I just discovered Summer Girl by New Sound Spectrum and Stop by Spring Fever which I can't stop listening to.

I am constantly amazed at the nuggets floating around from this genre. Did Brian influence this whole genre? I honestly think he did! The style anyways: the harmonies, production, backing track, overall style, theme and feel that is Sunshine Pop

In addition, I think this style/genre allows one to appreciate the song while generally putting up with the anonymity of the band! And I'm OK with that! If you can find one stellar, great, knockout track by a band then that's enough. I find some "bands" from this genre have 2 or 3 standout tracks and that's it. The history/information concerning the details of said band are lost to time. But the amazing track survives. I find perhaps I am not hung up on the details of the band (i.e. knowing who each band member was) It certainly isn't John Paul George and Ringo. With that being said I do appreciate the limited amount of information that survives (like say that Curt Boettcher produced a track). Discuss.

That's a miraculous thing about the internet. So many artists that were doomed to obscurity and never to be heard from again can now be heard by hundreds of millions of people. A generation of pop Music archaeologists can trawl music blogs and share tons of great discoveries with the world.
Here's a great one I found a while back from The Groop, 'The Jet Song':  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3kTBNsr-Gk

Well now who here is digging on Eternity's Children? Curt Boettcher involvement correct? I mean Lifetime Day...you can't get any better! Its like a slightly psychedelic Brady Bunch song! Fantastic drums in this one also.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvcLfAyM-Xw

And of course the lovely Mrs. Bluebird

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocWDIKN6xvc

Sunshine pop seems to contain slight, ever so slight, traces of psychedelia. Like an ingredient that adds to the overall flavor of the song.  Even the lyrics sometimes, seemingly so lightweight and pedestrian, seems to carry a melancholic and ethereal tinge of psychedelia: like bent sunshine. Like the lyric in Happiness Is by The Association: "watch the balloon you buy just to let fly away".  Blew my mind when I first heard that! lol Comments?

Yes! I said sth. along the lines upthread:

>> Hey, kwan-dk check out the Hobbits' album "Down to Middle Earth". It isn't entirely 'sunshine', but we know that most of it goes well w/ psychedelia. At least songs I heard one would define "sunshine pop", actually have tinges of various other genres, esp. psych.<<

This is great thread overall. When youtube gets fast, I'll sure check all the links out.

2 krabklaw: good thing about the blogs is they enable downloading. not just write the info.

this is a great playlist put up by Harold Green

That 'Spring Fever - Stop' tune is just pure Californian bliss. And so many other songs on that list are awesome

So many bands that i have never even heard of. Thats the beauty of playlists like these.

Is there any way to get all these songs on a CD or mp3? im not sure if theres a way to D/L songs from youtube.

Tony

I use MP3 rocket to get tunes from youtube. I find it a great software program. Google it. That's all I'll say. lol

Follow one of these:

- savetube
- clipconverter
- keepvid
- savefrom.net etc. etc. Read on google pages.

OK, back with a recommendation for this thread; Soft Soul Transition. A pretty cool soft-pop trio that released one album in 1969. Their sound is pretty interesting, almost jazzy at times with a very laid-back feel, not to heavy-handed with the harmonies.

(http://howdoyouare.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/VSCD2092.jpg)

Well worth checking out and there's been a CD reissue with bonus tracks a few years back.

Here are a few favorites:

Gotte Move Along
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Q8DDnMwI_M

She Came Back
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D30UbO6cmxU

Cinderella
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXCbW-0-Gyc

Soft Soul Transition
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdv3OOP8RbE

Dreamweaver
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9I-uUX_Guo

SST are good...happy with you girl is my favorite track by them. I recommend others to check them out as well!

What do you guys think of the Dino, Desi and Billy tracks associated with the film Follow Me? I LOVE those tracks:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uoP-fWioPk Just Looking For Someone

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fH6TvYXzWPE Thru Sprayed Colored Glasses


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fH6TvYXzWPE Like the Wind and Sea

I love these trio of Sunshine Pop Gold.  The opening bars of Thru Sprayed Colored Glasses can transport me to a car driving down the PCH on a warm summer afternoon!

Yeah, that's a favorite as well. Forget to include it in my post. I'll bet that song, with it's prominent ba-ba-baah sunshine pop backing vocals, is what made you think of and post about the Follow Me songs. Same kind of 'ba ba baah' type vocals on 'Thru' Rose colored Glasses'. That's a cool soundtrack by the way but that song really outshines all others on there in my opinion. I tend to fall for every song that has that type of nonsense ba ba bah vocal.

Here's another great example:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtbkma8hycI

and speaking of 'ba ba baahs', - whenever I'm getting a new car, I'll go see these Guys!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8rAh72jRDo

Yellow Balloon,...Honeyrider (all systems go & sunshine skyway), Ronny & the Daytonas- Sandy, Sunrays- Andrea,....

kwan_dk, check out this album:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLD5172B99CCB4F340

"Sunshine & Shadows" (not to be confused with Ars Nova album came out year later)

Single "On a Beautiful Day/Bolero":
A-side> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfFOeg9ssoM&list=PLD5172B99CCB4F340&index=1
B-side> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UYst4w-7RM&list=PLD5172B99CCB4F340&index=13

And this is their minor hit "Happy": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVjvAo0qpCg

Via the last link found this "hyper-turbo-ultra rare ABC program" dating 1967 ft. the group, Rick Nelson, 5th Dimension, The Pair Extraordinaire, Freddy Cannon et al:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAKCic_rlR4 (+ Original ads of Cheetos, Pepsi-Cola, Clairol's Midnight Sun, Stridex)

Fitness Forever. Fantastico!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQuTs3OOi3g

Summer soundtrack music for sure!

A Peter Lacey song/videp that must count as definitive ~ 'Drinkin' In The Sunshine'!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6fJo-lP8Jc

L&M
Polly  :)

I bought this recently, well worth a listen

(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kk9gjrbM8ho/UTt1AD2YcUI/AAAAAAAAQ1E/VH47iR76Uag/s1600/The+Peppermint+Rainbow.jpg)

Cool! It's showing in our local free file-sharing site. Thanks for the heads-up, Brother. :3d

Yeah! Baltimore Sunshine Pop!

Y'all heard this  Sunshine Pop song from Strawberry Alarm Clock?
Barefoot In Baltimore:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgorYaoZoy8

Bought this a few weeks back...very good sunshine pop  :listening

(http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/lyricwiki/images/5/5d/Brian_Hyland_-_Stay_and_Love_Me_All_Summer.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20120827063415)

Golden Gate - Make your own sweet music (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYxRGu7HiY8) (false, not 1st time on youtube; I found it 2 yrs ago in summer, as did other bunch of rarities)