Sunshine (Jonathan Edwards song)

Infobox Single
Name = Sunshine (Go Away Today)
Artist = Jonathan Edwards
from Album = Jonathan Edwards
B-side =
Released = November, 1971
Format = Single
Recorded = 1971
Genre = Country folk, Pop
Length = 2:16
Label = Capricorn Records
Writer =
Producer = Peter Casperson
Certification = Gold
Chart position = 4, Billboard January 15, 1972

"Sunshine" is a country folk war protest song from 1971 by Jonathan Edwards, released as the first single from his debut album "Jonathan Edwards". The single reached Billboard #4cite web|title=Billboard Jan 15, 1972|url=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|accessdate=2007-09-04] and earned a gold record.cite web|title=Jonathan Edwards bio|url=http://www.jonathanedwards.net/_pages/bio.php|accessdate=2007-09-04]

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 "Jonathan Edwards", Sunshine was used to fill the hole.

It was released as a single and the positive energy and message of the song seemed just what the nation needed at that moment. Sunshine caught fire first on Boston radio, then nationwide, hitting #4 on the Billboard pop chart on January 15, 1972 and earning a gold record. 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."

A cover of Sunshine was released by 18-year-old pop-folk artist Josh Thompson on April 22, 2007.cite web|title=Josh Thompson press release|url=http://prthatrocks.com/pressrel/thompsonsunshinepr.htm|accessdate=2007-09-04] The new version, featuring vocals by Jonathan Edwards, reached #29 on the Radio & Records' Hot A/C Indicator chart.cite web|title=Josh Thompson home page|url=http://www.joshthompsonmusic.com/index_main.php|accessdate=2007-09-04] Jonathan Edwards recorded and released a bluegrass version of "Sunshine" (along with an entire album) with the band "The Seldom Scene."

Susanna Hoff of the Bangles recorded a version of the song for her first solo album "When You're A Boy" in 1991, but the cut did not get chosen for the final pressing.

In July 2007, the original Jonathan Edwards recording joined the list of 60s 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.cite web|title=Cutwater|url=http://www.cutwatersf.com/|accessdate=2007-09-04]

The Isley Brothers also cut a version of this song and can be found on their 3+3 album.

References

External links

* [http://www.jonathanedwards.net/ Jonathan Edwards Official Site]
* [http://www.joshthompsonmusic.com/index_main.php Josh Thompson Official Site]