A bit of a random reissue has appeared today, both sides of
Bobby Hebb's 1966 #2 Hot 100 hit "Sunny" / "Bread".
The song should be pretty well known and has been covered hundreds of
times (SecondHandSongs lists 450 which includes dozens on instrumental
versions) by many of the greats including Wilson Pickett, Chuck Jackson,
Johnny Mathis, Nancy Wilson, Dusty Springfield, Frankie Valli, Four Tops,
Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Maxine Brown, Mary Wells, Shirley Bassey,
James Brown, Melba Moore, Ella Fitzgerald to just scratch the
surface.
Although Hebb wrote the song, he was not first to record it, it was
recorded first by Japanese singer Mieko Hirota in Oct 1965 on "Ah!
Soul...Introducing Miko On Stage (Live)" but was only available via
reel-to-reel tape.
Rather than just posting those two sides, to make it more interesting,
I've posted the full album. However, for me, his best single is "You Want To Change Me" from 1968 which completely sank without trace except on Northern Soul
dancefloors. In fact after "Sunny" he had only two more Hot 100 hits with "A Satisfied Mind" (#40 1966) and then "Sunny 76" (#94 1975). In the UK "Love Love Love" was a Top 40 hit in 1972 on the back on NS exposure.
One of the best songs on the album is the last track "For You" which I'm pretty sure has been recorded by someone else, but can't for
the life of me think who it is.
UPDATE: Thanks to Yves for reminding me who did "For You". It was of
course Chris Bartley (and I even have the single which is the B side to his
brilliant "You Get Next To My Heart" from 1967 on Vando, a great little
cheap double-sider). The Presidents then released it as a single on Sussex
in 1970. With a bit more digging, it was first released by The
Spellbinders as a single in 1965 and then on their only album "Magic Of" in 1966. It was also recorded by The Chants (the embryo group of The
Real Thing) in 1967 on Page One and Superior Movement as a single in 1981 on Chycago International Music (C.I.M.) and also included on their album "The Key To Your Heart".
2 comments:
It's an excellent LP and for the song "For You" it's a marvel and it's pure Van McCoy, so you know at least 2 versions: that of Chris Bartley and that of the Presidents!!! By following the chronological order it would seem that that of Bobby Hebb is the first to my knowledge.
Yves
Thanks Yves, I knew I'd heard it but couldn't place who sang it ... now I know!
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