 | Bobby Hebb's classic song "Sunny" is such a presence in his career that it overshadows Lou Rawls Grammy-winning hit, "A Natural Man" (written by Bobby Hebb and actor Sandy Baron), his huge British Northen soul hit "Love Love Love", the Gamble & Huff masterpiece (also a Northern Soul favorite) "You Want To Change Me" that was Hebb's final 45 RPM for Philips before he moved on to record Love Games for Epic, eclipsing his phenomenal work with John Lee Hooker, Bo Diddley, Barry & The Remains on the Beatles 1966 tour, his tour with The Yardbirds featuring Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck and other aspects of his artistry that would've been a complete career for anyone else. To start off your "Sunny" obsession it is best to begin with the Roof Music compilations that Rudiger Ladwig released in Germany in the early 2000's: | Part 2 features the James Brown and Dee Felice Trio featuring Marva Whitney, Chris Montez, Les mcCann, Shirley Bassey, Jose Feliciano, The Four Tops, Marian Love, The Walker Brothers, Paul Kuhn, Trini Lopez, Young Holt Trio, Marvin Gaye, The Electric Flag, Leonard Nimoy, Ella Fitzgerald, Gary Lewis & The Playboys and Brother Jack McDuff and David Newman. This was the 17 track 2002 follow-up to 2000's Part 1 Part 1 featured the original Bobby Hebb version, Arthur Lyman Group, Georgie Fame, Booker T and the MG's, Dusty Springfield, John Schroeder Orchestra, Robert Mitchum, Stan Kenton, Herbie Mann & Tamiko Jones, Stanley Turrentine, Andy Williams, The Ventures, Cher, Jimmy Smith, Wilson Pickett and Nancy Wilson -16 renditions. Bobby tells us "I took a Park Avenue couple to Harlem to Big Wilt Chamberlain's Smal's Paradise. Van Johnson used to come up. That was the place to go to do the Twist. And James Brown was there this particular night, I took Dick Seid (an attorney from Mexico) and Peggy Burns. I invited James Brown to join us at the table and he got to meet the two associates of mine" (this was sometime in the 1960s, possibly 1968). "Usually when entertainers get together we discuss entertaining ideas. In this case we discussed music, a King Curtis song. I was trying to get my mind away from the word "twist" and work with other themes." James Brown had a daughter with the great Yvonne Fair. Yvonne's sister, Carolyn, would sometimes open as a dancer for Bobby Hebb's show at the Blue Morocco. So 33 songs are on the two Roof Music compilations. "Sunny" has become a jazz classic, a staple in the world of jazz for guitarists, pianists, xylophone players, it is amazing how the song lends itself to inspiring masters of the craft to reinvent it and explore each nuance of Hebb's masterpiece. Here are some cover versions worth finding on Gemm.com: |
Originally released on the Getting Down To It album 
Remixed on the Ultimate Remixes of James Brown 
It Takes 2: Essential Soul & Funk Duets 
Marva Whitney's duet with James Brown is also on her own 1969 album It's My Thing 
Bobby Hebb performs on "Sunny" with Denny Jiosa. Check out the Dreams Like This CD. 
Joe Jewell Quartet: Every Note Counts
Roy Nathanson's Sotto Voce 
 | The distinctive sound of George Benson wasn't a household thought in 1967, but going back and hearing the Verve recording of "Sunny" one can hear the sound that made Benson famous. |
 | Melba Moore is actually one of the backing vocalists on Bobby Hebb's hit version. I believe she released her recording of "Sunny" on two albums, Mercury Records "I Got Love" released on June 9, 1970 |
All So is Sophia Villamor from France with a breathy version of "Sunny" 
 | Pat Martino's Head And Heart Consciousness: Live Here's what Pico had to say "But I chose to spotlight the third tune because it proves that Pat didn't need complex material to astound the living begeezus out of you. He can take a familiar, straightforward pop tune like the 1966 Bobby Hebb smash hit "Sunny" and blow you away all the same. Following a minute in which the theme is played out, Martino launches into his solo carefully building intensity over the next four minutes and forty-five seconds. Through it all he is always locked into the groove. His tone is soft and while his guitar is a tad undermiked, you can still hear every note, because he plucks his notes clearly." (from Something Else Reviews) |
There's a Japanese quasi-garage version by Anki released on WEA in 2008 
Sandi & The Accents Live in 2007 
Dwight Adams has a funky version on his Soul Master CD 
Frankie Valli RE-CUTS "SUNNY"   | This version is on my cellphone as a ringtone. The "Solo Timeless" album has been re-packed with "Frankie Valli Solo" on Collectors Choice. So Collectors Choice has packaged the Frankie Valli, Johnny Mathis, Andy Williams versions of "Sunny" for the new millennium on CD while Collectables has released Percy Faith - all on two-fers. |
Johnny Mathis Andy Williams 'BORN FREE' album contains "Sunny"  It was paired with 'Love Andy' for a Collectables re-release 
Percy Faith re-released on Collectables 
Frank Sinatra 
Ben Tucker discovering "Sunny" - from Tucker's biography page Multi-talented and eager to expand his repertoire of accomplishments, Ben became involved in the music publishing business. Among the tunes he published, “Sunny” was his greatest success. The song became an immediate sensation and firmly established itself among contemporary standards. The commercial success of “Sunny” heralded a changing point in Ben’s career. He was now in a position to explore and invest in other business ventures.  | Bobby Hebb told Gemmzine on 6-28 "Eric (Colodne) was in control of Portable Music; that was the first song that he had. Colodne was Cy Coleman's nephew. Ben Tucker, the bass player, brought it to Eric Colodne. A guy named Sandy Scott, from Jackson Tennessee, where Bobby's mother is from, "and he introduced me to Ben Tucker; it's amazing because ben graduated high school with my oldest brother, but they did not know each other." "I brought the song to Eric, we rehearsed at a little rehearsal hall in New York. We spent 30 minutes (playing it for Eric), we only needed ten or fifteen minutes. And Eric, I can remember the expression on his face. he said "They passed this up?" I don't remember if he was 19 or if he was 20. He was a young man and so was I. |
Dave Pike - Jazz For Jet Set  In 2000 Jamey Aebersold did his "A New Approach To Jazz improvisation"  Ronnie Aldrich 
Dusty Springfield Where Am I Going? 
Herb Albert & The Tijuana Brass re-released on Foursider 
Star Search The Kids 2003 
 | Johnny Rivers Whiskey A Go Go Revisited was re-titled in France as "John Lee Hooker" According to a webwriter called PC_Music "The US 1967 "Whisky a Go-Go Revisited" Johnny Rivers album has been renamed "John Lee Hooker" for its French release 2 years later. The 15' long B side track became the A side and has been a huge dance-floor hit in France. This track is a tribute to the bluesman John Lee Hooker. This long piece has got a good live atmosphere with a competition between the lead guitar and the organ especially in the long introduction. Unfortunately it is not faultless; it is way too redundant with too many "I Can't Get no Satisfaction" and "Baby Please Don't Go" tags. Some passages are uninspired and a bit hollow. | | The other tracks are all covers. They are generally good except "A Hard Day's Night" and "When a Man Loves a Woman" which are more forgettable. A good album but not great. It is very overrated in France." |
Another famous French version is Richard Anthony who translated it. Very Phil Spector-ish appears on six of his albums including Les Plus Belles Chansons de Richard Anthony It is on multiple Ernestine Anderson albums including one from 1979 entitled "Sunshine" and a Latino version by Los Aragon
ESSENTIAL REISSUES  | Ray Nance's 'Body And Soul' CD was released on March 14, 2006 by the Mighty Quinn Label. Originally released on the Solid State (SS 18062) label, a division of United Artists/Transamerica, it was produced by Duke Pearson and arranged by Ray Nance. "Sunny" comes in at 3:06 with Ray Nance on Violin and vocal. |
Oscar Peterson's Motions & Emotions album  Sunny was included on the 6 song e.p. of Earl Grant's Golden Favorites 
CHARLIE BROWN'S "WHY IS EVERYBODY ALWAYS PICKIN' ON ME?" Vinyl on GEMM 
Boney M  The Lost Tapes Vol. 2 by Maynard Ferguson 
Willie Bobo's Finest Hour with "Sunny"
  | The All About Jazz site states: " Elizabeth Kontomanou, as the daughter of a Greek mother and an African father who herself hails from Paris, is a relatively new vocal talent in the music whose cosmopolitan" |
Tamla Motown Connoisseurs |
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