Customer Reviews

Sunshine Days 3: 60's Pop Classics

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While I'm critical of some of the 5 CDs in the 'Sunshine Days' series, this one stands out above the others. The MONO mix of OVER YOU by Gary Puckett & The Union Gap is superior to the stereo mix heard elsewhere. In addition, the songs picked for this compilation are generally not found elsewhere. For example, I have only found "Workin' on a Groovy Thing" by The 5th Dimension on one other compilation... and then transferred from LP (needle drop). TOMORROW by The Strawberry Alarm Clock is an often overlooked song from the group best known for Incense & Peppermints. Petula Clark's DON'T SLEEP IN THE SUBWAY and Beverly Bremers' DON'T SAY YOU DON'T REMEMBER cover songs by women about life's relationships. Hey... for those of you with a good ear, check out the lousy background singers on Bremers' song. The balance of the songs have merit, and it's good to hear some of them (such as WHEN I DIE by Motherlode) for the first time in years. I hope this compilation brings a smile to your face as it did mine.

Sunshine Days, Vol. 3: 60's Pop Classics offers up 14 excellent pop numbers that will bring back memories for those of us who first heard these on the radio; and it's also a wonderful pleasure for anyone who appreciates excellent pop music from the 60's! The song selection is quite good; we get a lot of numbers here that aren't necessarily easy to find elsewhere (at least not all on the same CD) and the quality of the sound is excellent. In addition, I like the artwork.

All the songs are very, very good but I do have my personal favorites as you will, too. "Yellow Balloon" starts the album off with an amazing tune; these fine artists borrow just a few bars of a children's song to make their own number which is truly a standout of the CD. The flavor is very 60's pop and I really like that sound! In addition, Gary Puckett & the Union Gap perform their classic hit "Over You." "Over You" is very well done; and with that lush arrangement it's beautiful to hear. The Mamas & the Papas perform "Monday, Monday" with all their hearts and souls; this was a huge hit for them and just one listen will tell you why! The Mamas & the Papas rarely, if ever, sounded any better than this.

"Did You Ever Have to Make up Your Mind?" by The Lovin' Spoonful always brings a smile to my face; now THIS is great pop music! They sing and play this faultlessly and I'm impressed even all these years later. The Lovin' Spoonful uses major and minor keys in such a smooth way that the song shines bright in their capable hands. B. J. Thomas' "I Just Can't Help Believin'" is easy on the ear; and "Workin' on a Groovy Thing" by The 5th Dimension is one of their very best. Brooklyn Bridge's "Worst That Could Happen" gets the royal treatment and it all holds its own very well.

Petula Clark's "Don't Sleep in the Subway" remains a masterpiece; I love her voice and "Don't Sleep in the Subway" is a song that only Pet could do so well. "Don't Say You Don't Remember" by Beverly Bremers is quite dramatic and sorrowful although Beverly's clear as a bell voice combined with that melody make it a number you'll want to hear over and over again. The album ends with Kenny O'Dell performing "Beautiful People" with some really great guitar work; and it certainly leaves me wanting more!

This fine CD is perfect for anyone who enjoys timeless 60's pop; and it's even a fine starter CD for people just getting into this genre of music. I highly recommend this album.

Varese Vintage rolls out a third volume in their series of sunny tunes from the post-British invasion 60's. While one could quibble with the fact that there is one track here, Beverly Bremers' "Don't Say You Don't Remember" from 1971, the sound here is very much in the mode of the earlier 60's female pop style. As with previous volumes, included here are some top-10 hits familiar to just about every listener of a.m. radio of the time - "Monday, Monday", "Did You Ever Have To Make Up Your Mind" and "Worst That Could Happen" to name a few. Beyond the commonplace hits are such lesser-heard ditties such as the aforementioned "Don't Say You Don't Remember", Strawberry Alarm Clock's other hit "Tomorrow" and Gary Puckett's "Over You", the plaintive pop gem that is often overlooked in favor of his first three bigger hits. Rounding out the piece are the Hondells' "Kissin' My Life Away", a failed attempt to outlive their surf/hot rod stigma and "Always You" from the Sundowners, a studio group that, despite having substantial backing power, never shared in the success of the other bubblegum groups of the era.

Production quality here is very good as with the other volumes, exhibiting respectable sound quality and some informative liner notes material on the included tracks and artists. Most tracks are in stereo but the producers opted for the mono version of "Over You" and "Did You Ever Have To Make Up Your Mind".

While not by any means generous in the number of tracks, this is an appealing collection of lighter pop tunes from the 60's with enough distinction to stand a bit above the plethora of other 60's compilation CD's.