Genre: pop
Rating: *** (3 stars)
Title: Sunshine & Shadows
Company: Imperial
Catalog: LP-12399
Year: 1968
Country/State: Los Angles, California
Grade (cover/record): VG/VG
Comments: gatefold sleeve; sticker on cover
Available: 1
GEMM catalog ID: 4830
Price: $15.00
Drummer Merle Bregante, guitarist Maury Manseau, singer Mary Nance and guitarist Larry Sims met while attending Los Angeles Harbor Junior College. Manseau and Nance were members of the school choir, but all four quickly discovered they shared mutual interest in folk music. Low key performances on the local club circuit saw the group attract the attention of manager Bill McEuen who helped them score a contract with Imperial Records.
By the time The Sunshine Company got around to releasing their third and final studio album (there's supposedly a fourth set that was shelved by Imperial), popular tastes had moved on leaving these folks with little in the way of an audience. That's somewhat unfortunate since 1968's Joe Saraceno produced "Sunshine & Shadows" actually had some nice moments. The Mamas and Papas comparisons remained apt through much of the collection with tracks such as 'On A Beautiful Day', the pretty ballad 'I'm Gonna Love You' and 'Wingate Square' underscoring their long-standing 'sunshine pop' sound. On the other hand material such as a cover of The Youngblood's 'Come Together' (mis-titled as 'Let's Get Together') and the hysterically inept 'Love Poem' found them trying to increase their 'hip' factor. The album also saw the group trying to flex their creative influence. Unlike earlier releases, this time around almost half of the songs were group originals. Unfortunately record company demands for a safe commercial project limited the group's flexibility resulting in a rather MOR sound. Still, tougher numbers like 'A Stitch In Time Saves None' provided a taste of what these guys might have been able to do with a little more artistic freedom. Imperial pulled a series of singles from the album, though none did much commercially:
- 1968's 'Let's Get Together' b/w '' (Imperial catalog number 66298)
- 1968's 'On a Beautiful Day' b/w 'Darcy Farrow' (Imperial catalog 66308)
- 1968's 'Willie Jean' b/w 'Love Poem' (Imperial catalog number 66324)
"Sunshine
& Shadows" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) On A Beautiful Day (Gene Stashuck) - 2:15
2.) To Put Up with You (Paul Williams - Roger Nichols) - 2:33
3.) Lets Get Together (Chet Powers) - 3:12
4.) I'm Gonna Love You (Larry Sims - Maury Manseau) - 2:50
5.) Out On the Town (Larry Sims - Mike Collins) - 1:56
6.) Love Poem (Larry Sims - Maury Manseau) - 2:40
9.) Wingate Square (Carol Conner - Ron Nadel) - 3:55
(side
2)
1.) Sunshine Theme (instrumental) (Larry Sims - Maury Manseau) - 2:51
2.) Willie Jean (Hoyt Axton) - 4:25
3.) Springtime Meadows (Tom Campbell) - 4:27
4.) A Stitch In Time Saves None (Phillip Freed) - 2:46
3.) Ways and Means (Larry Sims - Maury Manseau) - 2:27
6.) Bolero (Larry Sims - Maury Manseau) - 2:30
7.) I Hate Pigeons (Victor Milrose - Dave Hess) - 1:10
One last non-LP single, 1969's "The Only Thing That Mattered (After All)" b/w 'Bolero' (Imperial catalog number 66399) and they were history.