The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine (Anymore)

"The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine"
Song
B-side	"This Is Goodbye"

"The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine (Anymore)" is a song written by Bob Crewe and Bob Gaudio.

It was originally released as a single credited to Frankie Valli as a solo artist in 1965 on the Smash label, but was more successful when recorded by The Walker Brothers in 1966. Cher and Keane have also recorded the song.

Frankie Valli

Frankie Valli recorded and released the first version of the song but his single achieved only limited success, charting on Billboards Bubbling Under Hot 100 singles chart but not making the Billboard Hot 100 itself. Although it was recorded in a Four Seasons recording session (with the other band members at that time), it was Valli's first official "solo" single in over a decade.

The Walker Brothers

"The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine"
Song
B-side	"After the Lights Go Out"

In 1966, The Walker Brothers released their remake as a single. Retitled "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore", this version met with much greater success than Valli's. It topped the UK Singles Chart, and also became their highest rating song on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the U.S., where it peaked at #13. The single also hit the top 10 in the Netherlands.

In 2010, the Walker Brothers version was used in the promotional trailer for the AMC television series The Walking Dead.

In 2012, the Walker Brothers version played a prominent role in the film Seeking a Friend for the End of the World. It was featured the following year in the film Stoker.

In 2013, the single's B-side "After the Lights Go Out", played over the end-credits of the Canadian-Spanish psychological thriller film Enemy.

Track listing

Philips - BF 1473 / Smash Records S-2032

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore"	Bob Crewe, Bob Gaudio	3:17
2.	"After the Lights Go Out"	John Stewart	4:01

Chart positions

Chart (1966)	Peak position
Belgium Ultratop singles chart	15
Canadian RPM Top Singles	2
Germany Media Control singles chart	4
Netherlands	9
New Zealand (Listener)	7
Irish Singles Chart	5
Norway VG-lista singles chart	6
UK Singles Chart	1
US Billboard Hot 100	13

Cher version

"The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine"
Song

In the summer of 1996, Cher released her remake as the fourth official European single from her twenty-second album It's a Man's World. The song went to #26 on the UK Singles Chart. Her version was used in The X-Files episode "The Post-Modern Prometheus".

Critical reception

Allmusic called this song "a real highlight" and continued "epic and beautiful, complete with echoes of the Wild West."

Formats and track listings

UK CD Maxi-Single (WEA 071 CD)

1. "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine (Anymore)" (Trevor Horn Remix)
2. "Not Enough Love in the World" (Sam Ward Remix)
3. "Paradise Is Here"

Official versions

• Main Version (5:15)
• Demo Mix (4:51)
• Junior's Arena Anthem (Unreleased) (9:55)
• Junior's Arena Mixshow (Unreleased) (6:54)
• Junior's Padapella (Unreleased) (5:22)
• Trevor Horn Remix (4:03)

Charts

Chart (1996)	Peak position
Scotland (OCC)	15
UK Singles (OCC)	26

Keane

"The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine"
Song

In 2004, the British group Keane recorded a special version of this song. Unlike the original version, Tim Rice-Oxley, pianist and composer of Keane, changed the guitar for piano. He also takes the lead vocals in the second chorus, like the original version. The single was selected in summer 2004 by readers of the NME and first released as a download-only single in September 2004. The song was given for download to the War Child foundation website and one thousand vinyl copies given as a gift to some fans of Keane, who had supported and helped the band. The numbered copies each included a handwritten note from Tim Rice-Oxley, also signed by the other two members, thanking them for their support.

Track listing

1. "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore"
2. "Your Eyes Open" (Mo Mental Remix)

Other versions

• Jay and the Americans released a cover version on their 1966 album, Livin Above Your Head.
• American singer Neil Diamond recorded this song for his 1979 album September Morn.
• In 1981, Nielsen/Pearson released their remake as a single. It became their last Hot 100 hit, peaking at #56.
• German eurodisco band Chilly recorded a cover of this song for their 1982 album Secret Lies.
• The Croatian rock group Dorian Gray released the cover version of this song in 1984, on Croatian language, with lyrics "Sjaj u tami".
• Scottish singer Ian Donaldson, formerly of pop band H₂O, released a cover of this song as a single in 1987.
• Recorded by Russell Hitchcock in 1988 for their debut album Russell Hitchcock.
• British singer David Essex released a cover of this song on his 1989 album Touching The Ghost.
• British actor/singer duo Robson & Jerome recorded the song on their 1995 album Robson & Jerome.
• Kommunity FK released a cover version of the song on their 2010 album La Santisima Muerte.

Other notable artists who recorded this song include Jules Shear, Long John Baldry, Clarence Clemons, The Ides of March, The Lettermen (for their 1970 album Reflections), and Robson and Jerome. Alfie Boe and G4 have both released classical versions.

The song also features prominently in the 1991 bittersweet romance film Truly, Madly, Deeply, starring Alan Rickman and Juliet Stevenson, with Nina (Stevenson) playing the main chords in the chorus on the piano and Jamie (Rickman) playing the main riff on the bass strings of his cello, and both of them singing. The singing of the song is a game the couple often played. The choice of this song in particular, given the events in the film, emphasize the poignancy of the lyric especially well.