Good Day Sunshine
| "Good Day Sunshine" | |
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| Song |
"Good Day Sunshine" is a song by the Beatles on the 1966 album Revolver. It was written mainly by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney. Leonard Bernstein praised the song for its construction in a 1967 CBS News documentary.[1] Richie Unterberger of allmusic said the song "radiates optimism and good vibes"[2] and Ian MacDonald said it is "superbly sung by McCartney and exquisitely produced by George Martin and his team" and that it shows the Beatles "at their effortless best."[3]
Recording
The song was recorded on 8 June 1966, with overdubs added the following day.[4][1] McCartney sang the lead vocal and played piano, accompanied by Ringo Starr on drums, and then overdubbed the bass guitar.[3] Music critic Ian MacDonald was unsure if John Lennon played guitar on the track;[3] in his description of the recording sessions for the song, Mark Lewisohn did not mention a guitar track.[4] Lennon and George Harrison add harmony vocals during the choruses. Lennon can be barely heard repeating "she feels good" after McCartney at 1:27. [4] George Martin played the piano solo, recorded with the tape recorder running slower than usual[4][3] and thus in the released version the solo sounds faster than it was actually played.
Like "She Said She Said" the song closes with an imitative canon in the voices.
Influences and cover versions
McCartney said that he was influenced by the Lovin' Spoonful: the song's "old-timey vaudevillian feel" particularly recalls the Spoonful's hit "Daydream", to which "Good Day Sunshine" bears some harmonic resemblance.[2]
The Tremeloes recorded a version later in 1966, their second single after parting company from Brian Poole and their first after signing with CBS, though it was not a hit. It was also included on their debut post-Poole album, Here Come The Tremeloes and several subsequent compilations.
Claudine Longet recorded a version in 1967 for her album The Look of Love and also released it as a single. The single peaked at #100 on Billboard's Hot 100 Chart[5] and #36 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary Chart.[citation needed]
Scottish singer Lulu released a version on her 1970 album Melody Fair.
McCartney re-recorded the song himself in 1984 for the soundtrack to his film, Give My Regards to Broad Street.
A cover of the song was used in the episode D.J.'s Very First Horse on the American sitcom Full House.
Cultural references
- "Good Day Sunshine" has been played as the wake-up music on multiple Space Shuttle missions.[6] McCartney played the song live to the crew of the International Space Station on 13 November 2005 in the first-ever concert link-up to the space station.[6]
- The song is played at Safeco Field, home of Major League Baseball's Seattle Mariners, when the retractable roof is retracted.
- Ingrid Michaelson is featured singing the song in a 2013 TV commercial for Tropicana.[7]
Personnel
- Paul McCartney – vocal, bass, piano, handclaps
- John Lennon – harmony vocal, handclaps, guitar §(see below)
- George Harrison – harmony vocal, handclaps
- Ringo Starr – drums, handclaps
- George Martin – piano solo
- Personnel per Ian MacDonald[3]
§ MacDonald was unsure if Lennon played guitar on the track.[3]
Notes
- ^ a b & Dowlding.
- ^ a b Unterberger 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f MacDonald 2005, p. 209.
- ^ a b c d Lewisohn 1988, pp. 82–83.
- ^ Allmusic 2009.
- ^ a b Fries 2009.
- ^ Tropicana "Ready to Shine" on YouTube
References
- "The Look of Love: Charts and Awards". Allmusic. 2009. Retrieved 5 September 2009.
- Dowlding, William J (1989). Beatlesongs. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-671-68229-6.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Fries, Colin, ed. (30 November 2009). "Chronology of Wakeup Calls" (PDF). National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
{{cite web}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Lewisohn, Mark (1988). The Beatles Recording Sessions. New York: Harmony Books. ISBN 0-517-57066-1.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - MacDonald, Ian (2005). Revolution in the Head: The Beatles' Records and the Sixties (Second Revised ed.). London: Pimlico (Rand). ISBN 1-84413-828-3.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Unterberger, Richie (2009). "Review of "Good Day Sunshine"". Allmusic. Retrieved 22 February 2009.
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