Sunshine pop is a subgenre of pop music that originated in Southern California in the mid-1960s. Rooted in easy listening and advertising jingles, sunshine pop acts combined nostalgic or anxious moods with "an appreciation for the beauty of the world". The category largely consists of lesser-known artists who imitated more popular groups such as the Mamas & the Papas and the 5th Dimension. While the Beach Boys are noted as prominent influences, the band's music was rarely representative of the genre.
"Mystery Train" is a song written and recorded by American blues musician Junior Parker in 1953. Originally performed in the style of a Memphis blues or rhythm and blues tune, it was inspired by earlier songs and later became a popular rockabilly song, as first covered by Elvis Presley, then numerous others.
Pandemonium Shadow Show is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson, released in December 1967 on RCA Victor.
"Look Through Any Window" is a song by the British beat group the Hollies. It was their follow-up single to their first UK chart-topper, "I'm Alive", and reached No.4 in the UK Singles Chart at the beginning of October 1965.
"I've Got You Under My Skin" is a song written by American composer Cole Porter in 1936. It was introduced that year in the Eleanor Powell musical film Born to Dance in which it was performed by Virginia Bruce. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song that year but lost out to The Way You Look Tonight. Popular recordings in 1936 were by Ray Noble and his Orchestra and by Hal Kemp and his Orchestra.
"Block Buster!" is a 1973 single by The Sweet. Written by Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman, and produced by Phil Wainman, "Block Buster!" was the band's sole UK No. 1 hit. Released in January 1973, it spent five weeks at the top of the UK Singles Chart, and also made #1 in the Netherlands, Germany, Austria and Ireland, and #3 in Finland, Switzerland, Denmark and Norway. Outside Europe it peaked at #1 in New Zealand, #29 in Australia and at #73 on the American Billboard Hot 100.
"I Heard Her Call My Name" is a song by American rock band the Velvet Underground. It is the fifth track from the band's second album, White Light/White Heat. It is a particularly loud, brash and aggressive song that features a pair of atonal guitar solos performed by Lou Reed and repeated use of high pitched feedback.
"The Golden Age of Rock 'n' Roll" is a single by Mott the Hoople, written by Ian Hunter. It is a release from 1974's The Hoople.
"Lady Eleanor" is a song written by Alan Hull, featured on the first Lindisfarne album, Nicely Out of Tune. Initially released as a single in May 1971, it failed to chart. In 1972, following the success of the band's single "Meet me on the Corner", and the highly successful second album Fog on the Tyne, it was re-released and became their second consecutive hit single, reaching Number 3 in the UK charts. Its B-Side was "Nothing But the Marvellous is Beautiful".
"For Your Love" is a rock song written by Graham Gouldman and recorded by English group the Yardbirds. Released in March 1965, it was their first top ten hit in both the UK and the US. The song was a departure from the group's blues roots in favour of a commercial pop rock sound. Guitarist Eric Clapton disapproved of the change and it influenced him to leave the group.
"I'm Sorry" is a song written and recorded by American country-folk singer-songwriter John Denver and released in 1975. It was the final number-one pop hit released during his career.
"Never My Love" is a pop standard written by American siblings Don and Dick Addrisi, and best known from a hit 1967 recording by the Association. The Addrisi Brothers had two Top 40 hits as recording artists, but their biggest success as songwriters was "Never My Love". Recorded by dozens of notable artists in the decades since, in 1999 the music publishing rights organization Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) announced it was the second most-played song on radio and television of the 20th century in the U.S.
"Tears" is a song written by lyricist Frank Capano and composer Billy Uhr, which was popularised by Rudy Vallée in 1930. It was later made famous in a version recorded by Ken Dodd, released as a 45 rpm single in 1965, which became a bestselling No. 1 hit in the UK Singles Chart.
"A Mess of Blues" is a song originally recorded by Elvis Presley for RCA Records in 1960, and written by Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman. Although released as the B-side to "It's Now or Never", "A Mess of Blues" reached number 32 in the U.S. It reached number 2 in the UK as an A-side.
"(Till) I Kissed You" is a song written by Don Everly of The Everly Brothers. It was released as a single in 1959 and peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. Chet Atkins played guitar on this record and Jerry Allison played drums. Recorded 7 July 1959 at RCA Victor Studio, Nashville, Tennessee, and issued as a single July/August 1959 coupled with ‘Oh, What A Feeling’. Don Everly (guitar); Phil Everly (guitar); Chester B. “Chet” Atkins ; Sonny Curtis (guitar); Floyd T. “Lightnin’” Chance (bass); Jerry “J.I.” Allison (drums); Floyd Cramer (piano). Producer: Archie Bleyer.
"Can You Dig It?" is a 1991 single by English indie rock band the Mock Turtles that was featured on their 1990 album, Turtle Soup. It was originally the B-side to the song "Lay Me Down". It was released on Siren Records in all formats except for one of the seven-inch singles released in Europe where it was released by Virgin Records.
John Raymond Arthey was a British conductor and composer. He was responsible for arranging many hit pop records in the 1960s and 1970s.
"Is It True" is a song released in 1964 by Brenda Lee. In 1964, Brenda Lee was flown by Decca to England to cut a single record, initially conceived for release exclusively in the United Kingdom, but it was in fact also released in the US shortly after release in the UK. "Is It True" was written by John Carter and Ken Lewis, then two of England's top songwriters.
"You Baby" is a song written by P.F. Sloan and Steve Barri and was originally recorded by the Vogues in 1965, though their version was not released until 1996.
"Black Skin Blue Eyed Boys" is a song written by Guyanese-British musician Eddy Grant and recorded in London in 1970 by his band the Equals. Their recording, produced by Grant, reached number 9 on the UK Singles Chart in January 1971 and was the band's last chart hit.
