| The Sound of Sunshine | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 21, 2010 | |||
| Recorded | December 2009 – May 2010 | |||
| Length | 43:49 | |||
| Label |
| |||
| Producer |
| |||
| Michael Franti & Spearhead chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from The Sound of Sunshine | ||||
| ||||
The Sound of Sunshine is the seventh studio album by Michael Franti & Spearhead, released by Capitol Records on September 21, 2010.
The inspiration for the title 'The Sound Of Sunshine' came from when Franti was on tour in 2009 and ruptured his appendix. As, in March 2011, he told noted UK soul writer - and Assistant Editor of Blues & Soul - Pete Lewis: "Because the doctors weren't sure what was wrong with me, seven days actually passed before they were able to diagnose it was my appendix - by which time I'd just completely fallen over and was DYING! So, after they eventually did the surgery on me, while I did feel a huge amount of gratitude to be alive, at the same time every moment of the day I was CRYING! Like someone would walk in the room who I hadn't seen for a while, and I'd just look at them and CRY! And when they'd go 'What are you crying about?', I'd be like 'I don't KNOW! I'm just really glad to be here, to be alive and to SEE you!'... It was like I was seeing everything with new EYES. Every day I'd go to the window to see if the sun was shining - and if it WAS, I'd have this feeling of OPTIMISM! Like 'WOW! I'm gonna beat this infection and I'm gonna get BETTER!'... And so for this album I wanted to put that feeling into words and into MUSIC." [1]
| No. | Title | Composer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Sound of Sunshine" | J Bowman, Michael Franti, Carl Young | 3:45 |
| 2. | "Shake It" (featuring Lady Saw ) | Bowman, Franti, Marion Hall | 3:28 |
| 3. | "Hey Hey Hey" | Franti | 3:47 |
| 4. | "Anytime You Need Me" | Bowman, Franti, Young | 3:44 |
| 5. | "I'll Be Waiting" | Bowman, Franti | 4:39 |
| 6. | "Only Thing Missing Was You" | Bowman, Franti | 3:26 |
| 7. | "Love Don't Wait" | Bowman, Franti | 3:40 |
| 8. | "The Thing That Helps Me Get Through" | Bowman, Franti, Young | 4:35 |
| 9. | "Gloria" (featuring Cherine Anderson ) | Cherine Anderson, Franti, Courtney Morrison | 4:12 |
| 10. | "Headphones" | Bowman, Franti | 4:18 |
| 11. | "The Sound of Sunshine Going Down" | Bowman, Franti, Young | 4:20 |
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |    [3] |
| Entertainment Weekly | (B+) [4] |
| Rolling Stone | [5] |
| Rhapsody | (favorable) [6] |
| Metromix | (mixed) [7] |
The Sound of Sunshine received mixed to positive reviews from most music critics. [8] At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 61, based on 7 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews". [8] Allmusic gave the album three and a half stars citing, "The Sound of Sunshine is the “seize the day” result to a reggae-pop, jam band beat, filled with bliss and gratitude plus a bit of swagger and some pointed political moments that remind you this isn't Jack Johnson or John Mayer." [3] Rolling Stone gave the album a mix review. [5]
Rhapsody gave the album a favorable review adding, "Michael Franti is an intriguing artist. His mix of hip-hop beats, reggae and soulful folk-rock has influenced a seemingly endless parade of radio-ready singer-songwriters. And yet Franti himself has always remained on the mainstream's periphery. That's by design -- as The Sound of Sunshine clearly proves." [6] Metromix gave it a mixed review, "The title track, which kicks off the record and then is revisited in a reworked version at the end, is the perfect bookend for this 11-track set that should only expand Franti's growing fan base. [...] While not all of the songs live up to the best three or four, the strength of those tunes makes it easier to forgive the weaker ones." Jon Dolan of Entertainment Weekly gave the album a B+ and said that it "sets evocations of hard-won happiness to similarly strummy, globally grooved hip-hop." [4]
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA) [9] | 34 |
| Italian Albums (FIMI) [10] | 58 |
| US Billboard 200 [11] | 17 |
| US Digital Albums (Billboard) [12] | 9 |
| US Top Rock Albums (Billboard) [13] | 5 |
| US Top Tastemaker Albums (Billboard) [14] | 5 |
The Proclaimers are a Scottish rock duo formed in 1983 by twin brothers Craig and Charlie Reid. They came to attention with their 1987 single "Letter from America", which reached No. 3 in the United Kingdom, and the 1988 single "I'm Gonna Be ", which topped charts in Australia, Iceland and New Zealand. The duo's biggest album, Sunshine on Leith (1988) has been certified multi-Platinum in Australia and Canada, selling over 2 million copies worldwide, including around 700,000 in the United States. The Proclaimers have sold over 5 million albums worldwide.
Michael Franti is an American singer, songwriter, musician, poet, activist, documentarian, and rapper. Known for his participation in many musical projects, most with a political and social emphasis, including the Beatnigs and the Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy. He is the creator and lead vocalist of Michael Franti & Spearhead, a band which blends hip hop with a variety of other styles including funk, reggae, jazz, folk, and rock. He is also an outspoken supporter for a wide spectrum of peace and social justice issues; he is especially an advocate for peace in the Middle East.
7 or Seven is an album by Zap Mama, released in 1997 on Luaka Bop Records.
I made music on Seven the same way as on the other albums. I only used acoustic instruments... I'm looking for instruments that have vocal sounds, forgotten instruments like the guimbri... The first and second albums were about the voice, what came before. This album is about introducing those sounds into modern, Western life.
Yell Fire! is the fifth studio album by the reggae-influenced band Michael Franti and Spearhead. It was inspired by Michael Franti's trip to the Middle East, visiting Iraq, Israel, and the Palestinian territories. It is a politically charged album, with each track focusing on a controversial issue. The album was recorded in Kingston, Jamaica and San Francisco and released on July 25, 2006 by ANTI- and Liberation Records.
Souljaboytellem.com is the first studio album and major label debut by American rapper and producer Soulja Boy Tell 'Em. It was released on October 2, 2007, by his Stacks on Deck (SOD) label, Collipark Music and Interscope Records. The album was anticipated by the mixtape Unsigned and Still Major: Da Album Before Da Album, released as its prelude. Souljaboytellem.com only features guest appearances from fellow rapper Arab and R&B group i15. The album was supported by four singles: "Crank That ", "Soulja Girl" featuring i15, "Yahhh!" featuring Arab, and "Donk".
Cherine Tanya Anderson is a Jamaican dancehall/reggae vocalist and actress.
All Rebel Rockers is the sixth studio album by Michael Franti & Spearhead released on September 9, 2008, on Boo Boo Wax and ANTI- Records. It peaked at number 37 on the U.S. Billboard 200, making it their most successful album.
Fearless is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Jazmine Sullivan. It was released on September 23, 2008, through J Records. Production for the album took place during 2007 to 2008 and was handled by several record producers, including Missy Elliott, Stargate, Carvin & Ivan, Wyclef Jean, Jack Splash and Salaam Remi.
Freedom is the third studio album by Senegalese-American singer-songwriter Akon. The album was originally named Acquitted; however, Akon changed it before it was released. It was released as a download on December 1, 2008, and in stores December 2, 2008. The album debuted at number 7 on the Billboard 200 with 110,600 copies sold in its first week.
"Say Hey (I Love You)" is a single by Michael Franti & Spearhead featuring Jamaican soul singer Cherine Anderson released in 2008 from their album All Rebel Rockers. The single was produced by Sly & Robbie. The music video peaked at number 5 on the VH1 Top 20 countdown and the single peaked at number 18 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it Franti's first Hot 100 chart entry. It also peaked at number 3 on Billboard Digital Songs, number 1 on Billboard R&B Songs, and number 3 on Billboard Modern Rock Songs. Digital sales of "Say Hey (I Love You)" have topped 120,000 downloads.
Sex Therapy: The Session is the fourth studio album by American R&B recording artist Robin Thicke, released December 15, 2009 on Star Trak Entertainment in the United States. Sex Therapy also features guest contributions by Jay-Z, Game, Kid Cudi, Snoop Dogg, Nicki Minaj and Estelle. The album debuted at number 9 on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 123,000 copies in its first week. Upon its release, Sex Therapy received generally positive reviews from music critics.
"Say Something" is a song recorded by American producer Timbaland, for his third studio album Shock Value II (2009). The song features vocals from Canadian rapper Drake. It was written by Mosley, Jerome Harmon, Graham, Timothy Clayton and John Maultsby. The production was helmed by Mosley under his stage-name Timbaland while Harmon served as the assistant producer, under the stage-name Jroc. The song was tailored to Drake's sound and when the rapper wrote to it, he contacted the producer about the lyrics. Despite the verses feeling more like Graham's record, Mosley gave his blessing and went the product. The song was solicited to digital retailers on November 3, 2009 in the United States as the album's second single.
Wu-Massacre is a collaboration studio album by American rappers and Wu-Tang Clan members Method Man, Ghostface Killah and Raekwon, under the group name Meth • Ghost • Rae, released March 30, 2010 on Def Jam Recordings. Production for the album was handled by several hip hop producers, including RZA, Allah Mathematics, Scram Jones, Emile, Ty Fyffe, BT and Digem Tracks Productions.
All of Me is the third studio album by British rapper and singer Estelle. It was first released on 24 February 2012 in Ireland, 28 February in the United States and 12 March in the United Kingdom.
"The Sound of Sunshine" is a single by Michael Franti & Spearhead and also the title track from their album of the same name (2010). It was written by Franti, Jason Bowman and Carl Young and produced by Franti with additional production by Sly & Robbie. It was released as the album's second single on June 1, 2010 and was digitally released on June 8, 2010.
Soul Punk is the debut solo studio album by American musician Patrick Stump, the lead vocalist, guitarist and composer of Fall Out Boy. It was released in the United States on October 18, 2011 through Island Records. Stump's solo project was officially announced in January 2010 and he later revealed his first album's title to be Soul Punk, his first major musical project since Fall Out Boy's hiatus in late 2009. He characterised the lyrics as being "90% metaphors", with lyrical themes dealing with self-belief, corporate greed, innocence and death.
Imperial Blaze is the fourth studio album by Jamaican dancehall singer Sean Paul. The album was released on 18 August 2009.
Soulrocker is the ninth studio album by Michael Franti & Spearhead, released on June 3, 2016, by Fantasy Records. He collaborated with the Jamaican producers Stephen McGregor and Dwayne "Supa Dups" Chin-Quee. A tour in support of the album was announced in February.
Of Good Nature (OGN) is an American band based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Their music blends foundations of many different genres including alternative, funk, pop, soul, and reggae.
All People is an album by the American band Michael Franti & Spearhead, released on July 30, 2013, through Boo Boo Wax and Capitol Records. The first single was "I'm Alive ". Franti supported the album with North American and Australian tours. In 2014, he continued to promote All People by headlining the Soulshine Music and Yoga Tour.
