| "I Live for the Sun" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by the Sunrays | ||||
| from the album Andrea | ||||
| Released | July 1965 | |||
| Recorded | January 10, 1965 | |||
| Genre | Pop | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Rick Henn | |||
| Producer(s) | Murry Wilson | |||
| The Sunrays singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"I Live for the Sun" is a 1965 single written by Rick Henn and performed by American pop band the Sunrays.
Origin and recording
Band member Eddy Medora on the origin of the song: "I had a chorus that went, 'Run Run Run' and Ricky Henn called me up to come over and finish it. I didn't come over." Ricky Henn went on to write "I Live For The Sun" but only used the three chords of the chorus of "Run Run Run" and wrote a different melody over those chords, created a new title and concept, new lyrics for the entire song, composed original verses and bridge. The track has an approximate duration of two minutes and twenty-five seconds. The Surf Punks later covered the song at a slightly faster tempo, omitting the bridge but featuring a dulcimer solo in its place.
Chart performance
"I Live for the Sun" reached #51 on the Billboard Hot 100, #20 on the Australian Singles Chart
| Chart [1] | Position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart | 20 |
| UK Singles Chart | 20 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 [2] | 51 |
Cover versions
- Outside the US, it was also a #20 hit in the UK when covered by Vanity Fare. [3]
- Australian surf music band The Peregians released it as a single in 2021. This version replaces the sung verses with twangy surf guitar.CD Baby release.
Popular culture
- The song gained popularity through the television appearances the group made on a teenage soap opera of the mid-'60s titled Never Too Young. The song's success was arguably a result of positive public response to the group's alternative musical fare and fresh new sound. [4]
- The song appears in the 2014 Beach Boys biopic Love & Mercy during a scene in which Murry Wilson disrupts a recording session for Caroline No with the song, causing friction and panic amongst the group. [5]
References
- ^ Vanity Fare - 'In The Beginning' Archived 2009-01-19 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2013). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012. Record Research. p. 817.
- ^ "officialcharts.com". officialcharts.com. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
- ^ I Live For The Sun by The Sunrays Songfacts
- ^ "Love & Mercy (2015) - Soundtrack.Net". www.soundtrack.net. Retrieved 2023-04-12.
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