In 1990, the performing rights organization of composers BMI released a list of the Top 50 most performed songs from their catalog. Coming in at number 18 was Bobby Hebb's "Sunny." The song is such a staple on oldies radio around the world, so ubiquitous that it slipped in before "The Girl From Ipanema" and "(Sitting On) The Dock of the Bay." And yet, it is one of those rare, infectious numbers that one rarely tires of hearing. A number two hit from 1966, "Sunny" tiptoes in as a cool piece of soul, with just bass and brushed drums accompanying the honey-voiced Hebb for the first line: "Sunny, yesterday my life was filled with rain." The restraint continues with vibes and muted staccato guitar chords join in for the second verse: "Sunny, you smiled at me and really eased the pain," remaining in for the rest of the verse-refrain: "Oh, the dark days are done, and the bright days are here/My sunny one shines so sincere/Oh, Sunny one so true, I love you." At this point, a drum fill propels the arrangement upward, abandoning the brushes for a straight and punchy 4/4 backbeat, with horns entering the fray, weaving harmonies under the vocals -- the horn chart is a hook in and of itself. The verse and refrain ends with an up-and-down four-note motif lifted from the "James Bond Theme (Dr. No)." And from there, the arrangement continues to build, with the drummer pounding the snare on each quarter note and female backing vocals popping up during the third verse. And the arrangement begins modulating up in key for the third and each subsequent verse. About a minute and a half into the song, the bassist seems to get thrown by the modulation, and stumbles again just after the two-minute mark -- a warts-and-all philosophy perhaps meant to preserve the spirit of the overall ensemble performance. There are no other changes in the song, just the increasing tension of the stacking arrangement. Hebb has a classic soul singer's voice, somewhere in between those of Lou Rawls and Rawls' former mentor, Sam Cooke. With each rising verse, Hebb plays off the suspenseful arrangement. He plays it cool for the first two or so verses, heating up a little more each modulation, really letting go Otis Redding-style for the repeated first verse. And then, the drummer nails a stop, and the song simmers down on a repeated call and response between the backing vocals and Hebb: "(Sunny) I love you." It is a perfect pop song, a two-minute-and-47-second, head-bopping slice of gospel-inspired ebullience taken, like most '60s soul, almost straight from the church. By the end of the song, Hebb is clearly carried by the same spirit of joy that runs through Sunday morning Baptist services, only he has transferred his happiness to Sunny, who we assume is a woman. But take a look at the lyrics: "Sunny, thank you for the truth you've let me see/Sunny, thank you for the facts from A to Z/My life was torn like wind-blown sand/Then a rock was formed when we held hands/Sunny, thank you for that smile upon your face/Sunny, thank you for that gleam that flows with grace/You're my spark of nature's fire." One could easily substitute Jesus or God in for Sunny and "Sunny" becomes a gospel song of praise sung by a man who "was lost but now is found." Perhaps the meaning of the song would not change for a true believer, one whose religious spirit is so complete that it courses through his or her entire existence; their earthly relationships just extensions of the heavenly source of their joy. Hebb -- who at age 12 was invited to be one of the first African-American artists to appear on The Grand Ole Opry -- released the song on the 1966 LP of the same name and experienced only a couple of more hits, but more or less vanished from the charts. He is said to have written many more unheard gems. On the success of "Sunny," though, Hebb scored an opening spot on tour with the Beatles, and the song has long become a pop standard, with versions by Frank Sinatra, Marvin Gaye, and jazz musicians like Wes Montgomery and Jimmy Smith.
(by Bill Janovitz, allmusic.com) |
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