COME TO THE SUNSHINE: SOFT POP NUGGETS FROM THE WEA VAULTS.

dereksmusicblog ♦ May 2, 2017 ♦ Leave a comment

Come To The Sunshine: Soft Pop Nuggets From The WEA Vaults .

There aren’t many compilation series that last twenty-five years. That’s apart from Rhino’s much loved Nuggets compilation series. It began in 1984 when Nuggets, Volume 1: The Hits was released. Little did anyone know that the Nuggets series would last twenty-five years, and include fifteen LP, five box sets and two CD compilations. Like all good things, the Nuggets series had to come to an end. The final chapter in the story was Where the Action Is! Los Angeles Nuggets: 1965–1968, which was released in 2009. For record collectors it was the end of era. 

Since the release of Where the Action Is! Los Angeles Nuggets: 1965–1968, it was all quiet on the Nuggets’ front. As the years passed by, it seemed highly unlikely that another instalment in the Nuggets series would be released. That was until the list of Record Store Day 2016 releases was announced, and eagle-eyed spotted the release of Nuggets Hallucinations: Psychedelic Pop Nuggets From The WEA Vaults. This should’ve been a reason to rejoice. 

That was until some of the connoisseurs of the Nuggets released  that Nuggets Hallucinations: Psychedelic Pop Nuggets From The WEA Vaults this was a reissue of a compilation from originally released on CD by Rhino Handmade in 2004. A year later in 2005, the compilation was released in the UK on CD and LP. Fast forward eleven years, and Nuggets Hallucinations: Psychedelic Pop Nuggets From The WEA Vaults had been repackaged for Record Store Day. The compilation sported a new album cover, and was pressed on purple vinyl. This marketing consultants must have figured was what the new breed of record buyers wanted. 

When Record Store Day 2016 came round, there was problem finding a copy of Nuggets Hallucinations: Psychedelic Pop Nuggets From The WEA Vaults. That was despite it being a ‘limited edition.’ However, limited edition in the case, meant 7,000 copies. Many of these ended up on the aftermarket, shortly after release, and a year later, are still awaiting a new home. Doubtless though, Rhino Handmade were happy with the success of Nuggets Hallucinations: Psychedelic Pop Nuggets From The WEA Vaults. They had sold 7,000 copies to record shops who retailed them at £27. It was a profitable exercise for everyone involved. So much so, that Rhino Handmade decided to repeat the exercise for Record Store Day 2017.

This time around, it as announced that Come To The Sunshine: Soft Pop Nuggets From The WEA Vaults was being released for Record Store Day 2017. Again, eagle-eyed record buyers realised that Come To The Sunshine: Soft Pop Nuggets From The WEA Vaults had also been released on CD 2004, as a limited edition of 7,500. However, Come To The Sunshine: Soft Pop Nuggets From The WEA Vaults was given a makeover by Rhino Handmade for Record Store Day 2017. It now sports a new cover, which is a vast improvement on the previous one, and is pressed on orange and yellow sunshine vinyl. The other change is ‘only’ 5.500 copies of Come To The Sunshine: Soft Pop Nuggets From The WEA Vaults were released for Record Store Day 2017. That is a decrease of 1,500 from Record Store Day 2016. Maybe last year’s Nuggets reissue wasn’t as popular as Rhino Handmade had hoped? Hopefully, that’s not the case, as the Nuggets’ compilations are a welcome addition to Record Store Day. 

One look at the track listing to Come To The Sunshine: Soft Pop Nuggets From The WEA Vaults is proof of that. Straight, away there’s familiar faces and old friends, who are joined by some new names. This included Harper’s Bizarre, The Salt, Lee Mallory, The Association, The Gas Company, The Bonniwell Music Machine, The Holy Mackerel and The Gates of Eden. There’s even contributions from The Everly Brothers and The Monkees, on Come To The Sunshine: Soft Pop Nuggets which is a double album that features twenty-four tracks.

Side One. 

Opening side one of Come To The Sunshine: Soft Pop Nuggets From The WEA Vault is Harper’s Bizarre Come To The Sunshine, Van Dyke Parks’ composition, produced by Lenny Waronker. It was released as a single on Warner Bros in 1967. Later that year, Come To The Sunshine opened Harper’s Bizarre’s debut album Feelin’ Groovy. Fifty years later, Come To The Sunshine is a timeless track and an irresistible example of psychedelic sunshine pop. 

In December 1968, The Salt released their one and only single, Lucifer on the Cotillion label. Tucked away on the B-Side was Whole Lot Of Rainbows, which was penned by Mike Abene and Maury Haydn, and produced by David Lucas. It’s a sunshine pop hidden gem, that’s a welcome addition to the compilation and a reminder to alway see what’s lurking on the B-Side of a single. It may be there’s a surprise in-store, like Whole Lot Of Rainbows.

Four years after The Munx were formed in Sandusky, Ohio they released their sophomore second Our Dream on the Clevetown label in 1968. Our Dream was then picked up by Jubilee, a subsidiary of Atlantic Records. Sadly, the lysergic sunshine pop of Our Dream wasn’t the success Atlantic Records had hoped, The Munx only released one further single. However, their finest hour was without doubt, Our Dream, which is a melodic reminder of The Munx and sixties psychedelic sunshine pop.

Side Two.

The Association were one of the finest purveyors of sunshine pop during the sixties. Their trademark was the tight vocal harmonies that featured on a string of hit singles and albums. Come On In, which was penned by Jo Mapes and produced by Bones Howe, featured on The Association’s 1968 album Birthday. It reached twenty-three on the US Billboard 200 in 1968, when it was released by Warner Bros. The hook-laden, psychedelic sunshine pop of Come On In, shows just why The Association were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in September 2003.

September 1966 saw The Looking Glass release their debut single Silver And Sunshine (How Wonderful Is Our Love) on the Valiant Records. It was penned by Dick and Don Addrisi, with Barry DeVorzon, Don Gallese taking care of production. This was the first a trio of singles that The Looking Glass released between 1966 and 1967. Hooks certainly haven’t been spared on a single that features an uplifting arrangement and some wonderful tight harmonies.

For those who are unfamiliar with The Gas Company, they were a psychedelic pop band from Spokane, Washington. Their discography amounts to just a handful of singles, including First Night Flight, which was released on Reprise in 1967. Hidden away on the B-Side was If You Know What I Mean, which was penned by Greg Dempsey and produced by Dave Hassinger. He plays his part in an oft-overlooked hidden gem from The Gas Company, which is a welcome addition and a reminder of a talented band.

Side Three.

The Cookies had been around since the early fifties, and in 1954, released their debut single Don’t Let Go. Over the next thirteen years, The Cookies continued to release singles, but never quite made a commercial breakthrough. They hoped their luck would change in May 1967, when The Cookies released Wounded. It was a slick slice of psychedelic soul. Despite the undeniable quality of this Bright Tunes Production, commercial success continued to elude The Cookies. 

Nowadays, The Bonniwell Music Machine are regarded as one of the founding fathers of garage rock, proto-punk and psychedelia. They were formed in Los Angeles in 1965, and cultivated a sound that was dark, raw and a fusion proto-punk and psychedelia. That can be heard on Discrepency, which features on The Bonniwell Music Machine, which was released on Warner Bros in 1968. Although this was The Bonniwell Music Machine’s swan-song, it’s the perfect introduction to a truly influential group.

Another influential group from the late—sixties were The Holy Mackerel. Their recording career amounts to just a trio of singles and the album The Holy Mackerel. It was released by Reprise Records in 1968, and featured Scorpio Red, which epitomises everything that’s good about psychedelic sunshine pop.

Side Four.

Uncle Sound only released the one single, Beverly Hills on Warner Bros in April 1968. It was written by Jimmy Seals, who would find fame as one half of Seals and Croft, and  produced by Richard Perry. He plays a part in the sound and success ofBeverly Hills, which is irresistible example of sunshine pop that’s sure to brighten up even the darkest day.

The Coronados featured three brothers, Steve, Reuben and Ginger Ortiz. Their recording career began in 1956, when they released Let’s Get Acquainted. Thirteen years later, and The Coronados released Trip To Loveland on Jubilee in March 1969. It’s regarded as The Coronado’s finest example of sunshine pop, and the highlights of their 1969 album Hey, Love.

Closing Come To The Sunshine: Soft Pop Nuggets From The WEA Vaults is The Gates Of Eden’s No One Was There (Requiem). It was released as a single in 1967, on Warner Bros. No One Was There (Requiem) is a Scott English composition produced by Claus Ogerman. It’s variously ethereal, ruminative, trippy and wistful, as harmonies, strings and Eastern influence combine to create a five minute epic. This is the perfect way to close Come To The Sunshine: Soft Pop Nuggets From The WEA Vaults.

A couple of years ago, not even the most optimistic record buyer would ever have thought that the Nuggets’ series would ever return. Now Very few people thought that the Rhino’s Nuggets’ series would ever return. Thankfully, The Nuggets series returned in 2016, and for Record Store Day 2017 saw the reissue of Come To The Sunshine: Soft Pop Nuggets From The WEA Vaults as a double album on 180 gram heavyweight vinyl. This isn’t just vinyl though. Instead, it was released on orange and yellow sunshine vinyl, as is befitting of a carefully curated compilation of sunshine pop that was first released in 2004. 

Thirteen years later, and Come To The Sunshine: Soft Pop Nuggets From The WEA Vaults is still a compilation that oozes quality. It features old friends, familiar faces, new names and hidden gems. Come To The Sunshine: Soft Pop Nuggets From The WEA Vaults was a welcome release for Record Store Day 2017. It’s crammed full of quality sunshine pop and psychedelia, and is one of the best reissued released for Record Store Day 2017. However, anyone wanting a copy should get one sooner than later. Come To The Sunshine: Soft Pop Nuggets From The WEA Vaults is a limited edition, with ‘only’ 5.500 copies available. Once they’re gone, they’re gone for good.

Although Come To The Sunshine: Soft Pop Nuggets From The WEA Vaults is a limited edition of 5,500, 7,000 copies of Nuggets Hallucinations: Psychedelic Pop Nuggets From The WEA Vaults were pressed for Record Store Day 2016. This decrease of 1,500 suggests that last year’s Nuggets reissue wasn’t as popular as Rhino Handmade had hoped?  If that is the case, the history seems to be repeating itself this year. Many record shops still having unsold copies of Come To The Sunshine: Soft Pop Nuggets From The WEA. Similarly, there’s plenty of copies if Come To The Sunshine: Soft Pop Nuggets From The WEA Vaults available on the aftermarket. However, Soft Pop Nuggets From The WEA Vaults isn’t alone.

There are many other Record Store Day releases that haven’t sold out. It may be that record buyers are tiring of Record Store Day, and having to pay inflated prices for releases? Having said that, many releases were keenly priced, including Come To The Sunshine: Soft Pop Nuggets From The WEA Vaults. 

Ten days after the dust has settled on Record Store Day 2017,  supply outstrips demand when it comes to Come To The Sunshine: Soft Pop Nuggets From The WEA Vaults. Some vendors are selling copies for less than the compilation was available for on Record Store Day. The oversupply of Come To The Sunshine: Soft Pop Nuggets From The WEA Vaults is the perfect chance to grab a bargain, and discover the delights of sunshine pop, and the critically acclaimed Nuggets’ series that began thirty-three years ago in 1984.

Come To The Sunshine: Soft Pop Nuggets From The WEA Vaults.