Changes: Good Day Sunshine

Revision as of 12:53, 3 February 2019

Good Day Sunshine is a song on, the 1966 album, Revolver. It was written by Paul McCartney, with help from John Lennon, and credited to Lennon/McCartney. Leonard Bernstein praised the song for its construction in a 1967 CBS News documentary. Richie Unterberger of allmusic said the song "radiates optimism and good vibes" and Ian MacDonald said it is "superbly sung by McCartney and exquisitely produced by George Martin and his team" and "displays The Beatles at their effortless best."

Recording

The song was recorded at Abbey Road 8 June 1966, with overdubs added the following day. McCartney sang the lead vocal and also played bass guitar and piano accompanied by Ringo Starr on drums. Music critic Ian MacDonald was unsure if John Lennon played guitar on the track; in his description of the recording sessions for the song, Mark Lewisohn did not mention a guitar track. It's most likely the guitar track was wiped afterwards.

Lennon and George Harrison add harmony vocals during the choruses. George Martin played the piano solo, recorded with the tape recorder running slower than usual; thus in the released version the solo sounds faster than it was actually played.

Like "She Said She Said" the song closes with an imitative canon in the voices.

Influences and cover version

McCartney said that he was influenced by The Lovin' Spoonful: the song's "old-timey vaudevillian feel" particularly recalls the Spoonful's big hit "Daydream" to which it also shows some harmonic resemblance.

Claudine Longet recorded a version in 1967 for her album The Look of Love and also released it as a single. The single peaked at #100 on Billboard's Hot 100 Chart and #36 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary Chart.

Cultural references

"Good Day Sunshine" has been played as the wake-up music on multiple Space Shuttle missions. McCartney played the song live to the crew of the International Space Station on 13 November 2005 in the first-ever concert link-up to the space station.
The song is also played at Safeco Field, home of Major League Baseball's Seattle Mariners, when the retractable roof is retracted.

Credits

Paul McCartney – Lead Vocals, Piano, Handclaps
John Lennon – Harmony Vocals, Guitar (Epiphone 230TD Casino), Handclaps
George Harrison –Harmony Vocals, Bass Guitar (Rickenbacker 4001S), Handclaps
Ringo Starr – Drums, Handclaps
George Martin – Piano

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 '''Good Day Sunshine '''is a song on, the 1966 album, Revolver. It was written by [[Paul McCartney]], with help from [[John Lennon]], and credited to [[Lennon/McCartney]]. Leonard Bernstein praised the song for its construction in a 1967 CBS News documentary. Richie Unterberger of allmusic said the song "radiates optimism and good vibes" and [[Ian MacDonald]] said it is "superbly sung by McCartney and exquisitely produced by [[George Martin]] and his team" and "displays The Beatles at their effortless best."
 ==Recording==
-The song was recorded at [[Abbey Road Studios|Abbey Road]] 8 June 1966, with overdubs added the following day. McCartney sang the lead vocal and also played bass guitar and piano accompanied by [[Ringo Starr]] on drums. Music critic [[Ian MacDonald]] was unsure if [[John Lennon]] played guitar on the track; in his description of the recording sessions for the song, Mark Lewisohn did not mention a guitar track. Lennon and [[George Harrison]] add harmony vocals during the choruses. [[George Martin]] played the piano solo, recorded with the tape recorder running slower than usual and thus in the released version the solo sounds faster than it was actually played.
+The song was recorded at [[Abbey Road Studios|Abbey Road]] 8 June 1966, with overdubs added the following day. McCartney sang the lead vocal and also played bass guitar and piano accompanied by [[Ringo Starr]] on drums. Music critic [[Ian MacDonald]] was unsure if [[John Lennon]] played guitar on the track; in his description of the recording sessions for the song, Mark Lewisohn did not mention a guitar track. It's most likely the guitar track was wiped afterwards.
+Lennon and [[George Harrison]] add harmony vocals during the choruses. [[George Martin]] played the piano solo, recorded with the tape recorder running slower than usual; thus in the released version the solo sounds faster than it was actually played.
 Like "[[She Said She Said]]" the song closes with an imitative canon in the voices.
@@ Line 12: / Line 14: @@
 *The song is also played at Safeco Field, home of Major League Baseball's Seattle Mariners, when the retractable roof is retracted.
 ==Credits==
-*[[Paul McCartney]] – Lead Vocals, Bass Guitar ([[Rickenbacker 4001S|1964 Rickenbhacker 4001S]]), Piano and Handclaps
+* [[Paul McCartney]] – Lead Vocals, Piano, Handclaps
-*[[John Lennon]] – Harmony Vocals and Handclaps
+* [[John Lennon]] – Harmony Vocals, Guitar ([[Epiphone 230TD Casino]]), Handclaps
-*[[George Harrison]] –Harmony Vocals and Handclaps
+* [[George Harrison]] –Harmony Vocals, Bass Guitar ([[Rickenbacker 4001S]]), Handclaps
-*[[Ringo Starr]] – Drums and Handclaps
+* [[Ringo Starr]] – Drums, Handclaps
-*[[George Martin]] – Piano
+* [[George Martin]] – Piano
-:Personnel per Ian MacDonald
-MacDonald was unsure if Lennon played guitar on the track.
 [[Category:The Beatles songs]]
 [[Category:Songs credited to Lennon/McCartney]]
 [[Category:Songs on Revolver]]
+[[Category:Songs produced by George Martin]]
+[[Category:1966 songs]]