Sunshine Company (the) - s/t

 Name: The Sunshine Company
Album: S/T
Year: 1968
Style: Oldies, Pop, Psych
Similar Bands: Essex Green, Camera Obscura, Easybeats, Monkees, Bee Gees, Belle & Sebastian, Harpers Bizzare, Mamas & Papas, Association
"One-Word" Review: Hippy Loungey Pop
Based Out Of: Los Angeles, CA
Label: Imperial Records, Liberty Records

Cover, Sleeve Advert, Record

Back, Sleeve Advert, Record

The Sunshine Company (1968)

1. Look Here Comes the Sun 2:53 (John and Terence Boylan) (Single)
2. Reflections on an Angel 2:38  (single b-side)
3. Love, That's Where It Is 2:09 (T.Kaye, B. Schwartz, J.Fine)
4. Sunday Brought the Rain 2:41 (Gregg Allman)
5. I Can't Help But Wonder 2:11(Tony Michaels, Vinny Gormann)
6. I, To We, and Back Again 3:33 /
7. It's Sunday 2:15 (single) (Les Baxter)
8. You Don't Know Her Like I Do 3:10 (Steve Gillette)
9. Your Heart is Free, Just Like the Wind 2:27 (Chevallier-Thomas-Rivat-Shakespeare)
10. If You Only Knew 2:50 (Curt Boettcher)
11. Darcy Farrow 2:35 (Ian & Sylvia, Steve Gillette) (b-side single)
12. Without Really Thinking 3:36

Album Rating (1-10): 8.0

Members & Other Bands:

• Joe Saraceno - Producer
• George Tipton - Arrangements
• Maury Mandeau - Arrangements (John Bettis, Malina Reynolds, Steve Gillette, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Sevrin Browne, Mary Catharine Lunsford, Steve Martin Brothers)
• Larry Sims - Arrangements
• Lanky Linstrot - Engineer
• Woody Woodward - Art Direction
• John L. Eastman - Illustration
• Linda Graham - Poem
• William E McEuen - Mgmt (Nitty Gritty Dirt Band)
• Mary Nance - Vox
• Larry Sims - Bass (Loggins & Messina, Feather, Chris Hillman)
• Merel Bregante - Drums (Loggins & Messina, Feather, The Dirt Band, Chris Wall, Don McCalister, Eric Hanke, Sarah Pierce, Severin Browne, Chris Hillman, Steve martin, Gertrude Bradley,  Robert Jetton, Michael Brewer, Rich Rodgers, Cliff Sarde, John McEuen, Austin Lounge Lizards, Volunteer Fire Ants, Dale Watson, Jeff Hughes, James Durst, Bret Graham, Paul Cotton, Mandolin Bros, Regan Brown, Kelly & Ellis, Mike & Pam Martin)
• Douglas Mark - Guitar (Redeye)
• Dave Hodgkins - Guitar (Grains of Sand, Redeye)

Unknown-ness: Never heard of this band, but they look like your typical late 60's hippy, happy, shiny love band, so i'm guessing this will be upbeat bubblegum pop...maybe a little psych, too?

Album Review: So the album doesn't deviate much from it's cover image and genre. It will sometimes fall backwards on the ultra light bachelors vocal bands or loungey elements. Their name alone puts them solidly in the niche genre built around similar sounding bands, "sunshine pop." Their name was actually taken from the brand of snacks/crackers that shares the same name, and only materialized once they had a nationally charting single (Happy). They only lasted about 2 years recording 3 and a half albums, perhaps because the label greatly forced their creative hand in a different direction than what the band wanted. 

Stand Out Track: I Can't Help But Wonder, Love, That's Where it Is

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Road (the) - s/t

Name: The Road
Album: s/t
Year: 1970
Style: Psych Oldies & Bubblegum Pop, Funk, R&B
Similar Bands: Bee Gees, Stones, Beatles, Tom Jones, Zombies, Hollies, 
"One-Word" Review: 60's Wedding Cover Band on drugs
Based Out Of: Buffalo, NY
Label: Kama Sutra, Buddah Records , Viewlex Inc

Cover, Promo Sleeve, Record

Back, Promo Sleeve, Record

The Road (1970)

1. She's Not There 3:43 (single, Zombies Cover)
2. Love Is All 3:21
3. Love It Is 4:42 (J. Geils cover)
4. A Taste of Honey 2:32 (Ric Marlow cover)
5. I Can Only Give You Everything 2:47 (single b-side, Them cover)/
6. Dance To The Music 5:29 (Sly & Family Stone cover)
7. Never Gonna Give You Up 3:11 (Jerry Butler cover)
8. Mr. Soul 2:40 (single, Neil Young cover)
9. In Love 1:55 (single b-side)
10. See You There 2:12
11. Rock N Roll Woman 2:52 (Stephen Stills cover) 
12. The Grass Looks Greener on the Other Side 2:31 (single)

Album Rating (1-10): 7.0

Members & Other Bands:

• Hal Wheeler - Arrange, Conducted
• Bill Radice - Engineer
• J. Pinto / Joey Reynolds / Rencore - Producer
• Jerry Hudson -Lead Vox (Madmen, 6 Pact, Mellow Brick Rode)
• Phil Hudson - Lead Vox (6 Pact, Mellow Brick Rode)
• Joseph Hesse - Bass (Mellow Brick Rode, Just Us 5)
• Jim Hesse - Organ (Mellow Brick Rode, Just Us Five, Caesar & The Romans)
• Ralph Parker - Lead Guitar (Madmen, 6 Pact, Mellow Brick Rode)
• Nick Distefano - Drums (Mellow Brick Road, Just Us 5, Marie Osmond, Billy Joe Royal, Janie Frickie, Johnny Rodriguez, David Loggins, Marshall Chapman, Wheetstone Bridge)
• James S. Bush Jr - Cover Photo
• Silver & Morris - Prepared
• Frank Iannello - Album Design
• Gordon James - Photography

Unknown-ness: Never heard of this band, but from the logo/font, hairstyles and their clothes, plus being on Buddah Records, I imagine it will be some Psych/Bublegum Pop

Album Review: The Road, as shortened / updated form of their previous name Mellow Brick Rode, was a band of solid musicians who made their own arrangements on other people's songs for the most part (3 tracks are written by band members). Their arrangement of the Zombie's "She's Not There" was their biggest hit, making top 40 lists in and around their home of Buffalo NY. They never toured further than Massachusetts, per direction from their management, but their reach was across the country. The were comfortable being an ever-present act in the Buffalo area. They had one more album after this one for Kama Sutra records, and after that were then were not a band for many years like an on/off light switch with a revolving door of members. There is brass present on this record, but no mention of who played on it with a credit(s).

Stand Out Track: She's Not There

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Marshmallow Way - s/t

Name: Marshmallow Way
Album: s/t
Year: 1969
Style: Bubblegum Pop
Similar Bands: Lemon Pipers, 1910 Fruitgum Co, Jellyfish, Bubble Puppy, Beach Boys, Monkees
"One-Word" Review: Sickning-Sweet-Candied-Pop
Based Out Of: New Jersey
Label: United Artists

Marshmallow Way - Cover & Record

Marshmallow Way - Back & Record

Marshmallow Way (1969)

1. C'Mon Kitty, Kitty (Let's Go To The City) 2:35
2. Keep My Fingers Crossed 2:27
3. (Like the Love Of) Romeo & Juliet 2:45
4. Michigan Mints 2:40
5. Give & Take 2:33
6. Sugar & Spices 2:03 /
7. Sweet Thing 2:14
8. Wild One (Show Me The Way to Your heart) 3:04
9. She's A Dandy 2:27
10. Good Day 2:54
11. I Wish I Was 2:56
12. Music, Music 2:37

Album Rating (1-10): 10.0

Members & Other Bands:

Billy Carl - Producer, Composer, Arranger (1910 Fruitgum Co)
Mike Consi - Engineer
Reid Whitelaw - Producer, Composer, Arranger (1910 Fruitgum Co)
Harry Yarmark - Engineer
Jim Calvert - Conductor
Norman Marzanno - Musical Coordinator
Paul Naumann - Musical Coordinator
Ken Laguna - Musical Coordinator
(little) Joe D'Andrea - Musical Coordinator

Unknown-ness: I’ve never heard of them, but I have a feeling I’m going to love this record. The psychedelic and candy mixture of the band being stuck in a gumball machine, and then floating away on a marshmallow over top a plate of candy corn and marshmallows is enough of a give-away. This will be bubblegum pop, pure and simple. Reminds me of the look that many of the psychedelic bands on the Elephant Six record label tried to mimic. And from the date of 1969, plus their outfits, the music is something that I’m looking forward to and that I specifically hunt for in dollar bins. Exciting!

Album Review: “C'Mon Kitty, Kitty (Let’s Go To The City)” is immediately toe tapping and insanely catchy. Ok, so I’m going to try to not use the term insanely catchy again, but that is an apt description. It continues to drive as the bass and piano bounce along with harmonized humming and bopping backing vocals. Unfortunately my version skips.
“Keep My Fingers Crossed” rolls and floats right by with a Motown back beat and melody. The falsetto chorus of backing vocals singing the title stands out, and is a great hook that brings the song together. The song unfortunately ends in a fade out, rather than some creative ending, but I’ll still take it!
“(Like the Love Of) Romeo & Juliet” is again basically Motown filter through bubble gum pop. It is a touch slower, like a loving ballad verse that builds to a roller coaster melody of the chorus, which again, is just the title. Lots of harmonized Oooo’s support the lead vocals.
“Michigan Mints” is very side-to-side bouncy, and has the most complex melodies grouped together of any other song on the album. This band yearns to have a Motown name like So-and-So and the So-and-Sos.
“Give & Take” right off sounds like the Beach Boys with the harmony. And that’s what this entire song mimics.
“Sugar & Spices” starts with a steady, driving drum beat, and a great vocal hook of Na-Na-Nas that leads up to the title. There a lot of candy and sweets name dropped in the song, and the song feels very much like a 1910 Fruitgum Co song.

“Sweet Thing” is more of Motown bubblegum, and there are so many catchy sections all layered upon each other, it’s hard to keep up with the changes. Its just really good.
“Wild One (Show Me The Way to Your Heart)” is a call and response song that has a consistent drum and bass beat. Most of these songs do fade out, which seems like a bit of a cop-out, but they are still very good songs.
“She's A Dandy” brings back the center stage Motown singer with a backing guy group of Ooo’s and echoing the lead’s singing of “Dandy.”
“Good Day” reminds me of a chilled, hippy Davy Jones song. Or perhaps it sounds like Junior Senior’s “Shake Me, Baby” with all the hard edges sanded down.
“I Wish I Was” has an older feel to it when the chorus flattens out and the backing harmonized vocals accompany the lead. It makes the song feel like a Bachelors song, or any other of the 50’s vocal groups.
“Music, Music” is making me run out of ways to describe these songs, because they are all so good, yet so similar, there are only so many times I can call it Bubble Gum Motown. But this song is just as catchy. The bass beat is continuously bouncing, and reminds me of Of Montreal for some reason. This song is very literal, singing about pretty music. And it too fades out like the rest of the album, leaving the listener wanting more, or at least some kind of closure.
Any one of these songs could really be the stand out track, so I’ll just pick one.

Stand Out Track: Michigan Mints

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