Sunshine Hit Me
Encyclopedia
Sunshine Hit Me is the debut album
from the British
band The Bees
. At the time when the album was recorded the band only comprised Paul Butler and Aaron Fletcher, who wrote, performed and recorded the album alone using a home studio in Butler's parent's garden. Both Butler and Fletcher had been notables on the Isle of Wight
local scene for a while, performing in local indie/electronic
outfits Pnu Riff and, more recently, the Exploding Thumbs. Butler had also guested on several other island albums, including some by Max Brennan.
The album is very eclectic and summery, with a range of influences, including psychedelia, Jamaican dub
, reggae
, indie
, 60's rock and others. As a result it is very difficult to describe, and perhaps a somewhat surprising choice for a cult album. However its infectious grooves, and laid-back summer sounds propelled it to the front of the British music scene, even earning it a Mercury Music Prize nomination. The main single "A Minha Menina" was used in a Citroën
car advertisement, which also helped the band to get noticed. The track was also used in an advert for Magners Irish Cider in December 2008.
The band followed up the album by several tours, which resulted in the band expanding into the current lineup in order to play the material live. However, all the members had played with Butler before on the island, whether in his other projects or simply in informal jams (interestingly, whilst Butler and Fletcher produced and performed the album themselves, the entire six-piece is credited on the back sleeve). After the huge success of the album, the band signed to Virgin
, who released the follow-up Free The Bees
in 2004.
The album features in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die
.
US Version Bonus Track
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
from the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
band The Bees
The Bees (UK band)
The Bees are an English band from Ventnor on the Isle of Wight. Although their sound is generally classified as indie rock or psychedelic rock, the band have a colourful range of styles and influences, such as 1960s garage rock, country, reggae and jazz.-History:The Bees have so far released four...
. At the time when the album was recorded the band only comprised Paul Butler and Aaron Fletcher, who wrote, performed and recorded the album alone using a home studio in Butler's parent's garden. Both Butler and Fletcher had been notables on the Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
local scene for a while, performing in local indie/electronic
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
outfits Pnu Riff and, more recently, the Exploding Thumbs. Butler had also guested on several other island albums, including some by Max Brennan.
The album is very eclectic and summery, with a range of influences, including psychedelia, Jamaican dub
Dub music
Dub is a genre of music which grew out of reggae music in the 1960s, and is commonly considered a subgenre, though it has developed to extend beyond the scope of reggae...
, reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
, indie
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
, 60's rock and others. As a result it is very difficult to describe, and perhaps a somewhat surprising choice for a cult album. However its infectious grooves, and laid-back summer sounds propelled it to the front of the British music scene, even earning it a Mercury Music Prize nomination. The main single "A Minha Menina" was used in a Citroën
Citroën
Citroën is a major French automobile manufacturer, part of the PSA Peugeot Citroën group.Founded in 1919 by French industrialist André-Gustave Citroën , Citroën was the first mass-production car company outside the USA and pioneered the modern concept of creating a sales and services network that...
car advertisement, which also helped the band to get noticed. The track was also used in an advert for Magners Irish Cider in December 2008.
The band followed up the album by several tours, which resulted in the band expanding into the current lineup in order to play the material live. However, all the members had played with Butler before on the island, whether in his other projects or simply in informal jams (interestingly, whilst Butler and Fletcher produced and performed the album themselves, the entire six-piece is credited on the back sleeve). After the huge success of the album, the band signed to Virgin
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
, who released the follow-up Free The Bees
Free The Bees
Free The Bees is the second album from British band The Bees in 2004. Their first release for Virgin Records, it is also the first album to feature the current sextet that evolved during the tour that promoted debut album Sunshine Hit Me...
in 2004.
The album features in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die is a musical reference book edited by Robert Dimery, first published in 2005. The most recent edition consists of a list of albums released between 1955 and 2010, part of a series from Quintessence Editions Ltd...
.
Track listing
- "Punchbag" (Paul Butler, Aaron Fletcher) – 3:38
- "Angryman" (Paul Butler, Aaron Fletcher) – 4:06
- "No Trophy" (Paul Butler, Aaron Fletcher, Michael Clevitt) – 3:26
- "Binnel Bay" (Paul Butler, Aaron Fletcher) – 2:57
- "Sunshine" (Paul Butler, Aaron Fletcher, James Nye) – 3:27
- "A Minha MeninaOs Mutantes (album)Os Mutantes is the debut album by the Brazilian tropicalia band Os Mutantes. It was originally released in 1968 and influenced by traditional Brazilian music styles, as well as American and British bands...
" (Jorge Ben) – 2:48 - "This Town" (Paul Butler, Aaron Fletcher) – 2:59
- "Sweet Like a Champion" (Paul Butler, Aaron Fletcher) – 4:27
- "Lying in the Snow" (Paul Butler, Aaron Fletcher) – 3:52
- "Zia" (Paul Butler, Aaron Fletcher, James Nye) – 4:12
- "Sky Holds the Sun" (Paul Butler, Aaron Fletcher) – 3:39
US Version Bonus Track
- "You Got To Leave"
Personnel
- Paul Butler – multi-instrumentation, production, recording, vocals
- Aaron Fletcher – multi-instrumentation, production, recording, vocals
- Michael Clevitt - bass guitar on "No Trophy"
- James Nye – keyboards & saxophone on "Sunshine" and "Zia"