Sunny and the Sunliners – My Dream
Sunny Ozuna
Listen/Download Sunny and the Sunliners – My Dream
Greetings all
I thought I’d get the week off to a very mellow start.
About a month ago there was a discussion on an internet message board I frequent about favorite b-sides.
One of the records posted was a disc that I recognized immediately as having already owned.
The catch being that I had never listened – all the way through anyway – to the side that was posted.
The record in question was ‘My Dream’ by Sunny and the Sunliners.
I do not recall exactly when (or how) I bought the 45 in question, but I do know that I picked it up for the (actual) b-side, a funky cover of Tender Joe Richardson’s ‘Hip Huggin’ Mini’.
Though it’s entirely possible I dropped the needle on the other side of the record, I’m sure I lifted it again as soon as I heard that it was a ballad, an act of sacrilege that places the acquisition of the 45 many years in the past, when I was still prone to doing unpleasant things like that.
Anyhow…my curiosity piqued, I dug out the 45, placed it upon the Edison machine and was promptly poleaxed.
First and foremost because the music coming out of the victrolinator was a very smooth, very groovy bit of low-rider soul, but also because I had not noticed (this story being a long string of ignorant moves) that this side of the record – ‘My Dream’ – was also a cover, this time of the tune by the Harvey Averne Dozen (another unjustly ignored b-side already in my crates).
Sunny and the Sunliners (connected to The Sunglows but ultimately a different band, see Ana-B’s comment below) were a mostly Chicano R&B/soul band from San Antonio, TX that hit the R&B charts three different times in 1963 and 1964.
Though they were away from the national charts after that they continued to record through the 60s and 70s.
Led by vocalist Sunny Ozuna, they cooked up a very tasty stew of R&B, soul, rock and even a bit of funk, not at all unusual in 1960s Texas, but done especially well in their case.
It seems that ‘My Dream’ charted locally in 1968 (the original versions of both sides were released that year), and then again, two years later in Hawaii!?!
‘My Dream’ is el supremo, back seat makeout music, with some sweet falsetto backing vocals and some especially nice lead guitar.
It’s one of those records that you’ll find yourself listening to over and over again, digging into the sound and appreciating something new every time.
I hope you dig it too and I’ll see you all on Wednesday.
Keep the faith
Larry
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Also, the brand new Funky16Corners ‘Keep Calm and Stay Funky’ stickers have arrived!
The stickers are 4″ x 3″ and printed on high quality, glossy stock.
They are $2.00 each, with free shipping in the US ($2.00 per order shipping outside of the US).
Click here to go to the ordering page.
Also, make sure that you check out the links below to the Be The Match Foundation and POAC (click on the logos for more info).
Themocracy
A small thing, but I thought it worth mentioning………
Regardless of what Wikipedia/Allmusic [and most of the internet] says, the Sunglows and the Sunliners were not the same band. Joe Bravo took Sunny’s place after he left the group and they continued on. The band’s Sunglow label was active until at least 1967 when Joe Bravo & The Sunglows issued Think Of Me/Does He Remind You Of Me.
I can’t find a hard citation atm, but I’m pretty sure there were hard feelings after Sunny performed Talk To Me on American Bandstand with the Sunliners…..a song he’d actually recorded with the Sunglows a relatively short time before.
Thanks for the correction Ana. I made a change and directed folks to your comment.