“Bring Back The Sunshine” was one of the last songs The Velvelettes recorded at Motown. According to Cal ‘Carolyn’ Street, the group’s lead singer, she remembers the day when she recorded the song as Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson sheepishly watched through the studio window as she recorded the lead vocal. This song would be revamped two years later by Ashford & Simpson as “Dark Side Of The World.” It was originally assigned to Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell, but due to Tammi’s illness, only Marvin’s lead was recorded. By 1970, Diana Ross would record “Dark Side Of The World” for her debut solo album and it appeared as a B-side to “Reach Out And Touch (Somebody’s Hand).” Even though “Dark Side Of The World” remains the more well-known version of the song, “Bring Back The Sunshine” contains a gentle warmth and sadness delivered by the talented Cal Street and has become a beloved song among Motown fans.
Written by: Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson
Produced by: Harvey Fuqua and Johnny Bristol
Working titles: “Please Leave Me On The Dark Side Of The World” and “Dark Side Of The World”
Track recorded: July 22, 1967
Lead vocal recorded: July 22, 1967
Background vocals recorded: September 27, 1967
Additional instrumentation recorded: September 28, 1967
The song remained unreleased for nearly 35 years until it was released in 2004 on “The Velvelettes: The Motown Anthology” collection.
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Duration : 0:3:58
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