Sunshine (Alice in Chains song)

"Sunshine" is a song by the American rock band Alice in Chains and the eighth track on their debut album, Facelift (1990). The song was written by guitarist and vocalist Jerry Cantrell as a tribute to his mother Gloria, who died in 1987.[5]

"Sunshine"
Song by Alice in Chains
from the album Facelift
ReleasedAugust 21, 1990[1]
RecordedDecember 1989 – April 1990 at London Bridge Studio, Seattle • Capitol Recording Studio, Hollywood[2]
Genre
Length4:44
LabelColumbia
Songwriter(s)Jerry Cantrell[2]
Producer(s)Dave Jerden

Origin

Cantrell told Spin magazine in January 1991 that he wrote "Sunshine" about his mother's death.[6] Cantrell told Spin:

When I was a little kid, I'd always tell her, "I'll be famous and buy you a house and you'll never have to work again. I'll take care of you like you took care of me.' When she passed away, it was a really shitty time for me. I didn't know how to deal with it then, and I still don't. But it gave me the impetus to do what I'm doing.[6]

Cantrell wrote the song in Los Angeles after Alice in Chains had moved from Seattle to L.A. after the death of their friend Andrew Wood, lead vocalist of Mother Love Bone, and were in the middle of recording their first album, Facelift.[6] A demo version of the song can be found online.[7]

Reception

Loudwire called the song "emotionally powerful", and that "Sunshine" "really left an emotional impact with many listeners as it came from a personal place for Cantrell."[8] Classic Rock Review wrote; "A bright chorus of guitars make the verse section of 'Sunshine' unlike anything else on the album, although this track's chorus is a little more straightforward hard rock, with Cantrell singing some smooth backing vocals behind Staley's raspy throat."[9]

Live performances

The song was performed live for the first time during Alice in Chains' concert at the club Natacha's in Bremerton, Washington.[10] The last time the band performed this song with original lead vocalist Layne Staley was on February 1, 1991 at the Off Ramp Cafe in Seattle, Washington.[10]

Alice in Chains performed the song for the first time in 24 years at the Global Event Center at WinStar World Resort in Thackerville, Oklahoma on August 1, 2015, with new vocalist William DuVall replacing Staley.[11]

Personnel

References
  1. "Alice in Chains' Facelift: 25 Album Facts". VH1. August 21, 2015. Archived from the original on December 6, 2017. Retrieved June 6, 2018.
  2. "Facelift - Alice in Chains". AllMusic. Retrieved June 6, 2018.
  3. "Sunshine - Alice in Chains". AllMusic. Retrieved June 6, 2018.
  4. Rivadavia, Eduardo. "How Alice in Chains Bridges Rock Eras With "Facelift"". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 8 February 2019.
  5. de Sola, David (August 4, 2015). Alice in Chains: The Untold Story. Thomas Dunne Books. p. 61. ISBN 978-1250048073.
  6. Darzin, Daina (January 1991). New Music Preview: Alice in Chains. Spin. p. 37. Retrieved June 6, 2018.
  7. "Alice in Chains - Sunshine (Demo Version)". November 22, 2008. Retrieved June 6, 2018.
  8. Childers, Chad (August 21, 2017). "27 Years Ago: Alice in Chains Unleash Debut Album 'Facelift'". Loudwire. Retrieved June 6, 2018.
  9. "Facelift by Alice In Chains". Classic Rock Review. March 15, 2015. Retrieved June 6, 2018.
  10. "Sunshine by Alice in Chains". Setlist.fm. Retrieved June 6, 2018.
  11. "Alice in Chains Concert Setlist at Global Event Center at WinStar World Resort, Thackerville on August 1, 2015". Setlist.fm. Retrieved June 6, 2018.
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