"Sunshine Sunshine" is a song by Japanese musical act Superfly. Written for a national radio campaign called Meet the Music, it was released as a double A-side single along with "Beep!!" in March 2011.

"Sunshine Sunshine"
A pair of embroidered jeans
"Beep!!" / "Sunshine Sunshine" single cover
Single by Superfly
from the album Mind Travel
ReleasedMarch 2, 2011 (2011-03-02)
Recorded2010
GenrePop, rock
Length4:01
LabelWarner Music Japan
Songwriter(s)Shiho Ochi, Kōichi Tabo
Producer(s)Kōichi Tsutaya
Superfly singles chronology
"Eyes on Me"
(2010)
"Sunshine Sunshine"
(2011)
"Beep!!"
(2011)

Background and development

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In March 2010, released Wildflower & Cover Songs: Complete Best 'Track 3', a 2-CD set featuring a four-track single and a full-length cover album of classic rock songs. It was led by the song "Wildflower", the theme song for the drama Gold, and also featured "Tamashii Revolution", a song used to promote the NHK broadcast of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.[1] Both songs were commercially successful, with "Wildflower" becoming certified Platinum for downloads by the Recording Industry Association of Japan,[2] and "Tamashii Revolution" certified platinum twice.[3][4] This was followed by "Eyes on Me", a ballad single released in December used as the theme song for the Square Enix shooting game The 3rd Birthday.[5]

"Sunshine Sunshine" was written for Meet the Music, a radio campaign by KDDI and FM radio stations across Japan. The song was released to radio in mid January, 2011.[6] The song was written after "Beep!!", after Meet the Music campaign organizers asked Ochi to write something about music.[7] Superfly vocalist Shiho Ochi wrote the song about what music personally meant to her, and wanted to create a song that would allow listeners to relax and unwind.[6]

Promotion and release

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The song was released as a single also featuring Superfly's song "Beep!!" as the other A-side. The limited edition version of the single featured an additional DVD, with a performance from the Superfly & The Lemon Bats Special Live "Rock'N'Roll Muncher", a three-date tour in November 2010 commissioned by Switch! music magazine to celebrate the magazine's 25th anniversary.[8] The Lemon Bats are a group formed by Superfly, featuring Tatsuya Nakamura of Losalios, Kōichi Tsutaya, Kazuhiro Momo of Mo'Some Tonebender, Yoshiyuki Yatsuhashi and Hidekazu Hinata of Straightener.[9]

On March 20, a concert featuring Superfly was planned for the Meet the Music campaign. Held at the Namura Hall in Okinawa, the concert was intended to be aired live on Tokyo FM, J-Wave and FM Okinawa.[6] The concert was cancelled, due to the effects of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami that occurred on March 11, a week before the intended date.[10] Due to the earthquake, Ochi uploaded an a cappella version of the song on her official blog on March 17.[11][12] Later, Ochi wrote and recorded the song "You & Me" in a single day, which was released as a digital downloaded to raise money for the earthquake relief efforts.[13]

No music video was created to promote the song.

Critical reception

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Tomoki Takahashi of Rockin' On Japan described the song as "warmly constructed". Compared to "Beep!!", which he felt showed Ochi as a person-willed person, Takahashi described the song as showing off Ochi as a person of emotion.[14] Haruna Takekawa of Hot Express described the song as "country-style number played with an acoustic tone", and felt that Ochi's "refreshing and comfortable vocals" softly color the song. She noted that both "Sunshine Sunshine" and "Beep!!" were much more simple than her previous songs.[15] CDJournal reviewers felt that the song's guitars made it into a good, rock'n'roll/country-style song. They noted the use of the accordion made the song nostalgic and heartwarming, and praised the guitar arpeggio as beautiful and impressive.[16][17]

Track listings

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"Sunshine Sunshine" digital download
No.TitleLyricsMusicArranger(s)Length
1."Sunshine Sunshine"Shiho OchiKōichi TaboKōichi Tsutaya4:12
Total length:4:12
"Beep!!" / "Sunshine Sunshine" single
No.TitleLyricsMusicArranger(s)Length
1."Beep!!"Shiho Ochi, jamKōichi TaboKōichi Tsutaya4:12
2."Sunshine Sunshine"S. OchiK. TaboK. Tsutaya4:01
3."Different Ways"S. OchiS. OchiK. Tsutaya3:36
Total length:12:49
"Beep!!" / "Sunshine Sunshine" single DVD: Superfly & The Lemon Bats "Rock'N'Roll Muncher"
No.TitleLength
1."tour document" 
2."Tanjō" 
3."live rehearsal" 
4."Manifesto" 
5."back stage" 
6."Free Planet" 
7."Alright!!" 

Personnel

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Personnel details were sourced from the liner notes booklet of Mind Travel.[18]

  • Hideki Matsubara – bass
  • Yukio Nagoshi – electric guitar
  • Shiho Ochi – lead and background vocals, tambourine
  • Yutaka Odawara – drums
  • Yoshiaki Sato – accordion
  • Kōichi Tsutaya – background vocals
  • Yoshiyuki Yatsuhashi – acoustic guitar

Chart rankings

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Charts (2011) Peak
position
Japan Billboard Adult Contemporary Airplay[19] 1
Japan Billboard Japan Hot 100[20] 6
Japan Oricon weekly singles[21]
  • "Beep!!" / "Sunshine Sunshine"
5
Japan RIAJ Digital Track Chart[22] 77

Sales

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Chart Amount
Oricon physical sales[23]
  • "Beep!!" / "Sunshine Sunshine"
27,000

Release history

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Region Date Format Distributing Label Catalog codes
Japan January 21, 2011 (2011-01-21)[24] ringtone Warner Music Japan
March 2, 2011 (2011-03-02)[25] digital download
March 9, 2011 (2011-03-09)[9][26] CD single, CD/DVD, digital download (EP) WPCL-10924, WPZL-30253/4 (DVD)
March 26, 2011 (2011-03-26)[27] Rental CD WPCL-10924

References

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  1. ^ "18:10~「MUSIC JAPAN」出演決定!" (in Japanese). Warner Music Japan. June 16, 2010. Archived from the original on July 16, 2011. Retrieved September 3, 2010.
  2. ^ レコード協会調べ 1月度有料音楽配信認定 [Record Association Investigation: January Digital Music Download Certifications] (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. February 28, 2014. Retrieved March 4, 2014.
  3. ^ レコード協会調べ 7月度有料音楽配信認定 [Record Association Investigation: July Digital Music Download Certifications] (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. August 20, 2011. Retrieved January 26, 2014.
  4. ^ レコード協会調べ 6月度有料音楽配信認定 [Record Association Investigation: June Digital Music Download Certifications] (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. July 20, 2012. Retrieved October 10, 2014.
  5. ^ "Superfly、スクエニ新作テーマソングに王道バラード提供" (in Japanese). Natalie. October 27, 2010. Retrieved January 30, 2015.
  6. ^ a b c "Superfly、全国FM生放送ライブは初沖縄&書き下ろし曲も" (in Japanese). Natalie. January 20, 2011. Retrieved January 30, 2015.
  7. ^ Junichi Uchimoto (March 9, 2011). "ロックンロールとフォーキー、2種が並んだSuperflyの両A面シングル" (in Japanese). EMTG. Retrieved April 16, 2015.
  8. ^ ""SWITCH" anniversary concert with Superfly announces new guests". Tokyo Hive. September 22, 2010. Retrieved January 30, 2015.
  9. ^ a b "「Beep!! / Sunshine Sunshine」初回特典DVD収録内容、カップリング曲決定!" (in Japanese). Warner Music Japan. January 31, 2011. Archived from the original on January 30, 2015. Retrieved January 30, 2015.
  10. ^ "「全国民放FM&KDDI present MEET THE MUSIC LIVE with Superfly」開催・放送見送 りのお知らせ" (in Japanese). Warner Music Japan. March 16, 2011. Archived from the original on January 30, 2015. Retrieved January 30, 2015.
  11. ^ "Sunshine Sunshine" (in Japanese). Warner Music Japan. March 17, 2011. Archived from the original on January 30, 2015. Retrieved January 30, 2015.
  12. ^ "「トンネルくぐったその先に」Superflyアカペラ音源捧ぐ" (in Japanese). Natalie. March 18, 2011. Retrieved January 30, 2015.
  13. ^ "Superfly、新曲「You & Me」配信開始" (in Japanese). Barks. March 25, 2011. Retrieved January 30, 2015.
  14. ^ Tomoki Takahashi. "意志の歌、情愛の歌". Rockin' On Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved January 30, 2015.
  15. ^ Haruna Takekawa. "Superfly 映画「漫才ギャング」主題歌で強気な姿勢!?" (in Japanese). Hot Express. Retrieved January 30, 2015.
  16. ^ "Superfly / Mind Travel [デジパック仕様] [CD+DVD] [限定]" (in Japanese). CDJournal. Retrieved January 30, 2015.
  17. ^ "Superfly / Superfly BEST [デジパック仕様] [2CD]" (in Japanese). CDJournal. Retrieved January 30, 2015.
  18. ^ Mind Travel (Media notes) (in Japanese). Superfly. Tokyo, Japan: Victor Music Japan. 2011.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  19. ^ "Japan Billboard Adult Contemporary Airplay". Billboard (in Japanese). February 2, 2011. Retrieved January 30, 2015.
  20. ^ "Japan Billboard Hot 100". Billboard (in Japanese). February 2, 2011. Retrieved October 11, 2014.
  21. ^ Superflyのシングル売り上げランキング [Superfly single sales ranking] (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on May 27, 2013. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
  22. ^ "レコード協会調べ 2011年03月02日~2011年03月08日 <略称:レコ協チャート(「着うたフル(R)」)>" [Record Association report: 2011.03.02~2011.03.08 <abb. Reco-kyō Chart 'Chaku-uta Full'>] (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. March 11, 2011. Archived from the original on January 30, 2015. Retrieved January 30, 2015.
  23. ^ "オリコンランキング情報サービス「you大樹」" [Oricon Ranking Information Service 'You Big Tree']. Oricon. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
  24. ^ "両A面シングル「Beep!! / Sunshine Sunshine」発売!!" (in Japanese). Warner Music Japan. January 20, 2011. Archived from the original on January 30, 2015. Retrieved January 30, 2015.
  25. ^ "Sunshine Sunshine - Single" (in Japanese). Apple. 2 March 2011. Retrieved January 30, 2015.
  26. ^ "Beep!! / Sunshine Sunshine - Single" (in Japanese). Apple. 2 March 2011. Retrieved January 30, 2015.
  27. ^ "Beep!!/Sunshine Sunshine" (in Japanese). Tsutaya. Retrieved February 1, 2015.