all-about-musicians-and-the-people-who-help-them-make-music
Joining the growing lineup of artist profiles is Sonic Clash’s Aerosmith profile – now live on the inside!
See the boys pose outside NASA, trace back the steps of the album-a-year days of the 1970s and learn about Joe Perry’s breakaway band.
New England’s answer to Old England’s Rolling Stones may not have as many supermodels, arrests and suspicious deaths, but who does?
Check out SC’s profile: new stuff coming always!
I took a bit of a hiatus from the Friday Throwback and I want to give a shout out to Money Mike for picking it up for me. I needed a bit of a break to get the creative juices flowing again. But I’m coming back with a vengeance. Well maybe not, unless you like Joey B. Ellis. Who is Joey B. Ellis for the 95% of you who probably think I need to take a longer hiatus? Um, I’m not really sure. Dude doesn’t even have a wikipedia page. But really, he just wants you to go for it.
– Why is a shirtless Hammer in some tight drawers, introducing the video? I almost forgot. Joey B. Ellis was on his label.
– To be or not to be dope, that’s the question.
– Why do you see Rocky Balboa you ask? Well, this was the lead single to that great movie, Rocky V.
– I know that’s not B Angie B singing background. Where is she these days anyway?
– And while we’re at it, what about Oaktown 3.5.7.?
– I wonder who would’ve won between Joey B. Ellis and The Fresh Prince? We know they couldn’t beat Mike Tyson.
– I think this might hold the record for most versions of the running man in a music video.
– This might be the only video in the world where a girl wearing head gear and a pointed bra twirling the American flag fits right in.
– I think Sly needed to be in the video thinking Joey B. Ellis was Apollo’s son.
JONATHAN EDWARDSÂ “Sunshine” b/w “Emma” (Capricorn Records #C-8021, 1971)
I’ve never considered the “One-Hit Wonder” label to be necessarily a bad thing. Some of my favorite songs fall into that category. Hell, most of my favorite artists are NO hit wonders, so having any sort of hit at all seems like a miracle in my eyes.  Consider this two-minutes-and-change quickie by little-known folksinger Jonathan Edwards. He may only be known for this track, but oh what a track it is. And to think it more-or-less came about by accident.
Legend has it that during the 1970 recording sessions for what was to become Edwards’ Atco (later Capricorn) debut LP, one of the tracks got erased, prompting Edwards to fill in the space with a fresh composition. “Sunshine,” a short ‘n’ catchy ‘Nam protest song, quickly caught fire and spent 12 weeks on the US singles charts, peaking at #4. I was just a kid at the time, so I didn’t fully comprehend the draft-card-burning sentiment behind the lyric, but the urgency of this track, driven home by Edwards’ pummelling  acoustic guitar and up-close-&-dry vocal,  was so captivating that I played the A-side over & over ’til it hissed. Of course, it didn’t hurt that my mom liked the song too, so there was plenty of singing along (and no complaining) at my house.
See a \’74 Olds lip-sync Jonathan Edwards\’ \”Sunshine\” on YouTube
You gotta love the internet. I tell ya, I used to search desperately for surreal moments, but now I desperately try to avoid them. Anyway, you can also catch some quality live footage of Edwards himself performing the track, in both a solo folk-rock rendition from ’06 here, and in a very recent (we’re talkin’ 2009) speed-bluegrass performance here.  Any way you slice it, though, this song is so incredibly powerful that it never loses its steam in any setting, as evidenced by the thousands of cover versions out there.   Even a Jeep ad couldn’t damage its credibility. If you’re gonna be a one-hit wonder, buddy, THIS is the kind of hit to have, for certain. And talk about timelessness: when he hits that last lyric couplet, how current does that feel?!
Pulled also from the eponymous debut, B-side “Emma” provides a haunting tale of lost romance, possibly with a ghost, in a Gordon Lightfoot-meets-John Denver setting, replete with a pedal steel guitar and Edwards’ high-lonesome tenor front & center. Not as urgent or anthemic as “Sunshine” (few songs are), this B-side showcases the artist’s versatility, which is, sadly, something few performers carry with them anymore.
In fact, it’s that versatility that keeps Jonathan Edwards still going to this day. He’s worked in rock, folk, country, bluegrass, and even Broadway musicals.  His playing chops and gorgeous singing voice remain captivating and stunning as when you first blasted “Sunshine” over your car’s AM radio.  No matter if it was back in ’71, or just yesterday.
NEXT WEEK: 5 Roman Gods ride someone’s pony. Probably yours.