Sunshine Hit Me

Sunshine Hit Me is the debut album from the British band The Bees. At the time when the album was recorded the band only comprised Paul Butler and Aaron Fletcher, who wrote, performed and recorded the album alone using a home studio in Butler's parent's garden. Both Butler and Fletcher had been notables on the Isle of Wight local scene for a while, performing in local indie/electronic outfits Pnu Riff and, more recently, the Exploding Thumbs. Butler had also guested on several other island albums, including some by Max Brennan.

Sunshine Hit Me
Studio album by
The Bees
Released25 March 2002 (UK)
25 February 2003 (U.S.)
Recorded2001
GenreIndie rock
Length39:32
LabelWe Love You (UK)
Astralwerks (U.S.)
ProducerPaul Butler
Aaron Fletcher
The Bees chronology
Sunshine Hit Me
(2002)		 Free The Bees
(2004)
Singles from Sunshine Hit Me
  1. "No Trophy"
    Released: January 2001
  2. "Punchbag"
    Released: June 2001
  3. "A Minha Menina"
    Released: June 2002
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic link
BBCPositive link
NME link
Pitchfork Media7.4/10 link
StylusC+ 01/09/03

The album is very eclectic and summery, with a range of influences, including psychedelia, Jamaican dub, reggae, indie, 1960s rock and others. As a result, it is very difficult to describe, and perhaps a somewhat surprising choice for a cult album. However its infectious grooves, and laid-back summer sounds propelled it to the front of the British music scene, even earning it a Mercury Music Prize nomination. The album also featured in the 2005 and 2008 editions of the book 1001 Albums: You Must Hear Before You Die by Michael Lydon.[1] The main single "A Minha Menina" was used in a Citroën car advertisement, which also helped the band to get noticed. The track was also used in an advert for Magners Irish Cider in December 2008, as well as a Mars advertisement in Australia in 2002.

The band followed up the album by several tours, which resulted in the band expanding into the current lineup in order to play the material live. However, all the members had played with Butler before on the island, whether in his other projects or simply in informal jams (whilst Butler and Fletcher produced and performed the album themselves, the entire six-piece is credited on the back sleeve). After the huge success of the album, the band signed to Virgin, who released the follow-up Free The Bees in 2004.

Legacy

The album was included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[2]

Track listing
  1. "Punchbag" (Paul Butler, Aaron Fletcher) – 3:38
  2. "Angryman" (Paul Butler, Aaron Fletcher) – 4:06
  3. "No Trophy" (Paul Butler, Aaron Fletcher, Michael Clevitt) – 3:26
  4. "Binnel Bay" (Paul Butler, Aaron Fletcher) – 2:57
  5. "Sunshine" (Paul Butler, Aaron Fletcher, James Nye) – 3:27
  6. "A Minha Menina" (Jorge Ben) – 2:48
  7. "This Town" (Paul Butler, Aaron Fletcher) – 2:59
  8. "Sweet Like a Champion" (Paul Butler, Aaron Fletcher) – 4:27
  9. "Lying in the Snow" (Paul Butler, Aaron Fletcher) – 3:52
  10. "Zia" (Paul Butler, Aaron Fletcher, James Nye) – 4:12
  11. "Sky Holds the Sun" (Paul Butler, Aaron Fletcher) – 3:39

US Version Bonus Track

  1. "You Got To Leave"

Personnel
  • Paul Butler – multi-instrumentation, production, recording, vocals
  • Aaron Fletcher – multi-instrumentation, production, recording, vocals
  • Michael Clevitt - bass guitar on "No Trophy"
  • James Nye – keyboards & saxophone on "Sunshine" and "Zia"
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References
  1. Dimery, Robert, ed. (2011). 1001 Albums: You Must Hear Before You Die. Preface by Michael Lydon. Octopus. p. 22. ISBN 978-1-84403-714-8.
  2. Robert Dimery; Michael Lydon (23 March 2010). 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die: Revised and Updated Edition. Universe. ISBN 978-0-7893-2074-2.
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