DENNIS LAWRENSON WRITES: Jacks Tracks.
SUNSHINE OF YOUR LOVE: CREAM
(Written by Jack Bruce, Pete Brown & Eric Clapton.)
Perhaps the best commercially known song that Jack had major input to
. Jack’s masterly ten - note riff opens a true rock classic
, which is still performed in most of Jack's live performances. Taken from
Creams second album Disraeli Gears.
Jack is quoted in the "Those Were The Days compilation 4 CD booklet
re
"Sunshine of Your Love" as to how the song came about.
Quote form Jack “ Pete and I had been working all night to write stuff and
we hadn't got anywhere. I picked up my bass and played the riff. Pete looked
out the window and the sun was coming up. He wrote," It's gettin near
dawn, when lights close there tired eyes" " The rest is history..
Of recent times the fast food chain MacDonald’s included Sunshine Of Your
Love as the musical backdrop in their world wide campaign to celebrate
30 years since the introduction of their Big Mac, sighting that 30 years on
it's still going strong and indeed so is Sunshine of Your Love.
I recall my first band (can anyone forget their first band) .We were a 3
piece, me on a copy EB Gibson (what other copy could I play, my short fingers
also helped with the decision!), Rhythm /Lead guitarist and my dearly
departed friend Gary Cook who was an amputee which meant he was limited with
the high hat but he had a beat that got my adrenalin pumping. We couldn't
sing, had a repertoire of six songs but did Gary and I Love Sunshine of Your
Love .In those early days I played it till my fingers bled. Pardon my
reminiscing but I'll always remember sitting in my 59 FC Holden (Australian
General Motors) with another good mate and member of the Express, Mick
Wishart (Hi Mick, do you remember this?) at Yagoona (a suburb of Sydney).
Gary was in the car too. We had the radio on (In those pre FM days in Sydney
the only radio station to listen to was 2SM.) For some reason my radio had a
great bass tone, and Sunshine of Your Love came over the air waves .It's mid
Saturday morning in the middle of the shopping center and the volume goes UP
the three of us get an instant (non drug related )rush . I get into doing
the bass riff on the dash board that left bruises on my hands for
days, Gary’s in the back seat doing drum chops on one leg and anything else
he could find including Mick and I, we’re all singing along (oblivious to
any passers by) and Mick (in his Newcastle on Tyne accent) saying "shit
Lorro I'm certain you have done something to the radio to tweak the bass up
! "
Ah 18! Your first band and at the time the only song that existed in your
life. Thank you to the 60's ,my mates and Jack.
SUNSHINE OF YOUR LOVE
INTRO: the 10 note Riff
Key D major, Time: common time (simple
quadruple eighths)
Notes & Rests: D, D, C, D, Rest, A, Rest, Gsharp, Rest, G, Rest.E, F, D.
VERSE 1
D
C D
It's getting near dawn
D
C D
When lights close their tired eyes
D C D
I'll soon be with you my love
D C D
give you my dawn's surprise
G F G
I'll be with you darlin', soon
G F G
I'll be with you when the stars start falling D C
D
Chorus
A
C G A
I've been waiting so long
C G
To be where I'm goin'
A
C G
A D C D
In the sunshine of your love
2nd Verse
D C D
I'm with you my love
D
C D
The light shining through on you
D C D
Yes, I'm with you my love
D C D
It's the morning and just we two
G
F G
I'll stay with you darlin', now
G
F
G
D C D
I'll stay with you till my seas are all dried up
Chorus
Guitar Solo : Chords the same as the verse and chorus
3rd Verse
D C D
I'm with you my love
D
C D
The light shining through on you you.
D C D
Yes, I'm with you my love
D C D
It's the morning and just we two
G
F G
I'll stay with you darlin' now
G
F
G
D C D
I'll stay with you till my seas are all dried up.
Chorus
Fade