Sunshine And I Feel Fine

Sunshine And I Feel Fine is bright, brass-driven late-sixties pop: horns up front, a punchy chorus, and a gentler ballad, Rainy Sunday, on the flip. The Ram Jam Big Band formed in Melbourne in 1966 around singer-trumpeter Russell Smith and guitarist Terry Villis, a jazz-pop outfit with a full brass section. Issued in January 1968, it was their commercial peak, reaching the Top 40 nationally and the top ten in Melbourne.

The lineup was a revolving door of players who moved on to bigger things, notably drummer Gary Young (Daddy Cool, Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons) and keyboardist Ian Clyne (The Loved Ones, Chain). Both sides are Clyne compositions, the B-side co-written with Smith.

Little has been written about the single. AllMusic has an artist entry but no review, listing the band via later psych compilations such as Electric Sound Show (2011); Rate Your Music users rate it around 3.8 from a handful of votes. Spin is better documented: founded in late 1966 by Clyde Packer with Harry M. Miller and Nat Kipner, and manufactured and distributed by Festival Records.