The Sunshine Company
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1967 in Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Founder | Mary Nance, Maury Manseau |
| Defunct | 1968 |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles , United States |
| Products | Music albums and singles |
The Sunshine Company was a sunshine pop ensemble originating from Los Angeles, California, in the United States. The band began as a duo featuring Mary Nance (November 7, 1947 – November 24, 2019) alongside Maury Manseau. They later incorporated bassist Larry Sims and drummer Merel Bregante prior to securing a contract with Imperial Records. Their first album was released in 1967, and over the next two years, they attained three singles on the Billboard Hot 100. The group dissolved following their third album, which was self-titled, in 1968. Subsequently, Sims and Bregante contributed as supporting musicians for Loggins and Messina.
History
Under the guidance of Bill McEuen, who managed the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, the band intended to record "Up, Up and Away." However, this plan was abandoned after the 5th Dimension produced a hit version. Their debut single, "Happy," climbed to number 50 on national charts, competing against a less prominent rendition by the Blades of Grass. The addition of guitarist Douglas Mark expanded the group to five members, leading to their most successful track, "Back On the Street Again," which reached number 36 on the Billboard charts. Despite this achievement, they were unable to replicate similar success afterward.
In late 1967, their inaugural LP Happy Is The Sunshine Company was issued by Imperial Records. This album included their two charting singles and attained a peak position of number 126 on the Billboard 200. The following year saw the release of "Look Here Comes The Sun," which hit number 56. Two additional albums emerged in 1968 but did not perform well commercially. A fourth album titled Think was planned but never materialized due to the band's dissolution.
As of recent years, Bregante manages a recording studio located in Liberty Hill, Texas. Sims died in December 2014. Nance, who hailed from Champaign, Illinois, resided in San Pedro, California until her passing at age 72 in November 2019.
Members
- Mary Nance – lead vocals (deceased 2019)
- Maury Manseau – vocals and guitar
- Larry Sims – bass guitar (deceased 2014)
- Merel Bregante – drums
- Douglas Mark – violin and guitar
- Dave Hodgkins – acoustic guitar (1968)
Albums
- Happy Is the Sunshine Company (Imperial Records, 1967) U.S. chart peak: #126
- The Sunshine Company (Imperial Records, 1968)
- Sunshine & Shadows (Imperial Records, 1968)
Charting singles
- "Happy" (July 1967) U.S. peak: #50
- "Back on the Street Again" (November 1967) U.S. peak: #36
- "Look, Here Comes the Sun" (February 1968) U.S. peak: #56
- "Let's Get Together" (May 1968) U.S. peak: #112
- "On a Beautiful Day" (July 1968) U.S. peak: #106
- "Willie Jean" (October 1968) U.S. peak: #111