Sun Arise
Encyclopedia
"Sun Arise" is the fourth single released by the Australian singer-songwriter
Rolf Harris
. Released on 25 October 1962, it was Harris' second charting hit, coming two years after his self-penned chart-topper
"Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport
". Unlike many of his early chart hits, "Sun Arise" was not a comedy record, but came within the genre of world music
with its didgeridoo
inspired music.
n Harry Butler
, a naturalist
later known for his television show In the Wild
.
After the success of "Tie Me Kangeroo Down" Harris assumed that his future records would be automatically released in the United Kingdom by his label EMI Records
. EMI however were not so sure and directed him to George Martin
, then known for producing some of the more off the wall records of the time. Martin initially called the recording "very boring" which Harris countered by saying that the Aboriginies
, who he was trying to imitate would "repeat a phrase over and over again and it would become mesmorising". The song was re-written with slightly more lyrics and recorded using eight double basses to mimic the didgeridoo which Harris could not play at the time.
The song's lyric
al structure is simple with the vast majority of the lines starting simply "Sun Arise". The lyrics of the song came from a story Butler told him about Aboriginal beliefs. Some tribes
see the sun as a goddess. Each time she wakes in the morning, her skirts of light gradually cover more and more of the land, bringing back warmth and light to the air. The only explicit reference to anything Australian in the song is the mention of the Kangaroo Paw
flower, which is endemic to Western Australia.
The song was covered by Alice Cooper
on his Love it to Death
album.
Robert Plant
and Jimmy Page
of Led Zeppelin
performed the song live with Harris on television in 1994, as part of Page & Plant's No Quarter tour.
, peaking at no. 3. It was also his first hit in the United States, at #61 in the Billboard Hot 100
. It failed to chart in his native Australia. Thirty-five years after originally charting in the UK, the song (albeit in a re-recorded version) re-entered the charts in October 1997, reaching no. 26.
"Sun Arise" was included on the album of the same name in 1963. The song's b-side
was "Someones Pinched Me Winkles".
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
Rolf Harris
Rolf Harris
Rolf Harris, CBE, AM is an Australian musician, singer-songwriter, composer, painter and television personality.Born in Perth, Western Australia, Harris was a champion swimmer before studying art. He moved to England in 1952, where he started to appear on television programmes on which he drew the...
. Released on 25 October 1962, it was Harris' second charting hit, coming two years after his self-penned chart-topper
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
"Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport
Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport
"Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport" is a song written by Rolf Harris in 1957 which became a hit across the world in the 1960s in two different recordings . Inspired by Harry Belafonte's calypsos, it is about an Australian stockman on his deathbed...
". Unlike many of his early chart hits, "Sun Arise" was not a comedy record, but came within the genre of world music
World music
World music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
with its didgeridoo
Didgeridoo
The didgeridoo is a wind instrument developed by Indigenous Australians of northern Australia around 1,500 years ago and still in widespread usage today both in Australia and around the world. It is sometimes described as a natural wooden trumpet or "drone pipe"...
inspired music.
Production and lyrics
The song was written with fellow Western AustraliaWestern Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
n Harry Butler
Harry Butler
William Henry "Harry" Butler CBE is an Australian naturalist and environmental consultant. He is a populariser of science and natural history for both child and adult audiences and, as conservation consultant to the Barrow Island oilfield and many other projects, has played a major role in...
, a naturalist
Naturalist
Naturalist may refer to:* Practitioner of natural history* Conservationist* Advocate of naturalism * Naturalist , autobiography-See also:* The American Naturalist, periodical* Naturalism...
later known for his television show In the Wild
In the Wild
In The Wild is a popular nature television series produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation from 1976 until 1981. It is hosted by Harry Butler, a noted Australian naturalist and environmental consultant. The show is a direct predecessor to the Steve Irwin/Crocodile Hunter hands-on style...
.
After the success of "Tie Me Kangeroo Down" Harris assumed that his future records would be automatically released in the United Kingdom by his label EMI Records
EMI Records
EMI Records is the flagship record label founded by the EMI company in 1972 and launched in January 1973 as the successor to its Columbia label. The EMI label was launched worldwide...
. EMI however were not so sure and directed him to George Martin
George Martin
Sir George Henry Martin CBE is an English record producer, arranger, composer and musician. He is sometimes referred to as "the Fifth Beatle"— a title that he often describes as "nonsense," but the fact remains that he served as producer on all but one of The Beatles' original albums...
, then known for producing some of the more off the wall records of the time. Martin initially called the recording "very boring" which Harris countered by saying that the Aboriginies
Australian Aborigines
Australian Aborigines , also called Aboriginal Australians, from the latin ab originem , are people who are indigenous to most of the Australian continentthat is, to mainland Australia and the island of Tasmania...
, who he was trying to imitate would "repeat a phrase over and over again and it would become mesmorising". The song was re-written with slightly more lyrics and recorded using eight double basses to mimic the didgeridoo which Harris could not play at the time.
The song's lyric
Lyric
Lyric may refer to:* Lyric poetry is a form of poetry that expresses a subjective, personal point of view* Lyric, from the Greek language, a song sung with a lyre* Lyrics, the composition in verse which is sung to a melody to constitute a song...
al structure is simple with the vast majority of the lines starting simply "Sun Arise". The lyrics of the song came from a story Butler told him about Aboriginal beliefs. Some tribes
Australian Aborigines
Australian Aborigines , also called Aboriginal Australians, from the latin ab originem , are people who are indigenous to most of the Australian continentthat is, to mainland Australia and the island of Tasmania...
see the sun as a goddess. Each time she wakes in the morning, her skirts of light gradually cover more and more of the land, bringing back warmth and light to the air. The only explicit reference to anything Australian in the song is the mention of the Kangaroo Paw
Kangaroo paw
Kangaroo paw is a common name for a number of species, in two genera of the family Haemodoraceae, that are endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. These perennial plants are noted for their unique bird attracting flowers...
flower, which is endemic to Western Australia.
The song was covered by Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper is an American rock singer, songwriter and musician whose career spans more than four decades...
on his Love it to Death
Love It to Death
Rolling Stones John Mendelsohn found it favorable. He explained that it "represents at least a modest oasis in the desert of dreary blue-jeaned aloofness served up in concert by most American rock-and-rollers." However, referring to "Black Juju" he also stated that "the one bummer on this album is...
album.
Robert Plant
Robert Plant
Robert Anthony Plant, CBE is an English singer and songwriter best known as the vocalist and lyricist of the iconic rock band Led Zeppelin. He has also had a successful solo career...
and Jimmy Page
Jimmy Page
James Patrick "Jimmy" Page, OBE is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and was subsequently a member of The Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968, after which he founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin.Jimmy Page...
of Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
performed the song live with Harris on television in 1994, as part of Page & Plant's No Quarter tour.
Chart performance
The track was Harris' second top ten hit in the UK Singles ChartUK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, peaking at no. 3. It was also his first hit in the United States, at #61 in the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. It failed to chart in his native Australia. Thirty-five years after originally charting in the UK, the song (albeit in a re-recorded version) re-entered the charts in October 1997, reaching no. 26.
"Sun Arise" was included on the album of the same name in 1963. The song's b-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
was "Someones Pinched Me Winkles".