Today’s classic song of the day is “The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine (Anymore)” by the Walker Brothers. This single was released in February of 1966 and peaked at #13 on the Billboard Hot 100.
“The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine (Anymore)” was written by Bob Crewe and Bob Gaudio of the Four Seasons. The Bobs first offered the song to bandmate Frankie Valli, who recorded it with the Four Seasons backing him up. Unfortunately, Valli’s solo version, released in August of 1965, was not a success, failing to crack the Hot 100.
The Walker Brothers recorded their version of “The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine” in early January of 1966 in London. It took Scott Walker’s powerful baritone and a Righteous Brothers-like production to push the song over the top. It became the group’s best-selling single and their signature tune.
The Walker Brothers were three musicians who weren’t brothers but all changed their last name to Walker—singer and guitarist John Walker (John Maus), singer and bassist Scott Walker (Noel Scott Engel), and drummer Gary Walker (Gary Leeds). They were originally based in Los Angeles but moved to England in 1965. Their two big U.S. hits were “The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine (Anymore)” and 1965’s “Make It Easy On Yourself,” although they had quite a few more hits in England. The group officially disbanded in 1967, although had a few full or partial reunions after that. Sadly, John Walker passed away in 2011 and Scott Walker died in 2019, leaving Gary Walker is the last surviving Walker Brother.
Many artists have recorded “The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine (Anymore)” over the years, including Bruce Springsteen, Neil Diamond, Jules Shear, and the British group, Keane. The version that Cher recorded in 1996 became a big hit in Europe, so that’s our daily bonus track of the day. Enjoy!
