#44: I Believe In Sunshine by Madrigal

City: Calgary, AB
Radio Station: CKXL
Peak Month: November 1970
Peak Position in Calgary ~ #6
Peak position in Vancouver ~ #26
Peak Position on Billboard Hot 100 ~ did not chart
YouTube: “I Believe In Sunshine”
Lyrics: “I Believe In Sunshine”

Formed by a bunch of high school chums in Willowdale, Ontario, in 1968, Madrigal consisted of Rick Henderson on guitars, guitarist/bassist John Swainson, Peter Boynton on Piano, and drummer Don Simpson. Madrigal been playing psychedelic rock and pop in the Toronto area for close to a year. Greg Hambleton, owner of Tuesday Records, noticed them and one thing led to another. Hambleton signed Madrigal to management and recording contracts. In the summer of 1969, the band was in a recording studio. They released their version of his song “I Believe In Sunshine”. The song had been recorded by A Passing Fancy in 1967 and peaked at #28 on CHUM in Toronto.

“I Believe In Sunshine” is a song written by Greg Hambleton, who had been involved with managing A Passing Fancy. The bouncy tune was a cross between sunshine pop and bubblegum. In the song when a particular “sunshine girl” is near, the guy believes in sunshine. She brightens up his day: “It’s a sunshine day, every day that she’s beside me. It can never rain when I’ve got sunshine close to me.” He believes in ‘sunshine,’ and while this could be the sun itself, it seems he believes specifically in his ‘sunshine girl’ – or ‘Sunshine’ for short. With her near him, he is radiant.

“I Believe In Sunshine” peaked at #6 in Calgary, #12 in Hamilton and the Top 20 in Seaside (OR). It also charted in a variety of radio markets into the Top 30 in Antigonish (NS), Lethbridge (AB), Regina (SK), Winnipeg (MB), and Montreal.

They released an album titled Sunshine and Baked Beans.  In the USA it was released with a different album cover with the title simply Madrigal.

Madrigal toured the Ontario, and a very cities in the USA. before returning to the studios with Hambleton later that year. The new single, “Hallelujah” (not the one by Leonard Cohen) failed to chart in early ’71. A number of personnel problems emerged, combined with financial issues for the label. Consequently, Madrigal disbanded in early 1973.

They toiled around in different projects until regrouping a year and a half later, with Bill Dillon taking over on guitars from Henderson. But when that version of the group also failed to make any headway, they split up again a short time later. Everyone went on to other projects. John Swainson was in a band called Alabama in 1973. Boynton joined Red Rider in 1975 and was in the studio for Don’t Fight It (1979) and As Far as Siam (1981). Others left the music industry.

March 30, 2024
Ray McGinnis

References:
Wayne Stevenson, “Madrigal,” Canadianbands.com, April 11, 2022.

CKXL 1140-AM, Calgary (AB) Top Ten | November 14, 1970