Sunday Will Never Be the Same (the song)

When I wrote that notice of Dawn Eden Goldstein's book with that title, it didn't occur to me that anyone reading this blog would not know that it's taken from a 1967 hit song. But that's the assumption of someone who not only heard the song on the radio a thousand or so times when it was popular, but has a rather greater than normal interest in pop music. At least one, maybe both, of the reviewers whose opinions I linked to were unaware of it. So for the benefit of anyone else who is not, here it is: 

The group was called Spanky and Our Gang, which is yet another pop culture reference, an even older and perhaps more obscure one now. Our Gang was a series of short movies involving a group of mischievous and lovable children, one of whom was named Spanky. Actually in my world (i.e., after-school TV) the series was called The Little Rascals, a name change which, according to Wikipedia, happened when the Our Gang movies were syndicated to TV in 1955. 

I was not much interested in this style of music at the time--"sunshine pop," it's called--so I never heard any more of the group's music than the hit singles. Listening to this one now though I see they were really quite talented. I seem to remember a reviewer who hated rock insisting that they were the best thing around. I guess he had kind of a point. 

Comments

[Rob G]

I don't remember this song, but then I would have only been 5 or 6 when it came out and pop music wasn't on my musical radar yet.

If memory serves there was also a band called "The Young Rascals" around the same time. This was endlessly confusing to my kindergarten-aged self, who on at least two occasions tuned in to some variety show or other expecting to see Our Gang (the kids) but instead was annoyed to find some shaggy musical group.

[Mac]

Ha. Yes, they had a big hit called "Good Lovin'". I actually heard them live. I never knew whether their name was meant to refer to The Little Rascals or not. They soon dropped the "young" and were fairly popular for several years in the late '60s as The Rascals.

[Rob G]

I know that song -- had no idea it was the Rascals, though.

[Janet]

In Dawn's book, the Sundays are better, but in the song they are worse.

I had forgotten that song, but I knew it well.

I saw the Young Rascals once and their opening act was the Beachboys. This was during a lull in the Beachboys' popularity, after which they had a comeback. Before the show, they were standing outside on the steps of the auditorium in their striped jackets and nobody was paying any attention to them. That seems quite odd, but I remember it pretty well.

AMDG

AMDG

[Mac]

That's strange. Maybe the Young Rascals were already the Rascals by then? Because the Beach Boys were still pretty popular when I was in high school, and that's when the Young Rascals had their big hits under that name.

I've been puzzling about the fact that I saw the YR. According to Wikipedia, "Good Lovin'" was not released until winter/spring 1966, and it was their first hit, and I graduated that spring. Must have been a hastily organized tour. I don't remember anybody else being on the bill with them but maybe I've just forgotten.The Beach Boys were definitely still quite popular then.

[Beth Brooks]

In the summer of 1967, my college boyfriend and I would meet at Henry Horton State Park in Tennessee on Sundays. When we broke up, I always thought of this song.

[Mac]

Young love, especially of the lost kind, and pop songs are a potent mix. I have a couple of those too. In the case of the Zombies' "She's Not There" I have the association but can't remember the girl. I mean, it was a high-school crush, and I remember the feeling, but not who it was attached to. Must have been brief. Quite possibly only in my head.

Janet: "In Dawn's book, the Sundays are better, but in the song they are worse." Yes, that's significant, and points to something I think I'll save for a blog post.