BIG CROWN. It’s a helluva label, period, is the Brooklyn purveyor of retro excellence to capture yo’ heart. It’s the kinda imprint you could swoon for; don’t believe me? Take a listen to The Shacks’ “Smile Now, Cry Later” over here, and then come back to me. Damn right.
The label itself has been conducting something of a love affair of its own over the past couple of years: with San Antonio’s finest and the ‘King of Chicano soul’, Sunny Ozuna and his band, Sunny & The Sunliners. Big Crown have reissued a whole desirable clutch of albums and 7″s; thing is, every artist who swung by the office fell for Sunny’s diamond 60s’ soul charms too.
So was born the Dear Sunny… compilation: a whole raft of covers of Sunny & The Sunliners’ tunes by Big Crown artists. The Shacks track I quoted above is just one of them.
Now the newest addition to the label stable, boy-girl retro-soul spell-casters Lizette and Quevin, have dropped their contribution to the album; a sweet, sweet take on the tune that started it all for Sunny back in ’63 when he was still in high school.
It’s a cover of Little Willie John’s “Talk To Me, Talk To Me”, and it landed Sunny an appearance on Dick Clark’s American Bandstand.
Lizette’s voice adds poignancy to what is a proper heartsore, bury-your-head-in-the-pillow classic soul tune; think The Cookies, think Rosie & The Originals. Think: great.
San Bernadino’s Brainstory serve as The Wrecking Crew on this one, laying down a pin-sharp and evocative tune. Of course, they’ve contributed their own little nugget to Dear Sunny …; it’s the flip of The Shacks’ 7″, so make sure you click through on that link above for a listen.
Big Crown say, lashes a-flutter (and whose wouldn’t be?): “We hope everyone enjoys this as much as we do, but most importantly, Sunny, we hope you enjoy this.
“Thank you for all the music you have given us; it has been a pleasure to work with you and get a chance to know you and some of your family.”
The full length Dear Sunny… will be released digitally by Big Crown on September 4th, just a few days before Sunny’s birthday. Place your order over here.
