I Can Take You To The Sun

Infobox Single
Name = I Can Take You To The Sun


Caption =
Artist = The Misunderstood
from Album =
B-side = Who Do You Love
Released = December 1966
Format = 7"
Recorded = Philips Studio, London 1966
Genre = Psychedelic music
Length =
Label = Fontana Records (UK)
Writer = Rick Brown and Tony Hill
Producer = Dick Leahy
Chart position =
Reviews =
Last single = "You Don't Have to Go"
(1966)
This single = "I Can Take You To The Sun"
(1966)
Next single = "Children of the Sun"
(1968) |

"I Can Take You To The Sun" is a psychedelic rock song that was composed and recorded by The Misunderstood at Philips Studio in London in 1966. The song is considered a psychedelic music classic [cite book|title=Unknown Legends of Rock n Roll|first=Richie|last=Unterberger|publisher=Backbeat Books|date=May 1998|isbn=978-0879305345] .

The single was released to critical acclaim but the band was forced to break up shortly thereafter when the singer and song writer was drafted into the Vietnam War [cite web|title="Unknown Legends of Rock'n'Roll" Weblink|url=http://www.richieunterberger.com/misunderstood.html|accessdate=2007-06-28] [cite book|title=Ugly Things (Music) Magazine by Mike Stax No. 21|date=2003] .

Lyricist for the song, singer Rick Brown, has said he wrote this tune as a love song addressed to his (then) girlfriend, Tanny, urging her to join the psychedelic quest [cite book|title=Ugly Things (Music) Magazine - No. 21|date=2003] . The recording was produced by Dick Leahy of Fontana Records.

The critical response to the single was immediate and long-lasting. In a recent release of early BBC "Top Gear" shows, host John Peel introduces the song with the comment, "This is to my mind the best popular record that's ever been recorded" [cite journal|title=John Peel Quote|journal=Top Gear (BBC Radio)|date=Nov. 8, 1968] . Peel would later rank the song as his #3 song for 1966 in his "Peelenium" (Greatest Songs of the 20th Century) list [cite web|title=Peelenium List|url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Simplicius/Peelenium
accessdate=2008-05-13] . "Record Collector" Magazine, in a July 1999 article wrote, "The Misunderstood were a band of immense talent (. . .) Without apologies, the Misunderstood single stands (. . . ) as one of the most powerful and best psychedelic singles ever released."

Musical Recognition

*In his "Peelenium" (Greatest Songs of the 20th Century) John Peel lists Brown's song for 1966, as follows, PEELENIUM 1966: 1. Leonard Cohen - The Sisters of Mercy, 2. The Beatles - And Your Bird Can Sing, 3. The Misunderstood - I Can Take You To The Sun, 4. Jimi Hendrix - Red House, 5. Otis Redding - Try a Little Tenderness [cite web|title=Peelenium List|url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Simplicius/Peelenium
accessdate=2008-05-13] .
*"I Can Take You To The Sun / Who Do You Love" was included in "100 Greatest Psychedelic Records", a 2004 book published by UK's Record Collector Magazine [cite web|title=Record Collector Magazine’s 100 Greatest Psychedelic Records: Web link|url=http://rateyourmusic.com/list/LoBee/record_collectors_100_greatest_psychedelic_records__british_/|accessdate=2008-01-06] .
*In September 2004, Rolling Stone Magazine called the Misunderstood, "the American Yardbirds".
*In a recent release of early John Peel "Top Gear" shows on BBC he is recorded as saying on air, "This ("I Can Take You To the Sun" by The Misunderstood) is to my mind the best popular record that's ever been recorded" [cite book|title=Unknown Legends of Rock n Roll|first=Richie|last=Unterberger|publisher=Backbeat Books|date=May 1998|isbn=978-0879305345] [cite journal|last=Record Collector Magazine, et al.|title=100 Greatest Psychedelic Records|journal=Record Collector Magazine|date=2004] [cite journal|title=John Peel Quote|journal=Top Gear (BBC Radio)|date=Nov. 8, 1968] .
*Hartbeat! magazine #20: "Top 100 Singles" - lists The Misunderstood.
*British music critic Nigel Cross lists the Misunderstood twice, at third and fourth places (ahead of their mentors, The Yardbirds). [cite web|title=Hartbeat! magazine Top 100s Weblink|url=http://home.rhein-zeitung.de/%7Etommi.s/hb20.htm|accessdate=2007-02-18] .
*Mojo's "100 Greatest Psychedelic Classics" lists The Misunderstood in 1966 [cite web|title=Mojo Weblink|url=http://www.rocklist.net/mojo_p2.htm#psyco|accessdate=2007-02-18] .
*Ptolemaic Terrascope's Top 100 Albums lists The Misunderstood [cite web|title=Terrascope Top 100 Albums Weblink|url=http://www.terrascope.co.uk/OurMusicPages/ourmusic.htm|accessdate=2007-03-14] .

References

External links

* [http://www.themisunderstood.com/ themisunderstood.com]
* [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:oc841vyjzzpa~T0 AllMusic article] by Richie Unterberger
*http://www.richieunterberger.com/misunderstood.html Richie Unterberger - Misunderstood: Unknown Legends of Rock n Roll
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Simplicius/Peelenium PEELENIUM: Greatest Songs of the 20th Century]
* [http://www.myspace.com/themisunderstood1966 The Misunderstood on MySpace Dot Com]
* [http://www.showcaseyourmusic.com/themisunderstood1966 The Misunderstood on ShowCase Your Music Dot Com]
* [http://www.classicrockpage.com/everheardof/Misunderstood.htm The Misunderstood on Classic Rock Dot Com]
* [http://www.myfirstband.com/FirstBandMisunderstood.html The Misunderstood on My First Band Dot Com]
* [http://rateyourmusic.com/artist/the_misunderstood The Misunderstood on Rate Your Music]
* [http://www.themisunderstood.com/Band-italian.html The Misunderstood in Italian]
* [http://www.rockisland.ru/music/psych/3-1.html The Misunderstood in Russian]