Deep Groove Encyclopedia

Sun

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Click below for a Sun sample:

At times it seemed the well of good funk bands coming from Ohio would never end. Sun was yet another aggregation that represented the Buckeye State, but they were an indication that most of the major talent had been tapped by the late 70s. They never were as popular as bretheren Slave, but they did kick off a string of minor hits with "Wanna Make Love (Flick My Bic)" in 1976. Their biggest hit, "Sun Is Here," was released in 1978. Other than "Radiation Level," none of their other singles went top 30.

They were able to stay with Capitol until 1984, by which point Byron Byrd was the only remaining original member. It is a good thing they came along when they did; today, any act with as long a dry spell as Sun endured wouldn't last beyond the first album.

Sun's Deepest Grooves

Live On Dream On (Capitol, 1976)

Sun Power (Capitol, 1977)

Sunburn (Capitol, 1978)

Destination Sun (Capitol, 1979)

Sun Over the Universe (Capitol, 1980)

Force of Nature (Capitol, 1981)

Let There Be Sun (Capitol, 1982)

Greatest Hits (Capitol, 1998)
Seventeen songs is a bit much for a group that had a total of 3 top 40 songs during its career. Given such an expansive collection, all the major cuts are here. Above-average late period funk, but the length of the disc also reveals the lack of innovation that kept Sun from breaking through to the big time.