Life's Soundtrack - Sunny Days Will Come

Photo by Justine Gordon

I've been struggling to come up with a topic for this week's playlist.  I toyed with many different options, but nothing seemed to be just right.  Then I got a note from the kind and talented Justine telling me about a mix her daughter made for her before going away to University, which contained a version of "Sunny Side of the Street" by Ella Fitzgerald.  Instantly I knew two thing: first what today's topic was going to be and second, why I love blogging and the Inspiration Studio so much.

For me, Inspiration Studio is about having a place we can go when we are stuck and the creative juices are drying up.  Each day I open the blog knowing I'll find something that will make me smile, will change the way I view something or will simply brighten my day.  More importantly, I'm inspired by the community we are building, by the people who take the time to read the posts and offer encouragements or ideas, the conversations that get started in the comment section, and by the photos that are shared through the flickr group.  Thanks to this community we are surrounded by beauty, art, encouragement and, yes, inspiration every day.  For all of this, I thank you.

Now, on to today's topic.  Justine's mention of "Sunny Side of the Street" made me crave a list full of songs about sunshine, the sun and summer weather.  A list I can turn to in the darkest days of winter when I feel as if the sun will never return, a list that will brighten those dark days and remind me that summer will come again.  The list will also work well for those of you who are in the Southern Hemisphere and are just starting to think of summer and the long glorious days ahead.  Let me get us started:

Ella Fitzgerald - Sunny Side of the Street
Court Yard Hounds - Delight (Something New Under the Sun)
Emiliana Torrinin - Sunny Road
George Michael and Elton John - Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me
Joshua Radin - Sundrenched World
The Lashes - Sometimes the Sun
Rosie Thomas - It Don't Matter to the Sun
The Wheepies - I Was Made for the Sunny Days

It is safe to say that last week's topic has been my favorite so far.  The songs are AMAZING!  What I didn't think about when I suggested the covers topic was the fact that artists don't cover average songs, they cover glorious songs.  So our list is full (and by full, I mean the longest list we've ever put together) of exceptional songs.  Trust me, you won't be able to stop listening to this, I even predict you'll be spending a bit of cash at iTunes this week.  We had so much fun with the covers topic, I think we'll bring it back in a couple of months.  So, if like me, you thought of another 15 songs after you added your suggestions, keep those in the back of your mind for the next round.

To play the songs, click on the sideways triangle in the middle of the embedded player above.  You can skip ahead or back by clicking on the < or > on either edge of the player.

I toyed with turning this playlist into an iMix on iTunes so you could easily find and download one or more of the songs.  If any of you would like that let me know and I'll create it and send you instructions.

Let me know if you love the covers playlist as much as I do and if something here at Inspiration Studio has inspired you.

Thanks as always for your amazing contributions, I can't wait to listen to your songs about the sun!