Sun Is Here
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Album Summary
Sun was a funk and R&B outfit out of Dayton, Ohio, led by the gifted Byron Byrd, and in 1978 they were deep in their groove on Capitol Records with 'Sun Is Here.' This record came out of that fertile late-seventies Dayton funk pocket — a scene that was cooking up some of the most soulful, horn-driven, hard-hitting sounds in the country at the time. Byron Byrd helmed the production and creative direction, and the result was an album built on the kind of tight, layered arrangements and driving rhythms that made the Dayton sound a thing unto itself. Capitol Records provided the platform, and Sun delivered the fire — a focused, groove-oriented statement from a band operating at the height of their powers.
Reception
- Sun maintained a devoted regional following in the R&B and funk markets, though 'Sun Is Here,' like much of their Capitol Records catalog, found modest chart visibility rather than a mainstream commercial breakthrough.
- Within funk and R&B circles, the album earned genuine respect for its consistent grooves and the band's locked-in musicianship — qualities that were the signature of everything coming out of Dayton during this era.
- Sun never quite cracked through to the level of some of their bigger Dayton contemporaries, but they held onto a loyal fanbase among funk devotees who recognized and appreciated their raw, uncompromising energy.
Significance
- 'Sun Is Here' stands as an authentic document of the late-1970s Dayton, Ohio funk movement — a scene that carved out its own identity with gritty, horn-driven grooves far removed from the more polished R&B being produced elsewhere.
- The album reflects the working-class, independent spirit that defined the Dayton sound, with Byron Byrd and the group channeling a raw creative energy that set them apart from the slicker production trends of the era.
- Sun's place in the Capitol Records roster during this period captures a meaningful chapter in the story of regional funk — proof that some of the deepest grooves of the decade were being laid down far from the industry's major centers.
Samples
- "Sun Is Here" — sampled by various hip-hop and electronic producers, contributing to the track's legacy among crate-diggers and collectors of late-seventies funk.
Tracklist
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A Sun Is Here —
3:45
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B Long Drawn Out Thang (Instrumental) —
4:57
Artist Details
Sun was a funk and soul collective that came together in Dayton, Ohio in the mid-1970s, right in the thick of that fertile Midwest groove scene that was cooking up magic alongside the likes of Ohio Players and Lakeside. Led by the visionary Byron Byrd, they brought a tight, horn-driven, street-level funk sound that hit like a freight train, scoring with their 1978 hit "Wanna Make Love (Come Flick My Bic)" and cementing themselves as a genuine force in the underground funk world. They may not have landed the mainstream spotlight they deserved, but Sun burned bright as a testament to the raw, unfiltered spirit of Black American funk music that defined an era.
