From the opening piano and handclaps of
"So Glad I'm Here," it's clear that
Ida vocalist
Elizabeth Mitchell was poised to make a soothing yet playful
children's album with
You Are My Sunshine. Diving into her role as mother, having given birth to her first child with
Ida's
Dan Littleton in 2002,
Mitchell's tender and graceful nature with this disc of
children's songs was surely connected to her new role as mother. Having first sung classic
folk songs to children as a nursery school teacher in New York City,
Mitchell took her time with the follow-up to
Ida's
You Are My Flower, also released on
Last Affair Records.
You Are My Sunshine was recorded between September 2000 and September 2002 in four different locations. While the first concept of the
children's album was recorded haphazardly in one afternoon, this disc was born out of careful planning. The first session was recorded with
Warren Defever in Livonia, MI, when
Mitchell was six weeks pregnant, and other sessions were planned around her pregnancy and resulting motherhood. Retaining the same loving energy as
You Are My Flower,
Mitchell and
Littleton tackled
gospel,
rock,
folk and even
reggae dub sounds for the record.
The second track is classic kids' fare, the consistently peppy
"Skip to My Lou," while
"Hey Bo Diddley" is a slightly altered version of
"I Want Candy," showcasing
Mitchell's unique vision, rewriting select songs for the ears of children. A boy named
Rafael Edwards is featured as the first vocalist on the fifth track, the fishing singalong
"Crawdad." Littleton sings a duet with
Mitchell over the slowed-down
reggae beats of
"Alphabet Dub," which features
Fred Thomas of
Saturday Looks Good to Me on drums. On
"Car Car," Mitchell and
Athena Miros offer up a tranquil version of
Woody Guthrie's
"Take Me Ridin' in the Car Car," which is followed by the soon-to-be preschool classic cover of
Roy Orbison's
"Ooby Dooby." The title track appears on track nine, and a cover of
Cat Stevens'
"Here Comes My Baby" appears on track 13, as
Mitchell and
Littleton sweetly croon over intricate guitar and modest piano. A soothing version of the classic
"Three Is a Magic Number" from the
School House Rock television series is next, yet again breathing new life into a classic
children's song, adding education to the soothing musical tones.
"Good Night Irene" is the last listed track, showcasing the crisp vocals by
Mitchell that make
Ida such a stellar and diverse indie act. An alternate version of
"You Are My Sunshine" appears as the hidden 17th track. In the end,
You Are My Sunshine serves as a carefully crafted musical soundtrack for 21st century families, making adults reminiscent of days gone by while introducing children to the power of music. Mastered by
Steve Fallone at
Sterling Sound Studio in New York, the disc was released in February 2003. ~ Stephen Cramer