I picked up this Bill Soden single based on the strength of his earlier releases, namely the way cool sitar laced pop sike gem 'My Mermaid And Me' and the stunning orchestrated folk ballad and personal favorite 'Rainy Day'. Both of these tracks were released on the Compass label in 1967 and can be found on Fading Yellow comps respectively.. Adding to the curiosity was the absence of any info regarding this single on the net, not even a Youtube clip which is pretty impressive in 2016! It's one of those records that's neither common nor a collectors item..
After obtaining and listening to this 45 I'm left with slight disappointment, but only on account of the greatness found on his earlier singles. Bill Soden seems to have taken a heavy Lovin' Spoonful/John Sebastian approach on this record. In fact, 'Soakin' Up Sunshine' basically comes off as a direct ripoff of 'Daydream'. The resemblance is uncanny and while 'Daydream' was a smash hit for The Lovin' Spoonful in 1966, 'Soakin' Up Sunshine' sunk without a trace 2 years after the fact. Absolutely no disrespect to Bill Soden as this record gets lodged into your ears just as any great pop song does. 'Old Time Movies' is executed in similar fashion giving off a slight Nashville influence. Bill Soden would go on to record a fourth and final single on yet another label, Cotillion, later in 1968.
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