"The Sun Rising" is a song by English

electronic music Electronic music is a genre of music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments, or circuitry-based music technology in its creation. It includes both music made using electronic and electromechanical means ( electroac ...

group the Beloved. It was released in October 1989 as the second single from their second album, ''

Happiness Happiness, in the context of Mental health, mental or emotional states, is positive or Pleasure, pleasant emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy. Other forms include life satisfaction, well-being, subjective well-being, flourishin ...

'' (1990), and became a club favourite. The song also was the group's first top 40 hit in the UK, peaking at number 26 on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

in November 1989. In 1997, the song was re-released, reaching number 31 in the UK.

Sample

The female vocal

sample Sample or samples may refer to: Base meaning * Sample (statistics), a subset of a population – complete data set * Sample (signal), a digital discrete sample of a continuous analog signal * Sample (material), a specimen or small quantity of s ...

in "The Sun Rising" is from a song titled "O Euchari", sung by

Emily Van Evera Emily Van Evera is an American soprano who specializes in early music and Baroque music in historically informed performance. Born in Minnesota, she has collaborated in Europe and the US with ensembles such as the Hilliard Ensemble, the London S ...

on the album ''

A Feather on the Breath of God ''A Feather on the Breath of God'' is an album of sacred vocal music written in the 12th century by the German abbess Hildegard of Bingen, and recorded by British vocal ensemble Gothic Voices with English soprano Emma Kirkby. It was released by t ...

'' by

Gothic Voices Gothic Voices is a United Kingdom-based vocal ensemble specialising in repertoire from the 11th to the 15th century but also performing contemporary music, particularly pieces with medieval associations. The group was originally formed in 1980 ...

. The sample was not credited on the release of "The Sun Rising" single. An out of court settlement was reached between WEA and Gothic Voices' record label

Hyperion Records Hyperion Records is an independent British classical record label. History Hyperion is an independent British classical label that was established in 1980 with the goal of showcasing recordings of music in all genres and from all time period ...

for this omission.

Critical reception

Retrospectively, Jon O'Brien from

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

complimented the song as "gorgeous", remarking that it first introduced us to "the seductive whispering tones of frontman

Jon Marsh The Beloved are a British electronic music group best known for the singles " Sweet Harmony", "The Sun Rising", "Hello", "Your Love Takes Me Higher", and "Satellite". Originally a post-punk/ new wave band formed in 1983, they underwent a cha ...

and their unique fusion of

Balearic beat Balearic beat, also known as Balearic house, Balearic, Ibiza house or Ibizan chillout, is an eclectic blend of DJ-led dance music that emerged in the mid-1980s. It later became the name of a more specific style of electronic dance music that wa ...

s and ethereal

acid-house Acid house (also simply known as just "acid") is a subgenre of house music developed around the mid-1980s by DJs from Chicago. The style is defined primarily by the squelching sounds and basslines of the Roland TB-303 electronic bass synthes ...

synths." Upon the release,

Larry Flick Larry Flick is an American journalist, former dance music columnist, single reviewer, and Senior Talent Editor for ''Billboard'' magazine, where he worked for 14 years. Now he produces and hosts Sirius XM radio shows. Flick started in the music ...

from ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' wrote, "Former U.K. club smash is given a deep,

ambient Ambient or Ambiance or Ambience may refer to: Music and sound * Ambience (sound recording), also known as atmospheres or backgrounds * Ambient music, a genre of music that puts an emphasis on tone and atmosphere * ''Ambient'' (album), by Moby * ...

house A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...

redressing that swirls, surrounds, and ultimately envelops the listener. Singer Jon Marsh's low-whisper vocals are a perfect complement." Pan-European magazine ''

Music & Media ''Music & Media'' was a pan-European magazine for radio, music and entertainment. It was published for the first time in 1984 as ''Eurotipsheet'', but in 1986 it changed name to ''Music & Media''. It was originally based in Amsterdam, but later ...

'' commented, "House meets early 70s

Temptations The Temptations are an American vocal group from Detroit, Michigan, who released a series of successful singles and albums with Motown Records during the 1960s and 1970s. The group's work with producer Norman Whitfield, beginning with the Top 1 ...

. A haunting melody and an insistent rhythm." They also declared the song as "excellent

new age New Age is a range of spiritual or religious practices and beliefs which rapidly grew in Western society during the early 1970s. Its highly eclectic and unsystematic structure makes a precise definition difficult. Although many scholars conside ...

/house". Selina Webb from ''

Music Week ''Music Week'' is a trade publication for the UK record industry distributed via a website and a monthly print magazine. It is published by Future. History Founded in 1959 as '' Record Retailer'', it relaunched on 18 March 1972 as ''Music W ...

'' said, "The refrain comes courtesy of an ethereal chorister, adding to the dewy, other-world mood of this superb subterranean house track. Post-rave drive home music which marks the nearest Beloved have got to recapturing the style of their brilliant indie hit "Forever Dancing"." Another editor gave the 1997 re-release four out of five, adding, "A reissue that makes sense. This classic 1989 ambient house hit is reworked by Global Communications into a dreamy

drum & bass Drum and bass (also written as drum & bass or drum'n'bass and commonly abbreviated as D&B, DnB, or D'n'B) is a genre of electronic dance music characterized by fast breakbeats (typically 165–185 beats per minute) with heavy bass and sub-ba ...

track, which is already getting

Kiss A kiss is the touch or pressing of one's lips against another person or an object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely. Depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sexual attraction, ...

airplay."

Usage in media

In 1990, the song was used in a commercial for the breakfast cereal Alpen. The song makes multiple appearances in the 2005 Channel 4 queer comedy-drama series ''Sugar Rush''. In 2020, the song was used in an advert for online clothing store Kaleidoscope.

Track listings

* 7" single # "The Sun Rising" — 4:59 # "The Sun Rising" (Eurovisionary) — 3:37 * 12" single # "The Sun Rising" — 4:59 # "The Sun Rising" (Gentle Night) — 2:47 # "The Sun Rising" (Eurovisionary) — 5:09 # "The Sun Rising" (Deeply Satisfying) — 5:31 * 12" remix single # "The Sun Rising" (Il Sole Sorge) — 4:51 # "The Sun Rising" (Intensità) — 4:49 # "The Sun Rising" (Danny's "Love Is..." Remix) — 4:29 # "The Sun Rising" (Son Of The Rising House) — 5:20 * CD mini # "The Sun Rising" — 4:59 # "The Sun Rising" (Eurovisionary) — 3:37 # "The Sun Rising" (Adam & Eve's House Of The Rising Sun) — 5:16 # "The Sun Rising" (Gentle Night) — 2:47

Charts

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sun Rising 1989 singles 1997 singles The Beloved (band) songs Songs written by Jon Marsh 1989 songs Warner Music Group singles Acid house songs Ambient songs