Sunrise Over Sea

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Sunrise Over Sea is the third studio album by the Australian band The John Butler Trio. It was released on March 8, 2004, and was recorded in 2003 at Woodstock Studios in Melbourne.

The band for this album was John Butler on guitar and vocals, Nicky Bomba on percussion, and Shannon Birchall on upright bass. This was Bomba’s only recording with the Trio until April Uprising in 2010. The sound engineer was Robin Mai.

John Butler has said he wanted more freedom to follow his vision, relying on finding the right players for each moment rather than sticking with the same lineup for many years. He notes that some of his favorite Jimi Hendrix moments came from spontaneous playing with Band of Gypsys.

The title Sunrise Over Sea is thought to reference Butler’s hometown of Byron Bay, one of the first places in Australia to see the sunrise, and it also appears in the lyrics of the song “Peaches & Cream.” All songs were written, arranged, and produced by John Butler, except for “What You Want,” where the string parts were arranged by Shannon Birchall and Butler, with Birchall conducting.

Additional musicians on the album include Michael Barker, Danielle Caruna, Michael Caruna, Dave Pensabene, and Tim Neil. A bonus track “Something’s Gotta Give” appears on later editions, after having been released on a 2004 EP.

In August 2004, a related release titled What You Want came out, featuring the song “What You Want” (which is shared with Sunrise Over Sea), plus a new version of “Treat Yo’ Mama” and a cover of The Beatles’ “Across the Universe.”

Sunrise Over Sea debuted at number one on the Australian album charts on March 15, 2004, and earned gold status in its first week. The single “Zebra” had been released in December 2003 and reached the ARIA charts in early 2004; it was number 8 in Triple J’s Hottest 100 of 2003 and received substantial radio play. The album was the first fully independent release to debut at number one on the ARIA albums chart. In 2011, Sunrise Over Sea was certified five times platinum in Australia.