"Sunshine" redirects here. For natural lighting of interior spaces by admitting sunlight, see Daylighting. For solar energy available from sunlight, see Insolation. For other uses, see Sunlight (disambiguation) and Sunshine (disambiguation).

Sunlight shining through clouds, giving rise to crepuscular rays.

Sunlight, in the broad sense, is the total frequency spectrum of electromagnetic radiation given off by the Sun, particularly infrared, visible, and ultraviolet light. On Earth, sunlight is filtered through the Earth's atmosphere, and solar radiation is obvious as daylight when the Sun is above the horizon.

When the direct solar radiation is not blocked by clouds, it is experienced as sunshine, a combination of bright light and radiant heat. When it is blocked by the clouds or reflects off of other objects, it is experienced as diffused light.

The World Meteorological Organization uses the term "sunshine duration" to mean the cumulative time during which an area receives direct irradiance from the Sun of at least 120 watts per square meter.^[1]

Sunlight may be recorded using a sunshine recorder, pyranometer or pyrheliometer. Sunlight takes about 8.3 minutes to reach the Earth.

On average, it takes energy between 10,000 and 170,000 years to leave the sun's interior and then be emitted from the surface as light.^[2]

Direct sunlight has a luminous efficacy of about 93 lumens per watt of radiant flux. Bright sunlight provides illuminance of approximately 100,000 lux or lumens per square meter at the Earth's surface.

Sunlight is a key factor in photosynthesis, a process vital for many living beings on Earth.

Composition[link]

Solar irradiance spectrum above atmosphere and at surface

The spectrum of the Sun's solar radiation is close to that of a black body with a temperature of about 5,800 K.^[3] The Sun emits EM radiation across most of the electromagnetic spectrum. Although the Sun produces Gamma rays as a result of the nuclear fusion process, these super high energy photons are converted to lower energy photons before they reach the Sun's surface and are emitted out into space. As a result, the Sun doesn't give off any gamma rays. The Sun does, however, emit X-rays, ultraviolet, visible light, infrared, and even radio waves.^[4] When ultraviolet radiation is not absorbed by the atmosphere or other protective coating, it can cause damage to the skin known as sunburn or trigger an adaptive change in human skin pigmentation.

The spectrum of electromagnetic radiation striking the Earth's atmosphere spans a range of 100 nm to about 1 mm. This can be divided into five regions in increasing order of wavelengths:^[5]

• Ultraviolet C or (UVC) range, which spans a range of 100 to 280 nm. The term ultraviolet refers to the fact that the radiation is at higher frequency than violet light (and, hence also invisible to the human eye). Owing to absorption by the atmosphere very little reaches the Earth's surface (Lithosphere). This spectrum of radiation has germicidal properties, and is used in germicidal lamps.
• Ultraviolet B or (UVB) range spans 280 to 315 nm. It is also greatly absorbed by the atmosphere, and along with UVC is responsible for the photochemical reaction leading to the production of the ozone layer.
• Ultraviolet A or (UVA) spans 315 to 400 nm. It has been traditionally held as less damaging to the DNA, and hence used in tanning and PUVA therapy for psoriasis.
• Visible range or light spans 380 to 780 nm. As the name suggests, it is this range that is visible to the naked eye.
• Infrared range that spans 700 nm to 10⁶ nm (1 mm). It is responsible for an important part of the electromagnetic radiation that reaches the Earth. It is also divided into three types on the basis of wavelength:
  • Infrared-A: 700 nm to 1,400 nm
  • Infrared-B: 1,400 nm to 3,000 nm
  • Infrared-C: 3,000 nm to 1 mm

Calculation[link]

To calculate the amount of sunlight reaching the ground, both the elliptical orbit of the Earth and the attenuation by the Earth's atmosphere have to be taken into account. The extraterrestrial solar illuminance (E_ext), corrected for the elliptical orbit by using the day number of the year (dn), is given by^[6]

Failed to parse (Missing texvc executable; please see math/README to configure.): E_{\rm ext}= E_{\rm sc} \cdot \left(1+0.033412 \cdot \cos\left(2\pi\frac{{\rm dn}-3}{365}\right)\right),

where dn=1 on January 1; dn=2 on January 2; dn=32 on February 1, etc. In this formula dn-3 is used, because in modern times Earth's perihelion, the closest approach to the Sun and therefore the maximum E_ext occurs around January 3 each year. The value of 0.033412 is determined knowing that the ratio between the perihelion (0.98328989 AU) squared and the aphelion (1.01671033 AU) squared should be approximately 0.935338.

The solar illuminance constant (E_sc), is equal to 128×10³ lx. The direct normal illuminance (E_dn), corrected for the attenuating effects of the atmosphere is given by:

Failed to parse (Missing texvc executable; please see math/README to configure.): E_{\rm dn}=E_{\rm ext}\,e^{-cm},

where c is the atmospheric extinction coefficient and m is the relative optical airmass.

Solar constant[link]

The solar constant, a measure of flux density, is the amount of incoming solar electromagnetic radiation per unit area that would be incident on a plane perpendicular to the rays, at a distance of one astronomical unit (AU) (roughly the mean distance from the Sun to the Earth). The "solar constant" includes all types of solar radiation, not just the visible light. Its average value was thought to be approximately 1.366 kW/m²,^[7] varying slightly with solar activity, but recent recalibrations of the relevant satellite observations indicate a value closer to 1.361 kW/m² is more realistic.^[8]

Total (TSI) and spectral solar irradiance (SSI) upon Earth[link]

Total Solar Irradiance upon Earth (TSI) was earlier measured by satellite to be roughly 1.366 kilowatts per square meter (kW/m²),^[7][9][10] but most recently NASA cites TSI as "1361 W/m² as compared to ~1366 W/m² from earlier observations [Kopp et al., 2005]", based on regular readings from NASA's Solar Radiation and Climate Experiment(SORCE) satellite, active since 2003,^[11] noting that this "discovery is critical in examining the energy budget of the planet Earth and isolating the climate change due to human activities." Furthermore the Spectral Irradiance Monitor (SIM) has found in the same period that spectral solar irradiance (SSI) at UV (ultraviolet) wavelength corresponds in a less clear, and probably more complicated fashion, with earth's climate responses than earlier assumed, fueling broad avenues of new research in "the connection of the Sun and stratosphere, troposphere, biosphere, ocean, and Earth’s climate".^[11]

Intensity in the Solar System[link]

Different bodies of the Solar System receive light of an intensity inversely proportional to the square of their distance from Sun. A rough table comparing the amount of solar radiation received by each planet in the Solar System follows (from data in [1]):

The actual brightness of sunlight that would be observed at the surface depends also on the presence and composition of an atmosphere. For example Venus' thick atmosphere reflects more than 60% of the solar light it receives. The actual illumination of the surface is about 14,000 lux, comparable to that on Earth "in the daytime with overcast clouds".^[12]

Sunlight on Mars would be more or less like daylight on Earth wearing sunglasses, and as can be seen in the pictures taken by the rovers, there is enough diffuse sky radiation that shadows would not seem particularly dark. Thus it would give perceptions and "feel" very much like Earth daylight.

For comparison purposes, sunlight on Saturn is slightly brighter than Earth sunlight at the average sunset or sunrise (see daylight for comparison table). Even on Pluto the sunlight would still be bright enough to almost match the average living room. To see sunlight as dim as full moonlight on the Earth, a distance of about 500 AU (~69 light-hours) is needed; there are only a handful of objects in the solar system known to orbit farther than such a distance, among them 90377 Sedna and (87269) 2000 OO67.

Surface illumination[link]

The spectrum of surface illumination depends upon solar elevation due to atmospheric effects, with the blue spectral component from atmospheric scatter dominating during twilight before and after sunrise and sunset, respectively, and red dominating during sunrise and sunset. These effects are apparent in natural light photography where the principal source of illumination is sunlight as mediated by the atmosphere.

According to Craig Bohren, "preferential absorption of sunlight by ozone over long horizon paths gives the zenith sky its blueness when the sun is near the horizon".^[13]

See diffuse sky radiation for more details.

Climate effects[link]

On Earth, solar radiation is obvious as daylight when the sun is above the horizon. This is during daytime, and also in summer near the poles at night, but not at all in winter near the poles. When the direct radiation is not blocked by clouds, it is experienced as sunshine, combining the perception of bright white light (sunlight in the strict sense) and warming. The warming on the body, the ground and other objects depends on the absorption (electromagnetic radiation) of the electromagnetic radiation in the form of heat.

The amount of radiation intercepted by a planetary body varies inversely with the square of the distance between the star and the planet. The Earth's orbit and obliquity change with time (over thousands of years), sometimes forming a nearly perfect circle, and at other times stretching out to an orbital eccentricity of 5% (currently 1.67%). The total insolation remains almost constant due to Kepler's second law,

Failed to parse (Missing texvc executable; please see math/README to configure.): \tfrac{2A}{r^2}dt = d\theta,

where Failed to parse (Missing texvc executable; please see math/README to configure.): A

is the "areal velocity" invariant. That is, the integration over the orbital period (also invariant) is a constant.

Failed to parse (Missing texvc executable; please see math/README to configure.): \int_{0}^{T} \tfrac{2A}{r^2}dt = \int_{0}^{2\pi} d\theta = \mathrm{constant}

If we assume the solar radiation power Failed to parse (Missing texvc executable; please see math/README to configure.): P

as a constant over time and the solar irradiation given by the inverse-square law, we obtain also the average insolation as a constant.

But the seasonal and latitudinal distribution and intensity of solar radiation received at the Earth's surface also varies.^[14] For example, at latitudes of 65 degrees the change in solar energy in summer & winter can vary by more than 25% as a result of the Earth's orbital variation. Because changes in winter and summer tend to offset, the change in the annual average insolation at any given location is near zero, but the redistribution of energy between summer and winter does strongly affect the intensity of seasonal cycles. Such changes associated with the redistribution of solar energy are considered a likely cause for the coming and going of recent ice ages (see: Milankovitch cycles).

Past variations in solar irradiance[link]

Space-based observations of solar irradiance started in 1978. These measurements show that the solar constant is not constant. It varies with the 11-year sunspot solar cycle. When going further back in time, one has to rely on irradiance reconstructions, using sunspots for the past 400 years or cosmogenic radionuclides for going back 10,000 years. Such reconstructions have been done ^{[15][16][17][18]}. These studies show that solar irradiance does vary with distinct periodicities such as: 11 years (Schwabe), 88 years (Gleisberg cycle), 208 years (DeVries cycle) and 1,000 years (Eddy cycle).

Life on Earth[link]

This short film explores the vital connection between Earth and the Sun.

The existence of nearly all life on Earth is fueled by light from the sun. Most autotrophs, such as plants, use the energy of sunlight, combined with carbon dioxide and water, to produce simple sugars—a process known as photosynthesis. These sugars are then used as building blocks and in other synthetic pathways which allow the organism to grow.

Heterotrophs, such as animals, use light from the sun indirectly by consuming the products of autotrophs, either by consuming autotrophs, by consuming their products or by consuming other heterotrophs. The sugars and other molecular components produced by the autotrophs are then broken down, releasing stored solar energy, and giving the heterotroph the energy required for survival. This process is known as cellular respiration.

In prehistory, humans began to further extend this process by putting plant and animal materials to other uses. They used animal skins for warmth, for example, or wooden weapons to hunt. These skills allowed humans to harvest more of the sunlight than was possible through glycolysis alone, and human population began to grow.

During the Neolithic Revolution, the domestication of plants and animals further increased human access to solar energy. Fields devoted to crops were enriched by inedible plant matter, providing sugars and nutrients for future harvests. Animals which had previously only provided humans with meat and tools once they were killed were now used for labour throughout their lives, fueled by grasses inedible to humans.

The more recent discoveries of coal, petroleum and natural gas are modern extensions of this trend. These fossil fuels are the remnants of ancient plant and animal matter, formed using energy from sunlight and then trapped within the earth for millions of years. Because the stored energy in these fossil fuels has accumulated over many millions of years, they have allowed modern humans to massively increase the production and consumption of primary energy. As the amount of fossil fuel is large but finite, this cannot continue indefinitely, and various theories exist as to what will follow this stage of human civilization (e.g. alternative fuels, Malthusian catastrophe, new urbanism, peak oil).

Cultural aspects[link]

This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability.

Claude Monet: Le déjeuner sur l'herbe

The effect of sunlight is relevant to painting, evidenced for instance in works of Claude Monet on outdoor scenes and landscapes.

Many people find direct sunlight to be too bright for comfort, especially when reading from white paper upon which the sun is directly shining. Indeed, looking directly at the sun can cause long-term vision damage. To compensate for the brightness of sunlight, many people wear sunglasses. Cars, many helmets and caps are equipped with visors to block the sun from direct vision when the sun is at a low angle. Sunshine is often blocked from entering buildings through the use of walls, window blinds, awnings, shutters or curtains, or by nearby shade trees.

In colder countries, many people prefer sunnier days and often avoid the shade. In hotter countries the converse is true; during the midday hours many people prefer to stay inside to remain cool. If they do go outside, they seek shade which may be provided by trees, parasols, and so on.

In Hinduism the sun is considered to be a god as it is the source of life and energy on earth.

Sunbathing[link]

Sunbathing is a popular leisure activity in which a person sits or lies in direct sunshine. People often sunbathe in comfortable places where there is ample sunlight. Some common places for sunbathing include beaches, open air swimming pools, parks, gardens, and sidewalk cafés. Sunbathers typically wear limited amounts of clothing or some simply go nude. For some, an alternative to sunbathing is the use of a sunbed that generates ultraviolet light and can be used indoors regardless of outdoor weather conditions and amount of sunlight.

For many people with pale or brownish skin, one purpose for sunbathing is to darken one's skin color (get a sun tan) as this is considered in some cultures to be beautiful, associated with outdoor activity, vacations/holidays, and health. Some people prefer naked sunbathing so that an "all-over" or "even" tan can be obtained, sometimes as part of a specific lifestyle.

For people suffering from psoriasis, sunbathing is an effective way of healing the symptoms.

Skin tanning is achieved by an increase in the dark pigment inside skin cells called melanocytes and it is actually an automatic response mechanism of the body to sufficient exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun or from artificial sunlamps. Thus, the tan gradually disappears with time, when one is no longer exposed to these sources.

Effects on human health[link]

The body produces vitamin D from sunlight (specifically from the UVB band of ultraviolet light), and excessive seclusion from the sun can lead to deficiency unless adequate amounts are obtained through diet.

Sunburn can have mild to severe inflammation effects on skin; this can be avoided by using a proper sunscreen cream or lotion or by gradually building up melanocytes with increasing exposure. Another detrimental effect of UV exposure is accelerated skin aging (also called skin photodamage), which produces a difficult to treat cosmetic effect. Some people are concerned that ozone depletion is increasing the incidence of such health hazards. A 10% decrease in ozone could cause a 25% increase in skin cancer.^[19]

A lack of sunlight, on the other hand, is considered one of the primary causes of seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a serious form of the "winter blues". SAD occurrence is more prevalent in locations further from the tropics, and most of the treatments (other than prescription drugs) involve light therapy, replicating sunlight via lamps tuned to specific (visible, not ultra-violet) wavelengths of light or full-spectrum bulbs.

A recent study indicates that more exposure to sunshine early in a person’s life relates to less risk from multiple sclerosis (MS) later in life.^[20]

See also[link]

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Hartmann, Thom (1998). The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight. London: Hodder and Stoughton. ISBN 0-340-82243-0.

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Sunlight

• Solar radiation - Encyclopedia of Earth
• Total Solar Irradiance (TSI) Daily mean data at the website of the National Geophysical Data Center
• Construction of a Composite Total Solar Irradiance (TSI) Time Series from 1978 to present by World Radiation Center, Physikalisch-Meteorologisches Observatorium Davos (pmod wrc)
• A Comparison of Methods for Providing Solar Radiation Data to Crop Models and Decision Support Systems, Rivington et al.
• Evaluation of three model estimations of solar radiation at 24 UK stations, Rivington et al.
• High resolution spectrum of solar radiation from Observatoire de Paris
• Measuring Solar Radiation : A lesson plan from the National Science Digital Library.
• Websurf astronomical information: Online tools for calculating Rising and setting times of Sun, Moon or planet, Azimuth of Sun, Moon or planet at rising and setting, Altitude and azimuth of Sun, Moon or planet for a given date or range of dates, and more.
• An Excel workbook with a solar position and solar radiation time-series calculator; by Greg Pelletier
• DOE information about the ASTM standard solar spectrum for PV evaluation.
• ASTM Standard for solar spectrum at ground level in the US (latitude ~ 37 degrees).
• Detailed spectrum of the sun at Astronomy Picture of the Day.

v t e The Sun Internal structure Core Radiation zone Convection zone Atmosphere Photosphere Supergranulation Granule Faculae Sunspot Chromosphere Plage Spicule Moreton wave Corona Transition region Coronal hole Coronal loop Coronal mass ejection Prominence Helmet streamer Variation Solar cycle List of solar cycles Solar maximum Solar minimum Wolf number Solar wind Flare Helioseismology Heliosphere Current sheet Termination shock Heliosheath Heliopause Bow shock Related topics Solar System Solar dynamo Solar telescope Eclipse Radiation Solar energy Spectral class: G2

DJ Antoine
MC Roby Rob (left) and DJ Antoine (right).
Background information
Birth name	Antoine Konrad
Born	(1975-06-23) June 23, 1975 (age 37)
Origin	Switzerland
Genres	Electro House, House, Vocal House
Occupations	DJ, record producer
Years active	1998–present
Associated acts	Tom Dice, Mad Mark
Website	http://www.djantoine.com/

Antoine Konrad (born June 23, 1975), better known as DJ Antoine, is a Swiss-Lebanese house and electro DJ and producer, from Beirut, Lebanon. He has had a number of successful single and album releases in Western Europe, in particular Switzerland and France. DJ Antoine's first notable release was the 2000 album Houseworks 01, and he has since released many albums in the last years. One of his releases, Jealousy (released in 2007) was one of his best selling albums.Also, In 2010, he released the summer hits "Welcome To St. Tropez (Feat. Kalenna)" and "Sunlight (Feat. Tom Dice).^{[citation needed]}

With more than 1,5 million sold albums, 34 gold records, 5 platinum awards, 1 double-platin award and owning the record label „Houseworks“, DJ Antoine is the internationally most successful DJ of Switzerland.

His career officially took off in 1995, when he opened his club called House Café in the city of Basel. This club is the benchmark for the progress of the whole scene in Basel and the cult-parties are still in fond memories. After a short tip into the Swiss Hip Hop scene, DJ Antoine had quickly switched genre, getting hooked on the Pumping-House-Wave. In 1998, he released his first album “DJ Antoine – The Pumpin’ House Mix”. 1999 “Houseworks 1” won the first gold award. After that, things started to move very fast. Until this day, DJ Antoine has produced 51 CDs, strongly establishing his music and himself in the music and clubbing scene. Since 2003 he has been hosting his own weekly radio show, which is broadcasted by radio stations all over the world.

In 2006, DJ Antoine achieved his international breakthrough with the album “DJ Antoine – Live in Moscow” and the single “This Time”. Ever since, he has been a highly demanded act in popular and trendy clubs all over the world. Gigs in New York, Chicago, Miami, Montreal, Moscow, Dubai, Bangkok, Oslo, Vienna and Cairo have turned into a regular but exciting part of his everyday life. Acknowledging his international success, All Around The World Records, the electronic music label owned by Universal Music UK, Blanco y Negro Spain, Happy Music France, Emi Music South Africa, Ultra Records USA and Kontor Records Germany signed the single “This Time” in 2009.

The many awards he won in the recent years prove that DJ Antoine is one of the best in this industry. 2001 he won the Ericsson Dance Music Award for the best and most successful artist of the year 2000 in the category „House / UK Garage / Progressive House“. In 2008, DJ Antoine created a stir with his sociocritical album “DJ Antoine –Stop!”, on which he openly spoke out against juvenile violence, calling for more civil courage. In spring 2009, the record was priced with the Swiss Music Award for “Best National Dance Album”. The following year, he defended that title with his CD “DJ Antoine – 2009” and, on top of that, received the Swiss Prix Walo. In 2010 he achieved his biggest success in Switzerland so far: For his album “DJ Antoine – 2010” he was awarded with a platinum record. This platinum record was also nominated for this year Swiss Music Award in the category “Best Album Dance National”.

In the studio DJ Antoine works with his long-term business partner Fabio Antoniali also known as Mad Mark. Well-known musicians such as Mary J. Blige, P. Diddy, Pitbull, Cindy Lauper, Robin S., Roberto Blanco and Ivana Trump have had their tracks exclusively remixed by the two artists. In 2010, DJ Antoine produced songs for Timati, Snoop Dogg, DJ Smash and Bob Sinclar. That same year, the charismatic House-legend Mr. Mike joined the team as a vocalist, also accompanying the DJ to selected performances.

Another highlight of his career is now the first collaboration with Timati and Kalenna Harper (Dirty Money) for the hit single "Welcome to St. Tropez", which was released in Germany and Austria by none other than the dance label Kontor Records.

DJ Antoine keeps setting new trends with his music, attracting worldwide attention to his brand. Labels like Maurice Lacroix, Perrier-Jouët „Belle Epoque“ champagne and the Swiss custom tailor SuitArt all trust in his image. For VIP-Events, DJ Antoine has had the chance to work with nameable partners such as Sony Ericsson, Campari, Moonlight, Edo Popken, Crysler, Dodge, Maybach, Cadillac, Moet Hennessy, J. Lindeberg, Paco Rabanne and the German TV station Pro7.

Alongside his work as a DJ, Antoine Konrad manages his own production and booking companies Global Productions GmbH and Global Bookings. For his VIP-Events, he regularly creates extensive and individual concepts, in tune with the clients and guests needs and wishes. His exclusive event concepts represent lifestyle and luxury and he inspires his customers with his ideas. His team currently consists of ten employees, all based in Switzerland. Antoine has sold over 1,000,000 CDs,^{[citation needed]} and runs his own labels, Houseworks and Egoïste. He has gained popularity all over Europe and also overseas in Canada and the United States.

Discography[link]

External links[link]

• Official site

Tom Dice
Tom Dice in Oslo (2010)
Background information
Birth name	Tom Eeckhout
Born	(1989-11-25) 25 November 1989 (age 22)
Origin	Eeklo, Belgium
Genres	Pop, Acoustic
Occupations	Singer-songwriter
Instruments	Guitar
Years active	2008–present
Labels	SonicAngel
Associated acts	The Dice
Website	Tom Dice

Tom Dice (born Tom Eeckhout in Eeklo on 25 November 1989) is a Belgian singer-songwriter, who finished second in the Flemish version of The X Factor in 2008. Dice represented Belgium in the Eurovision Song Contest 2010 final on 29 May in Oslo. Tom Dice ended up in sixth, one of Flanders best placements ever in the contest. Dice was also the first Belgian act to qualify for the final since the introduction of the semifinals in Eurovision.

[edit] Youth and X Factor

Dice learned to play the guitar as a child, began songwriting in his early teens and at the age of 15 joined band The Dice, using Tom Eeckhout Dice as his stage name.^[1] In 2008 he entered the Flemish X Factor and, with Maurice Engelen as his vocal coach, finished runner-up to Dirk De Smet.

Following X Factor, Dice became the first signing to new label SonicAngel, and in June 2009, now under the name of Tom Dice, released his first single, an acoustic cover of Leona Lewis' Bleeding Love.^[2] The single went on to reach number 7 on the Flemish singles chart during a 14-week chart run.^[3] Dice received a nomination in the 2009 TMF Awards in the category "Best New Artist", losing out to Jasper Erkens.^[4]

In May 2009, Dice began working, again with Engelen, on his debut album, which was originally scheduled for an October 2009 release, but was delayed until April 2010.^[5]

Eurovision Song Contest 2010[link]

Tom Dice performing at the Eurovision Song Contest 2010

On 25 November 2009, Dice was chosen by the Flemish broadcaster Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroep (VRT) to represent Belgium at the Eurovision Song Contest 2010 in Oslo, Norway. His distinctive voice and TV experience were cited among the factors behind his selection.^[6] Reaction in Belgium to the announcement that Dice had been chosen by internal means was mixed, with some feeling that an open and public selection involving different artists would have been preferable.^[7]

The chosen song "Me and My Guitar" was unveiled on 7 March 2010, and was co-written by Ashley Hicklin, Jeroen Swinnen and Dice himself.^[8] The song went to number 1 in Belgium, both on the iTunes chart and on the official Flemish and Walloon charts; it also reached number 7 in Luxembourg. Dice performed the song in the first semi-final in Oslo on 25 May 2010 and qualified for the final, in first place,^[9] making him the first Belgian act to do so in 6 years. Tom Dice finished in sixth place, one of Belgium's best placements in the contest.

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

Singles[link]

As featured artist[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Tom Dice

• Official website (Dutch)
• Recordlabel SonicAngel
• The Dice Myspace page

Jesse Colin Young (born Perry Miller; November 22, 1941^[1]) is an American singer / songwriter / folksinger and a founding member of the group The Youngbloods.

Early life[link]

Young was born and raised in Queens, New York City. His mother was a violinist and his father was an accountant with a strong interest in classical music. At the age of 15 years old, Young received a scholarship to the Phillips Academy in Andover Massachusetts and was later expelled.^[2]

Career[link]

During the 1960s, while living in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan, Young released two solo albums, The Soul of a City Boy and Young Blood. He then formed the group called The Youngbloods which included guitarist Jerry Corbitt, keyboardist/guitarist Lowell "Banana" Levinger, and drummer Joe Bauer. Their first album contained the song "Get Together", written by Chet Powers, which was re-released as a single in 1969 and used as an advertising theme for television. Young and his band, the Youngbloods, founded a record label called Raccoon Records, and released four additional albums.^[3]

Young left the group in 1972 and released a solo album called Together. His fourth solo album, Song for Juli, had four singles and remained on the Billboard Top 200 chart for several months. In 1978, Jesse recorded the album American Dreams, which was followed by the album The Perfect Stranger in 1982. In 1987 he released the album The Highway Is for Heroes.^[4]

He continued touring and re-formed the Youngbloods band for a time before going back to a solo recording career in 1987. He has since begun re-issuing older material.^[2]

In 1993 he began his own recording company called Ridgetop Music.^[2]

Personal[link]

In September 1979 Young performed in the "No Nukes" concert.^[4]

His recording studio and house in Inverness, California, were destroyed in the Mount Vision fire in 1995.^[5] Young, his wife, Connie, and their two children spent the next ten years living in Hawaii, where they maintained a coffee plantation. In 2006, Young moved his family to South Carolina.^[2]

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Jesse Colin Young official website
• Jesse Colin Young at allmusic.com

Colin Young (born 12 September 1944 in Barbados) is a singer known for being a member of The Foundations. In the mid-sixties, he came to England for a holiday with his father and he decided to stay. He was a former bookkeeper who prior to joining The Foundations was lead singer of a group called The Tonicks.

Colin Young joined The Foundations after two members, lead singer Clem Curtis and tenor saxophonist Mike Elliott left in 1968.^[1] He replaced Clem Curtis as lead singer and went on to sing on 2 more of the Foundations big hits, "Build Me Up Buttercup" and "In the Bad Bad Old Days (Before You Loved Me)".^[1] He stayed with The Foundations until their break up in late 1970.

In the mid-1970s, while Clem Curtis and The Foundations were on the road after having re-formed The Foundations, there was also another Foundations line up, led by Colin Young, who were on the road at the same time and were playing basically the same material. This eventually led to court action which resulted in Clem Curtis being allowed to bill his group as either The Foundations or Clem Curtis & The Foundations. Young was allowed to bill himself as The New Foundations or Colin Young & The New Foundations.^[2]

Also the mid-1970s, Colin Young and his group released a lone 45 on the Pye label, "Something For My Baby" / "I Need Your Love".^[2]

In the 1980s, as the lead singer of UK group Mercy, Mercy, he had a hit with "It Must Be Heaven".

In 1999, a version of The Foundations was re formed that included Colin Young (vocals), Alan Warner (Guitar), Steve Bingham (bass), Gary Moberly (keyboards), Tony Laidlaw (sax) and Sam Kelly then Steve Dixon (drums). This version of the group was reformed due to the popularity of the film There's Something About Mary and the interest created resulting from the 1968 hit "Build Me Up Buttercup" being featured in the film. Some time later Colin Young left this version of the group and was replaced by Hue Montgomery (aka Hugh Montgomery).

In 2003 Colin Young recorded an updated version of "Build Me Up Buttercup" backed by a choir of policemen from the Surrey police force. The proceeds from the sale of the CD go to Milly's Fund. The fund is a trust set up in memory of murdered school girl Amanda Dowler. Apparently the song was a favourite of hers.^[3]

In 2010, Colin Young appeared in Channel 4's Come Dine With Me, where he performed a song for some people. Apart from the one that booked him, only one person recognised him as the artist that was number one the year they were born.

Discography[link]

7" Singles

• Colin Young - Any Time At All / You're No Good - UNI 55286 - 1971 (UK and German release Trend 6099 005)
• New Foundations - Something For My Baby / I Need Your Love - PYE 45533 - 1975

• Mercy, Mercy - It Must Be Heaven / It Must Be Heaven (Part 2) - Island Records - 106 996 - 1984

12 Singles

• Mercy, Mercy - It Must Be Heaven (Dancemix Part 1) / It Must Be Heaven (Dancemix Part 2) - Ensign Records - 12ENY 515 - 1984 ^[4]
• Mercy, Mercy - What Are We Gonna Do About It (Extended Mix) / (Dub Mix) - Ensign Records - 12ENY 522 DJ - 1985 ^[5]

CD Single

• Colin Young & The Offbeats, For Milly's Fund - Build Me Up Buttercup / Buttercup Too / No Man Is An Island - Ripe Music RIPEMCD1 - 2003

• "' Colin Young and The Come Dine With Me Crew'" - Woman, Get Back To the Kitchen! - Dave Lamb Records DLCD1 - 2010

References[link]

• http://www.45cat.com/record/6099005