JR: The first artist he assigned me to produce was Bobby Hebb. Although I sat and listened to about a dozen songs Bobby had written, there was only one with the charisma, the poetry, the style. It was "Sunny". We went into the studio, Joe Renzetti added his magic. With the assistance of Kal Rudman, I promoted it through "our network". Bill Curtis broke it in Detroit on WCHB, Mercury brought it home, and the rest is history - one of BMI's most programmed songs.

AW: Don't I hear Ashford & Simpson singing background?

JR: Funny you should ask. Nick Ashford, Valerie Simpson and Melba Moore sang background on "Sunny", [...] They were always my "go to" backgrounds.