Cowboy Church Sunday School

Open Up Your Heart (and Let the Sunshine In)

It was written by Stuart Hamblen. The song was published in 1954. The biggest hit version in the United States was a recording by the Cowboy Church Sunday School (peaking at #8 on the Billboard charts); in the United Kingdom, by Joan Regan and her son Rusty. Another US recording was made by the McGuire Sisters. When the Cowboy Church Sunday School version is played at normal speed, 45 rpm, the vocal sounds unnaturally high. When played at 33? rpm the vocal sounds more natural. In fact the song was recorded at that speed by Stuart Hamblen's wife and adult daughters, so that when played at 45rpm it sounds like a little girl. The most famous recording of this song for baby-boomers featured Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm on The Flintstones, although the song was stripped of its religious lyrics for inclusion in the show.