Margo Guryan's 'Take a Picture' album cover

Margo Guryan
Take a Picture
1968
Genre: Sunshine Pop

Margo Guryan started her career off as a composer with songs performed by legends like Harry Belafonte (“I’m On My Way to Saturday”) and Chris Conner (“Moon Ride”). After divorcing her jazz drummer husband, she made the decision to switch focus to pop compositions and giving singing another shot after having a rough go of it the first time around.

Take a Picture was released in 1968 and kicks off with Guryan’s best known song, the beautiful and sunshine-y pop tune “Sunday Morning.” The heavy drums are ye-ye-esque in how they hold up the lightness of the track with weighty kicks and snares. Originally written for Spanky & Our Gang, Guryan’s version initially appeared on the flipside of that single and later on the Japanese release of this album.

Guryan’s quiet–almost whispered–vocals move the slow grooving songs along in such a way that the album itself would have been better served being named after the opening track. It very much feels like working your way through a gentle, mid-Spring Sunday. Indeed, most of the songs have something to do with either sunshine, being happy, or love. Sure, not exactly challenging political statements, but it’s one of those balm-like albums for tense times. Some songs like “Don’t Go Away” pick up the pace a bit, but even as comparatively frenetic as it feels, the song still fits nicely in the overall vibe of the album (“Don’t go away / Now that you’ve walked into my life, / And brought me sunshine…").

Another favorite is “What Can I Give You,” which feels, oddly, like a Beatles interpretation of the Sesame Street theme song. Its upbeat horn-driven melody backs Guryan as she sings, “What can I give you? / What would make you happy? / What can I do, what can I say, / To make the bad times go away?” It feels like she’s reaching across five decades to put her hand on our collective shoulder.

A psych-rock groover, the closing track “Love” is the only one that feels out of place. I still dig it, but you’d be fine to end the album early to keep the sunny vibes lingering.

At a tight 31 minutes, Take a Picture is an absolute pleasure to listen to. Put the top down, drive down roads flanked by fields of flowers, and imagine yourself in a hazy movie from the 60’s as the soundtrack for your Sunday morning accompanies you.

Guryan passed away in 2021 at 84-years-old.

Review originally published March 25, 2025.