Wikipedia

Sugar, Sugar

This article is about the song. For the confectionery company, seeSugar Sugar.For other uses, seeSugar Sugar (disambiguation).
Not to be confused withSuga Suga.

"Sugar, Sugar"is a song written byJeff BarryandAndy Kim,produced by Barry and recorded byThe Archies,a fictionalbubblegum popband fromArchie Comics.It was released as the group's thirdsingleon theCalendar Recordslabel on May 24, 1969, rereleased on the Kirshner Records label in July 1969, and included on their secondalbum,Everything's Archie.In the autumn of 1969, it topped bothBillboard'sHot 100(for four weeks) and theUK Singles Chart(for eight weeks), ranking number one for the year in both America and the UK. It is the most successfulbubblegum popsingle of all time, and is widely regarded as the apotheosis of the late-1960s/early-1970s bubblegum music genre. In mid-1970,R&B/soulsingerWilson Pickettachieved success on both the US soul and pop charts with acover version.

"Sugar, Sugar"
A-side label of original 1969 US vinyl release
SinglebyThe Archies
from the albumEverything's Archie
B-side"Melody Hill"
Released
  • May 24, 1969
  • July 1969 (re-release)
Recorded1969
GenreBubblegum pop[1][2]
Length2:48
LabelCalendar/Kirshner
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Jeff Barry
The Archiessingles chronology
"Feelin' So Good (S.K.O.O.B.Y.-D.O.O.)"
(1968) 		"Sugar, Sugar"
(1969) 		"Jingle Jangle"
(1969)

The Archies version

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Background

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Produced by Jeff Barry, the Archies' recording of "Sugar, Sugar" features a group ofstudio musiciansmanaged byDon Kirshner,former music supervisor tothe Monkees.Ron Danteprovided the lead vocals, accompanied byToni Wineand songwriter Andy Kim. Together they provided the voices of the Archies usingmultitracking.The single was initially released in late May 1969 on Kirshner's Calendar label (as with the Archies’ two previous singles), achieving moderate success in the early summer in several radio markets. When re-released in mid-July 1969 (with pressings also on the Kirshner label), it attained enormous success nationwide across several months.[3]

Upon the song's initial release Kirshner had promotion men play it for radio station personnel without revealing the group's name, as the Archies' previous single, "Feelin' So Good (S.K.O.O.B.Y.-D.O.O.)",had peaked at No. 53 on theBillboardHot 100 chart.[4][5]In an article published inThe Washington Times,lead vocalist Ron Dante recounts that the label was removed from the record. It was taken to a top radio station, 1260KYAinSan Francisco,where the program director was told: "Just play it! It's a mystery group."[6]

"Sugar, Sugar" is written in the key ofD major.[7]

Reception

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In the issue ofBillboardmagazine dated September 20, the single started a four-week run at number one on the Hot 100, replacingthe Rolling Stones' "Honky Tonk Women".It spent a then-lengthy 22 weeks on the Hot 100 (longer than any other single in 1969), and was one of only ten singles to spend 12 weeks in the Top Ten during the decade.[4]It toppedBillboard'syear-end list ofthe Top Hot 100 Singles of 1969.In August 1969 the record was certified gold by theRIAAfor sales of one million.[8](In 1989 the gold threshold was lowered to 500,000.)[9]In 2018 “Sugar, Sugar” ranked 81 inBillboard's Hot 100 60th Anniversary chart.[10]

Between late October and mid-December 1969 the single spent eight weeks at the top of theUK Singles Chart."Sugar, Sugar" was awarded a gold disc in January 1970.[11]In February 2024 the song was certified Gold by the BPI for selling 400,000 units since it was made available digitally in November 2004.[12]

In the chart dated September 13, 1969, "Sugar, Sugar" topped theRPM 100national singles chart in Canada, where it remained for three weeks. It also peaked at number one on the South African Singles Chart.[13]On February 5, 2006, "Sugar, Sugar" was inducted into theCanadian Songwriters Hall of Fame,as co-writer Andy Kim is originally fromMontreal,Quebec.[14]

Charts

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Certifications and sales

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Germany — 500,000[52]
Mexico — 300,000[53]
United Kingdom (BPI)[55]
1969 original release 		Gold 1 000 000[54]
United Kingdom (BPI)[56]
2004 digital re-release 		Gold 400,000‡
United States (RIAA)[58] Gold 3,000,000[57]
Summaries
Worldwide
1969 sales 		— 6,000,000[59]

‡Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Wilson Pickett version

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"Sugar, Sugar"
One of side-A labels of US single
SinglebyWilson Pickett
from the albumRight On
B-side"Cole, Cooke & Redding"
ReleasedApril 1970
Recorded1969
StudioCriteria(Miami)
GenreSoul
Length3:00
LabelAtlantic
Songwriter(s)Andy Kim,Jeff Barry
Producer(s)Dave Crawford,Jerry Wexler,Rick Hall,Tom Dowd
Wilson Pickettsingles chronology
"You Keep Me Hangin' On"
(1969) 		"Sugar, Sugar"
(1970) 		"She Said Yes"
(1970)

Reception

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In May 1970 Pickett's cover of "Sugar, Sugar" reached No. 4 onBillboard'sR&B chart,then in June peaked at No. 25 on the Hot 100. The parent albumRight Onreached No. 197 on theBillboard 200album chart. Pickett's recording was used inAng Lee's 1997 filmThe Ice Storm.In Canada, "Cole, Cooke & Redding" was the A-side and charted first, reaching No. 58 in April 1970.[60]

Charts

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Chart (1970) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[61] 77
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[62] 18

Other versions

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  • Sakkarin (a pseudonym ofJonathan King) recorded it (as "Sugar Sugar" ) in 1971, reaching No. 12 in the UK chart[63]as well as No. 20 in Ireland[64]and No. 21 in Germany.[65]

References

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  1. ^"Sugar Sugar: The Birth of Bubblegum Pop – Various Artists – Songs, Reviews, Credits – AllMusic".AllMusic.RetrievedDecember 23,2017.
  2. ^Read, Maddy (August 22, 2021)."Bubblegum pop: 'Commercialized, computerized and easy to sing to'".The Crimson White.RetrievedMarch 15,2023.Tracks that cemented their places in history as a part of the first wave of bubblegum pop include 'Saturday Night' by Bay City Rollers, 'Sugar Sugar' by the Archies and 'Indian Lake' by the Cowsills.
  3. ^"50 Years Later, The Archies' 'Sugar, Sugar' Is Still 'Really Sweet'".Text.npr.org.RetrievedJanuary 2,2022.
  4. ^ab"Top 100 Songs | Billboard Hot 100 Chart".Billboard.com.RetrievedJanuary 2,2020.
  5. ^"The Archies - Feelin' So Good (S.K.O.O.B.Y-D.O.O)".Discogs.1968.RetrievedJanuary 2,2020.
  6. ^Valcourt, Keith (March 26, 2017)."Archies singer Ron Dante: 'Cartoon Band Man'".The Washington Times.RetrievedApril 13,2020.
  7. ^Andy, Kim; Jeff, Barry; Archies, The (January 23, 2007)."Sugar, Sugar".Musicnotes.com.RetrievedJune 2,2021.
  8. ^"Gold & Platinum: Searchable database".Recording Industry Association of America.Archived fromthe originalon June 26, 2007.RetrievedNovember 12,2010.
    SearchArtist: Archies
  9. ^Grein, Paul (May 14, 1989)."New Golden Rule: 500,000 Sales Mark for All Singles".Los Angeles Times.RetrievedNovember 12,2010.
  10. ^"HOT 100 60TH ANNIVERSARY".Billboard.RetrievedSeptember 30,2019.
  11. ^Murrells, Joseph (1985).Million selling records from the 1900s to the 1980s: an illustrated directory.Arco Pub. p. 276.ISBN0668064595.In Britain the disc (RCA label) was No 1 for eight weeks and sold over a million there
  12. ^"Award".BPI.RetrievedJanuary 2,2022.
  13. ^Brian Currin."South African Singles Chart".Rock.co.za.RetrievedDecember 27,2010.
  14. ^"Sugar Sugar".Cshf.ca.RetrievedJanuary 2,2022.
  15. ^"Billboard Magazine, September 27 1969"(PDF).p. 80.RetrievedSeptember 13,2020.
  16. ^"Go-Set Australian charts - 4 October 1969".Poparchives.com.au.RetrievedSeptember 13,2020.
  17. ^"Every AMR Top 100 Single in 1969".Top100singles.net.
  18. ^"The Archies – Sugar Sugar "(in German).Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  19. ^"The Archies – Sugar Sugar "(in Dutch).Ultratop 50.
  20. ^"The Archies – Sugar Sugar "(in French).Ultratop 50.
  21. ^"Billboard Magazine, December 27 1969"(PDF).p. 41.RetrievedSeptember 13,2020.
  22. ^"Top RPM Singles: Issue 5955."RPM.Library and Archives Canada.
  23. ^"Billboard Magazine, January 3 1970"(PDF).p. 51.RetrievedSeptember 13,2020.
  24. ^Timo (August 13, 2015)."Sisältää hitin: Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1960: Artistit ANC - ARK".Sisältää hitin.RetrievedSeptember 13,2020.
  25. ^"The Archies – Sugar Sugar "(in German).GfK Entertainment charts.
  26. ^"The Irish Charts – Search Results – Sugar Sugar ".Irish Singles Chart.
  27. ^"Classifiche".Musica e dischi(in Italian).Set "Tipo" on "Singoli". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Archies".
  28. ^"Billboard Magazine, September 6 1969"(PDF).p. 103.RetrievedSeptember 13,2020.
  29. ^"Billboard Magazine, December 13 1969"(PDF).p. 77.RetrievedNovember 10,2019.
  30. ^"Nederlandse Top 40 – Archies The "(in Dutch).Dutch Top 40.
  31. ^"The Archies – Sugar Sugar "(in Dutch).Single Top 100.
  32. ^"The Archies – Sugar Sugar ".VG-lista.
  33. ^"Billboard Magazine, August 30 1969"(PDF).p. 68.RetrievedSeptember 13,2020.
  34. ^Kimberley, C.Zimbabwe: Singles Chart Book.Harare: C. Kimberley, 2000
  35. ^"Billboard Magazine, December 20 1969"(PDF).p. 73.RetrievedSeptember 13,2020.
  36. ^"SA Charts 1965–March 1989".RetrievedSeptember 1,2018.
  37. ^Salaverri, Fernando (September 1969).Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002(1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE.ISBN84-8048-639-2.
  38. ^"Billboard Magazine, January 24 1970"(PDF).p. 88.RetrievedSeptember 13,2020.
  39. ^"The Archies – Sugar Sugar ".Swiss Singles Chart.
  40. ^"World singles charts and sales TOP 50 in 58 countries: ARCHIES".Artsisteschartsventes.blogspot.com.December 25, 2016.RetrievedSeptember 13,2020.
  41. ^"Archies: Artist Chart History".Official Charts Company.
  42. ^"The Archies Chart History (Hot 100)".Billboard.
  43. ^"The Archies Chart History (Adult Contemporary)".Billboard.
  44. ^"Cash Box Top 100 9/13/69".cashboxmagazine.com.Archived fromthe originalon August 9, 2019.RetrievedSeptember 13,2020.
  45. ^"RPM Top Singles of 1969".Library and Archives Canada.RPM.July 17, 2013.RetrievedDecember 24,2017.
  46. ^"Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1969".RetrievedSeptember 3,2020.
  47. ^"Jaaroverzichten – Single 1969".RetrievedSeptember 3,2020.
  48. ^"Top 20 Hit Singles of 1969".RetrievedSeptember 2,2018.
  49. ^"Top 100 Hits of 1969/Top 100 Songs of 1969".Musicoutfitters.com.RetrievedJuly 21,2017.
  50. ^"Top 100 Hits of 1969/Top 100 Songs of 1969".musicoutfitters.com.RetrievedDecember 1,2017.
  51. ^"Archived copy".Archived from the original on January 25, 2019.RetrievedDecember 24,2018.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles, December 27, 1969
  52. ^"International - Cash Box - Germany"(PDF).Cash Box.Vol. 31, no. 31. February 28, 1970. p. 59.RetrievedMarch 3,2021– via World Radio History.
  53. ^"International - Cash Box - Mexico"(PDF).Cash Box.Vol. 31, no. 34. March 21, 1970. p. 68.RetrievedMarch 3,2021– via World Radio History.
  54. ^Murrells, Joseph (1985).Million selling records from the 1900s to the 1980s: an illustrated directory.Arco Pub. p. 276.ISBN0668064595.In Britain the disc (RCA label) was No 1 for eight weeks and sold over a million there
  55. ^"British single certifications – The Archies – Sugar Sugar".British Phonographic Industry.Selectsinglesin the Format field.SelectGoldin the Certification field.TypeSugar Sugarin the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  56. ^"British single certifications – The Archies – Sugar Sugar".British Phonographic Industry.RetrievedFebruary 2,2024.
  57. ^Murrells, Joseph (1985).Million selling records from the 1900s to the 1980s: an illustrated directory.Arco Pub. p. 276.ISBN0668064595.It got to No 1 for four weeks with 22 weeks in the bestsellers, and by October passed the three million sale in the U.S.A.
  58. ^"American single certifications – The Archies – Sugar, Sugar".Recording Industry Association of America.
  59. ^Murrells, Joseph (1985).Million selling records from the 1900s to the 1980s: an illustrated directory.Arco Pub. p. 276.ISBN0668064595.It was also No 1 in many countries including Spain, Denmark, Norway, Belgium, Germany, and Mexico, and sales brought the global tally up to six million, making it the top disc of 1969
  60. ^"RPM Top 100 Singles - April 25, 2970"(PDF).
  61. ^Kent, David(1993).Australian Chart Book 1970–1992(illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 233.ISBN0-646-11917-6.
  62. ^"RPM Top 100 Singles - July 4, 1970"(PDF).
  63. ^"Sakkarin".The Official Charts Company.
  64. ^"Sakkarin".The Irish Charts.
  65. ^"Sakkarin: Sugar Sugar".Offizielle Deutsche Charts.

Sources

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