Album review : POUR A LITTLE SUGAR ON IT – The Chewy Chewy Sounds of American Bubblegum 1966-71

Cherry Red [Release date 27.09.24]

Born In The USA, Bubblegum Pop was a late sixties phenomenon.

If you only listen to one of the 91 tracks (yes, 91) on this 3 CD anthology, let it be the Boxtops’ million seller, ‘Cry Like A Baby’.

And again, and again, you’ll never tire of it.

There’s more good stuff of course.

Especially Tommy James and The Shondells’ original version of ‘I Think We’re Alone Now’, a classic teen anthem and Top Five hit in the USA in 1967. (Later taken to the No.1 spot by Tiffany’s cover version 20 years later).

Especially ‘A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You’. A huge hit for the Monkees on both sides of the Atlantic. It’s one of two Neil Diamond songs here. The other, ‘Cherry Cherry’ a 1966 Billboard Top Ten hit for Diamond, was described by Rolling Stone mag as “one of the greatest three chord songs of all time”.

And that’s only three. 88 to go…

We’ll miss out the obvious … except maybe ‘Green Tambourine’ by the Lemon Pipers, a psychedelic pop product of 1967’s “Summer of Love”. And… ‘Judy In Disguise (With Glasses)’, a worldwide hit for John Fred and His Playboy Band, and…almost there… ‘Sugar Sugar’ by The Archies, a fictional pop band from North America’s Archie Comics. It stayed at no.1 on the US charts for 4 weeks, doing better in the UK, remaining at no.1 for 8 weeks.
It was, inevitably, the poster boy for the era’s so called “Bubblegum Pop”.

Going through the list of tracks here, there are indeed many more who hit the heights. 1910 Fruitgum Company (Simon Says); Ohio Express (Yummy Yummy); Lou Christie (I’m Gonna Make You Mine); Brian Hyland (The Joker Went Wild); Lobo (Me And You And A Dog Named Boo) and Melanie (Brand New Key). Even just progressing through those six hit songs you can detect a move away from bubblegum to, dare we say, a more sophisticated form of pop music. Melanie’s hit dates from 1971. Even a few years can make a difference.

Some lesser known songs from famous faces here too. Great songs that bumped around in the world’s best seller charts. Like Rick Nelson’s cover of Dylan’s ‘Suzanne On A Sunday Morning’. Shadows Of Knight’s garage rock song, ‘Shake’. Mama (Mamas And The Papas) Cass’s tilt at Bubblegum pop with ‘Move In A Little Closer’, a UK Top Forty hit. The Cowsills’ ‘Indian Lake’, indeed a US Top 10 hit and lastly The Velvet Underground’s ‘Who Loves The Sun’… not bubblegum, but hell, a great rock song… “among the best three song opening on any rock’n’roll record” said Paste magazine.

There’s more of course. All of these songs charted somewhere in the world. The liner notes tabulate all 91 in entertaining detail.

Don’t forget to listen to The Box Tops. One of the world’s greatest pop/rock bands. Original home of Alex Chilton (RIP). ****

Review by Brian McGowan

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Power Plays w/c 9 December 2024

In this sequence we play ‘The Best of 2024′ GRTR! reviewer selections

Featured Albums w/c 9 December 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2024 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2024 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2024 (Singer Songwriter)