The Archies – Sugar, Sugar

About The Song

Written by Jeff Barry and Andy Kim who between them have penned so many hits. Canadian born Kim later scored the multi-million selling hit ‘Rock Me Gently’. Jeff Barry on the other hand – with his wife Ellie Greenwich became the Lennon and McCartney hit-making team you’ve never heard of. The number of hits these two have had a hand in writing is unbelievable. Try this lot – ‘Tell Laura I Love Her’, ‘Da Doo Ron Ron’, ‘Then He Kissed Me,’ ‘Be My Baby’, ‘Baby, I Love You’, ‘Iko Iko’, ‘Leader of the Pack’, ‘River Deep, Mountain High’. Barry also produced hits for The Monkees, Neil Diamond, Glen Campbell and more.

The Archies were the product of a group of studio musicians managed by Don Kirshner. Ron Dante’s lead vocals were accompanied by those of Toni Wine (who sang the line “I’m gonna make your life so sweet”), and Andy Kim. Together they provided the voices of the Archies using multitracking.

‘Sugar Sugar’ was the follow-up to ‘Bang-Shang-a-Lang,’ which none of us remembers. When ‘Sugar Sugar’ was initially released, Kirshner had promotion men play it for radio station execs without telling them the name of the group and only after most of the DJ’s liked the song were they told that it was performed by a cartoon group.

‘Sugar, Sugar’ is also considered to be the most produced recording ever after the breakfast cereal company Post Cereal placed millions of the records on the back of their Super Sugar Crisp cereal boxes. It reached #1 in the US Cash Box Top 100, US Billboard Hot 100, UK Singles, Canada, Mexico, Singapore, Spain, Germany and Ireland. The song lists at #63 on Billboard’s Greatest Songs of All Time.

Former President George W. Bush has said ‘Sugar, Sugar’ is one of his favourite songs. The song was played at Jenna Bush’s wedding party in May 2008.

Video

Lyrics

Sugar, ah honey honey
You are my candy girl
And you’ve got me wanting you
Honey, ah sugar sugar
You are my candy girl
And you’ve got me wanting you

I just can’t believe the loveliness of loving you
(I just can’t believe it’s true)
I just can’t believe the one to love this feeling to
(I just can’t believe it’s true)

Ah sugar, ah honey honey
You are my candy girl
And you’ve got me wanting you
Ah honey, ah sugar sugar
You are my candy girl
And you’ve got me wanting you

When I kissed you, girl, I knew how sweet a kiss could be
(I know how sweet a kiss can be)
Like the summer sunshine pour your sweetness over me
(Pour your sweetness over me)

Sugar, pour a little sugar on it honey
Pour a little sugar on it baby
I’m gonna make your life so sweet, yeah yeah yeah
Pour a little sugar on it oh yeah
Pour a little sugar on it honey
Pour a little sugar on it baby
I’m gonna make your life so sweet, yeah yeah yeah
Pour a little sugar on it honey

Ah sugar, ah honey honey
You are my candy girl
And you’ve got me wanting you
Oh honey, honey, sugar sugar…
You are my candy girl…