03-12-2009, 11:34
YouTube - THE FOUR TOPS - I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)
from wikipedia
"I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)" is a 1965 hit song recorded by the Four Tops for the Motown label.
Written and produced by Motown's main production team Holland-Dozier-Holland, the song is one of the most well-known Motown tunes of the 1960s. The song hit number one on the R&B charts and was also the number-one song on the Billboard Hot 100 for two non-consecutive weeks, from June 12 to June 19 and from June 26 to July 3 in 1965. It replaced "Back in My Arms Again" by labelmates The Supremes, It was replaced by "Mr. Tambourine Man" by The Byrds, then regained the top spot before being replaced by "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" by The Rolling Stones.
The song finds lead singer Levi Stubbs, assisted by the other three Tops and The Andantes, pleadingly professing his love to a woman: "Sugar pie, honey bunch/I'm weaker than a man should be!/Can't help myself/I'm a fool in love, you see." Like most of his lead parts, Stubbs' vocals are recorded in a tone that straddles the line between singing and shouting, similar to the tone of a black Baptist preacher. The melodic and chordal progressions are very similar to the Supremes' "Where Did Our Love Go".
Rolling Stone magazine ranked the song #415 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. It has been covered extensively since 1965, including versions done for several television commercials.
In 1980, Bonnie Pointer had a crossover hit, with the song, peaking at #40 on the pop singles chart, #42 on the soul singles chart, and #4 on the dance charts.
In Autumn 1985, The Johnny Dyson Experience performed the song as their cover of a 9 Below Zero version, at the Crown public house in Bognor Regis, West Sussex, UK. The featured lead in instrument was harmonica played by David Turner who went on to join UK Ska legends Bad Manners.
La Toya Jackson covered "I Can't Help Myself" on her 1995 album Stop in the Name of Love. The single was only released throughout Switzerland, Austria, Germany and Holland, with the album track "Baby Love" (cover of The Supremes' "Baby Love") as a B-side. The single failed to chart.
Australian girl group, Teen Queens, released a version in 1992 for their second single, where it peaked at #28 on the ARIA Singles Chart.
The hard rock band Axe did a heavy version of the song on their first LP.
During the 1980s the song (using the original Four Tops arrangement) was featured in a popular commercial for Kelloggs Honey Smacks cereal in the United Kingdom; sung by the cereal's (then) mascot, Barey Bee.
In 1980, the song was covered by Japanese pop singers Pink Lady on an episode of their American variety show Pink Lady and Jeff.
On Madonna's Who's That Girl Tour, she sang a few lines of "I Can't Help Myself" during the song "Like a Virgin."
The band Say Anything also uses a few lines from the song on their track "Sure Baby...Hold Back" released on their first album entitled Baseball.
George Harrison's "This Song", which commented on the "My Sweet Lord"/"He's So Fine" plagiarism suit, borrowed the riff of "I Can't Help Myself". In the middle of the song, Harrison, referring to the Fontella Bass song, says, "Sounds like 'Rescue Me'". To which, Eric Idle replies, "Sounds like 'Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch' to me."
Scottish Post-punk band Orange Juice makes reference to The Four Tops in their similarly named song "I Can't Help Myself" and made use of the intro bass riff in their instrumental song "Moscow".
from wikipedia
"I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)" is a 1965 hit song recorded by the Four Tops for the Motown label.
Written and produced by Motown's main production team Holland-Dozier-Holland, the song is one of the most well-known Motown tunes of the 1960s. The song hit number one on the R&B charts and was also the number-one song on the Billboard Hot 100 for two non-consecutive weeks, from June 12 to June 19 and from June 26 to July 3 in 1965. It replaced "Back in My Arms Again" by labelmates The Supremes, It was replaced by "Mr. Tambourine Man" by The Byrds, then regained the top spot before being replaced by "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" by The Rolling Stones.
The song finds lead singer Levi Stubbs, assisted by the other three Tops and The Andantes, pleadingly professing his love to a woman: "Sugar pie, honey bunch/I'm weaker than a man should be!/Can't help myself/I'm a fool in love, you see." Like most of his lead parts, Stubbs' vocals are recorded in a tone that straddles the line between singing and shouting, similar to the tone of a black Baptist preacher. The melodic and chordal progressions are very similar to the Supremes' "Where Did Our Love Go".
Rolling Stone magazine ranked the song #415 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. It has been covered extensively since 1965, including versions done for several television commercials.
In 1980, Bonnie Pointer had a crossover hit, with the song, peaking at #40 on the pop singles chart, #42 on the soul singles chart, and #4 on the dance charts.
In Autumn 1985, The Johnny Dyson Experience performed the song as their cover of a 9 Below Zero version, at the Crown public house in Bognor Regis, West Sussex, UK. The featured lead in instrument was harmonica played by David Turner who went on to join UK Ska legends Bad Manners.
La Toya Jackson covered "I Can't Help Myself" on her 1995 album Stop in the Name of Love. The single was only released throughout Switzerland, Austria, Germany and Holland, with the album track "Baby Love" (cover of The Supremes' "Baby Love") as a B-side. The single failed to chart.
Australian girl group, Teen Queens, released a version in 1992 for their second single, where it peaked at #28 on the ARIA Singles Chart.
The hard rock band Axe did a heavy version of the song on their first LP.
During the 1980s the song (using the original Four Tops arrangement) was featured in a popular commercial for Kelloggs Honey Smacks cereal in the United Kingdom; sung by the cereal's (then) mascot, Barey Bee.
In 1980, the song was covered by Japanese pop singers Pink Lady on an episode of their American variety show Pink Lady and Jeff.
On Madonna's Who's That Girl Tour, she sang a few lines of "I Can't Help Myself" during the song "Like a Virgin."
The band Say Anything also uses a few lines from the song on their track "Sure Baby...Hold Back" released on their first album entitled Baseball.
George Harrison's "This Song", which commented on the "My Sweet Lord"/"He's So Fine" plagiarism suit, borrowed the riff of "I Can't Help Myself". In the middle of the song, Harrison, referring to the Fontella Bass song, says, "Sounds like 'Rescue Me'". To which, Eric Idle replies, "Sounds like 'Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch' to me."
Scottish Post-punk band Orange Juice makes reference to The Four Tops in their similarly named song "I Can't Help Myself" and made use of the intro bass riff in their instrumental song "Moscow".