https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/ Copyright (c) 2006-2013 Web Wiz Forums - All Rights Reserved. Wed, 06 May 2026 21:00:40 +0000 Wed, 12 Dec 2018 19:57:34 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Web Wiz Forums 12.07 360 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/RSS_post_feed.asp?TID=3591 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum//images/Top-40-Music-on-CD-Forum-Logo.png https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/ https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3591&PID=50771&title=archiessugar-sugar#50771 Author: KentT
Subject: 3591
Posted: 12 December 2018 at 7:57pm

AndrewChouffi wrote: Hi people, Does anyone out there involved with Top-40 radio in the Summer of '69 know an answer to this question? How could a picture-perfect pop record such as the Archies "Sugar Sugar" need 6 weeks of 'Bubbling Under' to make its first week of the Hot 100? Was it not promoted at radio for its first two months? Was the Archies cartoon off the air during the summer so radio (initially) dismissed the song? Was radio desperately trying to artificially limit the amount of Bubblegum-flavored records coming through the pipeline and almost sabotaged this classic? Anyone have the real story? Andy

I think this 45 climbed the charts when the Archies
cartoon began the season, and the TV cross promotion
helped the track gain airplay, and chart action from the
TV show success. ]]> Wed, 12 Dec 2018 19:57:34 +0000 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3591&PID=50771&title=archiessugar-sugar#50771 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3591&PID=50766&title=archiessugar-sugar#50766 Author: AndrewChouffi
Subject: 3591
Posted: 12 December 2018 at 6:41am

To Chartman:

Thank you for all the research!

In particular, I had forgotten how long it took to make "Baby Come To Me" a hit.

I remember programming the track as an LP cut as a 'slow dance' in a nightclub I was working almost a year before it became a consensus radio hit.

The LP vinyl actually had an extended intro that I'm not sure ever made it to CD!

Andy
]]> Wed, 12 Dec 2018 06:41:01 +0000 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3591&PID=50766&title=archiessugar-sugar#50766 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3591&PID=50752&title=archiessugar-sugar#50752 Author: Chartman
Subject: 3591
Posted: 11 December 2018 at 1:33pm

AndrewChouffi wrote: To Paul Haney: Thank you for your input! I just pulled out my old RR 'Bubbling Under The Hot 100 1959-1985' book to refresh in my mind the chart action of "Sugar Sugar". You're right, "Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia" is also an anomaly. I've kept that old 'Bubbling Under' book because it's the only Whitburn book I know of that has that "Hot 100 Bound" section! Andy

Prior to 1985 there were 125 songs that bubbled under that eventually reached #1 - all but 30 bubbled under for only one week.

"I Am Woman" by Helen Reddy and "Car Wash" by Rose Royce bubbled under for 5 weeks - Reddy actually charted 115-99-98-97-107-106-106-104, then 6 weeks later began its run to #1.
"Baby, Come Back To Me" by Patti Austin bubbled for 4 weeks

After 1992 "Maria Maria" by Santana bubbled for 8 weeks
"Cheerleader" by OMI and "Everything You Want" by Vertical Horizon bubbled for 5 weeks
"Bad Day" by Daniel Powter and "Black Beatles" by Rae Sremmurd bubbled for 4 weeks

Currently "Freestyle" by Lil Baby has bubbled for 36 weeks. It fell off the chart this week (due to 3 new releases by Hip Hop "stars") but will certainly return next week.]]> Tue, 11 Dec 2018 13:33:36 +0000 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3591&PID=50752&title=archiessugar-sugar#50752 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3591&PID=50749&title=archiessugar-sugar#50749 Author: Paul Haney
Subject: 3591
Posted: 11 December 2018 at 9:59am

Found this on the Songfacts website, re: "Sugar Sugar":



The song met with resistance at radio stations, which
didn't want to play a cartoon band. According to Andy
Kim, Don Kirshner hired an experienced promotion man to
work the stations. His tactic was to visit the stations,
play the song for the program directors, but not reveal
the artist until they agreed to play it. In some cases,
he could only get them to play it once, but that was all
he needed because the phones would light up. Said Kim:
"That was the best part of being in the music world then
- you really had such an active audience response to what
they hear. And you didn't have that many choices. So, if
the audience loves it, you play it. And that started what
became a wildfire all across this planet. When I toured,
no matter where I was, I'd start the song and everyone
would sing along."]]> Tue, 11 Dec 2018 09:59:54 +0000 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3591&PID=50749&title=archiessugar-sugar#50749 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3591&PID=50748&title=archiessugar-sugar#50748 Author: The Hits Man
Subject: 3591
Posted: 11 December 2018 at 8:52am

In 1970, the Sunshine album by The Archies was issued on
the Calendar label. It is possible the pressing plant
used for my copies had left-over Calendar label stock.]]> Tue, 11 Dec 2018 08:52:47 +0000 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3591&PID=50748&title=archiessugar-sugar#50748 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3591&PID=50745&title=archiessugar-sugar#50745 Author: Hykker
Subject: 3591
Posted: 11 December 2018 at 7:36am

Paul Haney wrote: I'd have to guess it was a combination of smaller label, no real group and a glut of bubblegum records that all contributed to the slow start.

I'm not sure that "smaller label" was much of a factor,
given that Calendar was distributed by RCA at the time.

One other possibility that you didn't mention was
corporate group policy. I don't know if it was a
company-wide policy or not, but WRKO in Boston, one of
the more influential stations in New England at the time
played almost no bubblegum. Even big hits like "Simon
Says" or "Yummy Yummy Yummy" were absent from their
surveys. It may have taken a lot of "persuading" by the
RCA promo reps to get the song on the bigger stations.
]]> Tue, 11 Dec 2018 07:36:17 +0000 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3591&PID=50745&title=archiessugar-sugar#50745 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3591&PID=50744&title=archiessugar-sugar#50744 Author: AndrewChouffi
Subject: 3591
Posted: 11 December 2018 at 6:28am

To Paul Haney:

Thank you for your input!

I just pulled out my old RR 'Bubbling Under The Hot 100 1959-1985' book to refresh in my mind the chart action of "Sugar Sugar". You're right, "Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia" is also an anomaly.

I've kept that old 'Bubbling Under' book because it's the only Whitburn book I know of that has that "Hot 100 Bound" section!

Andy
]]> Tue, 11 Dec 2018 06:28:50 +0000 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3591&PID=50744&title=archiessugar-sugar#50744 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3591&PID=50743&title=archiessugar-sugar#50743 Author: Paul Haney
Subject: 3591
Posted: 11 December 2018 at 4:41am

Just a quick clarification.

"Sugar Sugar" actually Bubbled Under for 5 weeks (not 6)
before hitting the Hot 100.

It debuted on Bubbling Under on 6/21/69. Here's the
chart action: 124, 123, 110, 102, 101.

It's certainly unusual for an eventual #1 hit to Bubble
Under for so long. Off the top of my head, I remember
"The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia" by Vicki
Lawrence Bubbled Under for 4 weeks before hitting the Hot
100.

Since I was only 3 years old at the time, I can only
speculate as to why "Sugar Sugar" took so long to catch
on. Looking at the radio charts posted in ARSA, it
appears that the song took awhile to build. By the end of
July 1969, it was starting to hit the Top 10 and really
exploded around the middle of August. I'd have to guess
it was a combination of smaller label, no real group and
a glut of bubblegum records that all contributed to the
slow start.

Edited by Paul Haney]]> Tue, 11 Dec 2018 04:41:37 +0000 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3591&PID=50743&title=archiessugar-sugar#50743 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3591&PID=50741&title=archiessugar-sugar#50741 Author: Santi Paradoa
Subject: 3591
Posted: 10 December 2018 at 8:43pm

This is the very first 45 I ever purchased with my own cash. I was eight years old. Had no idea it bubbled under for six weeks either. Still my all time favorite song even five decades later. Best three minute pop tune ever.]]> Mon, 10 Dec 2018 20:43:39 +0000 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3591&PID=50741&title=archiessugar-sugar#50741 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3591&PID=50739&title=archiessugar-sugar#50739 Author: PopArchivist
Subject: 3591
Posted: 10 December 2018 at 8:02pm

Andy,

I don't think any song had that trajectory and got to #1 eventually. I know some songs have come in at 90's chart position and then shot up to #1 the next week, but no one outside this song stayed below the Hot 100 for 6 weeks and eventually made it to #1. A record that probably won't be broken.

Edited by PopArchivist]]> Mon, 10 Dec 2018 20:02:55 +0000 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3591&PID=50739&title=archiessugar-sugar#50739