Sugarloaf (band)
Encyclopedia
Sugarloaf was an American
, Denver
, Colorado
based, rock and roll
band
in the 1970s, featuring Jerry Corbetta.
Jerry Corbetta founded the band with guitarist Bob Webber of the Moonrakers; the other initial bandmembers were drummer Bob MacVittie on drums and rhythm guitarist Veeder Van Dorn III, also from the Moonrakers, plus bassist Bob Raymond. The Moonrakers had previously released 4 singles on Tower
; three of their songs are collected on the Colorado garage rock compilation album Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 18
, and another was released earlier on the Pebbles Volume 10
LP.
The band was originally known as Chocolate Hair. Chocolate Hair was later used in 2011 as the name for a local band out of Western PA who records under the name. http://soundcloud.com/chocolatehair They changed their name to Sugarloaf, named after a mountain outside of Boulder, Colorado
when they received their first recording contract
.
They are best known for two song
s, both of which hit the top 10 charts
in the United States
: "Green-Eyed Lady
" in the autumn of 1970 (their biggest hit, reaching #3 on the Billboard
chart
) and "Don't Call Us, We'll Call You" in 1975 (US #9).
Other songs which charted on the Billboard Hot 100
were "Mother Nature's Wine" (1971), "Tongue in Cheek" (1971), and "Stars In Our Eyes" (1976). In addition, "West of Tomorrow" and "Myra Myra" were not hit singles
, but received modest airplay at the time of their release on album
rock
radio station
s.
The 1975 album Don't Call Us, We'll Call You was a re-release of their 1973 album I Got A Song, with one of the tracks on the earlier album replaced by the title track of the later album, which had become a hit single.
The song "Don't Call Us, We'll Call You" is notable because it contained a practical joke
at the expense of CBS Records
, which had just turned them down for a recording contract. The song includes the sound of a touch-tone telephone
number being dialed near the beginning and ending of the song. Those numbers were an unlisted phone number at CBS Records and a public number at the White House
respectively. In addition, the recording includes snippets of the guitar riff of The Beatles
' "I Feel Fine
," Stevie Wonder
's "Superstition
," and a line of dialogue from Wolfman Jack
stating the call sign
of a radio station; numerous tracks of this line were cut to match local markets.
Corbetta later went on to perform with the group Disco-Tex and the Sex-O-Lettes
(best known for their hit "Get Dancin'"). In 1980, he became a member of The Four Seasons
. He currently performs with the group Classic Rock All Stars.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Denver
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
based, rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
band
Band (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
in the 1970s, featuring Jerry Corbetta.
Jerry Corbetta founded the band with guitarist Bob Webber of the Moonrakers; the other initial bandmembers were drummer Bob MacVittie on drums and rhythm guitarist Veeder Van Dorn III, also from the Moonrakers, plus bassist Bob Raymond. The Moonrakers had previously released 4 singles on Tower
Tower Records
Tower Records was a retail music chain that was based in Sacramento, California. It currently exists as an international franchise and an online music store....
; three of their songs are collected on the Colorado garage rock compilation album Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 18
Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 18
Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 18 is a compilation album in the Highs in the Mid-Sixties series, featuring recordings that were released in Colorado...
, and another was released earlier on the Pebbles Volume 10
Pebbles, Volume 10 (LP)
Pebbles, Volume 10 is a compilation album among the LP's in the Pebbles series. The music on this album has no relation to Pebbles, Volume 10 that was released on CD many years later.-Release data:...
LP.
The band was originally known as Chocolate Hair. Chocolate Hair was later used in 2011 as the name for a local band out of Western PA who records under the name. http://soundcloud.com/chocolatehair They changed their name to Sugarloaf, named after a mountain outside of Boulder, Colorado
Boulder, Colorado
Boulder is the county seat and most populous city of Boulder County and the 11th most populous city in the U.S. state of Colorado. Boulder is located at the base of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of...
when they received their first recording contract
Recording contract
A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote...
.
They are best known for two song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
s, both of which hit the top 10 charts
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: "Green-Eyed Lady
Green-Eyed Lady
"Green-Eyed Lady" is a popular single by the 1970s psychedelic rock band Sugarloaf. Written by band members Jerry Corbetta and Dave Riordan, the song was featured on the band's debut album, Sugarloaf and was the band's first single. It peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1970 and was...
" in the autumn of 1970 (their biggest hit, reaching #3 on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
) and "Don't Call Us, We'll Call You" in 1975 (US #9).
Other songs which charted on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
were "Mother Nature's Wine" (1971), "Tongue in Cheek" (1971), and "Stars In Our Eyes" (1976). In addition, "West of Tomorrow" and "Myra Myra" were not hit singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, but received modest airplay at the time of their release on album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
s.
The 1975 album Don't Call Us, We'll Call You was a re-release of their 1973 album I Got A Song, with one of the tracks on the earlier album replaced by the title track of the later album, which had become a hit single.
The song "Don't Call Us, We'll Call You" is notable because it contained a practical joke
Practical joke
A practical joke is a mischievous trick played on someone, typically causing the victim to experience embarrassment, indignity, or discomfort. Practical jokes differ from confidence tricks in that the victim finds out, or is let in on the joke, rather than being fooled into handing over money or...
at the expense of CBS Records
Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment ' is the second-largest global recorded music company of the "big four" record companies and is controlled by Sony Corporation of America, the United States subsidiary of Japan's Sony Corporation....
, which had just turned them down for a recording contract. The song includes the sound of a touch-tone telephone
Telephone
The telephone , colloquially referred to as a phone, is a telecommunications device that transmits and receives sounds, usually the human voice. Telephones are a point-to-point communication system whose most basic function is to allow two people separated by large distances to talk to each other...
number being dialed near the beginning and ending of the song. Those numbers were an unlisted phone number at CBS Records and a public number at the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
respectively. In addition, the recording includes snippets of the guitar riff of The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
' "I Feel Fine
I Feel Fine
"I Feel Fine" is a riff-driven rock song written by John Lennon and released in 1964 by The Beatles as the A-side of their eighth British single. The song is notable for the use of feedback on a recording for the first time by any musician...
," Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
's "Superstition
Superstition
Superstition is a belief in supernatural causality: that one event leads to the cause of another without any process in the physical world linking the two events....
," and a line of dialogue from Wolfman Jack
Wolfman Jack
Robert Weston Smith, known commonly as Wolfman Jack was a gravelly voiced US disc jockey who became famous in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early career:...
stating the call sign
Call sign
In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign is a unique designation for a transmitting station. In North America they are used as names for broadcasting stations...
of a radio station; numerous tracks of this line were cut to match local markets.
Corbetta later went on to perform with the group Disco-Tex and the Sex-O-Lettes
Disco-Tex and the Sex-O-Lettes
Disco-Tex and the Sex-O-Lettes were a disco group of the 1970s headed by Sir Monti Rock III .-Career:...
(best known for their hit "Get Dancin'"). In 1980, he became a member of The Four Seasons
The Four Seasons (group)
The Four Seasons are an American rock and pop band who became internationally successful in the mid-1960s. The Vocal Group Hall of Fame has stated that the group was the most popular rock band before The Beatles...
. He currently performs with the group Classic Rock All Stars.
Albums
- Sugarloaf (Liberty RecordsLiberty RecordsLiberty Records was a United States-based record label. It was started by chairman Simon Waronker in 1955 with Al Bennett as president and Theodore Keep as chief engineer. It was reactivated in 2001 in the United Kingdom and had two previous revivals.-1950s:...
, 1970) US #24 - Spaceship Earth (Liberty Records, 1971) US #111
- I Got A Song (Brut Records, 1973)
- Don't Call Us, We'll Call You (Claridge RecordsClaridge Records-History:Claridge records was started in 1965 by Frank Slay as a division of River Bottom Enterprises. At that time, it was based in New York. The Rockin' Ramrods were the first band that signed a contract with the new company in the fall of 1965...
, 1975) US #152 - The Best of Sugarloaf (Curb Records, 1993 #D2-77597)
- Sugarloaf/Spaceship Earth (Collectables, 1998, re-release double CD)
- Sugarloaf: Alive in America (Renaissance, 2006, live in concert)
Singles
- "Green-Eyed LadyGreen-Eyed Lady"Green-Eyed Lady" is a popular single by the 1970s psychedelic rock band Sugarloaf. Written by band members Jerry Corbetta and Dave Riordan, the song was featured on the band's debut album, Sugarloaf and was the band's first single. It peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1970 and was...
" / "West Of Tomorrow" (1970) US #3 - "Tongue In cheek" / "Woman" (1971) US #55
- "Mother Natures Wine" / "Chest Fever" (1971) US #88
- "Don't Call Us, We'll Call You" / "Texas Two Lane" (1974) US #9
- "Stars In My Eyes" / "Myra, Myra" (1975) US #87