BUBBLEGUM MUSIC PART 2 – THE ARCHIES!
Mar 23 '03 (Updated Mar 29 '03)
The Bottom Line This review deals with the Bubblegum Group called “THE ARCHIES”
The Archies are considered the 3rd Bubblegum Music Group following “The Monkees” and “The 1910 Fruitgum Company. They were quickly followed by the group called “The Ohio Express” and many others to follow. The Archies were put together at the request of CBS-TV who had asked Filmation Studios to create an animated Saturday Morning cartoon show featuring The Archies based on the comic book characters originally created by cartoonist Bob Montana. Bob’s creation of The Archies in comic book form was based on people he had attended School with at Haverhill High School in Haverhill, MA in 1942. The comic book was a mixture of his friends and his adventures as well as that of the radio show teenager Henry Aldrich.
“Don Kirshner” was hired to supervise the music and the hiring of the musicians to sing and play the instruments. He first hires “Jeff Barry” as producer who then recruits his wife “Ellie Greenwich”. They then hire “Toni Wine”, “Andy Kim”, “Tony Passalacqqua” and “Ron Dante” as the vocalists. They then hire “Hugh McCracken”, “Gary Chester”, “Artie Butler” and “Robim McNamara” as the musicians or sessions band.
Ron Dante became the lead vocalist for the group. He was also the lead singer for a group to come later called “The Cuff Links”. Ron quickly moved up in the music business as he became a record producer himself. He helped produce hits for “Barry Manilow”, “Jay and The Americans”, “Johnny Mathis” the group called “The 8th Day” and the group called “The Detergents” just to name a few. He also sang background for “Hang On Sloopy” by “The McCoys”, and “Draggin’ The Line” by “Tommy James and The Shondells”.
The TV Cartoon show/series voices of the characters consisted of “Dallas McKennon” as Archie Andrews and Mr. Weatherbee, “Howard Morris” as Jughead Jones. Big Moose, Pops, Dilton Doily and Hotdog, “Jane Webb” as Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge, Big Ethel, Miss Grundy and Sabrina The Teenage Witch, “Don Messick” as “Mr. Lodge”, Mr. Andrews, Coach Cleats and Chuck Clayton.
On the Cartoon show/series the group comprised of “Archie Andrews” on lead vocals and lead guitar, “Jughead Jones” on bass guitar, “Veronica Lake” on organ, “Betty Cooper” on tambourine and “Reggie Mantle” on drums along with “Hotdog” as their mascot. The cartoon show had many versions on Television from 1968 to 1978 they were “The Archie Show” from 14 Sep. 68 to 6 Sep. 69, “The Archie Comedy Hour” from 13 Sep. 69 to 5 Sep. 70, “Archie’s Funhouse Featuring The Giant Juke Box” from 12 Sep. 70 to 4 Sep. 1971, “Archie’s TV Funnies” from 11 Sep. 71 to 1 Sep. 73 and “Archie’s Bang-Shang Lalapalooza Show” from 26 Nov. 77 to 28 Jan. 78. All but the last show was on CBS the final show was shown on NBC.
The Archies first recorded on the “Calendar” record label and later recorded on Don’s own label called “Kirshner” records. The groups’ very first single was a double-sided hit called “Bang-Shang-A-Lang” backed by “Truck Driver” that peaked at #22 on 09/28/68. The second single was “Feelin’ So Good (S.K.O.O.B.Y.-D.O.O.)” backed by “Love Light” that peaked at #53 on 12/28/68. The biggest hit released by the group was in 1969 called “Sugar Sugar” and it was backed by “Melody Hill” that peaked at #1 for 4 weeks on 07/26/69. “Sugar Sugar” replaced “Honky Tonk Women” by the “Rolling Stones” at #1 and became the biggest selling single Worldwide in 1969 selling over 6 million copies. In October the song Tops the Charts in the UK where it stays for 9 weeks and sells over 900,000 copies alone. In March 1970 Princess Anne of England presents Don Kirshner with the Carl-Alan award for “Sugar Sugar” as the BEST SONG of 1969. In 1970 Wilson Picket has his own version of “Sugar Sugar” that peaked at #25 on 05/02/70.
Their very next single and hit was released on Don Kirshner’s own label titled “Jingle Jangle” backed by “Justine” that peaked at #10 on 11/29/69. In 1970 they released “Who’s Your Baby? backed by “Senorita Rita” that peaked at #40 on 03/07/70. Their next and last Top 100 charting single was “Sunshine” backed by “Over And Over” that peaked at #57 on 07/04/70. In 1971 they released “A Summer Prayer For Peace” but it fails to reach the Top 100 charts and Barry who wrote the song quits the group. The Archies very last single release was in 1972 and it was called “Strangers In The Morning”. This song didn’t even break into the Top 100 and the group eventually disbanded. In 1978 at the end of the last original cartoon series Post cereal issues records by The Archies on the backs of their cereal boxes. An “Archies” restaurant also opens in Joilet, Il.
Ron Dante continued to sing and produce and his next big hit after “Sugar Sugar” was “Tracy” by “The Cufflinks”. Jeff Barry married Ellie Greenwich and they became a great songwriting duo as well as music producers. They wrote such hits as “River Deep, Mountain High” that ended up being a hit 3 different times by 3 different artists. They also wrote the big hits “Da Do Ron Ron” and “Be My Baby”. Their most well know hit was “I Can Hear Music” by “The Beach Boys”. They also produced songs for “Neil Diamond”, “Van Morrison” and “The Monkees”.
The CD I own by “The Archies” is titled “THE VERY BEST OF THE ARCHIES” and it has a total of 15 Songs on it and it was originally released on Album on the record label called “Cult Records”. It was released on CD on the record label called “Cleopatra” on 6 July 1999. Here are the songs that make up this Greatest Hits CD in order as they appear followed by my rating of each song then followed by their peak position on the Top 100 singles chart if it made it and then my overall rating of this CD. This CD is missing 2 good big hits from it “Who’s Your Baby?” and “Sunshine”.
1. SUGAR SUGAR – 5 (Peaked at #1 for 4 weeks on 07/26/69)
2. MELODY HILL – 5 (FS of Sugar Sugar)
3. OVER AND OVER – 4 (FS of Sunshine)
4. SUGER AND SPICE – 3
5. JINGLE JANGLE – 5 (Peaked at #10 on 11/29/69)
6. SUGAR SUGAR (PISTEL REMIX 㥫) – 2
7. KISSIN’ – 0
8. BANG SHANG A LANG – 5 (Peaked at #22 on 09/28/68)
9. FEELIN’ SO GOOD (S.K.O.O.B.Y.-D.O.O.) – 5 (Peaked at #22 on 12/28/68)
10. EVERYTHING’S ALRIGHT – 3
11. YOU LITTLE ANGEL YOU – 4
12. HOT DOGS – 2
13. SUGAR SUGAR (JULIAN BEESTON REMIX 㥫) - 3
14. BICYCLES, ROLLER SKATES & YOU – 4
15. INSIDE OUT, UPSIDE DOWN – 3
TOTAL POINTS = 53 DIVIDED BY 15 SONGS = 3.53 OR 3 ˝ STARS
RATING KEY:
5 – GREAT
4 – VERY GOOD
3 – GOOD
2 – FAIR
1 – POOR
0 – THIS SONG DOESN’T BELONG HERE!
SOME SONG LYRICS
BANG-SHANG-A-LANG
I recall just walking down the street
Trying to escape the city heat
I saw her from the corner of my eye, eye, eye
Yes she looked so good I thought I'd die
My heart went bang shang a lang, bang shang a lang
Bang shang a lang, bang, bang
My heart went bang shang a lang, bang shang a lang
Bang shang a lang, bang, bang
JINGLE JANGLE
Ever since I met-cha
I couldn't want you better
I couldn't love you stronger if I tried
It's my true heart I'm showin'
Or my nose would be growin'
You know that it gets longer when I lie
Singin La da da, la, da, da
(Sing me, sing me, sing me, yeah)
La da da, la, da, da
(Sing the jingle jangle song)
La da da, la, da, da
(Sing me, sing me baby, yeah)
La da da, la, da, da
SUGAR SUGAR
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)
JAG’S FINAL THOUGHTS:
This is another great 60’s Best Of (Greatest Hits) that I had to have in my collection. Lots of good clean fun and toe tapping music. Very easy to follow, easy to pick up the words quickly and enjoyable to listen to anytime, anywhere. Like I said previously in Part 1 on the 1910 Fruitgum Company this CD also holds true to form as it also has no drugs, no sex, no guns, no booze and no bad language. Another CD that is definitely rated "G" for all ages to listen to. Thanks for taking the time to read my review today and I really hope you enjoyed this step back into the 60’s? Have A Great Day and God Bless You ALL, Ron.
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Epinions.com ID:
JAGUARDOG
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 - Top 100 |
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Member: Ron Drain
Location: Jacksonville, Florida, USA
Reviews written: 235
Trusted by: 494 members
About Me:
I LOVE Music/TV/Movies & sports like Football - NFL/College, Baseball, Olympics - Summer/Winter and Wrestling.
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