January 4, 2009

"Sugar Shack"

Jimmy Gilmer (on left) and the Fireballs (source)

From Wikipedia:

"Sugar Shack" is a song written in 1962 by Keith McCormack and his aunt, Fay Voss. The song was recorded in 1963 by Jimmy Gilmer & the Fireballs at Norman Petty Studios in Clovis, New Mexico. "Sugar Shack" hit #1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 (where it spent five weeks from October 12 to November 9, 1963) and on the Cashbox charts (where it spent three weeks from October 19 to November 2, 1963[1]). On November 29, 1963 the song received RIAA certification for selling over a million copies, earning gold record status, and was the number one single of the year according to Billboard. "Sugar Shack" also hit the UK at #45 on the Record Retailer chart.



What an odd song! I find the overall delivery is a little bit creepy. It also raises the question about whether a sugar shack would have sugar walls or not. I'm guessing it has them.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow -

I haven't heard this song in forever. When I was a little kid, my parents would listen to it all the time. I did like it ... but I always found something alittle creepy about it.

Video Zeta One said...

What exactly does he mean when he says "..make that girl love me when I put on some trash"?

It's probably best we never know.

(Nice ascot. Mr. Furley would be proud.)

Chris said...

It just sounds strange to me, somehow. I think it may be the crunchy bass and organ. The singer's voice is also not exactly aesthetically pleasing.

Leigh said...

Synchronicity strikes again. I was reminded of this song just before Christmas; the twins worked at Lost Pines scout camp in Bastrop over winter break, and there is a candy/gift store there called Sugar Shack. Then, of course, the stupid song got stuck in my head for a while . . .

I too have wondered what "put on some trash" was meant to convey. And "make that girl love me" -- what's up with that? I always felt rather sorry for this couple, since they had nothing better to do than remember their courtship. The whole thing suffers in comparison with the B52's "Love Shack", which is inevitably called to mind as soon as you say the title.

But I will say that this song is not nearly as creepy as the Police's "Every Breath You Take". I call that "The Stalker Song".

Good to see you back!

Chris said...

I'm glad to see another person doesn't just love this song, Leigh. I don't usually post about songs I dislike, but this one is at least catchy, in a perverted sort of way.

Guns 'n' Roses, of course, took Gordon Sumner's sentiment to another level altogether.

Leigh said...

Yuck. I've never been a fan of Guns n' Roses, but if I had been, I would be no longer.

And people say that rap is misogynistic . . .