|
Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZBUBBLEGUMPop genre originated in USA late '60s. Brill Building mogul Don Kirshner moved into TV with Screen Gems; saw TV's potential for pushing pop; advertised in Variety for four actors/musicians to become the Monkees, whose networked TV show sold millions of singles composed by Kirshner lieutenants Boyce and Hart, played by sessionmen with only Monkees' voices used. Another pioneer act was Tommy James and the Shondells, with writing team of Bo Gentry and Richie Cordell making hits on Roulette. Common to all bubblegum was strong beat, nursery-rhyme lyrics, clever 'hooks' in melody lines, the antithesis to sex, drugs and protest endemic in '60s rock. It was taken to its logical extreme by (Jerry) Kasenetz and (Jeff) Katz's Super K production company, which had hits '67 with Ohio Express ('Beg Borrow And Steal' on Cameo) and Music Explosion ('Little Bit O' Soul' on Laurie); signed with Cameo boss Neil Bogart's new Buddah Records, the production line commenced: first nom de disque was 1910 Fruitgum Company (writer/producer Joey Levine as lead voice with session players): 'Simon Says' adapted nursery game for no. 4 USA/2 UK hit, followed by '1, 2 ,3 Red Light', 'Goody Goody Gumdrops', 'Indian Giver', 'Special Delivery' '68--9; a touring band of Chuck Travis, Lawrence Ripley, Bruce Shay, Rusty Oppenheimer and 'Mark' promoted it. Ohio Express was re-created for 'Yummy Yummy Yummy (I've Got Love In My Tummy)', 'Chewy Chewy', more; touring group was Dale Powers, Douglas Grassel, James Pfayler, Dean Kastran, Tim Corwin. Super K with collaborators Levine, Richie Cordell, Artie Resnick virtually defined bubblegum, with Peppermint Trolley Company, Captain Groovy and his Bubblegum Army, the Rock and Roll Dubble Bubble Trading Company of Philadelphia 19141, etc; some totally spurious, some existing groups sucked into the hit machine. Many combined to make 46-piece Kasenetz/Katz Singing Orchestral Circus, which played Carnegie Hall, scored hit 'Quick Joey Small (Run Joey Run)' '68. Not all crossed over to UK, where Brian Poole's Tremeloes, Marmalade etc were home-grown competition. The ultimate came with the Archies (manufactured by Kirshner; studio lead singer Ron Dante) whose 'Sugar Sugar' (on Calendar in USA) was the biggest- selling RCA/UK single of all time: that they were cartoon characters sums up the whole thing. By c'70 the genre was being absorbed into the pop mainstream (outpost in UK: Mickie Most's RAK label, with Suzie Quatro, etc), but some sounds (e.g. the Farfisa organ) remained unfashionable until punk, when the kids took over the shop. Kasenetz/Katz carried on producing, notably US hard-rockers Ram Jam ('77 USA/UK hit 'Black Betty'), Speedway Boulevard's eponymous LP '80. |