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RATINGS: Material ***
Audio ****
Presentation *** to ****
"…Green-Eyed Lady…"
Starting out for their 1970 debut album as a quartet from Denver, Colorado – SUGARLOAF expanded into a five-piece for platter number two in 1971 – but in 2024 – it isn't like you'd notice because in truth they are very much a footnote in the history of Rock Music. And unfortunately, on the evidence of what is presented here (this release is in fact a 2023 reissue of a compilation Beat Goes On put out back in 2012) – it is easy to hear why.
Their big moment came with a Rock-funky ditty called "Green-Eyed Lady" – a edited 45 off the debut which made an impressive No.3 position on the US Billboard Singles chart. But the subsequent LP (outside of that song) was nosedive poor and despite a better second – their initial momentum would remain gone until another chance hit single in 1975 and thereafter a third album and break-up in the late 70ts. Ace Keyboardist and founder-member Jerry Corbetta went on to join Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons. They even had flourishes of Progressive Rock in their covers on the debut that sounded like The Nice doing Classical Rock and the addition of Robert Yeazel for the second album "Spaceship Earth" brought in much-needed songwriting chops. So, there is stuff here worth rediscovering. To the details…
UK re-released Friday, 3 November 2023 (Originally Issued 15 May 2012 with the same Catalogue number, Barcode and a 2012 Copyright Date on CDs and Rear) - "Sugarloaf/Spaceship Earth" by SUGARLOAF on Beat Goes On Records BGOCD1043 (Barcode 5017261210432) offers 2LPs Remastered onto 1CD that plays out as follows (78:49 minutes):
1. Green-Eyed Lady (6:53 minutes) [Side 1]
2. The Train Kept A-Rollin' (Stroll On) (2:23 minutes)
3. Medley: Bachs Door Man/Chest Fever (9:07 minutes)
4. West Of Tomorrow (5:28 Minutes) [Side 2]
5. Gold And The Blues (7:15 minutes)
6. Things Gonna Change Some (6:38 minutes)
Tracks 1 to 6 are their debut studio album "Sugarloaf" – released May 1970 in the USA on Liberty Records LST-7640 and December 1970 in the UK on Liberty Records LBS 83415 in STEREO. Produced by FRANK SLAY and J.C. PHILLIPS - it peaked at No.24 on the US Billboard charts (didn't chart UK). The British LP was at one point in time allocated a LBG catalogue number to reflect a Gatefold (like its American counterpart) - but Liberty must have thought better of it after the "Green-Eyed Lady" single from October 1970 did not do much business in Blighty. So it became a Single Sleeve and hence the LBS 83415 catalogue number. Playing times are from the CD and not the original LP.
SUGARLOAF was (Debut Album):
JERRY CORBETTA – Organ, Piano, Clavichord and Vocals
BOB WEBBER – Lead Guitar and Vocals
BOB RAYMOND – Bass
BOB MacVITTIE - Drums
7. Spaceship Earth (4:27 minutes) [Side 1]
8. Hot Water (4:10 minutes)
9. Rusty Cloud (3:01 minutes)
10. I Don't Need You Baby (5:16 minutes)
11. Rollin' Hills (3:36 minutes)
12. Mother Nature's Wine (2:58 minutes) [Side 2]
13. Country Dawg (2:36 minutes)
14. Woman (4:19 minutes)
15. Music Box (2:29 minutes)
16. Tongue In Cheek (7:38 minutes)
Tracks 7 to 16 is their second studio album "Spaceship Earth" – released February 1971 in the USA on Liberty Records LST-11010 in STEREO (no UK release). Produced by FRANK SLAY and J.C. PHILLIPS - it peaked at No.111 on the US Billboard Album charts.
SUGARLOAF was (Second Album):
JERRY CORBETTA – Organ, Piano, Clavichord, Celeste, Chimes and Lead Vocals
BOB WEBBER – Lead Guitar, Dobro and Vocals
ROBERT YEAZEL – Guitar, Bells, Classical Guitar, Harmonica and Lead Vocals
BOB RAYMOND – Bass and Vocals
BOB MacVITTIE - Drums
A word about this CD re-issue – the first version of this compilation hit the UK streets on 15 May 2012 with the catalogue number BGOCD1043, Barcode 5017261210432 and a 2012 Copyright date on its CD and rear card slipcase. This 2023 variant is an exact reissue of that 2012 compilation which unfortunately has the same catalogue number and barcode – the only way to tell the difference is the 2023 UMG and BGO Records Copyright Date on the rear and on the CD. The 16-page booklet is the same February 2012 version by JOHN TOBLER and has not been updated despite some fan complaints about content and the wishy-washy reproduction of the album cover photos. Shame BGO did not take time to change it because Tobler (normally a great read when it comes to these things) goes off into too many tangents that have slight or little to do with Sugarloaf.
Another point worth noting is this. Sugarloaf's huge hit was "Green-Eyed Lady" that hit the US Billboard charts 15 August 1970 and rose to No.3. The full album cut is 6:53 minutes, but the July 1970 US 45-single on Liberty 56183 was issued in two variants – a long edit at 5:58 minutes and a shorter more common edit at 2:58 minutes with the album cut of "West Of Tomorrow" on the B-side (5:25 minutes). The British 45 on Liberty LBF 15401 (9 October 1970) used the 2:58 minute version where singles out of Europe used the longer version. Neither edit is available on CD to this day (as far as I know) and it would have been cool for BGO to add even the shorter variant as a Bonus especially given that this is the song the band is most well-known for – but alas. The ANDREW THOMPSON Remaster of 2012 has not changed either but it didn't need to - very clear and punchy and in-your-face for all the right reasons. This is a good sounding CD even if the material leaves a lot to be desired and the Production Values reflect 1970 on the huff. To the songs…
Their self-titled "Sugarloaf" debut starts out on a winner – the hard-to-define Rock-Funky "Green-Eyed Lady" in all its near seven-minute album-sized glory. But things nosedive with a short instrumental cover version of The Yardbirds song "The Train Kept A-Rollin' (Stroll On)". While the opener sounded professionally cool – this thing sounds like a bad demo (so the audio quality is gone) and at only two and half minutes feels like total filler. Side 1 ends with a Marmite two-song mash-up of "Bachs Door Man" and "Chest Fever" where they come on like The Nice going all Classical Gas for the first 3:29 minutes until the keyboard led funkier "Chest Fever" shows up. The keyboard playing is good and you could iTunes edit the song on your player to start at 3:29 minutes, but it all feels just a tad laboured.
Side 2 opens with the better "West Of Tomorrow" – vocals and a slight Psych feel make it and "Green-Eyed Lady" a killer two-sided single. "Gold And The Blues" turns out to a fairly pedestrian Blues instrumental that ambles along but isn't good enough to leave any real lasting impression. "Things Gonna Change Some" has nice ideas on positivity, but the lyrics and vocals are not great – the second half redeemed by some cool organ soloing. Not surprising then that despite its age copies of the "Sugarloaf" LP (54 years old in 2024) linger on Auction Sites for under a pound or a dollar.
While their debut managed a 29-week chart run and an impressive peak of No.24, their second LP lasted only 9-weeks and peaked at No.111 (they would not trouble the charts again until 1975). The first three songs comprise of a plodding and tuneless title track followed by two vocal efforts that are not a lot better. In an obvious attempt to recreate the vibe of "Green-Eyed Lady" – the Slunky hustler piano groove in "I Don't Need You Baby" is the best so far. Pretty cool too is the slide-guitar Area Code 615 meets the Ozark Mountain Daredevils Country Rock vibe to "Rollin' Hills". It's followed by Clavinet Funk from Corbetta with "Mother Nature's Wine" – a message song with some of those nasal vocals he would become synonymous with when with Frankie Valli. The aimless poppy "Country Dawg" is not great despite Herculean efforts with the arrangements. "Woman" would be the flipside to the big single – the rocking "Tongue In Cheek" issued February 1971 as an edited US 45-single. Liberty 56218 was even afforded a picture sleeve and with its catchy rhythms went up No.55. The fab LP version is a saving grace on another lacklustre outing.
Sugarloaf are a footnote in Rock History but there were reasons why they had their moment in the blazing sunlight of 1970 and 1971 and this audio pleaser allows you to hear why. Fans will love it, all others should grab a listen first…
