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I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)
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"I Can't Help Myself
(Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)"
Single by Four Tops
from the album Four Tops Second Album
B-side
"Sad Souvenirs"
Released
April 23, 1965
Format
7" single
Recorded
Hitsville U.S.A. (Studio A); 1965
Genre
Soul, pop
Length
2:46
Label
Motown
Songwriter(s)
Holland–Dozier–Holland
Producer(s)
Brian Holland
Lamont Dozier
Four Tops singles chronology
"Ask the Lonely"
(1965) "I Can't Help Myself
(Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)"
(1965) "It's the Same Old Song"
(1965)
"Ask the Lonely"
(1965) "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)"
(1965) "It's the Same Old Song"
(1965)
"I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)" is a 1965 hit song recorded by the Four Tops for the Motown label.
Written and produced by Motown's main production team Holland–Dozier–Holland, the song is one of the most well-known Motown tunes of the 1960s. The song reached number one on the R&B charts and was also the number-one song on the Billboard Hot 100 for two non-consecutive weeks,[1] from June 12 to June 19 and from June 26 to July 3 in 1965. It replaced "Back in My Arms Again" by labelmates The Supremes, was first replaced by "Mr. Tambourine Man" by The Byrds, then regained the top spot before being replaced by "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" by The Rolling Stones. Billboard ranked the record as the No. 2 song of 1965. It was also the Four Tops first Top 40 single in the UK, reaching #23 on its original release, and a 1970 reissue peaked at #10 in the UK charts.[2]
The song finds lead singer Levi Stubbs, assisted by the other three Tops and The Andantes, pleadingly professing his love to a woman: "Sugar pie, honey bunch/I'm weaker than a man should be!/Can't help myself/I'm a fool in love, you see." The melodic and chordal progressions are very similar to the Supremes' "Where Did Our Love Go". Allmusic critic Ed Hogan claims that the song uses the same chords as The Supremes' 1964 hit "Where Did Our Love Go," also written by Holland-Dozier-Holland.[3]
Rolling Stone magazine ranked the song #415 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. It has been covered extensively since 1965, including versions done for several television commercials.
Contents
[hide]
1 Personnel
2 Cover versions
3 References
4 External links
Personnel[edit]
Lead vocals by Levi Stubbs
Background Vocals by Abdul "Duke" Fakir, Renaldo "Obie" Benson, Lawrence Payton, and The Andantes: Jackie Hicks, Marlene Barrow, and Louvain Demps
Instrumentation by The Funk Brothers and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (strings)
Written by Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, and Edward Holland, Jr.
Produced by Brian Holland and Lamont Dozier
Cover versions[edit]
The Supremes recorded a cover of this song between 1965 and 1966, released on their #1 album, The Supremes A' Go-Go. Their backing band, The Funk Brothers, was also the Four Tops' backing band at the time and was composed of most, if not all, of the same musicians as the original #1 single.[citation needed] In 1967, the Four Tops themselves recorded a special Italian language version, entitled Piangono gli uomini (The men cry).[4]
Donnie Elbert hit #22 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1972 with his cover of this song,[5] which was a follow-up to his cover of the Supremes' "Where Did Our Love Go."
In 1980, Bonnie Pointer had a disco crossover hit, with the song peaking at #40 on the pop singles chart, #42 on the soul singles chart,[6] and #4 on the dance charts.[7][8]
A cover by American country music group Billy Hill peaked at number 58 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in 1989.[9]
The "Motorcity All-Stars" released a rerecorded version of song in 1989 on Ian Levine's Motown revival label Motorcity.[10] The ensemble group was put together from as many former Motown singers as producer Levine could assemble. Levi Stubbs' brother Joe called Levi over to record the song, and both brothers feature on the track, along with singers Sammy Ward, Cal Gill of The Velvelettes, Carolyn Crawford and C.P. Spencer of The Originals, all of whom had previously recorded at Motown. Many other former Motown associates can be seen in the background of the accompanying video, including Berry Gordy's ex-wife Raynoma Gordy Singleton and former head of artist development Maxine Powell.
References[edit]
Jump up ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 212.
Jump up ^ "Four Tops charts". officialcharts.com. Retrieved 2014-03-16.
Jump up ^ Hogan, E. "I Can't Help Myself". Allmusic. Retrieved 2014-03-15.
Jump up ^ "Four Tops – Piangono Gli Uomini / Bernadette (Vinyl)". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2014-11-28.
Jump up ^ Whitburn, Joel (2010). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits. Billboard Books. p. 212.
Jump up ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 464.
Jump up ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Hot Dance/Disco: 1974-2003. Record Research. p. 205.
Jump up ^ "Bonnie Pointer – I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)". Discogs.com. Retrieved 4 January 2015.
Jump up ^ Whitburn, Joel (2013). Hot Country Songs 1944–2012. Record Research, Inc. p. 41. ISBN 978-0-89820-203-8.
Jump up ^ "The Motorcity All-Stars* - I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch) (Vinyl)". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2016-09-29.
External links[edit]
Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics
Preceded by
"Back in My Arms Again" by The Supremes Billboard Hot 100 number-one single
June 19, 1965 – July 3, 1965 Succeeded by
"Mr. Tambourine Man" by The Byrds
Billboard Hot R&B Singles number-one single
June 5, 1965 – July 31, 1965 Succeeded by
"In the Midnight Hour" by Wilson Pickett
[show]
v
t
e
Four Tops
Abdul "Duke" Fakir
Ronnie McNeir
Roquel Payton
Harold Bonhart
Levi Stubbs
Renaldo "Obie" Benson
Lawrence Payton
Theo Peoples
Studio albums
Four Tops (1964)
Four Tops Second Album (1965)
On Top (1966)
Reach Out (1967)
Yesterday's Dreams (1968)
The Four Tops Now! (1969)
Soul Spin (1969)
Still Waters Run Deep (1970)
Changing Times (1970)
Nature Planned It (1972)
Keeper of the Castle (1972)
Main Street People (1973)
Meeting the Minds (1974)
Night Lights Harmony (1975)
Catfish (1976)
The Show Must Go On (1977)
At The Top (1978)
Tonight! (1981)
One More Mountain (1982)
Back Where I Belong (1983)
Magic (1985)
Hot Nights (1986)
Indestructible (1988)
Albums with
The Supremes
The Magnificent 7 (1970)
The Return of the Magnificent Seven (1971)
Dynamite (1971)
Other albums
The Ultimate Collection (1997)
Singles
(US/UK Top Ten singles)
"I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)" (1965)
"It's the Same Old Song" (1965)
"Reach Out I'll Be There" (1966)
"Standing in the Shadows of Love" (1966)
"Bernadette" (1967)
"Walk Away Renée" (1967)
"If I Were a Carpenter" (1968)
"It's All in the Game" (1970)
"Still Water (Love)" (1970)
"A Simple Game" (1971)
"Keeper of the Castle" (1972)
"Ain't No Woman (Like the One I've Got)" (1973)
"When She Was My Girl" (1981)
"Loco in Acapulco" (1988)
Related topics
Discography
Members
Holland–Dozier–Holland
The Supremes
Book:Four Tops
[show]
v
t
e
Four Tops singles discography
1960s
1964
"Baby I Need Your Loving"
"Without the One You Love (Life's Not Worth While)"
1965
"Ask the Lonely"
"I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)"
"It's the Same Old Song"
"Something About You"
1966
"Shake Me, Wake Me (When It's Over)"
"Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever"
"Reach Out I'll Be There"
"Standing in the Shadows of Love"
1967
"Bernadette"
"7-Rooms of Gloom" / "I'll Turn to Stone"
"You Keep Running Away"
1968
"Walk Away Renée"
"If I Were a Carpenter"
"Yesterday's Dreams"
"I'm in a Different World"
1969
"What Is a Man"
"Do What You Gotta Do"
"Don't Let Him Take Your Love from Me"
1970s
1970
"I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)" (re-issue)
"It's All in the Game"
"Still Water (Love)"
"River Deep – Mountain High" (with The Supremes)
1971
"Just Seven Numbers (Can Straighten Out My Life)"
"You Gotta Have Love in Your Heart" (with The Supremes)
"In These Changing Times"
"MacArthur Park (Part II)"
1972
"A Simple Game"
"Bernadette" (re-issue)
"Walk with Me, Talk with Me, Darling"
"(It's the Way) Nature Planned It"
"Keeper of the Castle"
1973
"Ain't No Woman (Like the One I've Got)"
"Are You Man Enough"
"Sweet Understanding Love"
1974
"I Just Can't Get You Out of My Mind"
"One Chain Don't Make No Prison"
"Midnight Flower"
1975
"Seven Lonely Nights"
"We All Gotta Stick Together"
1976
"Catfish"
"I'm Glad You Walked into My Life"
1980s
1981
"When She Was My Girl"
"Don't Walk Away"
1982
"Let Me Set You Free"
"Back to School Again"
"Sad Hearts"
"Tonight I'm Gonna Love You All Over"
1983
"I Believe in You and Me"
"I Just Can't Walk Away"
1985
"Sexy Ways"
1988
"Reach Out I'll Be There" (re-issue)
"If Ever a Love There Was" (with Aretha Franklin)
"Indestructible"
1989
"Loco in Acapulco"
Book:Four Tops
[show]
v
t
e
Holland–Dozier–Holland
Brian Holland
Lamont Dozier
Eddie Holland
Songs
1962
"Dearest One"
"Old Love (Let's Try It Again)"
"Darling, I Hum Our Song"
1963
"Leaving Here"
"Locking Up My Heart"
"What Goes Up Must Come Down" / "Come on Home"
"Tie a String Around Your Finger"
"Come and Get These Memories" / "Jealous Lover"
"You Lost the Sweetest Boy"
"Heat Wave" / "A Love Like Yours (Don't Come Knocking Everyday)"
"(He Won't Be True) Little Girl Blue"
"Mickey's Monkey"
"Too Hurt to Cry, Too Much in Love to Say Goodbye" / "Come on Home"
"When the Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes" / "Standing at the Crossroads of Love"
"I Gotta Dance to Keep From Crying"
"Quicksand" / "Darling I Hum Our Song"
"Live Wire" / "Old Love (Let's Try It Again)"
"Run, Run, Run" / "I'm Giving You Your Freedom"
"Can I Get a Witness"
1964
"A Tear from a Woman's Eyes"
"My Lady Bug Stay Away from That Beatle"
"Like a Nightmare" / "If You Were Mine"
"In My Lonely Room"
"Just Ain't Enough Love"
"Where Did Our Love Go"
"Baby Don't You Do It"
"Guarantee for a Lifetime"
"Baby I Need Your Loving" / "Call on Me"
"Candy to Me" / "If You Don't Want My Love"
"Whisper You Love Me Boy"
"Baby Love" / "Ask Any Girl"
"Come See About Me" / (You're Gone But) Always in My Heart"
"Without the One You Love (Life's Not Worth While)" / "Love has Gone"
"You're a Wonderful One"
"How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)"
1965
"Where Did You Go"
"Stop! In the Name of Love" / "I'm in Love Again"
"You've Been a Long Time Coming"
"Who Could Ever Doubt My Love"
"Nowhere to Run"
"Back in My Arms Again" / "Whisper You Love Me Boy"
"I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)"
"The Only Time I'm Happy"
"Mother Dear" / "He Holds His Own"
"Nothing but Heartaches" / "He Holds His Own"
"Love (Makes Me Do Foolish Things)"
"It's the Same Old Song" / "Your Love Is Amazing"
"Mother Dear" / "Who Could Ever Doubt My Love"
"I Hear a Symphony" / "Who Could Ever Doubt My Love"
"Something About You"
"Take Me in Your Arms (Rock Me a Little While)"
"Darling Baby"
"There's a Ghost in My House"
1966
"(I'm a) Roadrunner"
"This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)"
"Ask any Man"
"My World Is Empty Without You"
"Put Yourself in My Place"
"There's No Love Left"
"Shake Me, Wake Me (When It's Over)" / "Just as Long as You Need Me"
"Helpless" / "A Love Like Yours (Don't Come Knocking Everyday)"
"Call on Me"
"Love Is Like an Itching in My Heart" / "He's All I Got"
"Who Could Ever Doubt My Love"
"I Like Everything About You"
"I Guess I'll Always Love You"
"Nothing but Soul"
"Love's Gone Bad" / "Put Yourself in My Place"
"You Can't Hurry Love" / "Put Yourself in My Place"
"Little Darling (I Need You)"
"Reach Out I'll Be There" / "Until You Love Someone"
"Stay in My Lonely Arms"
"You Keep Me Hangin' On" / "I Wanna Mother You, Smother You With Love"
"You Keep Me Hangin' On" / "Remove This Doubt"
"Standing in the Shadows of Love" / Since You've Been Gone"
"I'm Ready for Love"
"(Come 'Round Here) I'm the One You Need"
"Heaven Must Have Sent You"
1967
"Just One Last Look"
"Love Is Here and Now You're Gone" / There's No Stopping Us Now"
"Your Love Is Amazing"
"Jimmy Mack" / "Third Finger, Left Hand"
"Bernadette" / "I Got a Feeling"
"My World Is Empty Without You"
"The Happening" / "All I Know About You"
"Just Ain't Enough Love"
"7-Rooms of Gloom" / "I'll Turn to Stone"
"I Understand My Man"
"Your Unchanging Love" / "I'll Take Care of You"
"Reflections" / "Going Down for the Third Time"
"One Way Out"
"You Keep Me Running Away" / "If You Don't Want My Love"
"I Got a Feeling"
"In and Out of Love" / "I Guess I'll Always Love You"
1968
"Whisper You Love Me Boy"
"Forever Came Today"
"I'm in a Different World"
1969
"We've Got a Way Out Love"
"Crumbs off the Table"
1970
"Give Me Just a Little More Time"
"(You've Got Me) Dangling on a String"
"Everything's Tuesday"
"Band of Gold"
"Westbound #9"
1972
"The Day I Found Myself"
"Don't Leave Me Starvin' for Your Love"
"Why Can't We Be Lovers"
1973
"You're Gonna Need Me"
1975
"We're Almost There"
"Just a Little Bit of You"
"Early Morning Love"
"Where Do I Go from Here"
1976
"I'm Gonna Let My Heart Do the Walking"
"High Energy"
"Let Yourself Go"
1982
"We Can Never Light That Old Flame Again"
Related
topics
Motown
Hot Wax Records
Invictus Records
List of songs written by Holland, Dozier and Holland
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=I_Can%27t_Help_Myself_(Sugar_Pie_Honey_Bunch)&oldid=808934573"
Categories:
1965 singles
1980 singles
Four Tops songs
La Toya Jackson songs
Bonnie Pointer songs
Billy Hill (band) songs
Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles
Songs written by Holland–Dozier–Holland
Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs number-one singles
Dance-pop songs
Motown singles
Song recordings produced by Brian Holland
Song recordings produced by Lamont Dozier
1965 songs
Song recordings produced by Jeffrey Bowen
Hidden categories:
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