I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)" is a 1965 hit song recorded by The Four Tops for the Motown label, later re-recorded by American singer La Toya Jackson in 1995.
[edit] The Four Tops version
| "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)" |
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| Single by Four Tops | ||
| from the album The Four Tops' Second Album | ||
| Released | April 23, 1965 | |
| Format | 7" single | |
| Recorded | Hitsville USA (Studio A); 1965 | |
| Genre | Soul/pop | |
| Length | 2:46 | |
| Label | Motown M 1076 |
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| Writer(s) | Holland-Dozier-Holland | |
| Producer(s) | Brian Holland Lamont Dozier |
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| Chart positions | ||
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| 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) |
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. It was the number one song on the Billboard Hot 100 for two non-consecutive weeks, from June 12, 1965 to June 19 and from June 26 to July 3. 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 permanently replaced by "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" by The Rolling Stones.
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." Like most of his lead parts, Stubbs' vocals are recorded in a tone that straddles the line between singing and shouting, similar to the tone of a black Baptist preacher.
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.
[edit] Credits
- 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
- Written by Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, and Edward Holland, Jr.
- Produced by Brian Holland and Lamont Dozier
| Preceded by "Back in My Arms Again" by The Supremes |
Billboard Hot 100 number one single June 19, 1965 |
Succeeded by "Mr. Tambourine Man" by The Byrds |
[edit] La Toya Jackson version
| "I Can't Help Myself" | ||
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| Single by La Toya Jackson | ||
| from the album Stop in the Name of Love | ||
| Released | 1995 | |
| Format | CD Single | |
| Recorded | 1995 | |
| Genre | Soul/Dance | |
| Length | 3:30 (Single Version), 4:10 (Album Version) | |
| Label | KOCH Records | |
| Writer(s) | Holland-Dozier-Holland | |
| Chart positions | ||
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Did not chart |
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| La Toya Jackson singles chronology | ||
| "Let's Rock the House" (1992) |
"I Can't Help Myself" (1995) |
"Don't Break My Heart" (1998) |
La Toya Jackson covered "I Can't Help Myself" on her 1995 album Stop in the Name of Love, which is Jackson's worst seller to date. The single was only released throughout Switzerland, Austria, Germany and Holland, with the album track "Baby Love" (cover of The Supremes' "Baby Love") as a B-side. The single failed to chart.
| La Toya Jackson |
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| Discography |
| La Toya Jackson | My Special Love | Heart Don't Lie | Imagination | La Toya | Bad Girl |
| No Relations | Formidable | From Nashville to You | Stop in the Name of Love | Startin' Over |
| For complete discography, see La Toya Jackson discography |
| Autobiography |
| La Toya: Growing up in the Jackson Family |
| Related Articles |
| The Jackson Family | Jack Gordon |
