Build Me Up Buttercup
Encyclopedia
"Build Me Up Buttercup" is the name of a song written by Mike d'Abo
and Tony Macaulay
, and released by The Foundations
with Colin Young
singing the lead vocals in 1968. This was the third major hit for The Foundations. Colin Young replaced Clem Curtis
in 1968 and this was the first Foundations hit that he sang on. It reached number 2 on the UK charts and number 3 in the US on the Billboard Hot 100, where it stayed for 11 weeks.
It was re-recorded in or around the late 1980s when original Foundations members Clem Curtis and Alan Warner
teamed up to recut this as well as other hits of The Foundations.
In 2003, Colin Young recorded an updated version of the song backed by a choir of policemen from the Surrey police force. The proceeds from the sale of the CD go to Milly's Fund. The fund is a trust set up in memory of murdered school girl Amanda Dowler
. Apparently the song was a favourite of hers.
The song was used in the 1983 film Luggage of the Gods!
, and featured again in movies twice in the 1990s and once in 2007. It was covered by rock band The Goops in 1995 for the soundtrack of Mallrats
, with the music video
featuring View Askewniverse
characters Jay and Silent Bob
. Three years later, it was included (as its original version) in the 1998 film There's Something about Mary
. The actors of the film also made a video for the song, with all the main actors miming to the words in character. It was also covered by The Frantic in 2007 as a bonus track on their album Audio & Murder. This version is popularly thought to have been done by both NOFX
and The Donnas
.
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
play this song during the seventh-inning stretch, after Take Me Out to the Ballgame; fans most often sing along with it, much like Sweet Caroline
and the Boston Red Sox
, as well as "New York, New York" and the New York Yankees. The song is also sung by fans and especially students during Wisconsin Badgers football
and Boston College Eagles football
games. The song is also a favorite of the Carleton College
men's cross country team, who sing that song during campus runs.
Mike d'Abo
Michael David "Mike" d'Abo is an English singer and songwriter, best known as the former lead vocalist of Manfred Mann.-Biography:...
and Tony Macaulay
Tony Macaulay
Tony Macaulay is a British author, composer for musical theatre, and songwriter, though it was the latter that made him a household name early in his career...
, and released by The Foundations
The Foundations
The Foundations were a British soul band, active from 1967 to 1970. The group, made up of West Indians, White British, and a Sri Lankan, are best known for their two biggest hits, "Baby Now That I've Found You" , written by Tony Macaulay and John MacLeod; and "Build Me Up Buttercup" The Foundations...
with Colin Young
Colin Young
Colin Young is a singer known for being a member of The Foundations. In the mid-sixties, he came to England for a holiday with his father and he decided to stay...
singing the lead vocals in 1968. This was the third major hit for The Foundations. Colin Young replaced Clem Curtis
Clem Curtis
Clem Curtis is a singer and former lead vocalist of sixties British soul group The Foundations.-Early years:...
in 1968 and this was the first Foundations hit that he sang on. It reached number 2 on the UK charts and number 3 in the US on the Billboard Hot 100, where it stayed for 11 weeks.
It was re-recorded in or around the late 1980s when original Foundations members Clem Curtis and Alan Warner
Alan Warner (musician)
Alan Warner is a musician.As a boy he originally wanted to play trumpet but ended up with a toy accordion...
teamed up to recut this as well as other hits of The Foundations.
In 2003, Colin Young recorded an updated version of the song backed by a choir of policemen from the Surrey police force. The proceeds from the sale of the CD go to Milly's Fund. The fund is a trust set up in memory of murdered school girl Amanda Dowler
Amanda Dowler
Amanda Jane "Milly" Dowler was a 13-year-old English girl who was abducted on her way home from school in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, on 21 March 2002, and subsequently murdered...
. Apparently the song was a favourite of hers.
The song was used in the 1983 film Luggage of the Gods!
Luggage of the Gods!
Luggage of the Gods! is a 1983 American comedy film. In the movie, cavemen living in a mountainous region of Latin America are completely disconnected from the modern world. They speak a simple constructed language, similar to that used in the 1981 movie Caveman. They worship and greatly fear...
, and featured again in movies twice in the 1990s and once in 2007. It was covered by rock band The Goops in 1995 for the soundtrack of Mallrats
Mallrats
Mallrats is a 1995 film written and directed by Kevin Smith. It is the second to be set in Smith's View Askewniverse series of interlocking films set mostly in New Jersey, although the movie was filmed in Eden Prairie Center and Osowski's Flea Market which are located in Minnesota...
, with the music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
featuring View Askewniverse
View Askewniverse
The View Askewniverse is a fictional universe created by writer/director Kevin Smith, featured in several films, comics and a television series; it is named for Smith's production company, View Askew Productions. The characters Jay and Silent Bob appear in almost all the View Askewniverse media,...
characters Jay and Silent Bob
Jay and Silent Bob
Jay and Silent Bob are fictional characters portrayed by Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith, respectively, in Kevin Smith's View Askewniverse, a fictional universe created and used in most films, comics and television by Smith, which began in Clerks....
. Three years later, it was included (as its original version) in the 1998 film There's Something about Mary
There's Something About Mary
There's Something About Mary is a 1998 American comedy film, directed by the Farrelly brothers, Bobby and Peter. It stars Cameron Diaz, Matt Dillon and Ben Stiller, and it is a combination of romantic comedy and gross-out film....
. The actors of the film also made a video for the song, with all the main actors miming to the words in character. It was also covered by The Frantic in 2007 as a bonus track on their album Audio & Murder. This version is popularly thought to have been done by both NOFX
NOFX
NOFX is an American punk rock band from Los Angeles, California .The band was formed in 1983 by vocalist/bassist Fat Mike and guitarist Eric Melvin. Drummer Erik Sandin joined NOFX shortly after. In 1991 El Hefe joined to play lead guitar and trumpet, rounding out the current line-up...
and The Donnas
The Donnas
The Donnas are an American all-female rock band from Palo Alto, California. They draw inspiration from The Ramones, The Runaways, AC/DC, Bachman–Turner Overdrive and Kiss. Rolling Stone has stated that "the Donnas offer a guileless take on adolescent alienation; they traffic in kicks, not...
.
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
play this song during the seventh-inning stretch, after Take Me Out to the Ballgame; fans most often sing along with it, much like Sweet Caroline
Sweet Caroline
"Sweet Caroline" is a pop song written and performed by Neil Diamond and officially released on September 16, 1969, as a single. It was later released on December 9, 1972 as a part of Diamond's Hot August Night album. There are three distinct mixes of this song...
and the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
, as well as "New York, New York" and the New York Yankees. The song is also sung by fans and especially students during Wisconsin Badgers football
Wisconsin Badgers football
The Wisconsin Badgers are a college football program that represents the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision and the Big Ten Conference. They play their home games at Camp Randall Stadium, the fourth-oldest stadium in college football...
and Boston College Eagles football
Boston College Eagles football
The Boston College Eagles football team is the collegiate football program of Boston College. The team is a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, a Division I Bowl Subdivision league governed by the NCAA. Within the ACC, the Eagles are one of six teams in the Atlantic Division...
games. The song is also a favorite of the Carleton College
Carleton College
Carleton College is an independent non-sectarian, coeducational, liberal arts college in Northfield, Minnesota, USA. The college enrolls 1,958 undergraduate students, and employs 198 full-time faculty members. In 2012 U.S...
men's cross country team, who sing that song during campus runs.
Single releases
- The Foundations: "Build Me Up Buttercup"/"New Direction"; PYE 7N 17636 — 1968 (7")
- Dominic: "Build Me Up Buttercup"/"To Be Too Much in Love"; CNR(NL)142.010 — 1982
- Shirley Scott: "Build Me Up Buttercup"/"Buttercup Jam"; Music Works BMC 3545 — 1982
- Torch: 1. "Build Me Up Buttercup" (Club mix), 2. (Instrumental)/1. (Radio edit), 2. (Underground mix); Pacific Records SAT-1XX — 1983 (12" single)
- Colin Young & The Offbeats — 'For Milly's Fund': "Build Me Up Buttercup"/"Buttercup Too"/"No Man is an Island"; Ripe Music RIPEMCD1 — 2003 (CD single)
Cover versions/Pop culture
- Me First and the Gimme GimmesMe First and the Gimme GimmesMe First and the Gimme Gimmes is a punk rock supergroup and cover band that formed in 1995. The Gimmes work exclusively as a cover band. The band is named after a children's book of the same name by Gerald G. Jampolsky and Diane V. Cirincione...
- The ValentinesThe Valentines (rock band)The Valentines were an Australian pop band active from 1966–70, chiefly noted for their lead singers, Bon Scott, who later went on to great success as lead vocalist with AC/DC; and Vince Lovegrove, who subsequently became a successful music journalist and manager of Divinyls.-Band history:The band...
performed the song on Australian television with Bon ScottBon ScottRonald Belford "Bon" Scott was a Scottish-born Australian rock musician, best known for being the lead singer and lyricist of Australian hard rock band AC/DC from 1974 until his death in 1980...
on backing vocals. - The version by Torch was released in 1983, and was a big club hit in the Philippines.
- Andy Paul, a Cypriot Eurovision artist, covered this song in 1985.
- The Four Tops in 1972.
- David JohansenDavid JohansenDavid Roger Johansen is an American rock, protopunk, blues, and pop singer, as well as a songwriter and actor. He is best known as a member of the seminal protopunk band The New York Dolls and also achieved commercial success under the pseudonym Buster Poindexter.-Early life:Johansen was born in...
(New York DollsNew York DollsThe New York Dolls is an American rock band, formed in New York in 1971. The band's protopunk sound prefigured much of what was to come in the punk rock era; their visual style influenced the look of many new wave and 1980s-era glam metal groups, and they began the local New York scene that later...
), various live recordings. - Clifters in 1990, in Finnish "Ihmeiden Madonna".
- Sarah HardingSarah HardingSarah Nicole Harding is an English singer-songwriter, actress and model best known for being a member of the pop group Girls Aloud, formed through ITV's reality television programme Popstars: The Rivals...
covered the song in popstars the rivals - The Partyboys in 2003.
- McFlyMcFlyMcFly are an English pop rock band who first found fame in 2004. The band consists of Tom Fletcher , Danny Jones , Dougie Poynter and Harry Judd . They were signed to the Island Records label from their 2004 launch until December 2007, before creating their own label, Super Records...
and Busted in 2005. - Punk band Save FerrisSave FerrisSave Ferris was a ska punk band formed circa 1995 in Orange County, California. Their name is a reference to the 1986 film Ferris Bueller's Day Off.-History:...
have also covered the song. - The song has been covered by another punk band The Frantic.
- WestlifeWestlifeWestlife are an Irish boy band established on 3 July 1998. They are to disband in 2012. The group's line-up was Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan, Mark Feehily, Shane Filan, and Brian McFadden . The group are the only act in British and Irish history to have their first seven singles peak at number one...
in 2002 (World of Our Own TourWorld Of Our Own TourThe World of Our Own Tour saw Westlife touring the UK and Europe in 2002. The tour centered around a space theme with giant globes for the band's entrance. Each band member earned £2 million, £14,000 each for their shows, £800,000 each from merchandising as well as an extra £300,000 each for...
). - In 2006, a rap remake was released by RhymefestRhymefestChe Smith , known by the stage name of Rhymefest, is an American hip hop artist from Chicago, Illinois whose first official album, Blue Collar, was released on July 11, 2006. He co-wrote Kanye West's "Jesus Walks", which won a Grammy at the 47th Grammy Awards. In October, 2010, Rhymefest announced...
with Ol' Dirty BastardOl' Dirty BastardRussell Tyrone Jones was an American rapper and occasional producer, who went by the stage name Ol' Dirty Bastard or simply ODB...
on the chorus for Rhymefest's critically acclaimed album, Blue CollarBlue Collar (album)-Reception:Despite being a sleeper upon its release, the album was met with positive reviews. HipHopDX gave it 4 stars out of 5, while Pitchfork Media ranked it as high as 8.0/10.-Samples:Dynomite ...
(2007). - The Boston College Marching BandBoston College Marching BandThe Boston College Marching Band, also known as the "Screaming Eagles" Marching Band or BCMB, is the marching band for the Boston College Eagles. Founded in 1919, The Band is the largest and most visible student organization at Boston College...
performs "Buttercup" at Boston College EaglesBoston College EaglesThe Boston College Eagles are the athletic teams representing Boston College. They compete in NCAA Division I as members of the Atlantic Coast Conference. The men's and women's ice hockey teams compete in Hockey East. The women's crew team competes in the Eastern Association of Women's Rowing...
football games with the student section, the SuperfansBoston College EaglesThe Boston College Eagles are the athletic teams representing Boston College. They compete in NCAA Division I as members of the Atlantic Coast Conference. The men's and women's ice hockey teams compete in Hockey East. The women's crew team competes in the Eastern Association of Women's Rowing...
, singing along. The students of University of WisconsinWisconsin BadgersThe Wisconsin Badgers are the collegiate athletic teams from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. This NCAA Division I athletic program has teams in football, basketball, ice hockey, volleyball, soccer, cross country, tennis, swimming, wrestling, track and field, rowing, golf, and softball...
sing this song at almost every home football game as well as at many hockey games. The Thames Valley UniversityThames Valley UniversityThe University of West London is a public university based in London, United Kingdom, with campuses in Ealing and Brentford, London, and Reading, Berkshire....
(Reading campus) rugby team also sing it at every game. Shamrock Rovers F.C.Shamrock Rovers F.C.Shamrock Rovers Football Club are a professional football club from Dublin, Ireland. They compete in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland and are the most successful club in Irish football history. The club have won the League of Ireland title a record 17 times and the FAI Cup a record 24...
adopted it in the early 70's. - The Goops covered the song for the Kevin Smith movie MallratsMallratsMallrats is a 1995 film written and directed by Kevin Smith. It is the second to be set in Smith's View Askewniverse series of interlocking films set mostly in New Jersey, although the movie was filmed in Eden Prairie Center and Osowski's Flea Market which are located in Minnesota...
. - This song is also in the game Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol.
- In October 2008, Eddie MoneyEddie MoneyEddie Money is an American rock guitarist, saxophonist and singer-songwriter who found success in the 1970s and 1980s with a string of Top 40 hits and platinum albums...
released a cover of the song on his album Wanna Go BackWanna Go BackWanna Go Back is Eddie Money's eleventh album, released in 2007. In it, Money sang cover versions of popular songs from the 1960s. His daughter, Jesse Money, performed on three tracks from the album.-Track listing:...
. - Jason MrazJason MrazJason Thomas Mraz , also known as Mr. AZ and Mr. Raz, is an American singer-songwriter. Mraz released his debut album, Waiting for My Rocket to Come, which contained the hit single "The Remedy ", in 2002, but it was not until the release of his second album, "Mr. A-Z", in 2005, that Mraz achieved...
performed a cover of the song during his concert tour in late 2008, with heavy audience participation (various fan videos of these performances are available on YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
). - B.o.BB.o.BBobby Ray Simmons, Jr. , better known by his stage name B.o.B, is an American rapper, singer-songwriter and record producer. He is currently signed under the labels of Grand Hustle Records, Rebel Rock Entertainment, and Atlantic Records. His debut single "Nothin' on You" reached number one in both...
recently used the chorus for a song called "Don't Break My Heart". - The Washington NationalsWashington NationalsThe Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
play the song after an opposing pitcher is relieved after Sweet CarolineSweet Caroline"Sweet Caroline" is a pop song written and performed by Neil Diamond and officially released on September 16, 1969, as a single. It was later released on December 9, 1972 as a part of Diamond's Hot August Night album. There are three distinct mixes of this song...
. The song can also be played during extra innings to fill up time. - Mike d'AboMike d'AboMichael David "Mike" d'Abo is an English singer and songwriter, best known as the former lead vocalist of Manfred Mann.-Biography:...
regularly performs a live version with The ManfredsThe ManfredsThe Manfreds are a British pop group, formed in 1991 as a reunion of former members of the 1960s pop group Manfred Mann, however without their eponymous founder Manfred Mann himself.-Personnel:*Paul Jones - vocals, harmonica...
. - Stereo SkylineStereo SkylineStereo Skyline is an American pop punk band from East Meadow, New York, which formed in 2006.The group has played at The Bamboozle 2007, The Bamboozle Left 2009, The Bamboozle 2009, The 2010 Take Action Tour, The Bamboozle Roadshow 2010, released two EPs, and released their debut album Stuck On...
, a band from Long Island, performed a cover of this song during the Let's Make a Mess TourLet's Make a Mess TourLet's Make a Mess Tour is a tour with headliners Hey Monday. The lineup include The Friday Night Boys, This Providence, Stereo Skyline and The Bigger Lights.-Tour dates:...
. - An alternative version, "Buttercup Slow Version" by Clem CurtisClem CurtisClem Curtis is a singer and former lead vocalist of sixties British soul group The Foundations.-Early years:...
can be heard at his MyspaceMyspaceMyspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
site.http://www.myspace.com/clemcurtis - Singer-songwriter Julia NunesJulia NunesJulia Nunes is a singer and songwriter from Fairport, New York. Her career has progressed online through her videos of pop songs on YouTube in which she sings harmony with herself and plays acoustic instruments, primarily the ukulele, guitar, melodica and piano.-Biography:Nunes was born into a...
also performed a cover version of the song on her ukelele in one of her videos on YouTube. - Katy PerryKaty PerryKaty Perry is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Born in Santa Barbara, California, and raised by Christian pastor parents, Perry grew up listening to only gospel music and sang in her local church as a child. After earning a GED during her first year of high school, she began to pursue a...
covered the song on her June 2009 Europe Tour - Argentine musician Charly GarcíaCharly GarcíaCharly García is a singer-songwriter, pianist and keyboardist from Argentina with a long career in rock music, forming successful groups such as Sui Generis and Serú Girán, cult status groups like La Máquina de Hacer Pájaros, and as a solo musician.-Early years:Charly García was the eldest son in...
covered the song live and the recording was released on his album "Estaba en llamas cuando me acosté" in 1995. - The rock band You, Me, and Everyone We KnowYou, Me, and Everyone We KnowYou, Me, and Everyone We Know was a pop rock band from Washington, D.C., fronted by singer-songwriter Ben Liebsch. They released their debut EP Party for the Grown and Sexy in 2006...
performed a version of the song for the 2010 compilation Rockin Romance II. - British folk/punk singer-songwriter Frank TurnerFrank TurnerFrank Turner is an English folk/punk singer-songwriter from Meonstoke, Winchester. Initially the vocalist of post-hardcore band Million Dead, Turner embarked upon a primarily acoustic-based solo career following the band's split in 2005. To date, Turner has released four solo albums, two rarities...
covered the song for the British Charity CentrepointCentrepoint (charity)Centrepoint is the leading charity in the United Kingdom supporting homeless young people aged 16-25. Its is HRH The Duke of Cambridge.It provides a range of accommodation and additional support in health, education and life skills...
's 2010 Charity cover album 1969 Key to Change.http://www.centrepoint.org.uk/key-to-change - The Los Angeles Angels of AnaheimLos Angeles Angels of AnaheimThe Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
play the song at every home game, during the seventh-inning stretch, after Take Me Out to the Ballgame (or in some instances, God Bless AmericaGod Bless America"God Bless America" is an American patriotic song written by Irving Berlin in 1918 and revised by him in 1938. The later version has notably been recorded by Kate Smith, becoming her signature song ....
). - In 2011, the song was parodied by The FringemunksThe FringemunksThe Fringemunks are a music group created by Seattle musician David Wu in 2008 consisting of three "cloned" anthropomorphic chipmunks: Feebo, Notchy and Pie. They are known mostly for recapping all episodes of Fox television series Fringe with song parodies...
as part of a medley that recapped FringeFringe (TV series)Fringe is an American science fiction television series created by J. J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. The series follows a Federal Bureau of Investigation "Fringe Division" team based in Boston, Massachusetts under the supervision of Homeland Security...
episode 3.16, "Os".