I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)
Encyclopedia
"I Can't Help Myself" 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 hit number one on the R&B charts and was also the number-one song on the Billboard Hot 100
for two non-consecutive weeks,. 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
.
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. The melodic and chordal progressions are very similar to the Supremes' "Where Did Our Love Go
".
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.
recorded a cover of this song between 1965 and 1966, released on the their #1 album, The Supremes A' Go-Go. It is notable that 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. In 1967, the Four Tops
themselves recorded a special Italian language
version, entitled Piangono gli uomini (The men cry).
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,. and #4 on the dance charts.
Dolly Parton
covered the song and included her version on her 1984 album of covers The Great Pretender
.
UK group The Real Thing released a version in 1987.
La Toya Jackson
covered "I Can't Help Myself" on her 1995 album Stop in the Name of Love
. 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.
Australian girl group, Teen Queens, released a version in 1992 for their second single, where it peaked at #28 on the ARIA Singles Chart.
The hard rock band Axe
did a heavy version of the song on their first LP.
cereal in the United Kingdom
; sung by the cereal's (then) mascot, Barey Bee
.
During the late 1980s or early 1990s, the song was used in a Duncan Hines brownie mix commercial in the US.
In 1980, the song was covered by Japanese pop singers Pink Lady
on an episode of their American variety show Pink Lady and Jeff.
On Madonna's
Who's That Girl Tour, she sang a few lines of "I Can't Help Myself" during the song "Like a Virgin
."
The band Say Anything
also uses a few lines from the song on their track "Sure Baby...Hold Back" released on their first album entitled Baseball
.
George Harrison's
"This Song
", which commented on the "My Sweet Lord
"/"He's So Fine
" plagiarism
suit, borrowed the riff of "I Can't Help Myself". In the middle of the song, Monty Python's Eric Idle calls out in falsetto "Could be 'Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch,'" "No, sounds more like 'Rescue Me'!"
Scottish Post-punk band Orange Juice
makes reference to The Four Tops in their similarly named song "I Can't Help Myself" and made use of the intro bass riff in their instrumental song "Moscow".
The intro of the song was later sampled in the Ace of Base
song, "Always Have Always Will
".
The band Eraserheads, from the Philippines, borrowed the intro bass line for their song, "Easy Ka Lang" , which translate to English "Take It Easy" but with slight variation on the intro.
The song is part of the 2004 Lodge Kerrigan film, Keane.
Four Tops
The Four Tops are an American vocal quartet, whose repertoire has included doo-wop, jazz, soul music, R&B, disco, adult contemporary, hard rock, and showtunes...
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 hit number one on the R&B charts and was also the number-one song on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
for two non-consecutive weeks,. from June 12 to June 19 and from June 26 to July 3 in 1965. It replaced "Back in My Arms Again
Back in My Arms Again
"Back in My Arms Again" is a 1965 song recorded by The Supremes for the Motown label.Written and produced by Motown's main production team Holland–Dozier–Holland, "Back in My Arms Again" was the fifth number-one song for the group on the Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart in the United States from...
" by labelmates The Supremes
The Supremes
The Supremes, an American female singing group, were the premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s.Originally founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, The Supremes' repertoire included doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway show tunes, psychedelic soul, and disco...
, was first replaced by "Mr. Tambourine Man
Mr. Tambourine Man
"Mr. Tambourine Man" is a song written and performed by Bob Dylan, which was released on his 1965 album Bringing It All Back Home. The Byrds also recorded a version of the song that was released as their first single on Columbia Records, reaching number 1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 chart and...
" by The Byrds
The Byrds
The Byrds were an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964. The band underwent multiple line-up changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn remaining the sole consistent member until the group disbanded in 1973...
, then regained the top spot before being replaced by "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
" Satisfaction" is a song by the English rock band The Rolling Stones, released in 1965. It was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards and produced by Andrew Loog Oldham. Richards's throwaway three-note guitar riff — intended to be replaced by horns — opens and drives the song...
" by The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
.
The song finds lead singer Levi Stubbs
Levi Stubbs
Levi Stubbles , better known by the stage name Levi Stubbs, was an American baritone singer, best known as the lead vocalist of the Motown R&B group Four Tops...
, assisted by the other three Tops and The Andantes
The Andantes
The Andantes were a prolific female sessions group for the Motown record label during the 1960s. Composed of Jackie Hicks, Marlene Barrow, and Louvain Demps, the group sang background vocals on numerous Motown recordings, including songs by Martha Reeves & the Vandellas, The Temptations, Stevie...
, 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. The melodic and chordal progressions are very similar to the Supremes' "Where Did Our Love Go
Where Did Our Love Go
"Where Did Our Love Go" is a 1964 song recorded by The Supremes for the Motown label.Written and produced by Motown's main production team Holland–Dozier–Holland, "Where Did Our Love Go" was the first single by the Supremes to go to the number-one position on the Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart...
".
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine ranked the song #415 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time
The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time
"The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" was the cover story of a special issue of Rolling Stone, issue number 963, published December 9, 2004, a year after the magazine published its list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time"....
. It has been covered extensively since 1965, including versions done for several television commercials.
Personnel
- Lead vocals by Levi StubbsLevi StubbsLevi Stubbles , better known by the stage name Levi Stubbs, was an American baritone singer, best known as the lead vocalist of the Motown R&B group Four Tops...
- Background Vocals by Abdul "Duke" Fakir, Renaldo "Obie" Benson, Lawrence PaytonLawrence PaytonLawrence Albert Payton was an American tenor, songwriter and record producer for the popular Motown quartet, the Four Tops....
, and The AndantesThe AndantesThe Andantes were a prolific female sessions group for the Motown record label during the 1960s. Composed of Jackie Hicks, Marlene Barrow, and Louvain Demps, the group sang background vocals on numerous Motown recordings, including songs by Martha Reeves & the Vandellas, The Temptations, Stevie...
: Jackie Hicks, Marlene Barrow, and Louvain Demps - Instrumentation by The Funk Brothers and the Detroit Symphony OrchestraDetroit Symphony OrchestraThe Detroit Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Detroit, Michigan. Its main performance center is Orchestra Hall at the Max M. Fisher Music Center in Detroit's Midtown neighborhood...
(strings)
- Written by Brian HollandBrian HollandBrian Holland is an American songwriter and record producer, best known as a member of Holland–Dozier–Holland. That songwriting and production team that was responsible for much of the Motown sound and numerous hit records by artists such as Martha and the Vandellas, The Supremes, The Four Tops,...
, Lamont DozierLamont DozierLamont Herbert Dozier is an American songwriter and record producer, born in Detroit, Michigan. Dozier has either co-written or produced several US Billboard #1 hits.-Career:...
, and Edward Holland, Jr.Edward Holland, Jr.Edward Holland, Jr. is an American singer, songwriter and record producer.... - Produced by Brian HollandBrian HollandBrian Holland is an American songwriter and record producer, best known as a member of Holland–Dozier–Holland. That songwriting and production team that was responsible for much of the Motown sound and numerous hit records by artists such as Martha and the Vandellas, The Supremes, The Four Tops,...
and Lamont DozierLamont DozierLamont Herbert Dozier is an American songwriter and record producer, born in Detroit, Michigan. Dozier has either co-written or produced several US Billboard #1 hits.-Career:...
Cover versions
The SupremesThe Supremes
The Supremes, an American female singing group, were the premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s.Originally founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, The Supremes' repertoire included doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway show tunes, psychedelic soul, and disco...
recorded a cover of this song between 1965 and 1966, released on the their #1 album, The Supremes A' Go-Go. It is notable that their backing band, The Funk Brothers
The Funk Brothers
The Funk Brothers was the nickname of Detroit, Michigan, session musicians who performed the backing to most Motown Records recordings from 1959 until the company moved to Los Angeles in 1972...
, was also the Four Tops
Four Tops
The Four Tops are an American vocal quartet, whose repertoire has included doo-wop, jazz, soul music, R&B, disco, adult contemporary, hard rock, and showtunes...
' backing band at the time and was composed of most, if not all, of the same musicians as the original #1 single. In 1967, the Four Tops
Four Tops
The Four Tops are an American vocal quartet, whose repertoire has included doo-wop, jazz, soul music, R&B, disco, adult contemporary, hard rock, and showtunes...
themselves recorded a special Italian language
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
version, entitled Piangono gli uomini (The men cry).
In 1980, Bonnie Pointer
Bonnie Pointer
Patricia Eva "Bonnie" Pointer is an American R&B and disco singer, most notable for being the next-to-youngest member of the 1970s and 1980s family music group, The Pointer Sisters. She scored several moderate solo hits after leaving the Pointers in 1977, including a disco cover of The Elgins'...
had a Disco crossover hit, with the song peaking at #40 on the pop singles chart, #42 on the soul singles chart,. and #4 on the dance charts.
Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton
Dolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music. Dolly Parton has appeared in movies like 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Straight Talk...
covered the song and included her version on her 1984 album of covers The Great Pretender
The Great Pretender (Dolly Parton album)
-Chart performance:-External links:*...
.
UK group The Real Thing released a version in 1987.
La Toya Jackson
La Toya Jackson
La Toya Yvonne Jackson is an American singer-songwriter, musician, author, television personality, actress, businesswoman, philanthropist, activist and former model. She is the fifth child of the Jackson family...
covered "I Can't Help Myself" on her 1995 album Stop in the Name of Love
Stop in the Name of Love (La Toya Jackson album)
Stop In the Name of Love is the tenth studio album by American singer La Toya Jackson. The album, which was recorded and mixed in Sweden, is a collection of dance-style well-known Motown covers, including The Supremes' "Stop! In the Name of Love" and "Baby Love", the Four Tops' "I Can't Help...
. 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.
Australian girl group, Teen Queens, released a version in 1992 for their second single, where it peaked at #28 on the ARIA Singles Chart.
The hard rock band Axe
Axe (band)
Axe is a hard rock band from Florida, USA, formed in 1979. Not to be confused with Chicago based band AXE the band, consisting of Ron Sammons, Mike Bayless, Rick Turco, Joey Martinez, Brad Harris, and Matt Ketchum.- Biography:...
did a heavy version of the song on their first LP.
Other uses
During the 1980s the song (using the original Four Tops arrangement) was featured in a popular commercial for Kelloggs Honey SmacksHoney Smacks
Honey Smacks is a sweetened puffed wheat breakfast cereal made by Kellogg's.-Naming:Introduced in 1953, the cereal has undergone several name changes. It started out as Sugar Smacks. In the 1980s, it was renamed Honey Smacks...
cereal in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
; sung by the cereal's (then) mascot, Barey Bee
Bee
Bees are flying insects closely related to wasps and ants, and are known for their role in pollination and for producing honey and beeswax. Bees are a monophyletic lineage within the superfamily Apoidea, presently classified by the unranked taxon name Anthophila...
.
During the late 1980s or early 1990s, the song was used in a Duncan Hines brownie mix commercial in the US.
In 1980, the song was covered by Japanese pop singers Pink Lady
Pink Lady (band)
is a Japanese female pop music duo of the late 1970s and early 1980s, featuring Mitsuyo Nemoto and Keiko Masuda...
on an episode of their American variety show Pink Lady and Jeff.
On Madonna's
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
Who's That Girl Tour, she sang a few lines of "I Can't Help Myself" during the song "Like a Virgin
Like a Virgin (song)
"Like a Virgin" is a song by American singer Madonna from her second album of the same name. It was released on November 6, 1984 by Sire Records, as the first single from the album. The song appears on the greatest hits compilation albums The Immaculate Collection and Celebration...
."
The band Say Anything
Say Anything (band)
Say Anything is an American indie-punk band from Los Angeles, California, fronted by Max Bemis. The band was formed in 2000 with Bemis and four of his friends. Within two years, they self-released two EPs, Junior Varsity and In Your Dreams, and the full-length Baseball: An Album by Sayanything.In...
also uses a few lines from the song on their track "Sure Baby...Hold Back" released on their first album entitled Baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
.
George Harrison's
George Harrison
George Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
"This Song
This Song
"This Song" is the fourth track on George Harrison's 1976 album Thirty Three & 1/3. It was released as the leadoff single from the album and reached #25 on the American pop charts.-History:...
", which commented on the "My Sweet Lord
My Sweet Lord
"My Sweet Lord" is a song by former Beatles lead guitarist George Harrison from his UK number one hit triple album All Things Must Pass. The song was written in praise of the Hindu god Krishna...
"/"He's So Fine
He's So Fine
"He's So Fine" is a recording by The Chiffons which topped the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks in the spring of 1963. One of the most instantly recognizable Golden Oldies with its doo-lang doo-lang doo-lang background vocal, "He's So Fine" is also renowned as the plaintiff song in the now-infamous...
" plagiarism
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is defined in dictionaries as the "wrongful appropriation," "close imitation," or "purloining and publication" of another author's "language, thoughts, ideas, or expressions," and the representation of them as one's own original work, but the notion remains problematic with nebulous...
suit, borrowed the riff of "I Can't Help Myself". In the middle of the song, Monty Python's Eric Idle calls out in falsetto "Could be 'Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch,'" "No, sounds more like 'Rescue Me'!"
Scottish Post-punk band Orange Juice
Orange Juice
Orange Juice was a Scottish post-punk band founded in the middle class Glasgow suburb of Bearsden as the Nu-Sonics in 1976. Edwyn Collins formed the Nu-Sonics with his school-mate Alan Duncan and was subsequently joined by James Kirk and Steven Daly, who left a band called The Machetes. The band...
makes reference to The Four Tops in their similarly named song "I Can't Help Myself" and made use of the intro bass riff in their instrumental song "Moscow".
The intro of the song was later sampled in the Ace of Base
Ace of Base
Ace of Base is a pop band based in Gothenburg, Sweden. Its original lineup consisted of Ulf "Buddha" Ekberg, and three siblings, Jonas "Joker" Berggren, Malin "Linn" Berggren and Jenny Berggren...
song, "Always Have Always Will
Always Have Always Will
"Always Have Always Will" was a popular hit by Swedish pop band Ace of Base. Heavily inspired by the Motown sound of the mid 1960s, the intro samples the intros from the Supremes track "Where Did Our Love Go" and the Four Tops track "I Can't Help Myself ". It was co-written by Jonas Berggren with...
".
The band Eraserheads, from the Philippines, borrowed the intro bass line for their song, "Easy Ka Lang" , which translate to English "Take It Easy" but with slight variation on the intro.
The song is part of the 2004 Lodge Kerrigan film, Keane.