Friday May 29, 2020 “Don’t Call Us” Sugarloaf

Frivolous Friday again and we are checking in with a band formed in the foothills of the Colorado Rocky Mountains that was originally called Chocolate Hair who perhaps wisely decided to rename itself after the ski resort Sugarloaf...in Maine. They had a top ten hit in 1970 with “Green Eyed Lady” and then like so many bands couldn’t find that elusive follow-up and were victims of the dark and unsympathetic world of the music business. The world of no hits, then no contract...and no money.

So what’s a band to do? Well they wrote this humorous somewhat scathing story about the evils of record labels and attached their story to a catchy pop tune, and to pretty much everyone’s surprise it turned out to be another top ten hit, four years after their original musical adventure.

Included in the song is the sound of a phone being dialed and if you listened carefully it was the actual unlisted number of a CBS record executive, which many people deciphered and called after hearing the song...the number was subsequently changed. Perhaps coincidentally it was aslo the number for the White House switchboard if you used area code 202 instead of the suggested 212 in the song.

The song also melody-checks the Beatles (“I Feel Fine”) and Stevie Wonder (“Superstition”) and has an imitation of legendary DJ Wolfman Jack, I wonder if they got any royalties.

Enjoy the desperation expressed here (“the band performs in the nude”) and the ultimate happy ending. I have no idea about the video.

Stay safe and well...and be frivolous.

"Uh, long distance, directory-assistance, area code 212"
I said, "Hey mama, this is Mr. Rhythm-and-Blues"
He said hello and put me on hold
To say the least, the cat was cold
He said, "Don't call us, child, we'll call you"
I said, "You got my number?"
He said, "Yeah, I got it when you walked in the door"

Don't call us... we'll call you
Don't call us... we'll call you

"I got your name from a friend of a friend
Who said he used to work with you
Do you remember the all-night preacher from Stereo-92?"
I said, "Could you relate to our quarter-track tape?
You know the band performs in the nude"
He said, "Uh-uh, don't call us, we'll call you"

"Listen kid, you pay for the call
You ain't bad, but we 've heard it all before
Yeah, it sounds like John, Paul and George"

Anyway, we cut a hit and toured a bit
With the song he said he couldn't use
And now he calls, and begs and crawls
It's telephone Deja Vu
We got percentage points and lousy joints
And all the glitter we can use, mama
So, huh, don't call us, we'll call you!

You may have heard this one before, too:
"Listen kid, you pay for the call
Well, you ain't bad but I've heard it all before"

Don't call us... we'll call you
Don't call us... we'll call you