(The Hit Hammer is where I'm reviewing each #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100. Starting from when the chart started in 1958 and eventually working my way to the present. To see my inspiration and more information about this blog, please refer to the "Poor Little Fool" post)
Jimmy Gilmer & the Fireballs - "Sugar Shack"
Hit Number 1: October 12, 1963
Stay at Number 1: 5 Weeks
In 1962, the singer Keith McCormack was in the process of writing a song, but he had one question on his mind. What were those tight pants that girls wear? He asked his aunt the question, and she replied to him "leotards". As a result, his aunt got a songwriting credit on the song "Sugar Shack", which ended up being the top song of 1963. Originally, "Surfin' U.S.A" by the Beach Boys was dubbed as the #1 song on that year, but later lists say that it was really "Sugar Shack". ("Surfin' U.S.A." is a 10) Either way, "Sugar Shack" was enormously popular, as it was the #1 song in the country for most of the fall of 1963. But while it dominated then, it happens to be one of the worst aging songs from the 1960s.
I've noticed over the last couple years that when I look at lists of the worst #1 songs ever, "Sugar Shack" by Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs is a somewhat regular occurrence on them. There's two big issues that people have with it: the bass notes are real abrupt and pointless sounding, and the organ playing that people mistake for being an "annoying penny whistle". These are what these people say that slam "Sugar Shack", and they are not my own words, though they are kind of on to something. Those abrupt bass notes are kind of like random burps thrown in there, and the story it tells is cute, but so cheesy. To give a brief summary, a guy has fallen in love with a waitress at this coffee shop who wears a black leotard and is barefoot. He hatches up a plan to keep going to this coffee shop, to buy boatloads of coffee and make this girl love him. Apparently it worked, cause they're married at the end of the song, and make plans to go back to that "sugar shack".
Also, the thing only runs for 2 minutes, so it almost resonates to me as this pointless song that somehow held down the #1 spot for 5 weeks. However, it's also not a song that I've felt compelled to dislike. The song is a little bit catchy, I have to admit, and the organ that is played throughout I feel is a nice little touch to the song, and not something I get annoyed by, like most people apparently. I might go as far as to say that the organ helps define the song. So even though a wide array of people apparently get pissed off by "Sugar Shack", I certainly don't. If you ask me, it's just a harmless and innocent song that was in way over its head.
GRADE: 5/10
10 ALERT!!!:
The Ronettes' classic jam and golden oldie "Be My Baby" was kept from the #1 spot by "Sugar Shack". Do you really need me to tell you that it's an obvious 10?
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