Song Lyric Sunday: Chewy

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This week for Song Lyric Sunday Jim has invited us to share some bubblegum music. Read all about it here in his post Chewy Delectable Luscious Yummy. You’ll see how understated my title is by comparison! This is the third week of suggestions from John Holton, but at least this time I knew what it was, as this was one of the short term musical fads that made its way to these shores too. Wikipedia’s description is “Bubblegum (also called bubblegum pop) is pop music in a catchy and upbeat style that is considered disposable, contrived, or marketed for children and adolescents. The term also refers to a rock and pop subgenre, originating in the United States in the late 1960s.” It goes on to define the ‘classic bubblegum era’ as being from 1967 to 1972, though frankly I’m surprised it was that long! I was 14 in 1967 when records described in this way started appearing, so I guess I was at the upper age of the target audience, and – guilty secret time – I did actually buy a couple of them. I won’t tell you what the other one was, for fear of wrecking any credibility I might have as a serious music lover, but gimme a break: I was barely into my teens! The tune I’m playing today is, I think, the better one, anyway. This song is sometimes labelled as ‘psychedelic pop’ though it is also credited as being the first bubblegum pop song to top the American charts, and was the first #1 for Buddha Records too:

As befits the genre the lyrics aren’t exactly deep and meaningful, but here they are anyway:

Drop your silver in my tambourine
Help a poor man fill a pretty dream
Give me pennies, I’ll take anything
Now listen while I play
My green tambourine

Watch the jingle jangle start to shine
Reflections of the music that is mine
When you toss a coin, you’ll hear it sing
Now listen while I play
My green tambourine

Drop a dime before I walk away
Any song you want, I’ll gladly play
Money feeds my music machine
Now listen while I play
My green tambourine

Listen and I’ll play

Writers: Paul Leka, Shelly Pinz

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management

Try as I might I have difficulty working out if his tambourine really is green in that video. Maybe he had more than one? The Lemon Pipers were only around for three years, from ’66 to ’69, and made just two albums. This was the title track of the first, which was released in 1968 and made #90 in the US. It had already been released as a single, in November 1967, and made #1 in the US and Canada whilst reaching #7 in the UK. Green Tambourine is based around a poem written by Rochelle ‘Shelly’ Pinz about a busker she saw outside the Brill Building, where she worked and which was known as a source of many songs at that time: follow that link and you’ll see a long list of famous names. The song is also notable for including a sitar in its instrumentation – one of the first pop hits to do so. The band narrowly avoided being classed as one-hit wonders as they had two further minor hits, one of which, Rice Is Nice, also made the lower reaches of the UK top fifty. I didn’t buy that one – the clue is in the title, too simplistic even for a lad who was by then going on 15! Their other minor US hit was a song called Jelly Jungle (Of Orange Marmalade) and you can see from that why the record-buying public gave up on them, can’t you – the early psychedelic stuff had morphed into kiddiesongs! After the band broke up three of them did however continue, under the name Starstruck. Their recording of a Lead Belly song, Black Betty, was released in 1977 under the band name of Ram Jam (anther sweet connection?), and got to #18 in the US and #7 in the UK.

Another fun theme – thanks Jim and John – and I look forward to hearing what others play for it, and to seeing how many more go with this one! I’ll see you again for Tuesday Tunes: it’s going to be another good set, I think – but I would say that, wouldn’t I? 😊

56 thoughts on “Song Lyric Sunday: Chewy”

  1. Pingback: January, February | Take It Easy

  3. I remember this song well. Not exactly deep lyrics, but I’m sure they laughed all the way to the bank. What’s the term today for this type of music? I think there’s still plenty of bubble gum pop around.

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  4. Hi Clive. Fun choice. I didn’t know about Ram Jam(Black Betty). I think Green Tambourine is a chew or two above Bubblegum. I am surprised Paul dare admit to buying Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep and liking Sugar Sugar. ,,,😅

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    • Thanks, Paul. Given the theme I think I could have done a lot worse! I haven’t admitted to the other one I bought, nor will I, but I was surprised at his admission too – I’d always had him down as a man of good taste, and his own music is good too 🤣

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  5. This makes me smile, bubblegum music is fun music, though I will admit I had never heard the term “bubblegum music”. Or if I did I forgot it. But you know, can’t remember a lot when I would have been barely 2 years old at the end of the era. LOL! 🙂

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  6. Ssshhh, I still like Tommy Boyce and Bobby Harts
    ‘I Wonder What She’s Doing Tonight’ and to a lesser extent ‘Alice Long.’ At least I never trawled the tasteless depths of Bubblegum and bought ‘1 2 3 Red Light.’

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  7. I was surprised to read some of the band morphed into Ram Jam! A long way musically from Green Tambourine.

    I went through a bubblegum period when I was about 11 for a couple of years, and I still like Sugar, Sugar from The Archies! The first single I bought was Chirpy, Chirpy, Cheep Cheep, which I keep quiet to maintain my credibility (such as it is!). I also was partial to a bit of Pickety Whitch!

    Sush, don’t tell anyone…

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  10. One of a few unique bands that came about at the time of the “summer of love” music explosion…slightly psychedelic and groovy…”Come Together” by the Youngbloods and “Crimson & Clover” by Tommy James & The Shondells come to mind as well

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    • I don’t know the Youngbloods at all, as they never had any success here. Tommy James’ only hit here was Mony Mony, which got to #1. I preferred Crimson and Clover though, but it did nothing in our charts.

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  16. I love this song Clive and it has happy memories and some not so happy.
    Even then when I was the same age as you I always kind of knew that the guy asking for the money was a drug pusher and the last two verses are what happens when you take drugs… Or an I just an old cynic ? Anyway as you say Snap we both picked what I think was the best of the era … Though I am not afraid to admit as short as it lived I really liked bubblegum 💜😊😊

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