Sugah Wooga

Last updated
"Sugah Wooga"
Single by The Three Playmates
B-side "Lovey Dovey Pair"
Released1957
Genre R&B
Label Savoy 45-1528
Songwriter(s) Brooks, Cadena
The Three Playmates singles chronology
"It Must Be Love"
(1957)
"Sugah Wooga"
(1957)
"Give Your Love To Me"
(1958)

"Sugah Wooga" was a chart hit for R&B female trio the Three Playmates in 1958. It was their only hit.

Contents

Background

The female trio was from Newark, New Jersey, and consisted of the Beatty sisters, Lucille and Alma and Gwen Brooks. The song they recorded was a dance song. [1]

The single, backed with "Lovey Dovey Pair", was recorded with backup from musicians that included Buddy Lucas on tenor sax, Bobby Banks on organ, and Leonard Gaskin on bass. It was written by Brooks and Ozzie Cadena. [2] It was released on Savoy 1528. [3]

Reception

The review of their single in Billboard December 16, 1957 issue was positive, referring to the songs as powerful entries and noting the clever use of voices on the A side. The B side was a "tender" ballad about adolescent love. [4]

Chart performance

The single did very well in some cities, hitting the number-one spot. [5] By December 30, it was noted as a hit and selling fast, [6] with momentum continuing in February 1958. [7] The single peaked nationally at #89 on March 10, 1958. [8]

Related Research Articles

Meredith Brooks American musician

Meredith Ann Brooks is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist best known for her 1997 hit song "Bitch", for which she was nominated for a Grammy Award.

Jailhouse Rock (song) 1957 single by Elvis Presley

"Jailhouse Rock" is a song recorded by American singer Elvis Presley for the film of the same name. It was written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. RCA Victor released the song on a 45 rpm single on September 24, 1957 as the first single from the film's soundtrack EP. It reached the top of the charts in the U.S. and the top 10 in several other countries. The song has been recognized by the Grammy Hall of Fame, the American Film Institute, and others.

The Clovers

The Clovers are an American rhythm and blues/doo-wop vocal group who became one of the biggest selling acts of the 1950s. They had a top 30 US hit in 1959 with the Leiber and Stoller song "Love Potion No. 9".

"Why Don't You Believe Me?" is a popular song written by Lew Douglas, King Laney, and Roy Rodde and published in 1952.

Whos Sorry Now? (song) 1923 song by Bert Kalmar, Harry Ruby and Ted Snyder

"Who's Sorry Now?" is a popular song with music written by Ted Snyder and lyrics by Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby. It was published in 1923, when Isham Jones had a major hit with it. Other popular versions in 1923 were by Marion Harris, Original Memphis Five, Lewis James, and Irving Kaufman.

"It's All in the Game" is a pop song whose most successful version was recorded by Tommy Edwards in 1958. Carl Sigman composed the lyrics in 1951 to a wordless 1911 composition titled "Melody in A Major", written by Charles G. Dawes, who was later Vice President of the United States under Calvin Coolidge. It is the only No. 1 single in the U.S. to have been co-written by a U.S. Vice President or a Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

Its Only Make Believe

"It's Only Make Believe" is a song written by drummer Jack Nance and Mississippi-born singer Conway Twitty, while both were touring across Ontario, Canada in 1958. The song was recorded on May 7 for MGM Records; produced by Jim Vienneau, it featured Floyd “Lightnin’” Chance on double bass. It was released on side B of "I'll Try" on July 14, 1958. Known as Harold Lloyd Jenkins until changing his name in 1957, Twitty was a relatively unknown rock n' roll singer at the time. That all changed when side B finally hit the chart in September, then made No. 1 twice, on November 10 and 24. The single topped both U.S. and the UK Singles Chart, and became the only No. 1 pop single of his career. Years later, on a segment of 'Pop Goes The Country', Twitty stated it was a hit in 22 countries, and sold over 8 million copies. He did not become a country music star until he crossed over in 1966.

Sugartime 1957 single by The McGuire Sisters

"Sugartime" is a popular song written by Charlie Phillips and Odis Echols, and published in 1957. The biggest hit version was by the McGuire Sisters, whose recording of it topped the Most Played chart in February 1958. It was also the second number-one Billboard single for the trio after 1954's "Sincerely". The song refers to the Jimmie Rodgers song "Honeycomb", which had been recorded a few months earlier in 1957.

"I'll Get By " is a popular song with music by Fred E. Ahlert and lyrics by Roy Turk. The song was published in 1928. Versions by Nick Lucas, Aileen Stanley and, most successfully, Ruth Etting, all charted in America in 1929.

Gwendolyn Dianne Brooks, was a soul, r&b and jazz singer from New Jersey. With the Three Playmates, Brooks recorded several songs in 1957. She moved to Toronto shortly thereafter. Her part in Canadian soul music history began when the group Diane Brooks, Eric Mercury and the Soul Searchers was formed. As a solo singer, she recorded two albums and several singles of her own. Her biggest solo hit was "Walkin' on My Mind" in 1969. She was also a prolific session singer. As a vocalist, she provided backing vocals on albums by a multitude of artists that include Ann Murray, Gino Vannelli and Richie Havens. She was also a song-writer.

The Four Lovers was a band formed in 1956 that was the result of vocalist Frankie Valli joining The Variatones in 1954. The Four Lovers achieved minor success before a name change to The Four Seasons in 1960. During those five years, group members also included Nicolas DeVito, Hugh Garrity, Charles Calello (bass), Nick Massi, Bob Gaudio, and Philip Mongiovi (drums)

Challenge Records was founded in Los Angeles in 1957 by cowboy singer Gene Autry and former Columbia Records A&R representative Joe Johnson. Autry's involvement with the label was short-lived as he sold his interest to the remaining partners in October 1958.

"You're the Apple of My Eye" is a song written by Otis Blackwell and initially recorded and released as a single in 1956 by The Four Lovers, the precursor to The Four Seasons. Recorded after they were denied the opportunity to record another Blackwell song, "Don't Be Cruel", "You're the Apple of My Eye" was The Four Lovers' first exposure to U.S. national publicity, reaching the #62 position on the Billboard Hot 100 and earning the quartet an appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. One of two Four Lovers singles that RCA Victor Records released simultaneously, it was the quartet's only foray onto the Hot 100 before the formation of The Four Seasons five years later.

"Lovey Dovey" is a popular American rhythm and blues song originating in the 1950s and written by Eddie Curtis and Ahmet Ertegun, with the latter usually credited using his songwriter's pseudonym "Nugetre". The song's initial recording by The Clovers remains the best known version, reaching No. 2 for five weeks on the R&B charts in 1954.

My Special Angel

"My Special Angel" is a popular song by Jimmy Duncan, published in 1957.

The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by Billboard. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 positions but was shortened to 50 positions in October 2012.

"A Rockin' Good Way " is a song first recorded in 1958 by Priscilla Bowman, on the Abner Records label. Bowman was given vocal backing by The Spaniels.

Beep Beep (song) 1958 single by The Playmates

"Beep Beep" is a novelty single by The Playmates, released in 1958 by Roulette Records as the B-side to "Your Love".

The Three Playmates were a female R&B trio from Newark, New Jersey who were active in the late 1950s. They recorded for the Savoy label, and had three singles released. One of them, the dance oriented "Sugah Wooga" became a hit for the trio in 1958.

References

  1. Allbutforgottenoldies.net - The Three Playmates, ABOUT
  2. Discogs - The Three Playmates – Sugah Wooga / Lovey Dovey Pair
  3. Jazzdisco.org - The Three Playmates, NYC, October 22, 1957
  4. Billboard, December 16, 1957 - Page 62 ** Review Spotlight on ...R&B RECORDS
  5. First Pressings: 1958, Galen Gart - Page 14
  6. Billboard, December 30, 1957 - Page 41 * R&B TERRITORIAL BEST SELLERS, NEW HIT SELLING FAST !
  7. Billboard, February 10, 1958 - Page 49 Coming Up Stronger Every Week!
  8. Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-2006, by Joel Whitburn - Page 846