Jerry Corbetta Bob Webber Bob Raymond Bob MacVittie Bob Yeazel Bobby Pickett Myron Pollock Larry Ferris Ray Payne Rusty Buchanan Larry Wilkins Bryan Grassmeyer
Lead vocalist and keyboardist Jerry Corbetta, along with guitarist Bob Webber, played together in the Denver-based band The Moonrakers. The Moonrakers had previously released four singles on Tower;[1] The Moonrakers had evolved from the early 1960s band The Classics (previously The Surfin' Classics until they dropped their surf music focus). Members of all three incarnations would later appear on Sugarloaf songs.[2]
In late 1968, Corbetta and Webber formed the band Chocolate Hair, including drummer Myron Pollock, who'd played previously with Corbetta, plus Webber's friend, bassist Bob Raymond. Corbetta had originally started out as a drummer at the age of four before switching over to keyboards by age seven. He had returned to the drums while with the Moonrakers, but cited a wish to play keyboards again as a primary reason for leaving to form the new band.[3]
Name change and the Liberty years
Corbetta and Webber were signed to Frank Slay at this time and began recording demos during 1969. Slay got Chocolate Hair signed to Liberty Records, who liked the band’s demos, which were of such quality that Slay ended up having them put on the album.
In September 1969 Myron Pollock decided to leave the group and the former drummer for the Moonrakers and the Surfin' Classics, Bob MacVittie, was recruited. Moonrakers singer Veeder Van Dorn was also brought in to sing on the album, making his most notable appearances on the tracks "Things Gonna Change Some" and "West of Tomorrow", though he didn't end up becoming a permanent member. “Green-Eyed Lady", recorded at Original Sound Studios in Hollywood, California, which featured MacVittie on drums, was a last-minute addition to the album, which was released in the very late spring of 1970.
Just before the album's release, however, Liberty’s legal department suggested the name Chocolate Hair might be taken as having racist overtones. The band members agreed to change their name to Sugarloaf, the name of a mountain outside of Boulder, Colorado,[4] where Bob Webber resided in an A-frame house.
"Green-Eyed Lady" was written by Corbetta along with his friend Ray Payne's Sweet Pain collaborators J.C. Phillips and David Riordan. The single peaked at No.3 on the Billboardchart in October 1970, while their eponymous debut album hit No.24.
Just after the first album's release, the group added singer/guitarist/composer Bob Yeazel, who’d previously played in Denver psych band Beast with Kenny Passarelli. The group recorded two albums with famed Buddy Holly producer Norman Petty. Yeazel was also a member of Superband with Jimmy Greenspoon, who would go on to join Three Dog Night. Yeazel would feature heavily on Sugarloaf's second album, Spaceship Earth (January 1971), which would only manage to reach No.111. The album’s two singles, "Tongue-In-Cheek" and "Mother Nature's Wine", would peak at No.55 and No.88, respectively. The former was the final single ever issued by Liberty itself before it was folded into United Artists.[5][6]
During 1970 and 1971, Sugarloaf had a heavy touring schedule that included appearances with The Who, Deep Purple, Eric Burdon & War, and other popular acts of the time. On March 16, 1971 they performed at an afterparty for the 13th Annual Grammy Awards with Aretha Franklin, Three Dog Night and others.
The band became a sextet when they welcomed former Maul & The Kutups bassist Bobby Pickett (not to be confused with the "Monster Mash" performer) on May 16, 1971 and six days later, they appeared on American Bandstand to play "Green Eyed Lady" and "Mother Nature's Wine".
In 1972 Sugarloaf played on the single "I.O.I.O.", a cover of a Bee Gees song recorded by TV actor Butch Patrick that was produced by Frank Slay.
Bob Yeazel and Bobby Pickett left Sugarloaf sometime in mid-1972. Pickett later went on to perform with Etta James, Gregg Allman, Detective and Cafe R&B. After playing in various bands for a while, Yeazel took an eight-year break from performing before he once again began touring, writing songs and recording demos.
After a falling out with Corbetta, Bob Webber, Bob Raymond, and Bob MacVittie departed the group as well by late 1972, leaving Corbetta with the rights to the Sugarloaf name.
Resumption and another hit
Eventually Liberty decided to drop all their artists and Sugarloaf was in limbo in 1973 as Jerry Corbetta signed to Neil Bogart's Brut Records label, which Bogart had created and distributed, via his Buddah Records imprint, for the BrutFabergé company.
The next album, I Got a Song, released in late 1973, was started as a Corbetta solo record but ended up becoming Sugarloaf's third album when Webber and Raymond rejoined Corbetta, with drummer Larry Ferris (also a former member of Beast), to play on the album and once again began making live appearances. This iteration of Sugarloaf played a spot on The Midnight Special that aired on April 19, 1974.
But after Brut folded, the group's future was once again in question as Corbetta and Frank Slay bought the album back from Bogart and went to a friend's recording studio in Denver in 1974 to record a new song, "Don't Call Us, We'll Call You", with session players Paul Humphries (drums), Max Bennett (bass), Ray Payne (guitar) and a group called the Flying Saucers (Jason Hickman, Mikkel Saks and David Queen) on harmony vocals. This song was notable because it contained a practical joke at the expense of CBS Records, which had just turned them down for a recording contract. The song includes the sound of a touch-tonetelephone number being dialed near the beginning and ending of the song. Those numbers were an unlisted phone number at CBS Records in Manhattan ("area code 212" stated in the song) – coincidentally a public number at the White House as well (different area code). In addition, the recording includes snippets of the guitar riff of The Beatles' "I Feel Fine", Stevie Wonder's "Superstition" and a line of dialogue from disc jockey Ken Griffin imitating Wolfman Jack (who would later perform the song live with the group on their Midnight Special appearance) stating the call sign of a radio station ("Stereo 92" in the nationwide release); numerous tracks of this line were cut to match local markets. "Don't Call Us...", written by Corbetta along with John Carter, was released in November 1974 on Slay's Claridge Records label and after it took off and peaked at No.9 in April 1975, the I Got a Song album was quickly re-released under the new title of Don't Call Us, We'll Call You with the hit single added in place of another track, "Easy Evil". But the album stalled out at US No.152 on the Billboard Top 200.
Also in 1974, Corbetta played with the group Disco-Tex and the Sex-O-Lettes on their hit "Get Dancin'", that was produced by Bob Crewe, Corbetta's new partner, and contributed to other projects, including the band Chinook.
Another single not on the LP, "Stars in My Eyes", peaked at No.87 in June 1975 and Sugarloaf realigned with Corbetta, Webber, Raymond and original Chocolate Hair/first album drummer Myron Pollock and toured once again in 1975 behind the success of "Don't Call Us...". A live recording of the band was made at Ebbets Field (a small club, not the former Brooklyn ball park) in Denver on January 15, 1975 that was eventually released in 2006 as the CD Alive in America.[7]
"I Got a Song", the title track of their 1973 album, was released as a single in October 1975 but only "bubbled under" on Billboard at No.110. A Corbetta solo single, "You Set My Dreams to Music", recorded around this time, ended up in a 1977 film The Legend of Frank Woods and Sugarloaf's final single, "Satisfaction Guaranteed", was released in 1976 but failed to chart. All singles from "Don't Call Us..." on appeared on the Claridge label.
Break-up and later years
By the end of 1975, Webber and Raymond were gone from the group and Corbetta continued to tour as Jerry Corbetta and Sugarloaf with drummer Myron Pollock, adding Ray Payne on guitar and Rusty Buchanan (later with Player) on bass until 1978 when he decided to retire the Sugarloaf name and pursue a solo career. His first and only solo album, Jerry Corbetta, was put out on Warner Bros. that same year.[8] He was also a member of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons from 1980 to 1984.
On June 12, 1985 there was a one/off Sugarloaf reunion at the Colorado Cream Festival that included Corbetta, Myron Pollock, Bob Yeazel, and new players Larry Wilkins (guitar) and Bryan Grassmeyer (bass).
During 1989 to 1991, Corbetta and Wilkins attempted to get Sugarloaf up and running again with the help of Bob Crewe but without success.
In 1991 Corbetta was part of a touring rock & roll nostalgia show, 30 Years of Rock and Roll. This led to him teaming with two other rock vets on that bill, guitarist/singer Mike Pinera (ex-Blues Image and Iron Butterfly) and bassist Dennis Noda (ex-Cannibal & the Headhunters), later that year to form another all stars touring act, The Sugarloaf/Iron Butterfly/Cannibal & the Headhunters Revue, which changed its moniker to The Classic Rock All-Stars in 1992 and added former Rare Earth singer/drummer Peter Rivera and various others, like Micky Dolenz and Spencer Davis, who drifted in and out over the years.[9]
According to Corbetta, a few times during the 1990s and in 2005, The Classic Rock All-Stars did a few shows as Sugarloaf with a different drummer in place of Rivera.
On January 19, 2008 The Brewery Arts Center in Carson City, Nevada presented the Brewery’s Legends of Rock show, which featured Corbetta and Noda, plus Omar Martinez (ex-Paul Revere and the Raiders) and local guitarist Michael Furlong.
Corbetta was forced to retire from performing in 2010 after contracting Pick's disease.
On September 8, 2012 Jerry, Bob Webber, Bob Raymond, Bob MacVittie, Bob Yeazel, Bobby Pickett, and Myron Pollock reunited to play as Sugarloaf at the Boulder Theater for their induction into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame.[10]
On September 9, 2012 Bob Webber had a Hall of Fame after-party at a golf club in Denver in which he, Corbetta, Raymond, and Pollock gathered to play one last time as Sugarloaf.[11]
Bassist Bob Raymond (born Robert William Raymond on March 4, 1946) died of lung cancer in Centennial, Colorado on February 11, 2016, at the age of 69.[12][13]
Guitarist Bob Yeazel (born Robert Devon Lee Yeazel on November 1, 1946 in Denver, Colorado) died in Stuart, Florida on June 9, 2016 at the age of 69.[14][15]
Corbetta died in Denver on September 16, 2016 at the age of 68 after seven-years with Pick's disease.[16][17]
In late 2020, a tape was found by Bob Webber in a case of cables being trashed. The tape turned out to be a live recording of Sugarloaf at another 1975 show. Webber restored the tape and remastered it for vinyl. Sugarloaf Live 1975 was then officially released on September 8. 2022.[18]
Some of the surviving members of Sugarloaf along with longtime friends and co-musicians reunited for an album release party for Sugarloaf Live 1975 on September 11, 2022 at the Wild Goose saloon in Parker Colorado. The members on this night were: Bob Webber, Myron Pollock, Bobby Pickett, keyboardist Denny Flannigan, vocalist/guitarist Kick Stevens (aka Bailey Raymond, grandson of Bob Raymond) and Freddi Gowdy of the Freddi-Henchi band joining them on stage to sing “Them Changes”.[19]
Former Sugarloaf guitarist Bob Webber went on to become an aerospaceengineer and drummer Bob MacVittie moved to Arkansas and pursued restaurant management.
George Peter John Criscuola, better known by his stage name Peter Criss, is a retired American musician, best known as a co-founder, original drummer, and an occasional vocalist of the hard rock band Kiss. Criss established the Catman character for his Kiss persona. In 2014, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Kiss.
David Walker is an English singer and guitarist who has been front-man for a number of bands; most notably The Idle Race, Savoy Brown and Humble Pie, he also served briefly with Fleetwood Mac and Black Sabbath.
The Four Seasons is an American vocal quartet formed in 1960 in Newark, New Jersey. Since 1970, they have also been known at times as Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. The band evolved out of a previous band called The Four Lovers, with Frankie Valli as the lead singer, Bob Gaudio on keyboards and tenor vocals, Tommy DeVito on lead guitar and baritone vocals, and Nick Massi on bass guitar and bass vocals. On nearly all of their 1960s hits, they were credited as The 4 Seasons. The band had two distinct lineups that achieved widespread success: the original featuring Valli, Gaudio, DeVito, and Massi that recorded hits throughout the 1960s, and a 1970s quintet consisting of Valli, Lee Shapiro, Gerry Polci, Don Ciccone, and John Paiva, with Gaudio and Long providing studio support.
The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (NGDB) is an American country rock band formed in 1966. The group has existed in various forms since its founding in Long Beach, California. Between 1976 and 1981, the band performed and recorded as the Dirt Band.
Robert Hall Weir is an American musician and songwriter best known as a founding member of the Grateful Dead. After the group disbanded in 1995, Weir performed with The Other Ones, later known as The Dead, together with other former members of the Grateful Dead. Weir also founded and played in several other bands during and after his career with the Grateful Dead, including Kingfish, the Bob Weir Band, Bobby and the Midnites, Scaring the Children, RatDog, and Furthur, which he co-led with former Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh. In 2015, Weir, along with former Grateful Dead members Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann, joined with Grammy-winning singer/guitarist John Mayer, bassist Oteil Burbridge, and keyboardist Jeff Chimenti to form the band Dead & Company.
Ronald Douglas Montrose was an American musician and guitarist who founded and led the rock bands Montrose and Gamma. He also performed and did session work with a variety of musicians, including Van Morrison, Herbie Hancock, Beaver & Krause, Boz Scaggs, Edgar Winter, Gary Wright, The Beau Brummels, Dan Hartman, Tony Williams, The Neville Brothers, Marc Bonilla and Sammy Hagar.
Savoy Brown were a British blues rock band formed in Battersea, southwest London, in 1965. Part of the late 1960s blues rock movement, Savoy Brown primarily achieved success in the United States, where they promoted their albums with non-stop touring. Founder, guitarist and primary songwriter Kim Simmonds was the sole constant member of the band from its formation in 1965 until his death in 2022.
Gerald Anthony James Corbetta was an American singer-songwriter, keyboardist and organist, record producer, best known as a frontman for the Colorado rock band Sugarloaf, best known for their classic rock hit "Green-Eyed Lady".
The Soul Survivors are an American, Philadelphia-based, soul and R&B group, founded by New York natives Richie and Charlie Ingui along with Kenny Jeremiah. The Soul Survivors are known for their 1967 hit single "Expressway to Your Heart", which was the first hit by Philadelphia soul record producers and songwriters Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff.
Pebbles, Volume 10 is a compilation album among the LPs in the Pebbles series. The music on this album has no relation to Pebbles, Volume 10 that was released on CD many years later.
Cellador is an American power metal band based in Denver, Colorado. Originally from Omaha, Nebraska, the band was founded in 2003 by Chris Petersen, the band's primary songwriter, as a direct contrast to the overcrowded metalcore and death metal scenes of the American Midwest. The band has had multiple lineup changes since its inception, but is now rounded out by founder Chris Petersen, drummer Nick McCallister, keyboardist Diego Valadez, and guitarist Eric Meyers. In 2005 the band signed to Metal Blade Records after playing a show with The Black Dahlia Murder.
The TCB Band is a group of musicians who formed the rhythm section of Elvis Presley's band from August 1969 until his death in 1977.. The initials TCB stand for Taking Care of Business, a personal motto Presley adopted in the early 1970s. Although personnel changed over the years, the original members were James Burton, Jerry Scheff (bass), John Wilkinson, Larry Muhoberac (keyboards) and Ron Tutt (drums). They first appeared live at Presley's first Las Vegas performance at what was then known as the International Hotel on July 31, 1969.
Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 18 is a compilation album in the Highs in the Mid-Sixties series, featuring recordings that were released in Colorado. This is the only state featured in this series that is limited to only one LP.
The Classic Rock All-Stars is a supergroup composed of hit-making artists in the 1960s and 1970s. The band has performed a variety of classic hits live often at outdoor festivals, since forming in 1992. The hit song "Get Ready" typically kicked off the live show showcasing Pete Rivera's lead vocals while drumming.
"Don't Call Us, We'll Call You" is a hit song by the American rock band Sugarloaf. Co-written by lead vocalist Jerry Corbetta, the song was featured as the title track of the band's fourth and final album. It was their fourth single and was recorded at Applewood Studios in Golden, Colorado. Performing on the track, along with Jerry Corbetta, were session players Paul Humphries (drums), Max Bennett (bass), Ray Payne (guitar), and a group called the "Flying Saucers" on harmony vocals.
Nicholas Pollock is a Seattle-based singer, guitarist, and songwriter best known for his work with the grunge band My Sister's Machine. He has also played in various bands with other notable musicians, including Alice in Chains singer Layne Staley and Queensrÿche guitarist Michael Wilton. He graduated from Lindbergh High School in 1986.
"Green-Eyed Lady" is a popular single by the American rock band Sugarloaf. Written by Jerry Corbetta, J.C. Phillips and David Riordan, it was featured on the band's debut album, Sugarloaf and was their first single. It peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1970 and was RPM magazine's number one single for two weeks. It has been featured on dozens of compilation albums.
Sugarloaf is the debut album by American rock band Sugarloaf. It was released in 1970 and reached No. 24 on the Billboard Top LPs chart. It is best known for the No. 3 hit single "Green-Eyed Lady".
Circle Jerks are an American hardcore punk band, formed in 1979 in Los Angeles, California. The group was founded by former Black Flag vocalist Keith Morris and Redd Kross guitarist Greg Hetson. To date, Circle Jerks have released six studio albums, one compilation, a live album and a live DVD. Their debut album, Group Sex (1980), is considered a landmark of the hardcore genre.
Timothy Goodman is an American country music singer-songwriter, guitarist, vocalist and producer who has recorded for RCA, Columbia Records and Warner Brothers and performed on numerous sessions for other recording artists.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
