Jump to content

Sugar (American band): Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous edit
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
No edit summary
 
(132 intermediate revisions by more than 100 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Short description|American alternative rock band}}
'''Sugar''' was an [[alternative rock]] band of the early [[1990]]s led by former [[Hüsker Dü]] vocalist/guitarist [[Bob Mould]]. Ex-[[Mercyland]] bassist [[David Barbe]] and ex-Zulus and [[Human Sexual Response (band)|Human Sexual Response]] drummer [[Malcolm Travis]] rounded out the trio. Mould envisioned Sugar as a similar musical venture to [[Hüsker Dü]] except with him writing all the songs and calling all the shots, Their first show was Feburary 20th, 1992, at the [[40 Watt Club]] in [[Athens, GA]], after a few weeks warming up in REM's downtown practice space. It was a "secret" show, not advertised in the local media, bumping then Athens favorite Roosevelt from headliner to opener. Word got out and the club was packed.
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Sugar
| image =
| caption =
| alt =
| image_size =
| background = group_or_band
| alias =
| origin = [[Austin, Texas|Austin]], Texas, US
| genre = {{Hlist|[[Alternative rock]]|[[jangle pop]]|[[grunge]]|[[power pop]]}}
| years_active = 1992–1995<ref name="all">{{cite book|last1=Bogdanov|first1=Vladimir|last2=Thomas Erlewine|first2=Stephen|last3=Woodstra|first3=Chris|title=All Music Guide: The Definitive Guide to Popular Music|date=2001|publisher=Backbeat Books/All Media Guide|location=San Francisco|isbn=9780879306274|page=[https://archive.org/details/allmusicguidedef00bogd/page/370 370]|edition=4th|url=https://archive.org/details/allmusicguidedef00bogd|url-access=registration|access-date=7 March 2016}}</ref>
| label = [[Rykodisc]]<br/>[[Creation Records|Creation]] (UK)
| website =
| past_members = [[Bob Mould]]<br/>[[David Barbe]]<br/>[[Malcolm Travis]]
}}


'''Sugar''' was an American [[alternative rock]] band active in the early 1990s. Formed in 1992, they were led by the singer and guitarist [[Bob Mould]] (ex-[[Hüsker Dü]]), alongside bassist [[David Barbe]] (ex-Mercyland) and drummer [[Malcolm Travis]] (ex-[[Human Sexual Response (band)|Human Sexual Response]]).<ref name="The Great Rock Discography"/>
The show was blistering and the fans were blown away. There were two encores, with the second kicking off with The Beatles' "Helter Skelter" and ending with the Sugar original "Try Again." That song ended with Bob Mould placing his guitar in front of an amplifier, resulting in minutes of screeching feedback, which the audience lapped up, not wanting to leave.


==Career==
In 1992, the band released the album ''[[Copper Blue]]'', which was named NME's Album of the Year. The following year they released ''[[Beaster]]'', an EP of darker material recorded during the ''[[Copper Blue]]'' sessions. The single "If I Can't Change Your Mind" was a moderate UK hit. After an aborted attempt to record a second full-length, the band regrouped and ''[[File Under: Easy Listening]]'' was recorded quickly in the spring of 1994, and was released that fall. A B-side collection, ''[[Besides]]'', followed in 1995; a limited number of copies included a bonus live disc titled ''The Joke Is Always on Us, Sometimes''. Mould broke the band up later that year because Barbe wished to spend more time with his growing family. Travis then took over the drumming slot in the band Kustomized.
After frontman Bob Mould departed from [[Hüsker Dü]], he released two solo ventures, ''[[Workbook (album)|Workbook]]'' and ''[[Black Sheets of Rain]]''; neither album was well received and Mould was released from his contract with [[Virgin Records|Virgin Records America]] in 1991 as a result.<ref name="buck">{{cite book|last1=Buckley|first1=Peter|title=The Rough Guide to Rock|date=2003|publisher=Penguin Group|location=London; New York|isbn=9781843531050|page=1036|edition=3rd|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7ctjc6UWCm4C&pg=PT1036|access-date=7 March 2016}}</ref> Shortly after, Mould recorded a demo tape of over thirty songs and formed Sugar with [[David Barbe]] and [[Malcolm Travis]].<ref name="pop">{{cite book|last1=Earles|first1=Andrew|title=Hüsker Dü : the story of the noise-pop pioneers who launched modern rock|date=2010|publisher=Voyageur Press|location=Minneapolis|isbn=9780760335048|page=219}}</ref>
The band was named in an Athens, GA Waffle House Restaurant when Mould spotted a sugar packet on the table where he and the other two band members were sitting.
Their first concert was on February 20, 1992, at the [[40 Watt Club]] in [[Athens, Georgia]],<ref name=pop /> after a few weeks warming up in [[R.E.M.]]'s downtown practice space.


Later in 1992, the band released the album ''[[Copper Blue]]'' on [[Rykodisc]] in the US and [[Creation Records]] in the UK.<ref name=pop /> ''Copper Blue'' was named [[NME album of the year|Album Of The Year]] 1992 by ''[[NME]]''.<ref name="gimme">{{cite book|last1=Earles|first1=Andrew|title=Gimme indie rock : 500 essential American underground rock albums 1981-1996|date=2014|publisher=Voyageur Press|location=Minneapolis|isbn=9780760346488|page=311|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=D_eKBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA311|access-date=7 March 2016}}</ref> The music videos for the singles "If I Can't Change Your Mind" and "Helpless" received extensive air time on [[MTV]] shortly after the album's release.<ref name=all/> The single for "If I Can't Change Your Mind" had moderate success in the [[UK Singles Chart]].<ref name="The Great Rock Discography"/>
Barbe contributed bass to two tracks on Mould's 2005 album ''[[Body of Song]]''.


In the spring of 1993, they released ''[[Beaster]]'', an [[Extended play|EP]] of material recorded during the ''Copper Blue'' sessions. The album proved to be more aggressive than the content on ''Copper Blue''.<ref name=all/> After an abortive attempt to record a second album, the band regrouped and released ''[[File Under: Easy Listening]]'' in September 1994. It reached No.&nbsp;7 in the [[UK Albums Chart]].<ref name="The Great Rock Discography"/>


A [[A-side and B-side|b-side]] [[compilation album]], ''[[Besides (Sugar album)|Besides]]'', followed in July 1995. The band played their final show in [[Japan]] in 1995,<ref name="noise">{{cite book|last1=Earles|first1=Andrew|title=Hüsker Dü : the story of the noise-pop pioneers who launched modern rock|date=2010|publisher=Voyageur Press|location=Minneapolis|isbn=9780760335048|pages=220–221}}</ref> Mould broke the band up in spring 1996.<ref name="The Great Rock Discography"/> Barbe wished to spend more time with his growing family and expand his solo career. Travis took over the drumming slot in [[Kustomized]].


[[Bob Mould]] spent the summer of 2012 touring and playing ''[[Copper Blue]]'' in its entirety.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Danton |first=Eric R. |date=August 27, 2012 |title=Album Premiere: Bob Mould, 'Silver Age' |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/album-premiere-bob-mould-silver-age-20120827 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120827223717/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/album-premiere-bob-mould-silver-age-20120827 |archive-date=2012-08-27 |access-date=September 24, 2012 |work=[[rollingstone.com]] |quote=Mould spent most of the summer playing Copper Blue at festivals}}</ref>
== Discography ==

==Discography==
{{Infobox artist discography
| Artist = Sugar
| Image =
| Caption =
| Alt =
| Studio = 2
| Live = 1
| Compilation = 3
| Music videos =
| Singles = 8
}}

The discography of Sugar consists of three studio albums, one compilation album, one live album, two boxsets and eight singles.


===Albums===
===Albums===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style=text-align:center;
|+List of albums, with selected details and chart positions
!rowspan=2|Title
!rowspan=2|Details<ref name="The Great Rock Discography">{{cite book| first= Martin C. | last= Strong | year= 2000 | title= The Great Rock Discography | edition= 5th | publisher= Mojo Books | location= Edinburgh | page= 951 | isbn= 1-84195-017-3}}</ref>
!colspan=4|Chart positions
|-style="font-size:smaller;"
!width=30|[[Billboard 200|US]]<br /><ref name="allmusic-billboard">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/sugar-mn0000921598/awards | title=allmusic ((( Sugar > Awards )))| magazine=Billboard| access-date=2015-08-10}}</ref>
!width=30|[[ARIA Charts|AUS]]<br /><ref>{{cite Ryan|page=271}}</ref>
!width=30|[[Official New Zealand Music Chart|NZ]]<br /><ref name=NZ>{{cite web|url=https://charts.nz/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Sugar|title=Discography Sugar|website=charts.nz|access-date=October 19, 2022}}</ref>
!width=30|[[UK Albums Chart|UK]]<br /><ref name=OCC>{{cite web|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/28252/sugar/ | title=The Official Charts Company - Sugar| publisher=Official Charts Company| access-date=2015-08-10}}</ref><ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums"/>
|-
!scope="row"|''[[Copper Blue]]''
|
*Released: September 1992
*Labels: [[Rykodisc]], Creation
| –
| 92
| 12
| 10
|-
!scope="row"|''[[Beaster]]'' <small>([[Extended play|EP]])</small>
|
*Released: April 1993
*Labels: Rykodisc, Creation
| 130
| 94
| 18
| 3
|-
!scope="row"|''[[File Under: Easy Listening]]''
|
*Released: September 1994
*Labels: Rykodisc, Creation
| 50
| 72
| 10
| 7
|-
!scope="row"|''[[Besides (Sugar album)|Besides]]'' <small>(compilation)</small>
|
*Released: June 1995
*Labels: Rykodisc, Creation
| 122
| –
| –
| –
|-
!scope="row"|''[[Besides (Sugar album)#The Joke Is Always on Us, Sometimes.|The Joke Is Always on Us, Sometimes.]]'' <small>(live album)</small>
|
*Released: November 2013
*Labels: Edsel
*Notes: Originally packaged with the first 25,000 copies of ''Besides''
| –
| –
| –
| –
|}


===Box sets===
*''[[Copper Blue]]'' LP (Rykodisc, 1992)
*''[[Beaster]]'' EP (Rykodisc, 1993)
*''A Box of Sugar'' (Edsel, 2013) – 5xLP
*''Complete Recordings 1992-1995'' (Edsel, 2014) – 5xCD
*''[[File Under: Easy Listening]]'' LP (Rykodisc, 1994)
*''[[Besides]]'' Compilation LP (Rykodisc, 1995)
*''[[Besides#The Joke Is Always On Us, Sometimes.|The Joke Is Always On Us, Sometimes.]]'' Live LP, (Rykodisc, 1995) incl. w/ ''Besides''


===Singles===
===Singles===
*All singles were released on both Creation and Rykodisc; except where indicated.
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style=text-align:center;
|+List of singles, with selected chart positions
!rowspan=2|Title<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums">{{cite book | first= David | last= Roberts | year= 2006 | title= British Hit Singles & Albums | edition= 19th | publisher= Guinness World Records Limited | location= London | isbn= 1-904994-10-5 | pages= 538–539}}</ref>
!rowspan=2|Year
!colspan=3|Chart positions
!rowspan=2|Album
|-style="font-size:smaller;"
!width=30|[[Alternative Songs|US Alt]]<br /><ref name="allmusic-billboard"/>
!width=30|[[Official New Zealand Music Chart|NZ]]<br /><ref name=NZ/>
!width=30|[[UK Singles Chart|UK]]<br /><ref name=OCC/>
|-
!scope="row"|"Changes" <small>(Creation)</small>
|rowspan=3|1992
| –
| –
| 77
|rowspan=4|''Copper Blue''
|-
!scope="row"|"Helpless" <small>(Rykodisc)</small>
| 5
| 37
| –
|-
!scope="row"|"A Good Idea"
| –
| –
| 65
|-
!scope="row"|"If I Can't Change Your Mind"
|rowspan=2|1993
| –
| –
| 30
|-
!scope="row"|"Tilted" <small>(Creation)</small>
| –
| –
| 48
|''Beaster''
|-
!scope="row"|"Your Favorite Thing"
|rowspan=2|1994
| 14
| –
| 40
|rowspan=3|''File Under: Easy Listening''
|-
!scope="row"|"Believe What You're Saying"
| –
| –
| 73
|-
!scope="row"|"Gee Angel" <small>(Rykodisc)</small>
|1995
| –
| –
| –
|}


==References==
*"Changes" Single (Creation, 1992)
{{Reflist}}
*"Helpless" Single (Rykodisc, 1992)
*"A Good Idea" Single (Rykodisc, 1992)
*"If I Can't Change Your Mind" Single (Rykodisc, 1992)
*"Tilted" Single (Rykodisc, 1993)
*"Your Favorite Thing" Single (Rykodisc, 1994)
*"Believe What You're Saying" Single (Rykodisc, 1994)
*"Gee Angel" Single (Rykodisc, 1994)


==External links==
[[Category:Creation Records artists]]
*[{{Allmusic|class=artist|id=p22022|pure_url=yes}} Sugar's AMG entry]
[[Category:1990s music groups]]
{{Sugar (American band)}}
[[Category:American musical groups]]
[[Category:Rock music groups]]
[[Category:Alternative musical groups]]


{{Authority control}}
[[de:Sugar]]

[[Category:Creation Records artists]]
[[Category:Alternative rock groups from Minnesota]]
[[Category:Musical groups established in 1992]]
[[Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1995]]
[[Category:American musical trios]]
[[Category:Rykodisc artists]]
[[Category:Merge Records artists]]
[[Category:1992 establishments in Texas]]

Latest revision as of 19:35, 12 November 2024

Sugar
OriginAustin, Texas, US
Genres
Years active1992–1995[1]
LabelsRykodisc
Creation (UK)
Past membersBob Mould
David Barbe
Malcolm Travis

Sugar was an American alternative rock band active in the early 1990s. Formed in 1992, they were led by the singer and guitarist Bob Mould (ex-Hüsker Dü), alongside bassist David Barbe (ex-Mercyland) and drummer Malcolm Travis (ex-Human Sexual Response).[2]

Career

[edit]

After frontman Bob Mould departed from Hüsker Dü, he released two solo ventures, Workbook and Black Sheets of Rain; neither album was well received and Mould was released from his contract with Virgin Records America in 1991 as a result.[3] Shortly after, Mould recorded a demo tape of over thirty songs and formed Sugar with David Barbe and Malcolm Travis.[4] The band was named in an Athens, GA Waffle House Restaurant when Mould spotted a sugar packet on the table where he and the other two band members were sitting. Their first concert was on February 20, 1992, at the 40 Watt Club in Athens, Georgia,[4] after a few weeks warming up in R.E.M.'s downtown practice space.

Later in 1992, the band released the album Copper Blue on Rykodisc in the US and Creation Records in the UK.[4] Copper Blue was named Album Of The Year 1992 by NME.[5] The music videos for the singles "If I Can't Change Your Mind" and "Helpless" received extensive air time on MTV shortly after the album's release.[1] The single for "If I Can't Change Your Mind" had moderate success in the UK Singles Chart.[2]

In the spring of 1993, they released Beaster, an EP of material recorded during the Copper Blue sessions. The album proved to be more aggressive than the content on Copper Blue.[1] After an abortive attempt to record a second album, the band regrouped and released File Under: Easy Listening in September 1994. It reached No. 7 in the UK Albums Chart.[2]

A b-side compilation album, Besides, followed in July 1995. The band played their final show in Japan in 1995,[6] Mould broke the band up in spring 1996.[2] Barbe wished to spend more time with his growing family and expand his solo career. Travis took over the drumming slot in Kustomized.

Bob Mould spent the summer of 2012 touring and playing Copper Blue in its entirety.[7]

Discography

[edit]
Sugar discography
Studio albums2
Live albums1
Compilation albums3
Singles8

The discography of Sugar consists of three studio albums, one compilation album, one live album, two boxsets and eight singles.

Albums

[edit]
List of albums, with selected details and chart positions
Title Details[2] Chart positions
US
[8] 		AUS
[9] 		NZ
[10] 		UK
[11][12]
Copper Blue
  • Released: September 1992
  • Labels: Rykodisc, Creation
 – 92 12 10
Beaster (EP)
  • Released: April 1993
  • Labels: Rykodisc, Creation
 130 94 18 3
File Under: Easy Listening
  • Released: September 1994
  • Labels: Rykodisc, Creation
 50 72 10 7
Besides (compilation)
  • Released: June 1995
  • Labels: Rykodisc, Creation
 122 – – –
The Joke Is Always on Us, Sometimes. (live album)
  • Released: November 2013
  • Labels: Edsel
  • Notes: Originally packaged with the first 25,000 copies of Besides
 – – – –

Box sets

[edit]
  • A Box of Sugar (Edsel, 2013) – 5xLP
  • Complete Recordings 1992-1995 (Edsel, 2014) – 5xCD

Singles

[edit]
  • All singles were released on both Creation and Rykodisc; except where indicated.
List of singles, with selected chart positions
Title[12] Year Chart positions Album
US Alt
[8] 		NZ
[10] 		UK
[11]
"Changes" (Creation) 1992 – – 77 Copper Blue
"Helpless" (Rykodisc) 5 37 –
"A Good Idea" – – 65
"If I Can't Change Your Mind" 1993 – – 30
"Tilted" (Creation) – – 48 Beaster
"Your Favorite Thing" 1994 14 – 40 File Under: Easy Listening
"Believe What You're Saying" – – 73
"Gee Angel" (Rykodisc) 1995 – – –

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c Bogdanov, Vladimir; Thomas Erlewine, Stephen; Woodstra, Chris (2001). All Music Guide: The Definitive Guide to Popular Music (4th ed.). San Francisco: Backbeat Books/All Media Guide. p. 370. ISBN 9780879306274. Retrieved 7 March 2016.
  2. ^ a b c d e Strong, Martin C. (2000). The Great Rock Discography (5th ed.). Edinburgh: Mojo Books. p. 951. ISBN 1-84195-017-3.
  3. ^ Buckley, Peter (2003). The Rough Guide to Rock (3rd ed.). London; New York: Penguin Group. p. 1036. ISBN 9781843531050. Retrieved 7 March 2016.
  4. ^ a b c Earles, Andrew (2010). Hüsker Dü : the story of the noise-pop pioneers who launched modern rock. Minneapolis: Voyageur Press. p. 219. ISBN 9780760335048.
  5. ^ Earles, Andrew (2014). Gimme indie rock : 500 essential American underground rock albums 1981-1996. Minneapolis: Voyageur Press. p. 311. ISBN 9780760346488. Retrieved 7 March 2016.
  6. ^ Earles, Andrew (2010). Hüsker Dü : the story of the noise-pop pioneers who launched modern rock. Minneapolis: Voyageur Press. pp. 220–221. ISBN 9780760335048.
  7. ^ Danton, Eric R. (August 27, 2012). "Album Premiere: Bob Mould, 'Silver Age'". rollingstone.com. Archived from the original on 2012-08-27. Retrieved September 24, 2012. Mould spent most of the summer playing Copper Blue at festivals
  8. ^ a b "allmusic ((( Sugar > Awards )))". Billboard. Retrieved 2015-08-10.
  9. ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 271.
  10. ^ a b "Discography Sugar". charts.nz. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
  11. ^ a b "The Official Charts Company - Sugar". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2015-08-10.
  12. ^ a b Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. pp. 538–539. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Sugar_(American_band)&oldid=1257016183"