Sugerloaf - Sugarloaf (1970)

REVIEW/AMG
Jim Newsom
"Green Eyed Lady" was a classic radio hit that reached number three in the fall of 1970, but aside from that track with its memorable bassline and extended pseudo-jazz organ and guitar solos, this is mostly generic rock of its era. An instrumental version of the Yardbirds' "Train Kept A-Rollin'" cooks, but the instrumental "Chest Fever," combined with some classical keyboard noodling, goes nowhere. Side two is instantly forgettable, with "Things Gonna Change," a rock song based on Paul Desmond's "Take Five."

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BIOGRAPHY/AMG
Steve Huey
Best known for their 1970 AM pop classic "Green-Eyed Lady," Sugarloaf was formed in 1969 in Denver out of the ashes of the Moonrakers, which had released an album in 1968. Singer/keyboardist Jerry Corbetta and guitarist Bob Webber founded the group, adding Moonraker mates Bob MacVittie on drums and Veeder Van Dorn on rhythm guitar, plus bassist Bob Raymond. Originally dubbed Chocolate Hair, the band lost Van Dorn after just a few months when he joined Mescalero Space Kit. On the strength of their demos, the band was signed to Liberty, and changed their name to Sugarloaf, after a Colorado mountain popular with skiers (the record company was concerned about the possible racial overtones of Chocolate Hair). Sugarloaf recorded their self-titled debut album in 1970, and the single "Green-Eyed Lady" -- co-written by Corbetta and based on a piece of a scale exercise in a practice book -- slowly became a nationwide hit, catching on in more and more markets until it finally peaked at number three on the pop charts. For the follow-up album, 1971's Spaceship Earth, Sugarloaf added guitarist/songwriter Bob Yeazel, who had previously played on two albums as part of a Denver band called the Beast. Spaceship Earth didn't produce any hits, and disagreements over the band's choice of producers followed. Yeazel wound up leaving prior to the release of 1973's I Got a Song, which appeared on the smaller Brut label and featured former Beast drummer Larry Ferris. Resurfacing on Claridge in 1975, Sugarloaf finally scored that elusive follow-up hit with the title track from their fourth and final album, Don't Call Us -- We'll Call You. However, they subsequently disbanded. Corbetta went on to release a solo album on Warner Bros., and later worked with Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons as a writer, producer, and backing musician.

1 Green-Eyed Lady 06:50 (David Riordan, J.C.Phillips, Jerry Corbetta)
2 The Train Kept A-Rollin' (Stroll On) 02:25 (Chris Dreja, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, Keith Relf)
3 Bach Doors Man; Chest Fever (Medley) 09:06 (Jery Corbetta, Bob Webber; Robbie Robertson)
4 West Of Tomorrow 05:29 (Jerry Corbetta, J.C.Phillips)
5 Gold And The Blues 07:21 (Jery Corbetta, Bob Webber)
6 Things Gonna Change Some 06:41 (Jery Corbetta, Bob Webber)