Sugar (band)
Encyclopedia
Sugar was an American
alternative rock
band
of 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
).
was on February 20, 1992, at the 40 Watt Club
in Athens, Georgia
, after a few weeks warming up in R.E.M.
's downtown practice space.
Later in 1992, the band released the album Copper Blue
, which was named Album Of The Year
1992 by the NME
. The following year they released Beaster
, an EP
of material recorded during the Copper Blue sessions. The single
"If I Can't Change Your Mind" was a moderate success in the UK Singles Chart
.
After an abortive attempt to record a second album, the band regrouped and released File Under: Easy Listening
in September 1994. It reached #7 in the UK Albums Chart
.
A b-side
compilation album
, Besides, followed in July 1995. Mould broke the band up in spring 1996, because Barbe wished to spend more time with his growing family and expand his solo career. Travis took over the drumming slot in Kustomized
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
of the early 1990s. Formed in 1992, they were led by the singer and guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
Bob Mould
Bob Mould
Robert Arthur "Bob" Mould is an American musician, principally known for his work as guitarist, vocalist and songwriter for alternative rock bands Hüsker Dü in the 1980s and Sugar in the 1990s.-Early life:...
(ex-Hüsker Dü
Hüsker Dü
Hüsker Dü was an American rock band formed in Saint Paul, Minnesota in 1979. The band's continual members were guitarist Bob Mould, bassist Greg Norton, and drummer Grant Hart....
), alongside bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
David Barbe
David Barbe
David Barbe is an American musician and producer/engineer from Athens, Georgia and director of the Music Business Certificate Program at the University of Georgia. He is chief of Chase Park Transduction studio in Athens...
(ex-Mercyland) and drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
Malcolm Travis
Malcolm Travis
Malcolm Travis is an American drummer from Boston, Massachusetts, best known for his work with Human Sexual Response, The Zulus, Sugar , No Man , and Kustomized ....
(ex-Human Sexual Response
Human Sexual Response (band)
Human Sexual Response was an American New Wave band formed in Boston, MA in 1978. The band broke up in 1982.-Formation and early years:Casey Cameron formed an all-kazoo band with her neighbors, among whom were Larry Bangor , Dini Lamot , and Windle Davis...
).
Career
Their first concertConcert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
was on February 20, 1992, at the 40 Watt Club
40 Watt Club
The 40 Watt Club is a music venue in Athens, Georgia. Along with CBGB's, the Whisky a Go Go, and selected others, it was instrumental in launching American punk rock and "New Wave music."...
in Athens, Georgia
Athens, Georgia
Athens-Clarke County is a consolidated city–county in U.S. state of Georgia, in the northeastern part of the state, comprising the former City of Athens proper and Clarke County. The University of Georgia is located in this college town and is responsible for the initial growth of the city...
, after a few weeks warming up in R.E.M.
R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's...
's downtown practice space.
Later in 1992, the band released the album Copper Blue
Copper Blue
Copper Blue was the debut album of the US alternative rock band Sugar. It was voted 1992 Album of the Year by the NME. All of the songs were written by guitarist/vocalist Bob Mould, who also co-produced with Lou Giordano. The song "The Slim" is about losing someone to AIDS...
, which was named Album Of The Year
NME album of the year
Every December, British music magazine NME compiles a list of what it considers the best albums of the year. It was started in 1974. The list is usually published in one of the issues sold before Christmas – in 2006 it was published in the issue for December the 9th...
1992 by the NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
. The following year they released Beaster
Beaster
Beaster can refer to:* Beaster, the second EP by the band Sugar.* B'Easter, a secular holiday created by gay Brooklynites to celebrate in place of Easter.* Beasters, cannabis....
, an EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
of material recorded during the Copper Blue sessions. The single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
"If I Can't Change Your Mind" was a moderate success in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
.
After an abortive attempt to record a second album, the band regrouped and released File Under: Easy Listening
File Under: Easy Listening
File Under: Easy Listening is a 1994 album by Sugar. The song "Company Book" was written by bassist David Barbe; everything else was written by primary songwriter Bob Mould. F.U.E.L...
in September 1994. It reached #7 in the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
.
A b-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
, Besides, followed in July 1995. Mould broke the band up in spring 1996, because Barbe wished to spend more time with his growing family and expand his solo career. Travis took over the drumming slot in Kustomized
Kustomized
Kustomized was an American indie rock band formed by former Mission of Burma and Volcano Suns member Peter Prescott.-History:The band was formed by Prescott following the breakup of Volcano Suns in 1993. and consisted of Prescott , Bob Moses , Ed Yazijian and Kurt Davis, a.k.a...
.
Albums and EPs
- Copper BlueCopper BlueCopper Blue was the debut album of the US alternative rock band Sugar. It was voted 1992 Album of the Year by the NME. All of the songs were written by guitarist/vocalist Bob Mould, who also co-produced with Lou Giordano. The song "The Slim" is about losing someone to AIDS...
(RykodiscRykodiscRykodisc Records is an American record label. It is owned by Warner Music Group, operates as a unit of WMG's Independent Label Group and is distributed through Alternative Distribution Alliance.-Company history:...
, September 1992) – LPAlbumAn album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
UKUK Albums ChartThe UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
#10 (album chart) - BeasterBeasterBeaster can refer to:* Beaster, the second EP by the band Sugar.* B'Easter, a secular holiday created by gay Brooklynites to celebrate in place of Easter.* Beasters, cannabis....
(Rykodisc, April 1993) – EPExtended playAn EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
UK #3 (album chart) - File Under: Easy ListeningFile Under: Easy ListeningFile Under: Easy Listening is a 1994 album by Sugar. The song "Company Book" was written by bassist David Barbe; everything else was written by primary songwriter Bob Mould. F.U.E.L...
(Rykodisc, September 1994) – LP UK #7 (album chart) - Besides (Rykodisc, July 1995) – Compilation albumCompilation albumA compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
- The Joke Is Always On Us, Sometimes. (Rykodisc, July 1995) – Live albumLive albumA live album is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances using remote recording techniques, commonly contrasted with a studio album...
Singles
- "Changes" (Creation, 1992)
- "Helpless" (Rykodisc, 1992)
- "A Good Idea" (Rykodisc, 1992) UKUK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
#65 - "If I Can't Change Your Mind" (Rykodisc, 1992) UK #30
- "Tilted" (Rykodisc, 1993) UK #48
- "Your Favorite Thing" (Rykodisc, 1994) UK #48
- "Believe What You're Saying" (Rykodisc, 1994) UK #73
- "Gee Angel" (Rykodisc, 1994)