“Don’t Call Us…We’ll Call You” - Sugarloaf
Submitted by Rock and Roll Classics Blog
You know your having a bad day when your the manager of a night club and the band scheduled to play one weekend is Chocolate Hair.
Chocolate Hair, changed their name to Sugarloaf, after a mountain outside of Boulder, when they received their first recording contract.
Based in Denver, lead singer Jerry Corbetta, was the original frontman for this Colorado based rock and roll band in the 70’s.
They are best known for two songs, both of which hit the top 10 charts in the United States: “Green-Eyed Lady” in the autumn of 1970 (their biggest hit, reaching #3 on the Billboard chart), and “Don’t Call Us, We’ll Call You” in 1975 (US #9).
The 1975 album Don’t Call Us, We’ll Call You was actually Sugarloaf’s 1973 album I Got A Song, re-released with one of the tracks on the earlier album replaced by the title track. Hence the name change on album covers, based on the smash hit “Don’t Call…” So the album was really released twice once in 73 and again in 75 after their latter hit.
When I was programming music for our broadcasting facilities I always had a soft spot for Sugarloaf. I guess for two reasons, one they were a Rock Group on Liberty Records and that label didn’t have a lot of rock groups floating around the office. Plus “Green Eyed Lady was a kick ass song at the time well over 6 minutes long it rocked.
On the other hand the song “Don’t Call Us, We’ll Call You” was very tongue-in-cheek. Based on a true story it was a great song. In 1974 Sugerloaf was label hunting after filling their commitment to Liberty Records. After being unceremousely rejected for a recording contract, “Don’t Call Us, We’ll Call You” was written and became notable because it contained a practical joke at the expense of CBS Records. “Don’t Call Us, We’ll Call You” you may notice when listening contains a touch-tone telephone number being dialed near the beginning and ending of the song.
It was later discovered that the numbers heard being dialing in the recording was actually an unlisted phone number at CBS Records and a public number at the White House respectively. In addition, the first case of sampling way before it’s time with the guitar riff of The Beatles’ “I Feel Fine,” Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition,” and a line of dialogue from Wolfman Jack stating the call sign of a radio station.
Corbetta left Sugarloaf in 1977 and later resuefaced as part of the group Disco-Tex and the Sex-O-Lettes (best known for their hit “Get Dancin’”). In 1980, he became a member of The Four Seasons. He currently performs with the group Classic Rock All Stars.
Other songs which charted on the Billboard Hot 100 From Sugarloaf’s first 3 albums were “Mother Nature’s Wine” (1971), “Tongue in Cheek” (1971), and “Stars In Our Eyes” (1976). In addition, “West of Tomorrow” and “Myra Myra” were not hit singles, but received modest airplay at the time of their release on album rock radio stations, (AOR).
Albums
Sugarloaf (Liberty Records, 1970)
Spaceship Earth (Liberty Records, 1971)
I Got A Song (Brut Records, 1973)
Don’t Call Us, We’ll Call You (Claridge Records, 1975)
Singles
“Green-Eyed Lady” (Liberty 56183) 1970 charted #7 in US
“Don’t Call Us, We’ll Call You” / “Texas Two Lane” (Claridge 402) 1975.
“Tougue in cheek” /”Woman” Liberty Records 56218 1971 45 RPM US.
“Mother Natures Wine”/ “Chest Fever” United artists 50784 1971 45 RPM US.
“Round and Round” / Colorado Jones” Brut 805 1973 45 RPM US.
“Stars in my eyes” Claridge 405 1975 45 RPM US.
As Always
Peace
