Sugar Daddy (Thompson Twins song)

"Sugar Daddy" is a song by British pop group Thompson Twins, released in 1989 as the lead single from their seventh studio album Big Trash. It was written and produced by Alannah Currie and Tom Bailey. The single's B-Side, "Monkey Man", was exclusive to this single.

"Sugar Daddy"
Single by Thompson Twins
from the album Big Trash
B-side"Monkey Man"
Released21 September 1989
GenrePop rock
Length3:30
LabelWarner Bros.
Songwriter(s)Alannah Currie, Tom Bailey
Producer(s)Alannah Currie, Tom Bailey
Thompson Twins singles chronology
"In the Name of Love '88"
(1988)		 "Sugar Daddy"
(1989)		 "Bombers In The Sky"
(1989)

Background

After the Close to the Bone album from 1987, which was not the big commercial success hoped for, the Thompson Twins signed a new recording contract with Warner Bros. Records. The label happily funded the duo to make an album that they really wanted to make, rather than another standard commercialised, corporate release. "Sugar Daddy" was the leading single from the album. The single only peaked at #97 in the UK, spending just 1 week on the chart.[1] The single fared better in America where it peaked at #28 on the US Billboard Hot 100.[2] This would be the duo's last appearance on the US Billboard singles chart.[3] It lasted for 12 weeks on this chart.[4] The song also peaked at #2 on the US Dance Music/Club Play Singles Chart.[3] In Canada, it peaked at #38 on the RPM Singles Chart.[5][6]

During 1989, the duo appeared on the Canadian Category A specialty channel MuchMusic, to promote the new album and single. Tom Bailey described the song; "The song, although its quite a sugary song, the message is quite disturbing. It's about sexual manipulation, you know? Affection traded for power, and as with all those sort of power-gain relationships, there's always a sugar coating, so that's why the song is so sugary but the message so bizarre."[7]

Upon release, Hal Leonard Music Inc published a piano, vocal and guitar sheet music for the "Sugar Daddy" song.[8]

Music video

The single had two promotional music videos to support it: one video using the album version of the song and another using the Sweet N' Low Mix.

On the MuchMusic appearance, Alannah Currie spoke about some of the unused features of the video. "The video was funny. I wanted to be the angel of death in it, with a black guitar and wings, but I kept getting stuck up there and screaming to get down, so we had to lose some of those shots. And then they built this enormous 12 foot skirt, I wanted to have these men coming out from under my skirt, and they edited that down to make it a bit more acceptable. I wanted to be the original hell's angel, it didn't quite come off. I always get disappointed by our videos."[7]

Critical reception

Upon release, Billboard described "Sugar Daddy" as "refreshing pop" and a "jaunty piece of ear candy".[9] Music & Media considered the song "playful and catchy", with "more raunch than their previous material".[10] Stephanie Brainerd of Cash Box commented: "This is your average neo-disco synthesized dance mix, and really, it's not a bad one, but from the Thompson Twins? This tune might possibly fare well on the dancefloor, but I don't believe it's their best effort."[11]

In a review of Big Trash, Australian daily newspaper The Age noted the song as one of the album's "superb creations", adding that it was a "pleasant single, though not as amusing as the observant title track".[12]

Formats
7" Single
  1. "Sugar Daddy" - 3:30
  2. "Monkey Man" - 3:34
12" Single
  1. "Sugar Daddy (12" Remix)" - 5:40
  2. "Sugar Daddy (Sugar House Mix)" - 7:30
  3. "Sugar Daddy (Sugar House Dub)" - 5:40
12" Single (America only)
  1. "Sugar Daddy (Sweet N' Low Mix)" - 5:40
  2. "Sugar Daddy (Big Daddy's Dub)" - 5:14
  3. "Sugar Daddy (7" Remix)" - 3:37
  4. "Sugar Daddy (Velvet Rail Mix)" - 7:30
  5. "Sugar Daddy (Velvet Rail Dub)" - 5:47
  6. "Monkey Man" - 3:33
CD Single
  1. "Sugar Daddy" - 3:30
  2. "Sugar Daddy (12 Remix)" - 5:40
  3. "Sugar Daddy (Sugar House Mix)" - 7:30
CD Single (America only)
  1. "Sugar Daddy (Velvet Rail Mix)" - 7:44
  2. "Sugar Daddy (Velvet Rail Edit)" - 4:10
  3. "Monkey Man" - 3:36
  4. "Sugar Daddy (Sweet N' Low Mix)" - 5:40
  5. "Sugar Daddy (7" Remix)" - 3:39
CD Single (American promo)
  1. "Sugar Daddy (LP Version)" - 3:30
  2. "Sugar Daddy (7" Remix)" - 3:37
  3. "Sugar Daddy (Velvet Rail Mix)" - 7:30
  4. "Sugar Daddy (Sweet N' Low Mix)" - 5:40

Chart performance
Chart (1989) Peak
position
Canadian Singles Chart[6] 38
Japanese Singles Chart[13] 24
UK Singles Chart[1] 97
US Billboard Dance/Club Play[14] 2
US Billboard Hot 100[14] 28
US Billboard Hot Dance Music Sales[14] 28
US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks[14] 16

Personnel
  • Remix Engineer – Goh Hotoda
  • Editedor, Producer, Additional Production, Remixer – Shep Pettibone
  • Editor – Tony Shimkin
  • Engineer, Mixer – Keith Fernley
  • Mixer – Phil Thornalley
  • Producer, Writer, Vocals – Alannah Currie, Tom Bailey
  • Artwork Design – Satori
  • Front Cover Artwork – Tilby
  • Photography – Holt

References
  1. "the-thompson-twins | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 4 June 2017.
  2. "Big Trash - Thompson Twins | Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2 March 2014.
  3. Artist Biography by Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "Thompson Twins | Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2 March 2014.
  4. "Thompson Twins - Chart history". Billboard. Retrieved 2 March 2014.
  5. "Results - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2 March 2014.
  6. "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2 March 2014.
  7. "Thompson Twins (1989) on Canada's music station, "Much Music"". YouTube. Retrieved 2 March 2014.
  8. "Sheet Music Sugar Daddy Thompson Twins 130: Everything Else". 12 February 2014. Retrieved 2 March 2014.
  9. "Single Reviews". Billboard Magazine. 30 September 1989.
  10. "Previews: Singles". Music & Media Magazine. 23 September 1989.
  11. "Pure pop for now people". Cash Box Magazine. 30 September 1989.
  12. "The Age - Google News Archive Search".
  13. "J-WAVE WEBSITE : TOKIO HOT100". J-wave.co.jp. Retrieved 2 March 2014.
  14. "Thompson Twins - Chart history". Billboard. Retrieved 4 June 2017.
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