Exploring the Bubblegum sounds of the Fruitgum Company

The 1910 Fruitgum Company “Simon Says”: was the brainchild of Buddah Records house producers Jerry Kasenetz and Jeff Katz. With the 1910 Fruitgum Company, the Kasenetz-Katz team scored their first major hit, the smash “Simon Says,” launching the bubblegum craze.

In this post I delve into my 60s music press archives. Here’s what I found!

“Simon Says”

1910 Fruitgum Company, whose British debut single, “Simon Says,” was this week at 14 in the chart, were named by their rhythm guitarist Frank Jeckell.

Sorting through a trunk, Frank discovered an old bubble-gum wrapper and the American quintet formed in January 1967 were as good as named.

The Company consists of 19-year-olds Floyd Marcus on drums; “Scaramouche – Quackenbush” Karwan, organ; Steve Mortkowitz, bass guitar and 21-year-old Frank Jeckell, rhythm guitar. They share the vocals. (Disc & Music Echo, 06/04/68)

“May I Take A Giant Step (Into Your Heart)”

I’m surprised they didn’t call this one “Son Of Simon” – because it’s very similar in style to the Fruitgum Co’s first hit. There’s the same sparkling finger-clicking beat, emphasised by walloping drums, and the organ is again prominent in the backing.

Lead singer handles to vocal, with chanting support from the other boys. The song itself is not unlike “Simon” – it has the same chord structure, but the melody isn’t quite as catchy, nor the lyric as gimmicky.

It’s the old case of the duplicate never quite being up to the standard of the original. But still sufficiently appealing for the Chart. (NME, 08/06/68)

They can do what they want to as far as I’m concerned. I hated and still hate “Simon Says” and this isn’t much better. It has an insistency and a lot of clapping and certainly doesn’t give up for a moment, but I found the whole thing boring, and so it will doubtless be a hit. Oh well. (Disc & Music Echo, 08/06/68)

Isn’t this an old number? It sounds about three years old. It’s the 1910 Fruitgum Co. This is the same sort of thing as their last one and I don’t think it will do half as well. I don’t like it personally. But then I often didn’t like the other one at all at first and it grew on me. But this one sounds old. (Steve Ellis, Blind Date, Melody Maker, 08/06/68)

As one might expect, similar in vein to “Simon Says”. This formula of making the follow-up the same as the hit, works every time in the States, but has been happening with increasing lack of success over here.

Has a lot of the sparkle of the first record, but lacks the cute lyric idea. But it has a good strong chorus line and that decisive sort of sound about it that is the best part of many American records.

Somehow I don’t see it as being quite as big a hit as the last one, ‘cos it’s so similar. (Top Pops, 08/06/68)

“1,2,3, Red Light”

I have never exactly seen the possibilities or the direction this group are going in – veering as they do from all sorts of odd songs. Be that it may, they obviously have enough problems of their own without me adding to them.

For example here we have the sad tale of a boy whose girl friend keeps putting on the freeze and he is, naturally, getting a bit fed up with it. I feel the whole thing may end in disaster, but they sing it with such solid thumping it’s hard to tell.

It’s a very stylised sound with a great deal of “la-la’ing” going on and it just might be catchy enough on the chorus to do something. (Disc & Music Echo, 03/08/68)

The 1910 Fruitgum Co.’s last single passed almost unnoticed – but this latest one is so totally different in conception from “Simon Says” that it probably stands a much better chance.

It has an irresistible bouncy beat, with thumping omm-pah sound that’s almost a march – and the jingle pipe-organ gives it a pronounced carnival flavour.

The lead singer is supported by la-la chanting, and the overall effect is one of gaiety and light-heartedness. The group’s vocal blend is very attractive indeed, and the song itself – while not sensational – is still catchy enough for the youngsters to latch on to.

I would think it stands a better chance that the Co.’s last release. (NME, 03/08/68)

“Goody Goody Gumdrops”

Sounds like the boys in ‘Hair’. goody Goody Gumdrops! That’s about the standard of the songs in ‘Hair’, which were all bloody rubbish. It’s hard to tell with this kind of music, if it’s English or American. is it the Ohio Express?

The 1320 Fruitgum Company? Oh! 1910! Awful. In Ireland the showbands drove me mad singing “Simon Says” all night. Well I enjoyed Blind Date. Ask me again soon. Don’t wait a whole year next time. (Long John Baldry, Blind Date, Melody Maker, 23/11/68)

“Special Delivery”

Well they are getting better. From being merely abominable, they are progressing into Foul Rock, with overtones of bilge ‘n’ boogie.

Over to Foul-Up Smith, my record producing adviser. “Yeah, it’s pretty bad, but it could be so much worse. Now if they’d let me get in that control room, you’ve have seen the balderdash fly.” (Melody Maker, 15/06/69)

UK Discography:

“Simon Says” / “Reflections From The Looking Glass” (Pye International 7N 25447) February 1968
“May I Take A Giant Step (Into Your Heart)” / “(Poor Old) Mr Jenson” (Pye International 7N 25458) June 1968
“1,2,3, Red Light” / “Sticky, Sticky” (Pye International 7N 25468) August 1968
“Goody Goody Gumdrops” / “Candy Kisses” (Buddah 201 025) November 1968
“Pop Goes The Weasel” / “The Year 2001” (Pye International 7N 25478) November 1968
“Indian Giver” / “Liza” (Buddah 201 037) March 1969
“Special Delivery” / “No Good Annie” (Buddah 201 049) June 1969
“Go Away” / “The Track” (Buddah 2011 031) July 1970

“Simon Says” LP (Pye International NPL 28115) May 1968
“Goody Goody Gumdrops” LP (Buddah 203 114) 1968