Songful Style: “Build Me Up Buttercup!”

I am writing this after a few days home with Nigel. So far, he’s walking a little better every day. The first night was, pardon the pun, a nightmare. He was up every hour on the hour. The second night was so much better. One of his big precautions is to keep the angle of his hip and knee less than 90 degrees. That’s more difficult than you can imagine. I am becoming a pretty good nurse…I can now change his dressing without him yelling about pulling his skin. Anyway, welcome to the last Monday in May and another edition of Songful Style! Suzy and Shelbee decided to riff (see what I did there) on Style Imitating Art only with music! Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge, Suzy of Suzy Turner, and I make up the bloggers in this group. You can find all of us on our blogs and Instagram.  Our ensembles (pun intended) may be inspired by the lyrics of a song, the artwork of the album cover, maybe the MTV video, or even a memory the song evokes. Suzy chose this month’s song. Last time, Shelbee selected “Zombie” by the Cranberries. Oh, and there’s a link party, too!

The band…

I was really surprised to read that The Foundations were a British soul band.  I really thought they were from the States as they have that Motown sound.  But, then, that’s just me, right?  The group was primarily active between 1967 and 1970.  One of the most notable things about the group was their background.  They were West Indian, White British, and Sri Lankan.  The Foundations was the first multi-racial group to have a number one hit in the UK in the 60s.  On top of that, there was a large range in the ages of the members when they initially formed.  The oldest member, Mike Elliott, was 38 years old while the youngest, Tim Harris, was only 18! 

A little more…

The horn section was made up of Jamaican born Mike Elliott and Pat Burke (saxophone) and Dominican born Eric Allandale (trombone).  All three were very “highly experienced musicians who came from professional jazz and rock and roll backgrounds.  Allandale had had a band in New Orleans as well as playing with other bands.  Burke had also been in groups since his arrival in the UK when he was 15.  He studied at the London Music Conservatorium.  His first love was jazz, but it didn’t pay as well.  He therefore joined the Foundations! 

Still more…

Clem Curtis (lead singer), from Trinidad, had been an interior decorator and professional boxer as well as wrestling and weight-lifting.  Those seem a weird dichotomy, right? Mike Elliott heard from another member they needed a tenor saxophonist.  He had played in various jazz, rock and roll bands as well as ensembles.  He also had recorded under his own name for Sonny Roberts’ Planetone label and was a member of Rico’s Combo, the label’s house band.  Tony Gomez (keyboard) was a former clerk from County Hall in the architect’s department.  Tim Harris (drummer) joined the merchant navy as a deckhand on a timber ship.  After travelling all over the world, including Siberia, he returned to the UK and joined the band!  Peter Macbeth (bassist) had taught English and draftsmanship in Singapore and worked for a paperback publisher.  Alan Warner (guitarist) had been in the Skeletones and the Line-up.  The frontman for the band changed over the years.  At one point, the group tried to get Rod Stewart as the lead singer.  They even had a jam session when Stewart realized their musical style just wasn’t his and declined their offer.

Origins…

The Foundations apparently formed in Bayswater, London, in January 1967.  They practiced and often played in a basement coffee bar club.  Some sources identify it as the Butterfly Club.  It is from this basement rehearsal space the group took its name…get it…basement…Foundations?  The group also ran the bar which had also been used as a gambling den.  The band not only managed the club, they played music every night.  They also cooked and cleaned, getting to bed around 6:00 or 7:00 am, sleep until 4:00 pm and open at 8:00 pm.  There were nights they took in just enough money to pay the rent and lived on leftovers and a couple of pounds of rice.  The group really struggled financially, with Gomez, Macbeth, Allandale, and Harris living on £2 per week.  Gomez’ mother was not at all happy her son had given up such a good job in the architectural department for a life of living on the edge! Mike Elliott lived in a top floor apartment of a condemned building.  At some point, even the roof was gone!

Success…

Professionally, the group wasn’t doing well at all the first months together.  But, on the last night of the Stax/Volt European tour, record dealer Barry Class happened to visit the Butterfly Club and heard them.  The band impressed him enough that he became their manager.  He then arranged a meeting with Pye Records producer/songwriter Tony Macaulay.  He was looking for an act or group to launch.  He and his partner, John Macleod, had written “Baby Now That I’ve Found You” and thought the Foundations just might be the group to record it.  He was wrong…for a bit!  The single, released on August 25, 1967, but it didn’t get much reaction.  Then, the BBC’s new Radio 1 picked it up.  The station was looking for songs not being played on other stations.  By November, the song was number one on the British charts.  It rose to number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100.  The single sold more than 3.5 million copies, and the Foundations became a British phenomenon.  Clem Curtis was the vocalist for this song. 

An anecdote…

I just had to include this anecdote.  Apparently, when Macaulay heard the Foundations for the first time, he had the “worst hangover of his life.”  The band played loudly so Macaulay had no idea (coupled with that hangover) if they were any good or not. He apparently thought they were terrible but blamed his hangover and decided to give them a chance!

Changes…

Over the three years the band recorded, there were changes in the lineup.  One of them was Curtis’ departure.  Curtis left for the United States to pursue a solo career.  He was replaced by Colin Young who sang our inspiration song.  Friction existed in the group from the beginning of their climb to success.  Managers pushed out other managers.  Artists came and went due to financial difficulties.   But, the group stayed together, initially, until 1970.

Our song…

During the week of November 30, 1968, “Build Me Up Buttercup” debuted at number 25 on the Disc and Music Echo Top 30.  It spent 15 weeks on the UK chart and would peak at number two.  It debuted on the Billboard  Hot 100 at number 84 and would peak at number three during the week ending February 22, 1969.  It stayed there for two weeks.  During the height of their popularity, the group’s management was negotiating for a UK TV series starring members of the band.  This wasn’t a first for them as they’d turned down other offers because they didn’t like the scripts. 

Touring…

At some point in their short career, the band was heading to the US for their second major tour.  They were planning to record in Detroit.  At this time, the members included Macbeth, Allendale, Gomez, Harris, Alan Warner, Burke, and Young.  Due to a union ban, the group considered calling off the US tour because they couldn’t be televised there.  Even though nothing had been resolved, the group left for the US.  They were getting ready for an appearance at the Filmore when the manager of the Copacabana Club called.  He asked if it would be possible for them to fill in for the Temptations as some of their members were ill.  He asked them to rehearse with the house orchestra, not knowing they played their own instruments.  “The group made history of sorts by becoming the first act to play as a band there as well as playing in clothes other than the suit types. They also broke new ground by being the first “self-contained group” and first “rock group” to play there. The group also did well by earning a week’s worth of pay in one night.” Later that year, they played at the Cheetah, earning $14,000 for just one night!  Apparently, there were some contractual problems with the group leaving the Filmore to play at the Copa.  But, they left anyway!

The split…

By 1970, the group had broken away from Barry Class, their manager. Class, naturally, wasn’t happy about that and took legal action against them. Class was granted access to documents and money, and the band’s royalties had been frozen. Jim Dawson, their new manager was ordered to return any documents belonging to Class. To add to their problems, Young, the lead vocalist, began to complain their music was the same as it had been for the last two years. Their last big hit was “My Little Chickadee.” During the week ending October 10, 1970, Young left the group to pursue a solo career. He had signed with…wait for it…Barry Class! His new band was called Development. Young would later “claim that the rest of the band had got above themselves, the band hardly rehearsing, staying in the biggest most expensive hotels in the US and some members failing to turn up for bookings.” The Foundations split in late 1970.

The Foundations & the Foundations…

Since late 1970, Barry Class tried to revive the Foundations name.  There have been new members as well as old ones, with Colin Young as vocalist once again.  Young would explain they were becoming Development.  They toured Latin America as Development AKA The Foundations and did well there.  Young would continue to book gigs as Development as well as The Foundations (notice the The is capitalized now).  By 1972, another version of the (notice the lowercase the) Foundations listed Clem Curtis as the vocalist.  During the 70s, two different versions of the Foundations toured at the same time, playing the same music.  Of course, this led to court action. Curtis could tour as the Foundations or Clem Curtis & the Foundations. Young could tour as The New Foundations or Colin Young & the New Foundations.  Both groups toured for several years and into the 21^st century.  There are even faux Foundations groups touring at any given time.

The song…

What it means…

This song, at its core, is about someone who’s in love with another person. The problem? The other person doesn’t appear to feel the same. It’s even a little bit mean if you look at the chorus. It seems the loved person says they’ll call or come over, but they never call or come over. It’s such a fun song until you look deeply at the words. There’s cruelty and even humiliation in the song. The singer is asking the other person to build them up as if that’s the only way they can be OK. I know that’s going deep, but, sometimes, dark messages lurk in perky songs.

The video…

One thing we have to remember is this song came out waaaay before MTV so the videos are not of the best quality. This is not from The Foundations’ YouTube channel, but it was the only one I could find of them actually singing it.

This one is fun and is on The Foundations’ YouTube channel. I hope you enjoy the whimsicality of it!

Oops, I goofed! Here’s another live version of The Foundations.

Interesting covers…

The audience doesn’t quite play their part in this one, but I like the lead singer’s energy.

I wonder what happened to Clay Aiken. He does a good job…a little more pop than soul…but still good.

Well, I had to include this one! It’s a live concert from 2019 in Indianapolis! The audience, though, does most of the singing. I love the group’s name, too!

Oh, I love this one! It’s part of a college commencement! I believe they’re even singing a cappella!

Sources…

About the group

About the group

About the group

My interpretation…

I love the jumpsuit the singer is wearing in the black and white video, but I don’t have a single thing like that! Then, I watched the second kinda mod one. I decided I was going to lean into the idea of buttercups, the flowers. I’m wearing a Crepe Sari Ruffle Daisy Blouse by Kantha Bae. Remember I can’t link to my particular blouse because each one is unique. I thought the print of the blouse was reminiscent of flowers and makes me feel like that fun little flower. I added the Classic Boyfriend Halftee in yellow underneath it. The blouse ties shut with three ties and leaves some room for skin. I also liked the additional butter yellow at the front. These are the best linen pants ever, and they’re from Old Navy! Actually, they’re a linen/rayon blend which accounts for the draping. I bought them a few months ago on a big sale. The color is Celestine…they kinda missed the butter yellow boat there, didn’t they? I really, really like this outfit because it’s flowy, boho, and gorgeous colors! I will definitely be wearing this to the museum.

The Lewk!

These are the Carys sandals by L’Artiste. They are a few years old and no longer available on the website. They aren’t necessarily the most comfortable sandals I have. I need to find some kind of arch supports that work for sandals. I added two beautiful bracelets my youngest son and his partner brought me from Ghana last September. I added a cognac colored wooden bead bracelet to make a stack of three. These earrings…I think I bought them before I had kids. That’s how old they are! I really like this Lewk because I think it’s perfect for a boho look!

Wrap it up, Marsha!

I remember this song from when I was a kid. If you had asked me, I would have thought it was Motown all the way. I love that the makeup of the group is so diverse. It’s so sad, though, when talented people get in their own way which seems to be the case with this group. I do wonder why people would leave, then come back, expecting to just pick up where they left off. It’s a fun little ear worm, isn’t it? So, can we talk? Which video do you like best…the black and white one or the one with the cute little flower? What do you think the song means because I could be way off base? Have you tried Old Navy linen pants? What did you think if so? Please leave me a comment or two, and we can talk. I promise to respond as quickly as I can.

Thank you!

Thank you so very much for reading today’s post. I hope you enjoyed it. I also very much appreciate those of you who comment, email and/or subscribe. It’s what keeps me going! If you’d like to follow me on Instagram, you can find me here.

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Where you can find me:

Linking up with Nancy’s Fashion Style,  Fine-Whatever, Is This Mutton, Shelbee on the Edge, Chez Mireile, Suzy Turner, and Away from the Blue as well as Deb’s World. I also link up with I do deClaire, Mummabstylish, Style Splash and Elegantly Dressed and Stylish as well as the Senior Salon Pit Stop (Esme’s Salon) and Slices of Life. Please check out these wonderful ladies and their blogs! I also am a co-host for Ageless Style on the third Thursday of the month and Songful Style on the last Monday of the month as well as the Global Writing Challenge on the second Thursday. I co-host Traffic Jam Weekend every Thursday with Melynda, Lisa, Cat, and Rena. I also host 10 on the 10th on the 10th of each month! I am a co-host Fashion Files every Tuesday! I do hope you’ll check out all of these blogs and link parties!

And, now, it’s your turn!

Please link up your favorite posts, DIY, baking, gardening, fashion…you name it…as long as it’s family friendly! Link up with me, visit a couple of others, and leave a comment or two! No worries if you don’t have a blog, just look around! You may find a new blog just waiting for you!

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