Build Me Up Buttercup

"Build Me Up Buttercup"
"Build Me Up Buttercup"
	One of side-A labels of the UK vinyl single
Single by the Foundations
from the album Build Me Up Buttercup (U.S.); The Foundations (U.K.)
B-side	"New Direction"
Released	8 November 1968 (UK); 3 December 1968 (US)
Recorded	1968
Genre	Pop-soul
Length	3:00
Label	Pye; Uni;
Songwriter(s)	Mike d'Abo; Tony Macaulay;
Producer(s)	Tony Macaulay
The Foundations singles chronology

"Build Me Up Buttercup" is a song written by Mike d'Abo and Tony Macaulay, and released by The Foundations in 1968 with Colin Young singing lead vocals. Young had replaced Clem Curtis during 1968, and this was the first Foundations hit on which he sang.

It hit No. 1 on the Cash Box Top 100^[2] and No. 3 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in early 1969. It was also a No. 2 hit in the United Kingdom, for two non-consecutive weeks, behind "Lily the Pink" by the Scaffold. It was quickly certified gold by the RIAA for sales of over a million US copies.

In popular culture

"Build Me Up Buttercup" is featured in the 1998 romantic comedy film There's Something About Mary,^[3] the pilot episode "Truth Be Told" from the first season of the ABC TV spy drama series Alias, and the episode "Art Imitates Art" from the fourth season of the CBS TV detective series Elementary. The track also features in the 2020 film The Kissing Booth 2,^[4] as well as in a series of 2020–21 Geico commercials.^[5]

The song is played at every home game played by the Wisconsin Football Team.^[6]

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1968–1969)	Peak position
Argentina ^[7]	14
Australia (Go-Set)^[8]	1
Australia (Kent Music Report)	2
Belgium (Wallonia)^[9]	49
Canada RPM Top Singles^[10]	1
Ireland (IRMA)^[11]	3
Netherlands^[12]	9
New Zealand	4
Norway^[13]	3
South Africa^[14]	3
UK Singles (OCC)	2
U.S. Billboard Hot 100^[15]	3
U.S. Cash Box Top 100^[2]	1
West Germany^[16]	24

Year-end charts

Chart (1969)	Rank
Australia	22
Canada^[17]	13
U.S. Billboard Hot 100^[18]	5
U.S. Cash Box^[19]	9

Certifications


Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Spain (PROMUSICAE)^[20]	Gold	30,000^‡
United Kingdom (BPI)^[21]	2× Platinum	1,200,000^‡
United States (RIAA)^[22]	Gold	1,000,000^{^}
^{^} Shipments figures based on certification alone. ^‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Personnel

Colin Young – vocals
Alan Warner – lead guitar
Peter Macbeth – bass guitar
Tim Harris – drums, percussion
Tony Gomez – keyboards
Mike Elliott – tenor saxophone
Eric Allandale – trombone
Mike d'Abo – piano

Other versions

A version by British trio Partyboys reached No. 44 on the UK Singles Chart in 2003.^[23]

A fast-paced version by The Goops was used as part of a promotional tie-in music video for the 1995 film Mallrats. The music video shows the two main characters, Jay and Silent Bob, with a turntable playing the original song by the Foundations before smashing the turntable and beginning the version of the song by The Goops. This video was later included as a bonus feature in later DVD an BluRay home releases of Mallrats.^[24]

It was covered by the Australian group The Valentines in an appearance on the TV show Turning On in 1969.^[25]

Covered by David Johansen on Live it Up in 1982.

References

^ Unterberger, Richie (1 January 1997). "Various Artists - Soulful Pop (1996)". In Bogdanov, Vladimir; Erlewine, Michael; Erlewine, Stephen Thomas; Unterberger, Richie; Woodstra, Chris (eds.). AllMusic Guide to Rock. San Francisco: Miller Freeman, Inc. p. 1091.
^ ^a ^b "Top 100 1969-03-08". Cashbox Magazine. Retrieved 29 May 2016.
^ Pollock, Bruce (2005). Rock Song Index: The 7500 Most Important Songs for the Rock and Roll Era. Routledge. p. 44. ISBN 978-0415970730.
^ Morris, Lauren (22 July 2020). "The Kissing Booth 2 soundtrack: Every song played in the sequel". Radio Times. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
^ Kordenbrock, Mike (4 May 2021). "Dehler Park one of multiple Billings locations used in Geico ads". Billings Gazette. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
^ https://uwalumni.com/news/build-me-up-buttercup/
^ "Cash Box - International Best Sellers" (PDF). Cashbox. 29 March 1969. p. 56. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
^ "Go-Set Australian charts - 12 March 1969". www.poparchives.com.au.
^ Ultratop website
^ "Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 24 February 1969. Retrieved 15 September 2019.
^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Build Me Up Buttercup". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
^ Dutch Charts website
^ Norwegian Charts website
^ "South African Rock Lists Website - SA Charts 1965 - 1989 Songs (A-B)". www.rock.co.za.
^ Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–2002
^ Norwegian Charts site as above
^ "Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2 October 2016.
^ [1]^{[dead link‍]}
^ "Top 100 Year End Charts: 1969". Cashbox Magazine. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
^ "Spanish single certifications – The Foundations – Build Me Up Buttercup". El portal de Música. Productores de Música de España. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
^ "British single certifications – Foundations – Build Me Up Buttercup". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
^ "American single certifications – Foundations – Build Me Up Buttercup". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 5 April 2019.
^ "Build Me Up Buttercup 2003 | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Official Charts.
^ Mallrats Collector's Edition DVD UPC: 760137402480
^ "Our ambassador and Australia's number one Baby Boomer reflects". Have a Go News. Retrieved 26 October 2024.

External links

[AllMusic_Rock_1997-1] Unterberger, Richie (1 January 1997). "Various Artists - Soulful Pop (1996)". In Bogdanov, Vladimir; Erlewine, Michael; Erlewine, Stephen Thomas; Unterberger, Richie; Woodstra, Chris (eds.). AllMusic Guide to Rock. San Francisco: Miller Freeman, Inc. p. 1091.

[autogenerated1-2] "Top 100 1969-03-08". Cashbox Magazine. Retrieved 29 May 2016.

[3] Pollock, Bruce (2005). Rock Song Index: The 7500 Most Important Songs for the Rock and Roll Era. Routledge. p. 44. ISBN 978-0415970730.

[4] Morris, Lauren (22 July 2020). "The Kissing Booth 2 soundtrack: Every song played in the sequel". Radio Times. Retrieved 20 December 2021.

[5] Kordenbrock, Mike (4 May 2021). "Dehler Park one of multiple Billings locations used in Geico ads". Billings Gazette. Retrieved 20 December 2021.

[6] ttps://uwalumni.com/news/build-me-up-buttercup/

[7] "Cash Box - International Best Sellers" (PDF). Cashbox. 29 March 1969. p. 56. Retrieved 26 July 2023.

[8] "Go-Set Australian charts - 12 March 1969". www.poparchives.com.au.

[9] Ultratop website

[10] "Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 24 February 1969. Retrieved 15 September 2019.

[sc_Ireland2_-11] "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Build Me Up Buttercup". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 12 July 2018.

[12] Dutch Charts website

[13] Norwegian Charts website

[14] "South African Rock Lists Website - SA Charts 1965 - 1989 Songs (A-B)". www.rock.co.za.

[15] Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–2002

[16] Norwegian Charts site as above

[17] "Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2 October 2016.

[18] [1]^{[dead link‍]}

[19] "Top 100 Year End Charts: 1969". Cashbox Magazine. Retrieved 20 May 2016.

[SpainThe_FoundationsBuild_Me_Up_ButtercupsingleCertRef-20] "Spanish single certifications – The Foundations – Build Me Up Buttercup". El portal de Música. Productores de Música de España. Retrieved 24 October 2024.

[United_KingdomFoundationsBuild_Me_Up_ButtercupsingleCertRef-21] "British single certifications – Foundations – Build Me Up Buttercup". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 14 June 2024.

[United_StatesFoundationsBuild_Me_Up_ButtercupsingleCertRef-22] "American single certifications – Foundations – Build Me Up Buttercup". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 5 April 2019.

[23] "Build Me Up Buttercup 2003 | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Official Charts.

[24] Mallrats Collector's Edition DVD UPC: 760137402480

[25] "Our ambassador and Australia's number one Baby Boomer reflects". Have a Go News. Retrieved 26 October 2024.

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