Build Me Up Buttercup
{{Short description|1968 single by The Foundations}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{More citations needed|date=October 2016}}
{{Infobox song
| image = Build Me Up Buttercup by The Foundations UK vinyl Side-A.png
| caption = One of side-A labels of the UK vinyl single
| type = single
| artist = the Foundations
| 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
| studio =
| venue =
| genre =
- Pop-soul{{cite book|last= Unterberger|first= Richie|chapter= Various Artists - Soulful Pop (1996)|editor-last1= Bogdanov|editor-first1=Vladimir|editor-last2= Erlewine |editor-first2= Michael |editor-last3= Erlewine |editor-first3= Stephen Thomas |editor-last4= Unterberger |editor-first4= Richie |editor-last5= Woodstra |editor-first5= Chris|date= January 1, 1997|title= AllMusic Guide to Rock|publisher= Miller Freeman, Inc.|location= San Francisco|page= 1091}}
- bubblegum pop{{cite book|title= Electric Shock: From the Gramophone to the iPhone - 125 Years of Pop Music|first=Peter|last=Doggett|date= 1 January 2015|chapter= The Devil's Interval|page= 427|publisher=The Bodley Head|location= London|isbn=978-1-847-92218-2
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=guSsCAAAQBAJ|access-date= 22 February 2025}}
| length = 3:00
| writer = {{hlist|Mike d'Abo|Tony Macaulay}}
| producer = Tony Macaulay
| prev_title = Any Old Time
| prev_year = 1968
| next_title = In the Bad Bad Old Days
| next_year = 1969
| misc =
}}
"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{{cite web|url=http://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/60s_files/19690308.html |title=Top 100 1969-03-08 |work=Cashbox Magazine |access-date=29 May 2016 }} 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,{{cite book|last=Pollock|first=Bruce|date=2005|title=Rock Song Index: The 7500 Most Important Songs for the Rock and Roll Era|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GxYiAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA44|publisher=Routledge|page=44|isbn=978-0415970730}} 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. This song was played during the final scene of the second to last episode of Fuller House. The track also features in the 2020 film The Kissing Booth 2,{{cite web|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/movies/the-kissing-booth-2-soundtrack/|title=The Kissing Booth 2 soundtrack: Every song played in the sequel|last=Morris|first=Lauren|date=July 22, 2020|website=Radio Times|access-date=December 20, 2021}} as well as in a series of 2020{{ndash}}21 Geico commercials.{{cite web|url=https://billingsgazette.com/news/local/dehler-park-one-of-multiple-billings-locations-used-in-geico-ads/article_05df5d7a-5809-532e-97fa-76050128a0d3.html|title=Dehler Park one of multiple Billings locations used in Geico ads|last=Kordenbrock|first=Mike|date=May 4, 2021|website=Billings Gazette|access-date=December 20, 2021}}
The song is played at every home game by the Wisconsin Football Team.https://uwalumni.com/news/build-me-up-buttercup/ It previously was also played at every Los Angeles Angels home game during the seventh-inning stretch, before being eventually phased out for a rotation of variety of other songs.{{Cite web |last=Bollinger |first=Rhett |date=2021-02-11 |title=A brief history of Angel Stadium's music |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/angel-stadium-music-history |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250329182330/https://www.mlb.com/news/angel-stadium-music-history |archive-date=2025-03-29 |access-date=2025-04-09 |website=MLB.com |language=en}}
Charts
{{col-begin|width=65%}}
{{col-2}}
=Weekly charts=
{{col-2}}
=Year-end charts=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| align="left"|Chart (1969)
! style="text-align:center;"|Rank |
|---|
| Australia
| style="text-align:center;"|22 |
| Canada{{cite web|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?brws_s=1&file_num=nlc008388.6104&type=1&interval=24&PHPSESSID=mhe12pta2k83e08udtq66ot062 |title=Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada |website=Collectionscanada.gc.ca |access-date=2 October 2016}}
| style="text-align:center;"|13 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100[http://www.musicoutfitters.com/topsongs/19.htm ]{{dead link|date=October 2016}}
| style="text-align:center;"|5 |
| U.S. Cash Box{{cite web|url=http://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/60s_files/1969YESP.html |title=Top 100 Year End Charts: 1969 |work=Cashbox Magazine |access-date=20 May 2016 }}
| style="text-align:center;"|9 |
{{col-end}}
Certifications
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Spain|type=single|artist=The Foundations|title=Build Me Up Buttercup|award=Gold|relyear=1968|certyear=2024|access-date=24 October 2024}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=single|artist=Foundations|title=Build Me Up Buttercup|award=Platinum|number=2|relyear=2005|certyear=2024|id=13716-4178-1|access-date=14 June 2024}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|type=single|artist=Foundations|title=Build Me Up Buttercup|award=Gold|relyear=1968|certyear=1969|access-date=5 April 2019}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true|streaming=true}}
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
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.shaviro.com/Othertexts/Beat1.html CRITICAL BEATDOWN by Steven Shaviro]
- {{YouTube|FvluBVhfGcw|Foundations - Build Me Up Buttercup}}
{{The Foundations}}
{{Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim}}
{{authority control}}
Category:The Foundations songs
Category:Number-one singles in Australia
Category:Cashbox number-one singles
Category:RPM Top Singles number-one singles
Category:Songs written by Tony Macaulay