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How the 1969 hit song 'Sugar, Sugar' became the ultimate burn to the band who turned it down

It even out-charted The Beatles.

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A jar of sugar. Bubblegum pop.

Hindsight is most definitely 20/20, but in the Sliding Doors of life, you can't help but wonder, what if? That question may have run through a few people’s minds back in the late 60s as the choice of just one tiny "Yes" over a "No" could have completely changed the course of their careers.

Don Kirshner was a music manager known as the Man with the Golden Ear. This meant he had a knack for finding hit songs and promising musicians. He just had a way of pairing tunes with the perfect artists.

The Monkees, Don Kirshner, music, pop music, bands The Monkees was a popular show in the 60s. Giphy

He was hired by producers of the hit show The Monkees, which centered around a made-for-TV band, to do what he did best. For example, having been one of the first to discover singer-songwriter Neil Diamond, he brought his penned song "I'm a Believer" to the Monkees, who made it a hit.

But Kirshner, as savvy as he was, also had a reputation for being a bit controlling and pushy. When he presented the song "Sugar, Sugar" (written by Jeff Barry and Andy Kim) to the Monkees, Mike Nesmith used it as an opportunity to fight for more control of the band's music. In an interview with Music Radar, former Monkees drummer Micky Dolenz told Joe Bosso: "As you know, Don Kirshner presented that as the next Monkee tune. I was going to record it. That's when Mike Nesmith led the palace revolt and we fought for the right to have at least some sort of control over the music. I didn't go to the session—I’d gone to England, and that's when I met The Beatles."

Enter The Archies. As noted in Kirshner's 2011 obituary in The Washington Post, they were a completely fictional band, first spotted in the comic book Life with Archie." The cartoon series (The Archie Show) aired on CBS, and (Kirshner) supervised production of 'Sugar, Sugar,' which sold more than 10 million copies and was the No. 1 song of 1969."

Dolenz continues, "Don Kirshner got fired (from The Monkees), but then he recorded the song with The Archies. He said, 'That way, nobody can talk back to me.'" (He was laughing at the idea that a cartoon band couldn't make demands.)

The Monkees TV show was cancelled, and while the band continued to tour and many of their songs are still pop music favorites, they most definitely lost their momentum. Had they recorded the song, perhaps the show would have had another decade. Would anything have changed? NPR reports, “‘Sugar, Sugar’ became the most successful song on the Billboard charts in 1969. In addition, it was a No. 1 hit in Belgium, South Africa, and the United Kingdom. Had the Prefab Four recorded it, it would have been precisely the sort of smash they needed to keep them commercially relevant."

Micky Dolenz did wind up recording a super cool, jazzy version of the song.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

This would be far from the last time a manufactured band would have a hit song. Rolling Stone compiled a "Top 50" list for a piece called "Fake Bands, Real Songs: The 50 Best Tunes by Made-Up Musicians." Ironically, The Archies’ "Sugar, Sugar" makes the list at number 18—but the Monkees’ "Daydream Believer" does not. They write, "We also had a long debate about what to do with the Monkees, before it was decided that at a certain point, they Pinocchio’ed their way into being a real band, and thus didn’t qualify. (Otherwise, ‘Daydream Believer’ would have been very highly ranked.)"

Number one on their list? "That Thing You Do" by the fake band The Oneders. "What else could the number-one song on this list be other than the irresistible power-pop tune by a band that first called itself the Oneders? Tom Hanks’ directorial debut about an early-Sixties group that has one big hit before disbanding would not work at all if the title song was not wholly convincing. But the late Adam Schlesinger proved his bona fides as the unquestioned master of the fake-pop-song form with the tight harmonies and catchy riffs he wrote for these one-hit wonders."

-The fictional band The Oneders perform "That Thing You Do." www.youtube.com, 20th Century Fox

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COVID-19 survivor Tom Hanks has some harsh words for people who refuse to wear a mask

Deutsche Bank / Flickr

Actor Tom Hanks is speaking out about Americans who can't manage to practice basic precautions to help stop the spread of the COVID-19.

Hanks and his wife, Rita Wilson, are in a unique position to talk about the virus, they were among the first major celebrities to announce they contracted the virus in March.

The couple recovered form the disease after self-isolating in Australia.

The "Forest Gump" and "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood" star didn't mince words when speaking at a press conference for his upcoming film "Greyhound," which debuts July 10 on Apple TV+.

"There's really only three things we can do in order to get to tomorrow: Wear a mask, social distance, wash our hands," he said according to People. "Those things are so simple, so easy, if anybody cannot find it in themselves to practice those three very basic things -- I just think shame on you."

He has had some harsh words for those who refuse to follow basic health precautions that have led to the spread of the virus.

"Don't be a prick, get on with it, do your part," he said. "It's very basic. If you're driving a car, you don't go too fast, you use your turn signal and you avoid hitting pedestrians. My Lord, it's common sense."

Hanks a great spokesperson for COVD-19 safety given his experience with the virus and his status as one of America's most beloved actors. Hanks has always excelled at representing the common man on screen, hopefully his message will resonate with Americans who have been unwilling to comply with basic social distancing protocols.

A "shame on you" from America's dad is what we definitely need right now.

During the press conference he also shared how he and his wife recovered from the disease.

"Oh, as the canaries in the coal mine for the COVID-19 experience, we are fine," he said. "We had about 10 days of very uncomfortable symptoms. Not life-threatening, we're happy to say. We were isolated in order to keep an eye on ourselves because if our temperatures had spiked, if our lungs had filled, if any number of things had gone wrong with this, we would have needed expert medical care."

via Deutsche Bank / Flickr

Having experienced the disease first-hand, he and Wilson are adhering to strict social distancing protocols.

"I guess we were model recoverers from COVID-19, but we were also isolated so that we would not give it to anybody else that we came in contact with, and since then have been doing the same isolating, social distancing that is being asked of the world so, we are fine," he added.

The actor's words come as the U.S. cannot seem to get a handle on the spread of the virus. On Tuesday, new U.S. COVID-19 cases rose by more than 47,000, the biggest spike since the onset of the pandemic. In June, cases of the virus doubled in at least ten states.

"Clearly we are not in total control right now," Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told a U.S. Senate committee. "I am very concerned because it could get very bad."

COVID-19 has claimed the lives of more than 126,000 Americans.



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5 perfect movies for addressing big moods people are feeling during the outbreak

The idea of "cinema therapy" might be as old as the movies themselves. When you need a good cry, laugh, escape or new perspective, movies can offer an emotional catharsis that even books, TV shows and music can't quite match (all right, a good sad song can do wonders, as Elton John noted).

Right about now, everyone needs some kind of good emotional release, and movies are a great place to turn – but there are just too many choices on too many streaming services. With that in mind, here are five films that can fit many of the complicated moods you may be feeling right about now.

FEELING SCARED?

Defending Your Life

Defending Your Life (1991) Official Trailer - Albert Brooks, Meryl Streep Movie HDwww.youtube.com


From writer-director Albert Brooks, Defending Your Life is about a man who suddenly finds himself isolated from everyone and everything he knows: He dies. But he's whisked away to Judgment City, a strangely comforting blend of theme park and office complex. His task is to sit in literal judgment of his life and defend himself against accusations he lived in too much fear. An perfectly winning cast led by Brooks, Meryl Streep, Rip Torn and Lee Grant make this romantic-comedy sparkle, but there's something deeper here, something that all of us can use right now: a reminder that we are all stronger than we think and that fear doesn't need to get the best of us.


(Available on multiple streaming services for about $4)

FEELING WORRIED?

Joe Versus the Volcano


Joe Versus The Volcano (1990) Official Trailer - Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan Comedy HDwww.youtube.com


In Joe Versus the Volcano, Joe Banks (played by Tom Hanks) lives in constant anxiety. He's stuck in a job he hates, and a visit to the doctor reveals a dread diagnosis. That's when he gets a most unusual job offer that propels him on a trans-Pacific voyage that turns into a grand adventure that makes him face his anxieties. This 1990 film is endlessly silly, sometimes downright weird, and certainly an oddity. It's also emotionally daring and honest: writer-director John Patrick Shanley wears his heart on his sleeve, and gladly. In a rare triple performance, Meg Ryan shines brightly – she has a monologue about being "soul sick" that will resonate with anyone in self-isolation or quarantine with another person. The visually magnificent moment in which Joe acknowledges a higher power is about as poetic as movies could possibly get.

(Available on multiple streaming services for about $4.)


FEELING DOUBTFUL?

OH, GOD!


Oh, God! (1977) Official Trailer - John Denver, George Burns Movie HDwww.youtube.com


We're living in a deeply fraught time that could understandably make someone doubt religion. But what if God showed up in the world with a message of faith? That's the setup of director Carl Reiner's 1977 comedy Oh, God!, written by Larry Gelbart ("MASH," Tootsie). God is played by the inimitable comedian George Burns (if you don't know him at all, this will be a special treat), and his modern-day prophet is played by a deeply doubtful John Denver (yes, the singer). Despite its subject matter, the movie is completely agnostic – God, it turns out, doesn't really go in for the religious stuff. Gently, sweetly, the movie takes on some huge issues: Does God even care? Why is there suffering? Does God make mistakes? It's also a great snapshot of the way suburbia looked in 1977 – yes, it really was that funky. But there's something undeniably reassuring about its ultimate message.

(Available on Amazon and Turner Classic Movies On Demand)

FEELING CURIOUS?

The Andromeda Strain


The Andromeda Strain (1971) Trailerwww.youtube.com


While fear and anxiety are understandable, sometimes it can help to take a more clinical approach and to examine the problem from a more dispassionate angle. That's what happens in director Robert Wise's 1971 film The Andromeda Strain, which is based on a novel by Michael Crichton, undisputed master of science-based fiction. But once you do, you'll not only marvel at the eerie familiarity of scientists alarmed by the appearance of a never-before-seen virus that causes some pretty awful symptoms and is always fatal … except to two people. You might also feel increasingly comforted by seeing the dedication that four scientists in particular have to learning about and defeating the microbe. Wise also directed Star Trek: The Motion Picture and The Day the Earth Stood Still, and he knows his way around intelligent sci-fi.

(Available on multiple streaming services for about $4.)


FEELING LIKE YOU NEED A GOOD CRY?

Terms of Endearment


Terms of Endearment - Trailerwww.youtube.com


The best thing we can do sometimes is just let it all out. But when we've been holding it in, we need something to help us break through the emotions, and cinematically speaking you can't do better than 1983's Terms of Endearment. Writer-director James L. Brooks puts screen legend Shirley MacLaine together with Debra Winger in a still-hilarious comedy about an over-protective mother and her rebellious daughter who have to maintain a long-distance relationship back when communication wasn't as speedy. A plot twist turns the story into a heartbreaking drama that is massively effective at getting the tears flowing and letting the emotions out, even when sly, salty Jack Nicholson is on screen.

(Available on multiple streaming platforms for about $3-4 – which will be well-spent for those who need to let it all loose)

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The first trailer showing Tom Hanks as Mr. Rogers is here, and the world can't handle this much goodness

We need more Mister Rogers in our lives.

Sony Pictures Entertainment/YouTube


A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD - Official Trailer (HD)www.youtube.com

As a child, I spent countless hours with Mister Rogers. I sang along as he put on his cardigan and sneakers, watched him feed his fish, and followed his trolley into the Land of Make Believe. His show was a like a calm respite from the craziness of the world, a beautiful place where kindness always ruled. Even now, thinking about the gentle, genuine way he spoke to me as a child is enough to wash away the angst of my adult heart.

Fred Rogers was goodness personified. He dedicated his life not just to the education of children, but to their emotional well-being. His show didn't teach us letters and figures—he taught about love and feelings. He showed us what community looks like, what accepting and including different people looks like, and what kindness and compassion look like. He saw everyone he met as a new friend, and when he looked into the camera and said, "Hello, neighbor," he was sincerely speaking to every person watching.

Though I'd never met him, I cried the day he died. I loved Mister Rogers. Losing him felt like losing a childhood friend.

When I heard that Tom Hanks was going to play him in a biopic, I said, "Yes, of course. How perfect." A dream come true. Goodness upon goodness.

Michelle Obama named 'most admired woman in the world,' because of course she is.

And now the much-anticipated day has arrived. The first trailer for "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood" is here, and it's everything I imagined it would be. Honestly, I'm not sure if the world can even handle this much goodness. I barely can.

The movie, set to be released at Thanksgiving, loosely follows the true story of a journalist who wrote a profile of Fred Rogers for Esquire in 1998 and whose entire life perspective was changed by the experience. I watched the trailer this morning, and within the first three seconds—just upon hearing Hanks say, "Hello, neighbor"—the tears started to flow. I couldn't help it. This right here—the story, the man, the gorgeous goodness of it all—it's just everything.

I know that might seem over the top, but I honestly don't care. Mister Rogers taught me to express my feelings, and doggone it, I have big feelings about this.

The more I've learned about Fred Rogers as an adult, the more I've come to realize what a precious gift he was to humanity. The TV personality wasn't an act—who Mister Rogers was on his show is who he was. Tom Junod's Esquire piece gives us a glimpse of Rogers' unique personality—his faith, his "fearlessness," and his "unashamed insistence on intimacy." The excellent documentary, "Won't You Be My Neighbor," also offers behind-the-scenes footage where we see that fearlessness and intimacy in action. No one could say a bad word about Fred Rogers, which is almost unheard of. How often do our heroes turn out to be exactly what they appear to be?

Veteran with PTSD writes powerful book 'Why is Dad So Mad?' to help explain the disorder to his young daughter.

Mister Rogers was a national treasure, and we need him more today than ever. When I see people trying to justify prejudice and racism and lacking compassion for people who are suffering, I think, "You need a little more Mister Rogers in your life." When I see people who deride emotional sensitivity as weakness and dismiss courtesy and consideration as "political correctness" I think, "You could use a little more Mister Rogers in your life." When I see cruel, childish name-calling coming from grown-ups in power, I think, "You clearly didn't get enough Mister Rogers in your life."

Tom Hanks as Fred Rogers is just the balm the world needs right now to remind us what goodness truly looks like.

Now pardon me while I go binge watch this trailer on repeat with my box of Kleenex.

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