Sugarloaf (band)
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1968 in Denver, Colorado, United States |
| Headquarters | Denver , United States |
| Products | Music albums and singles |
Sugarloaf was a rock ensemble from the United States, established in 1968 in Denver, Colorado. Originally, the group went by the name Chocolate Hair. They gained notable success with two singles that reached the Top 10: "Green-Eyed Lady" and "Don't Call Us, We'll Call You".
As of 2025, a biographical film chronicling the band’s story is underway in Colorado, scripted by Kyle Lamar of Digital Myle and Stacy Raymond, who is bassist Bob Raymond’s daughter-in-law.
Moonrakers and Chocolate Hair
Before forming Sugarloaf, lead singer and keyboardist Jerry Corbetta along with guitarist Bob Webber were members of Denver’s Moonrakers, a band that had released four singles through Tower. The Moonrakers themselves originated from an early 1960s group called the Classics. Musicians from all these bands later participated in Sugarloaf’s recording sessions.
In late 1968, Corbetta and Webber assembled Chocolate Hair with drummer Myron Pollock and bassist Bob Raymond. Corbetta, who had shifted from drums back to keyboards, left the Moonrakers to concentrate on his keyboard role.
Name change and the Liberty years
After signing with Frank Slay, Chocolate Hair produced demo recordings in 1969 that secured them a deal with Liberty Records. Following Pollock’s departure, Bob MacVittie took over on drums. Vocalist Veeder Van Dorn contributed to their first album but did not remain with the band permanently. The track “Green-Eyed Lady”, recorded in Hollywood featuring MacVittie on drums, was added at the last moment; their debut album was released in May 1970.
Legal counsel at Liberty recommended a name change due to possible racial misunderstandings. Consequently, the band adopted the name Sugarloaf, inspired by a mountain near Boulder, Colorado.
The single "Green-Eyed Lady," co-written by Corbetta alongside J.C. Phillips and David Riordan, climbed to No. 3 on the Billboard charts in October 1970; their debut album reached No. 24.
Following their initial release, singer and guitarist Bob Yeazel joined the lineup. Sugarloaf proceeded to record two albums under producer Norman Petty. Yeazel played a significant role on Spaceship Earth (1971), which attained No. 111 on the charts. Singles such as "Tongue-In-Cheek" and "Mother Nature's Wine" peaked at No. 55 and No. 88 respectively; notably, "Tongue-In-Cheek" was Liberty’s last single before its merger into United Artists.
During 1970-71, Sugarloaf toured extensively alongside prominent acts including the Who, Deep Purple, and Eric Burdon & War. They also performed at the afterparty of the 13th Annual Grammy Awards, sharing the stage with artists like Aretha Franklin and Three Dog Night.
The group expanded to six members when bassist Bobby Pickett joined in May 1971. That year they appeared on American Bandstand, performing both "Green Eyed Lady" and "Mother Nature's Wine".
In 1972, Sugarloaf contributed to "I.O.I.O.", a Bee Gees cover recorded for TV actor Butch Patrick and produced by Frank Slay.
Midway through 1972, both Yeazel and Pickett departed; Pickett later collaborated with musicians such as Etta James and Gregg Allman. After taking a hiatus, Yeazel resumed touring and recording activities.
Following internal disagreements involving Corbetta, Webber, Raymond, and MacVittie exited by late 1972, leaving Corbetta as the sole proprietor of the Sugarloaf name.
Comeback and Subsequent Success
In 1973, Liberty Records severed ties with all its artists, leaving Sugarloaf without a label. During this period, Jerry Corbetta signed with Neil Bogart's Brut Records, which was distributed through the Buddah Records imprint affiliated with the Fabergé company.
The album I Got a Song, released toward the end of 1973, initially started as a solo endeavor by Corbetta but evolved into Sugarloaf's third studio album after Webber and Raymond rejoined, along with drummer Larry Ferris. This ensemble made an appearance on The Midnight Special on April 19, 1974.
Following Brut Records' collapse, Corbetta and Frank Slay reacquired the rights to the album and recorded the track "Don't Call Us, We'll Call You" in 1974 with session musicians and backing vocals by the Flying Saucers. The song included a humorous jab at CBS Records, who had previously declined them; it incorporated dial tones from an unlisted CBS phone number, alongside brief musical excerpts referencing the Beatles, Stevie Wonder, and a radio DJ impersonation. Co-written by Corbetta and John Carter, the single was released on Slay's Claridge Records in November 1974. It climbed to No. 9 on the charts by April 1975, prompting a reissue of I Got a Song under the new title Don't Call Us, We'll Call You, substituting the hit for "Easy Evil." Despite this, the album only reached No. 152 on the Billboard Top 200.
In 1974, Corbetta also contributed to Disco-Tex and the Sex-O-Lettes' hit "Get Dancin'", produced by his new collaborator Bob Crewe, in addition to working on other projects such as Chinook.
Another single from Sugarloaf, "Stars in My Eyes," attained No. 87 in June 1975. The band reunited for touring with Corbetta, Webber, Raymond, and original drummer Myron Pollock following the success of "Don't Call Us...". A live performance recorded at Denver's Ebbets Field in January 1975 was later issued as the CD Alive in America.
The track "I Got a Song" was released as a single in October 1975 but stalled at No. 110 on Billboard. Corbetta’s solo effort "You Set My Dreams to Music" featured in the 1977 film The Legend of Frank Woods. Sugarloaf’s final single, "Satisfaction Guaranteed" (1976), did not chart. All singles from the "Don't Call Us..." album were distributed via Claridge Records.
Disbandment and Subsequent Endeavors
By late 1975, Webber and Raymond had departed from Sugarloaf. Corbetta continued touring under the name Jerry Corbetta and Sugarloaf with drummer Myron Pollock, guitarist Ray Payne, and bassist Rusty Buchanan (later associated with Player) until 1978. That year, Corbetta retired the Sugarloaf moniker to focus on his solo career, releasing his sole solo album, Jerry Corbetta, through Warner Bros.. Between 1980 and 1984, he also performed with Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.
A one-time Sugarloaf reunion took place on June 12, 1985, at the Colorado Cream Festival featuring Corbetta, Pollock, Bob Yeazel, guitarist Larry Wilkins, and bassist Bryan Grassmeyer. From 1989 to 1991, Corbetta and Wilkins attempted to revive Sugarloaf alongside producer Bob Crewe, but these efforts did not come to fruition.
In 1991, Corbetta became part of the touring rock nostalgia production 30 Years of Rock and Roll, which led to forming the Sugarloaf/Iron Butterfly/Cannibal & the Headhunters Revue with guitarist Mike Pinera and bassist Dennis Noda. This ensemble was renamed the Classic Rock All-Stars in 1992 and included former Rare Earth vocalist/drummer Peter Rivera as well as guest appearances by artists such as Micky Dolenz and Spencer Davis. Throughout the 1990s and again in 2005, the Classic Rock All-Stars occasionally performed under the Sugarloaf name with substitute drummers.
On January 19, 2008, The Brewery Arts Center in Carson City, Nevada hosted a Legends of Rock concert featuring Corbetta, Noda, Omar Martinez (formerly of Paul Revere and the Raiders), and guitarist Michael Furlong.
Corbetta ceased performing in 2010 due to Pick's disease. On September 8, 2012, original members reunited at the Boulder Theater for their induction into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame. The following day included a final after-party performance in Denver featuring Webber, Corbetta, Raymond, and Pollock.
Bassist Bob Raymond (born March 4, 1946) passed away from lung cancer in Centennial, Colorado on February 11, 2016. Guitarist Bob Yeazel (born November 1, 1946) died in Stuart, Florida on June 9 of that year. Corbetta died in Denver on September 16, 2016 after battling Pick's disease for seven years.
In late 2020, Bob Webber uncovered a lost live recording from a concert held in 1975. After undergoing restoration and remastering processes, Sugarloaf Live 1975 was officially released on September 8, 2022. Surviving band members and longtime collaborators celebrated its launch on September 11 at Parker’s Wild Goose saloon. Those attending included Webber, Pollock, Bobby Pickett, keyboardist Denny Flannigan, vocalist/guitarist Kick Stevens (Bailey Raymond), and Freddi Gowdy.
Beyond their music careers, former guitarist Bob Webber transitioned into aerospace engineering while drummer Bob MacVittie moved to Arkansas to manage restaurants.
Albums
- Sugarloaf (Liberty Records, 1970) US Chart Peak: 24
- Spaceship Earth (Liberty Records, 1971) US Chart Peak: 111
- I Got a Song (Brut Records, 1973)
- Don't Call Us - We'll Call You (Claridge Records, 1975) US Chart Peak: 152
- Alive in America (Renaissance, 2006)
- Sugarloaf Live 1975 (Ray Banger Records, 2022)
Singles
- "Green-Eyed Lady" (1970) US Peak Position: 3, Canada: 1, Australia: 53
- "Tongue in Cheek" (1971) US Peak Position: 55, Canada: 40
- "Mother Nature's Wine" (1971) US Peak Position: 88
- "Don't Call Us, We'll Call You" (1974) US Peak Position: 9, Canada: 5, Australia: 97
- "Stars in My Eyes" (1975) US Peak Position: 87
- "I Got a Song" (1975) US Peak Position: 110