Bubble Gum World

Album: Simon Says (1968)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • The term "Bubblegum" came to describe a style of music that was light and fun, without requiring much thought. This song, which was written by the group's drummer Floyd Marcus, may have inspired the term. Says Floyd: "We've never been able to verify this, but we heard that somewhere in one of the major magazines somebody coined the phrase 'Bubblegum Music,' directly related to that song."
  • The 1910 Fruitgum Company was a classic "Bubblegum" band, and had several hits in the late '60s in this style, including "Simon Says" and "Indian Giver." Floyd Marcus explains: "I wrote a lot of different stuff back then. Before the band started, even, we were all fans of heavier music. We were fans of Hendrix and The Beatles and The Stones, and Cream, and Yardbirds to The Animals. But I just tended to write whatever. It was: "You think you're in a bubblegum world playing in sandboxes, too, I'd just like to tell you, girl, you're too old to think it's true." I was playing on the words a little bit, and there was a pretty wide range, a pretty big spectrum of music in the '60s. I point this out to my kids, that there was a pretty diverse terrain of music back then, from about '64 to '69. So I really didn't think about whether the song was light or bubblegummy. I just kind of wrote this song playing with those lyrics. And Jeff Katz and Jerry Kasenetz who were our producers, when they heard a lot of the songs, they liked them, they thought they would fit. So it wound up on our first Fruitgum Company album." (Check out our interview with Floyd Marcus.)

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Pam Tillis

Pam TillisSongwriter Interviews

The country sweetheart opines about the demands of touring and talks about writing songs with her famous father.

Rock Stars of Horror

Rock Stars of HorrorMusic Quiz

Rock Stars - especially those in the metal realm - are often enlisted for horror movies. See if you know can match the rocker to the role.

Frankie Valli

Frankie ValliSong Writing

An interview with Frankie Valli, who talks about why his songs - both solo and with The Four Seasons - have endured, and reflects on his time as Rusty Millio on The Sopranos.

Part of Their World: The Stories and Songs of 13 Disney Princesses

Part of Their World: The Stories and Songs of 13 Disney PrincessesSong Writing

From "Some Day My Prince Will Come" to "Let It Go" - how Disney princess songs (and the women who sing them) have evolved.

Kip Winger

Kip WingerSongwriter Interviews

The Winger frontman reveals the Led Zeppelin song he cribbed for "Seventeen," and explains how his passion for orchestra music informs his songwriting.

Stephen Christian of Anberlin

Stephen Christian of AnberlinSongwriter Interviews

The lead singer/lyricist for Anberlin breaks down "Impossible" and covers some tracks from their 2012 album Vital.