In 1967, the band was signed to bubblegum label Buddah Records, where they released five LPs under their own name and a variety of singles, as well as "appearing" on the bubblegum concept LP The Kasenetz-Katz Singing Orchestral Circus, which sounded suspiciously like the usual Buddah studio band, in spite of its promotion as a "bubblegum superjam".
Their first hit, "Simon Says", was panned by the band members, but Jeckell persuaded the band to record it. In the process they changed the beat and patterned the song after "Wooly Bully" by Sam the Sham and the Pharoahs. "Simon Says" soon became a chart-topping hit. Some, but not all, of the band's tracks were performed by studio musicians. The band started touring, opening for major acts such as The Beach Boys. They followed on to release the hits "1-2-3 Red Light", "Indian Giver", "Goody, Goody Gumdrops" and "May I Take a Giant Step".
Eventually, the group members were replaced by the producers of Super K, and the musicians that appear on the 1910 Fruitgum Company's final two albums, Indian Giver and Hard Ride, are completely different bands. Hard Ride is in fact a complete departure from the bubblegum sound, and represented an attempt to conquer the FM radio market, with hippie, blues, and psychedelic elements over lengthy tracks.
The band's most recent appearance was on the Bubble Gum Rock Special.
The seminal punk rock group Ramones cited 1910 Fruitgum Company as a fundamental influence on their music. They covered their song "Indian Giver".
1910 Fruitgum Company's song "1-2-3 Red Light" was frequently covered by the Rhode Island School of Design band The Artistics, which would later mutate into the seminal new wave band Talking Heads.
May I Take A Giant Step
1910 Fruitgum Company Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I remember how it started
On a sunny summer′s day
I was looking out my window
All the kids were out to play
Then she said, hey
Out into the street I came
Ever since that sunny morning
Nothing has been quite the same
May I take a giant step into your heart
May I give you love and sweet affection
May I take a giant step into your heart
So that you will look in my direction
May I take a giant step into your heart
Though I may be getting older
May I′s stdill my favorite game
Girl, I got to have your permission
If our need's to be the same
Show me if you really want me
Show me if you really care
Give me just a little sign, girl
Make me feel you want me here
May I take a giant step into your heart
May I give you love and sweet affection
May I take a giant step into your heart
So that you will look in my direction
May I take a giant step into your heart
The lyrics of "May I Take A Giant Step" by 1910 Fruitgum Company describe a young boy's attraction to a girl he sees outside his window. The song starts with the boy observing the children playing outside and then suddenly he is approached by the girl who suggests they play a game of May I. The boy agrees and thus begins a playful interaction between the two.
As the song progresses, the boy starts to develop feelings for the girl, and he asks if he can take a giant step into her heart. He craves her love and wants to be near her. He acknowledges that he may be getting older, but the game of May I still holds a special place in his heart, possibly because it reminds him of the innocent days of his childhood.
Overall, "May I Take A Giant Step" is a sweet and innocent song about young love and the desire to be close to someone. The use of the game of May I as a metaphor for the boy's attraction to the girl is creative and adds a playful element to the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
I remember how it started
I can recall how this all began
On a sunny summer's day
It was a beautiful, warm summer day
I was looking out my window
I was watching the world from inside my house
All the kids were out to play
Children were enjoying their time playing outside
Then she said, hey
Then she got my attention by saying hello
Let's play May I
She suggested that we play the game May I
Out into the street I came
I stepped out from my house onto the street
Ever since that sunny morning
From that day forward
Nothing has been quite the same
Everything has changed as a result
May I take a giant step into your heart
Can I take a big step forward in your love life
May I give you love and sweet affection
Can I shower you with love and tenderness
So that you will look in my direction
So that you will notice and pay attention to me
Though I may be getting older
Even though I am aging
May I's still my favorite game
May I is still my preferred activity
Girl, I got to have your permission
I need your approval, girl
If our need's to be the same
If we both desire the same thing
Show me if you really want me
Demonstrate if you truly desire me
Show me if you really care
Prove if you genuinely care for me
Give me just a little sign, girl
Show me some indication, lady
Make me feel you want me here
Make me feel that I belong here with you
Writer(s): E Chiprut
Contributed by Kaitlyn C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Michael Craig
My favorite song when I was a little kid.. I think I will cover this one and play it at gigs, why not? A happy song, we need more of happy fun stuff these days!
Michael Craig
My favorite song when I was 3 or 4 years old. Best time of my life!
colleen
These guys just played at my Town's Recreation Center as part of our Summer Concert Series! They still got it!
Harry S. Anchan
Loved this on the Voice of America in the 60's living in S. India. Fabulous memories, fabulous song. A little tinny sounding here, though.
Ludwig Middel
Great memories when i was young
sauquoit13456
On this day in 1968 {March 9th} the 1910 Fruitgum Co.* performed "May I Take A Giant Step (Into Your Heart)" on the Dick Clark ABC-TV Saturday-afternoon program. 'American Bandstand'...
The following month on April 14th the song entered Billboard's Top 100 chart at position #86, six weeks later it would peak at #63 {for 1 week} and it spent eight weeks on the Top 100...
And on the same 'Bandstand' show they also performed "Simon Says", at the time it was in it's first of four weeks at #4, that was also it's peak position on the chart, and it stayed on the Top 100 for fourteen weeks...
Between January 1968 and August 1969 the New Jersey quintet had seven records on the Top 100, three made the Top 100...
Besides "Simon Says", their two other Top 10 records both peaked at #5, "1,2,3, Red Light" for 2 week on September 8th, 1968 and "Indian Giver" for 1 week on March 16th, 1969...
* And from the 'For What It's Worth' department, besides the Fruitgum Co. there was one other 'Co.' on the Top 100 in 1968, Cliff Nobles and Co. peaked at #2 {for 3 weeks} with "The Horse", and for those three weeks it was at #2, the #1 record was "This Guy's In Love With You" by Herb Alpert...
Strickly 60's
Hi Sauquoit,
Thank you very much for all these event facts about this band. Yes...it was a fun time indeed...bubble gum music was a perfect compliment to pop music at that time. Up here in Canada..they had another hit song...one that Really Liked called Special Delivery...Indian Giver was also my go to song...but, I could Never sing it.
My music is from Beatles To Bubble Gum. 63 to 68.
And who didn't Love ...The Horse....or Classical Gas...or No Matter What Shape Your Stomachs In...(Alka Seltzer commercial).
Thank you. "Strickly" 60's
Michael Otten
This takes me to one moment in my life-5th grade and i shoulda been scorin!!!
Andres Pascual
wowww...ni recordaba el original
Dirección Jurídica
This tune are so nostalgical... when gonna die... prepare to take the giant step into our heart