Big Sugar officially formed in 1988 in Toronto, Ontario, consisting of vocalist and guitarist Gordie Johnson, bassist Terry Wilkins, and drummer Al Cross, though the three musicians had already played together for several years as a supporting band for Molly Johnson's jazz performances and as an informal jam band with members of the Bourbon Tabernacle Choir. After Molly Johnson returned to rock music with Infidels, she helped her former bandmates to secure a record deal; their eponymous debut album was released in 1991 on Hypnotic Records.
After Wilkins left the band in 1993, Big Sugar recorded the album Five Hundred Pounds with the help of guest musicians, including harmonica and tenor saxophonist Kelly Hoppe, also known as Mr. Chill. Hoppe brought a blues and old-school r'n'b influence into the band's sound. Hoppe would become an official member of the band in September 1994. He would later add keyboards and melodica to his sideman responsibilities. In July 1994, bassist Garry Lowe joined the band. Lowe had moved to Canada in the mid-1970s from Kingston, Jamaica. Soon after arriving in Toronto, he became an in-demand bass player for touring reggae recording artists. He often accompanied them at Toronto's famed Bamboo club on Queen St.W., among other venues. Lowe was a founding member of "Culture Shock", a popular Toronto reggae band. Johnson, an avid reggae maven (and one-time bass player), had been a fan of Lowe's and was overjoyed when he agreed to join Big Sugar as a full-time member.
Big Sugar had slowly built a reputation as an outstanding live band, and Five Hundred Pounds consolidated it; the album sold 10,000 copies in Canada on the strength of their live shows without any real publicity or radio airplay. During this time, Gordie Johnson also recorded an album as Don't Talk Dance, with Tyler Stewart of Barenaked Ladies and Chris Brown of the Bourbon Tabernacle Choir.
In 1995, the band released two EPs; Dear M.F., which featured a cover version of Traffic's "Dear Mr. Fantasy"; and Ride Like Hell. Following the release of these EPs, Stich Wynston left the band and was replaced by Walter "Crash" Morgan. During the band's tour that year, however, Morgan suffered a heart attack, collapsed, and died on stage during a show in Iowa. Longtime band associate Raffa Dean was enlisted to finish the tour, and former Odds member Paul Brennan subsequently joined as the band's new drummer, appearing on one of their most commercially successful albums, 1996's Hemi-Vision.
Hemi-Vision's single "Opem Up Baby" was a notable first for the band, who recorded a French version of that song, "Ouvres-Toi Bébé", for radio stations in Quebec. The song gained widespread airplay in the province, and for their next album, 1998's Platinum-selling Heated, the band recorded a French version of each single they released; the French songs were collected on the 1999 EP Chauffe à bloc. Also that year, Johnson and Hoppe performed several acoustic shows as a duo under the names "Little Sugar" or "Two Fools on Stools".
Cross returned as drummer in 1999. The band also added a new rhythm guitarist, Mojah. In July of that year the band performed at Woodstock 1999.
In 2000, the band released a dub album, Extra Long Life, under the stage name Alkaline.
In 2001, Big Sugar released Brothers and Sisters, Are You Ready? Taking their abilities in writing and performing French material to its logical conclusion, a complete track-for-track French version, Brothers and Sisters, Êtes Vous Ready?, was released the same year. Only the English album concluded with a blistering rendition of "O Canada".
The two-CD compilation Hit & Run, featuring a greatest hits disc that included a special edition, limited run live concert performance disc, was released in 2003.
Big Sugar, known for its thundering rock shows performed without set lists, played their last concert before splitting up on December 31, 2003, at the Shaw Conference Centre in Edmonton, Alberta. Gordie "Grady" Johnson immediately formed the Austin, Texas-based band Grady and later joined Wide Mouth Mason as their full-time bassist, and also started the gospel dub duo Sit Down, Servant!! when he began playing steel guitar. Kelly Hoppe formed Mr. Chill & The Witnesses, a roots music group. Mojah and Garry Lowe went on to form Truth and Rights Revue, a reggae band, and have released one album to date.
The band reunited in 2010, playing their first show since 2003 at Telus World Ski & Snowboard Festival in Whistler, B.C. on April 23, with tour dates through summer 2010. A new studio album evolved and was released in June 2011, titled Revolution Per Minute. This recording included Stephane Beaudin "Bodean" on drums and new full-time band member "DJ Friendlyness" as the fifth member of Big Sugar. Revolution Per Minute was released on both cd and vinyl with the vinyl album containing bonus "Alkaline" dub remixes and additional songs. 2012 was the first ever DVD release when Eliminate Ya! Live!, a double CD/DVD set that included a new single covering Al Tuck's "Eliminate Ya!" was released.
In 2014, Big Sugar released an album called "Yard Style" which contains uplugged versions of nine of their original songs, plus four previously unreleased songs.
The song "Police Bway A Vampire" appeared as a reworked electric version under the name "Universal Vampire" on their next studio album "Calling All The Youth", which was released in 2015 on Bread & Butter Records.
In May, 2017, two long time members, Kelly Hoppe and DJ Friendliness, left Big Sugar. Hoppe is now a freelancer, frequently performing live and in-studio with various artists, while Friendliness likes to concentrate full-time on his other band Human Rights. They were replaced by Ray Arteaga and Gordie Johnson's wife Alex.
Garry Lowe died of cancer on July 7, 2018.
Goodbye Train
Big Sugar Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well, I walked her down to the train
And I said, oh baby, please walk slow
Well, I hate to see you go
I walked my baby, down to the train
I know I'll never see my girl again
You know, I tried to make her understand
I talked to my baby, tried to get her to understand
She left me at the station wavin' my hand
Calling goodbye train
Goodbye train
Goodbye train
Goodbye train
Well if I had, if I had you close to me
You'd know, I wouldn't have to go on in this misery
Well, now I'm cryin'
Callin' out her name
Well, now I'm cryin'
Callin' out her name
I stood there at the station
You know, I was callin' out her name
So, go ahead and leave me just the same
Callin' goodbye train
Goodbye train
Goodbye train
Goodbye train
The song "Goodbye Train" by Big Sugar depicts a man walking his lover to the train station while asking her to walk slow as he hates to see her go. The man tries to make her understand his feelings and convince her to stay, but she leaves him standing alone on the platform, waving goodbye. The heartbroken man is left crying and calling out her name as the train departs, eventually accepting his fate and bidding farewell to the train.
The song captures the universal human experience of heartbreak and the pain of letting go. The lyrics showcase the desperation of the man to hold on to his lover and the sadness of his realization that she is gone for good. The repetition of "goodbye train" emphasizes the feeling of finality and the departure of a significant person from the singer's life.
Overall, "Goodbye Train" is a touching song about the complexities of love and loss, and how difficult it can be to say goodbye to someone you care about deeply. The lyrics and the melody together create an emotional and relatable experience that resonates with many listeners.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, I walked, walked my baby
I escorted my lover to her departure
Well, I walked her down to the train
I accompanied her until she boarded the train
And I said, oh baby, please walk slow
I requested her to take her time while leaving
Well, I hate to see you go
I'm distressed to say goodbye
I know I'll never see my girl again
I'm cognizant that she's leaving permanently
You know, I tried to make her understand
I endeavored to make her get me
I talked to my baby, tried to get her to understand
I attempted to make her comprehend my feelings
She left me at the station wavin' my hand
She abandoned me at the station while I was waving goodbye
Well if I had, if I had you close to me
If I had the chance to hold you near me
You'd know, I wouldn't have to go on in this misery
Then, I wouldn't have to bear this pain alone
Well, now I'm cryin'
Currently, I'm weeping
Callin' out her name
I'm shouting her name out loud
So, go ahead and leave me just the same
Kindly proceed and depart even if it hurts me
Goodbye train
Farewell! Train
Goodbye train
Hasta la vista! Train
Goodbye train
Adieu! Train
Goodbye train
Wiedersehen! Train
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GORDIE EDMOND JOHNSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
RSCL BEATZ
This is fantasic! This dude rocks! I saw him a bunch of years back. WOW this boy got da blues.
Dorian Lindberg
I saw you guys in person in '97 at the edmonton bear howloween howler. right up at the stage.
One of the best live performances I have ever seen! Gordie combing his hair between riffs was so amazing. Perfect sound from everyone!
Blues Sevenfold
Very excellent blues-rock, indeed!! \m/
archangele1
This sound is what inspired me to make my latest guitar amp design. The guitar work is so cool. Big Sugar and Gordie rock!
soapboxearth
he was playing through a traynor YBA1 ithinks..
Ryan Berry
what a great sound. pure jack slappin music!
Michael Levine
Why doesn't this have more views and howcome I never heard of these guys back in the 90's?
Randy Chicoine
Fuckin sweet badass big suger killer riffs as usual
jonasbeaver
at 1:30 its get her to understand, not get her to stay... still brilliant
Robert Ironside
Chewy, fat funky Blues... Al Cross on drums for this one too? Think it is. Great great drummer. :-)