Big Sugar are a Canadian blues rock and reggae band. They were active from … Read Full Bio ↴Big Sugar are a Canadian blues rock and reggae band. They were active from 1991 to 2004 and again since April 2010.
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.
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.
Trouble In The City
Big Sugar Lyrics
We have lyrics for 'Trouble In The City' by these artists:
J.J. Cale Heard the one about your woman Lord, she's been messing 'rou…
J.J.ケイル Heard the one about your woman Lord, she's been messing 'ro…
Moscos & Stone In a city where factories bleed Into the water, the water…
Nutty O (Isu tasvika kuHarare) Ai-ai-ai (Tirikusangana kupi, isu tas…
We have lyrics for these tracks by Big Sugar:
'Round Midnight It begins to tell 'round midnight 'Round midnight I do prett…
100 CIGARETTES Lord, I smoked 100 cigarettes Waiting on your call but it…
AAA Aardvark Hotel Dear Mr. Fantasy, play us a tune Something to make us…
All Hell For A Basement I am a working man But I ain't worked for…
All Over Now Can you see? Can you see, can you see Oh, can't you…
Bad Old Days (G. Johnson/APJJ) I asked my mother 'bout the bad old…
Bemsha Swing N/a This is an instrumental song…
Better Get Used To It Once I was a villain I behaved just like a cat But…
Bump On The Head Feels like the sun never shines on this poor man's…
Butterball (G. Johnson/D. Wall) (Come on in here) Baby, baby, fo…
Come Back Baby I said early in the morning, 'bout the break of…
Cop A Plea Ever since you left Ever since you fallout I've been stuck i…
Dear Mr. Fantasy [Chorus] Dear Mr. Fantasy, play us a tune Something to mak…
Deliver Me Somebody, somebody Somebody deliver me My head is all in…
Devil Got My Woman It was nothing but the devil Changed my baby's mind Yes, not…
Diggin a Hole They got my head in a haze Feel like a cat…
Diggin’ a Hole Got my head in a haze Feel like a cat in…
Done So Much In the Dark I done so much in the dark, I lost my…
Empty Head I check the mail and I watch my phone I used…
Girl Watcher Down time, feeling inclined I don't mind, I don't mind, I…
Gone For Good Just when I'm thinking about Times when I cared My time was…
Goodbye Train Well, I walked, walked my baby Well, I walked her down…
Groundhog Day Now when you needed me I was always around Now I need…
Hammer In My Hand So much trouble in this time So many stairs to climb You…
Heart Refuse To Pound As I lay awake I find You're resting on my mind And…
How Many Times Well, how many times Are you gonna treat me like you…
I WANT YOU NOW Half-awake in the morning I want you now This feeling grips …
I'm A Ram Drive on Until I get there I got to drive on Until I…
If I Had My Way If I had my way If I had my way If I…
If I Had My Way/Leadbelly_Sinsemilla Peace came to me So I met her in the middle I…
Joe Louis Kiss my face and slap me on my hands And if…
Joe Louis / Judgment Day (G. Johnson) Kiss my face and slap me on my hands And…
Just About Sunrise Just about sunrise Just about sunrise Just about sunrise I g…
Kickin' Stones Well, I'm standing on the outside Kickin' stones Wishing y…
La Stralla Naked baby on the ground Only sky above Hallelujah in my lit…
Let It Ride Goodbye I lied Don't cry Would you led it ride? Goodby…
Let Me Roll It You gave me something, I understand. You gave me something…
Lost And Found If only you could see behind my eyes You would count…
Motherless Children Motherless children have a hard time When their mother's dea…
Nashville Grass Someone tell me, do you know Where did Allen Woody go…
Nicotina Light it up We've been a little more than just friends, And…
Nicotina (She's All That) light it up we've been a little more than just friends and…
Nowhere To Go Well, I wish I could tell somebody 'Bout the way I…
Opem Up Baby If I was to tell you what I left behind Would…
Open Up Baby If I was to tell you what I left behind Would…
Pretty Bird (G. Johnson/APJJ/W. Don) There is a pretty bird who sing…
Red Rover (Brothers and sisters, are you ready?) Sometimes I stop and…
Ride Like Hell Sometimes I wonder, will I ever get back home? Sometimes I…
Ride On Sometimes I wonder Will I ever get back home? Sometimes I wo…
Roads Ahead I dont mind, I dont mind the little things But killing…
Rolling Pin (G. Johnson) Well, rolling pin a-rolling Rolling, rolling, …
Round and Round Where did the time go? I swear that I don't know Turn…
Round Midnight It begins to tell 'round midnight 'Round midnight I do prett…
She Left Ashes (G. Johnson/P. Ballantyne) Twilight passes but we're sti…
Skull Ring One, two Devil in the kitchen Snake in the grass Sat naked …
Sleep In Late I ain't got nothing on my plate Please let me sleep…
So Many Roads Well, there are so many roads So many trains to ride Well,…
So Not Over Right about now... I'm gonna tell ya a little story... I…
Standing Around Crying Oh, babe, look how you got me standing around crying Oh,…
Stardust And now the purple dusk of twilight time Steals across the…
Still Waitin' Somebody, somebody Somebody deliver me My head is all …
Still Waiting Talk to me, baby Come on and take my hand Talk to…
Sugar In My Coffee I don't want no sugar in my coffee Makes me mean,…
The Better It Gets Once I was a villain I behaved just like a cat But…
The Scene Now take a look at me And tell me what you…
Tired All The Time You're tired all the time Baby's tired all the time Tired al…
Tobacco Hand (G. Johnson) Well, she dialed a phone number Well, she dial…
Tommy Johnson Well, it's cold outside Feel the winds start to blow Well, i…
TURN THE LIGHTS ON I have had my share of fights, And some lonely, lonely…
We Could LIve (G. Johnson/L. T. Benn) (Oh, man - turn up your…
Where I Stand I've been haunted 'cause I've wanted Yes, I've wanted to ask…
Wild Ox Moan Well I want you to come in here, woman Sit down…
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
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