Line-up
Peter te Bos: vocals
John Cameron: guitar
Marcus Bruystens: bass
Marc Lamb: drums
Other musicians
Allard Jolles drums
Arno Kooy bass guitar
Bobbie Rossini bass guitar
Geert de Groot bass guitar
Lya Spykstra bass guitar
Marius Schrader drums
BIOGRAPHY
1983 - Punk rock group Suspenders splits up in 1981 and several members form rock group L'Attentat. In the spring of 1983 L'Attentat guitarist/singer Allard Jolles, forms a second band: Claw Boys Claw. Other members of the band are ex-Suspenders singer Bobbie Rossini on bass, and on guitar (Jolles plays the drums) John Cameron (ex-Odorex). Shortly afterwards singer/graphic designer Peter te Bos joins Claw Boys Claw. The band plays garage rock with influences of psychedelics, acid punk and rock 'n' roll.
1984 - Shocking Shades Of Claw Boys Claw is recorded and released on the band's own Hipcat label.
1985 - In May 1985 Jolles leaves Claw Boys Claw in favour of his other band L'Attentat. He is replaced by Pilots drummer Marius Schrader.
1986 - Claw Boys Claw signs to Polydor. The band makes its first appearance at the Pinkpop festival. During this show frontman Te Bos throws apples, oranges, beer cans, his shoes and his socks into the crowd. In June the album With Love From The Boys, produced by Vic Maille, comes out. The band plays at the Roskilde festival in Denmark.
1987 - Claw Boys Claw records the album Crack My Nut. Shocking Shades is re-released on Polydor. Additionally, the album Claw Boys Claw comes out, a compilation of the band's self-released material (the mini album Now!, the single So Mean and the 12" Indian Wallpaper). Also released is the Christmas single Blue Bells.
1988 - Claw Boys Claw performs at the New Music Seminar in New York where they meet John Cale who promises to produce the band's next album. They sign to Megadisc and release the new album Hitkillers, a collection of covers of Dutch rock classics.
1989 - Bobbie Rossini and Marius Schrader leave the band. Rumours about a new album (produced by John Cale) are again surfacing.
1990 - The album Angelbite comes out. It is not produced by John Cale, but by Steve Parker (engineer with The Fall and Dutch vocalist Mathilde Santing). The band goes on - another - successful tour.
1991 - Late June the band plays the Parkpop festival in The Hague. In the meantime, Kooy joins La La Heaven and Geert de Groot (ex-Fatal Flowers) takes over on bass.
1992 - Late 1992 the album Sugar, a highlight in the band's career so far, comes out. The change in musical direction, that was already apparent on Angelbite, has now become permanent: The garage punk style has had to make way for the more melodic and sultry swamp rock. This has much to do with the fact that the album is produced by Urban Dance Squad drummer Michel Schoots, alias Magic Stick. The subdued single Rosie is the band's first Top 40 hit.
1993 - For the second time Claw Boys Claw is on the bill of the Pinkpop festival. Former bass player Rossini turns up in girl group Chicas del Rock that releases the album Neverneverland.
1994 - The new album Nipple, produced by Luc Suèr, largely follows the line of Sugar, but is less successful.
1995 - Marc Lamb plays the drums on Get Well Soon the second album of Soft Parade.
1997 - Claw Boys Claw release the new album Will-O-The-Wisp. The band also tours the Netherlands (by boat) with Scram C Baby and other bands.
1999 - All band members occupy themselves with various other projects: Te Bos concentrates on his career as graphic designer. Together with Henk Hofstede from Nits he designs the Media Centre of the Dutch Rock & Pop Institute. Drummer Marc Lamb wins the X3M remix award for his work with dance project Patriot Hills. Bassist Geert de Groot plays with Solex.
2002 - Peter te Bos en John Cameron work on a new album.
2005 - Former Claw Boys Claw drummer Marius Schrader alias Mars Radar independently releases an electro/synth album under the Wat moniker.
2006 - Te Bos and Cameron have written about 60 songs. Together with drummer Marc Lamb they start working on the new material. Lya Spykstra (ex-Bitchcock) is the new bass player. With Lamb she's also part of the trio Tomix.
2007 - After an initial session in 2006 in February and March Claw Boys Claw start recording the new album at Amsterdam's Eiland Studio's.
2008 - January 30th the release of Pajama Day is celebrated with a showcase at the DeSmet studios in Amsterdam, in presence of members of Johan, Moke and Hallo Venray.
Sugarlite Blonde
Claw Boys Claw Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I get it on, I need a face to laugh on but that is more of the same everynight
Sugarlite blond, sugarlite blond
They say my bones are the one understanding, I go down in the rear
You got me crawling to my heart's surrender
The state of phase you brought me in, you're no good
You got me howling at the moon tonight, understood
You got me howling at the moon tonight, hear me say
You got me howling at the moon tonight, just stay and get your way
Sugarlite blond, sugarlite blond, sugarlite blond
You're my sugarlite blond
You got me howling at the moon
Sugarlite blond, sugarlite blond, sugarlite blond
You're my sugarlite blond
Stay away, I don't know where I'm standing, a dead dog, feel alright
I get it on, I need a face to laugh on but that is more of the same everynight
You're no good, sugarlite blond, sugarlite blond, sugarlite blond
You're my sugarlite blond
Sugarlite blond, sugarlite blond, sugarlite blond, you got me howling at the moon tonight
You're my sugarlite blond
The lyrics to Claw Boys Claw's song "Sugarlite Blonde" speak to the confusion and desperation that can come with being caught up in a toxic relationship or romantic obsession. The singer's emotions are all over the place - they feel lost and uncertain ("Stay away, I don't know where I'm standing"), but at the same time seem to find some sort of twisted comfort in their own misery ("a dead dog, feel alright"). They also express a desire for connection, but seem to be stuck in a cycle of dissatisfaction ("I get it on, I need a face to laugh on but that is more of the same every night").
The titular "Sugarlite Blonde" seems to represent this object of obsession - someone who, despite being described as "no good", has a powerful hold over the singer ("you got me crawling to my heart's surrender / The state of phase you brought me in"). The repeated line "you got me howling at the moon tonight" suggests that the singer is almost in a trance-like state, unable to resist this person's pull even as they recognize how damaging it is.
Overall, "Sugarlite Blonde" captures the feeling of being caught in a self-destructive spiral, trying to escape but unable to break free. It's a raw and intense song that speaks to the darker side of emotional attachment.
Line by Line Meaning
Stay away, I don't know where I'm standing, a dead dog, feel alright
I'm lost and uncertain, but strangely content in my confusion
I get it on, I need a face to laugh on but that is more of the same everynight
I seek out a temporary escape through meaningless relationships
Sugarlite blond, sugarlite blond
Referring to the object of desire, a superficial and sweet lover
They say my bones are the one understanding, I go down in the rear
My body seems to understand better than my mind, I fall back on physical pleasure
You got me crawling to my heart's surrender
The object of desire has a hold on me, making me give in completely
The state of phase you brought me in, you're no good
The current state the object of desire has brought me to is unhealthy
You got me howling at the moon tonight, understood
The object of desire has made me completely lose myself and act irrationally
You got me howling at the moon tonight, hear me say
My desperation for the object of desire is evident in my behavior
You got me howling at the moon tonight, come on babe
I am begging for the object of desire to reciprocate my feelings
You got me howling at the moon tonight, just stay and get your way
The object of desire has the power to manipulate me and get what they want
You're my sugarlite blond
Reiterating the object of desire's status as a superficial yet irresistible lover
Stay away, I don't know where I'm standing, a dead dog, feel alright
Despite the unhealthy nature of my relationship with the object of desire, I am still content in my confusion
You're no good, sugarlite blond, sugarlite blond, sugarlite blond
Acknowledgement of the negative aspects of the object of desire, yet still unable to resist them
Sugarlite blond, sugarlite blond, sugarlite blond, you got me howling at the moon tonight
The object of desire's hold over me is undeniable and uncontrollable
You're my sugarlite blond
Final reiteration of the object of desire's power and irresistible nature
Contributed by Evelyn W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.