Throwing back to the week of October 26, 1963, we find Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs in the #1 spot of the Billboard Hot 100 with their song ‘Sugar Shack.’
‘Sugar Shack’ spent five weeks at #1 that fall, and ended up as Billboard’s Song of the Year for 1963. It dominated the charts while The Beatles’ ‘She Loves You’ was struggling to get played on American radio.
Written by singer-songwriter Keith McCormack, the song is about a coffeehouse where the singer meets his future wife. McCormack gave his aunt, Faye Voss, a co-writing credit on the song for telling him that tight pants on a girl are called “leotards.”
Given that the song has been covered by dozens of artists and appeared in several films, Voss might have earned the most royalties ever for the contribution of a single word.
Oh, there’s a crazy little shack
Beyond the tracks
And everybody calls it
The Sugar Shack
[Pre-Chorus 1]
Well, it’s just a coffeehouse
And it’s made out of wood
Expresso coffee tastes
Mighty good
That’s not the reason why
I’ve gotta get back
[Chorus]
Oh, to that Sugar Shack
Whoa, baby, to that Sugar Shack
[Verse 2]
Oh, there’s this cute little girlie
She’s a-working there
A black leotard
And her feet are bare
[Pre-Chorus 2]
I’m gonna drink a lot of coffee
Spend a little cash
Make that girl love me
When I put on some trash
You can understand why
I’ve gotta get back
[Chorus]
Oh, to that Sugar Shack
Whoa, baby, to that Sugar Shack
Yeah, honey, to that Sugar Shack
Whoa, yes, to that Sugar Shack
[Verse 3]
And now that Sugar Shack queen
Is a-married to me, yeah, yeah
We just sit around and dream
Of those old memories
[Pre-Chorus 3]
Ah, but one of these days
I’m gonna lay down tracks
In the direction
Of that Sugar Shack
Just me and her, yes
We’re gonna go back
[Outro]
Oh, to that Sugar Shack
Whoa, oh, to that Sugar Shack
Yeah, honey, to our Sugar Shack
Yeah, yeah, yeah, our Sugar Shack…
Meet Me In Montauk 
Listening to this all I can think is how ready the kids must have been for the British Invasion led by the Beatles in 1963!
I don’t remember this song even though I probably danced to it. Dana you are so right 😆