"Build Me Up Buttercup" is a song written by Mike d'Abo and Tony Macaulay, and released by The Foundations in 1968 with Colin Young singing lead vocals. Young had replaced Clem Curtis during 1968, and this was the first Foundations hit on which he sang.
It reached No. 1 on the Cash Box Top 100 and No. 3 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in early 1969. It was also a No. 2 hit in the United Kingdom, for two non-consecutive weeks. It was quickly certified Gold by the RIAA for sales of over a million US copies.
In popular culture "Build Me Up Buttercup" is featured in the 1998 romantic comedy film There's Something About Mary, the pilot episode "Truth Be Told" from the first season of the ABC TV spy drama series Alias, and the episode "Art Imitates Art" from the fourth season of the CBS TV detective series Elementary. This song was played during the final scene of the second to last episode of Fuller House. The track also features in the 2020 film The Kissing Booth 2, as well as in a series of 202021 Geico commercials.
The song is played at every home game by the Wisconsin Badgers Football Team. It was also played at every Los Angeles Angels home game during the seventh-inning stretch, before being eventually phased out for a rotation of variety of other songs. It is also a club anthem of Irish soccer club Shamrock Rovers.
Charts
Weekly charts Chart (1968–1969)PeakpositionArgentina 14Australia (Go-Set)1Australia (Kent Music Report) 2Belgium (Wallonia)Ultratop website49Canada RPM Top Singles1Netherlands9New Zealand4NorwayNorwegian Charts website3South Africa3UK Singles (OCC)2U.S. Billboard Hot 100Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–20023U.S. Cash Box Top 1001West GermanyNorwegian Charts site as above24
Year-end charts Chart (1969)RankAustralia 22Canada13U.S. Billboard Hot 1005U.S. Cash Box9
Certifications
Personnel Colin Young – vocals Alan Warner – lead guitar Peter Macbeth – bass guitar Tim Harris – drums, percussion Tony Gomez – keyboards Mike Elliott – tenor saxophone Eric Allandale – trombone Mike d'Abo – piano
Other versions A version by British trio Partyboys reached No. 44 on the UK Singles Chart in 2003.
David Johansen recorded a live version of the song on his concert album Live It Up. The album was recorded over two nights on February 4 and 5, 1982, at the Paradise Theatre (now known as the Paradise Rock Club) in Boston, Massachusetts.
A version by Pop-punk band 'The Goops' appears in the 1995 film Mallrats
References
External links CRITICAL BEATDOWN by Steven Shaviro