Tommy Roe: "Sheila"

August 27, 1962 (1 week)

Just as they were becoming famous, The Beatles began appearing on package concerts around the UK. These shows typically had at least half-a-dozen performers, some having already passed their peak, others at the height of fame and others trying to make a name for themselves. John, Paul, George and Ringo started off just happy to be there but before long they had become the sensations of Britain.

Famously, their package tour headlined by teenage English vocalist Helen Shapiro was marked by a noticeable decline in her career prospects just as theirs was on the rise. She had been one of the UK's most successful artists at the beginning of 1963 but by year's end she was all but finished; they, in turn, went from barely known to the four most recognizable faces in the entire country. She might have become bitter by this turn of events but she hit it off with them and only ever had good things to say about the time in which the biggest band that ever lived opened for her.

But not everyone had their showbiz careers ruined by The Beatles during this period. Stars Chris Montez and Tommy Roe were both similarly upstaged by the Fab Four on another package tour and their prospects certainly derailed but they weren't quite finished. Roe, in particular, would get through the ordeal, scoring a second number one on the Hot 100 just as The Beatles were coming apart. (In Canada, Roe would have a three chart toppers, the third, conveniently, in the midst of the Fabs' creative peak)

But we're getting ahead of ourselves. In the late stages of the summer of '62, The Beatles had yet to record "Love Me Do", 'fab' had not yet entered the common parlance and neither had the term 'bubblegum' — unless, of course, you're referring to the pink chewing gum instead of the throwaway brand of pop.

Some genres and sub-genres of music are named retroactively. The most famous is Yacht Rock from the seventies and early eighties. It was known simply as soft rock back in its heyday but has since been re-christened after an online comedy series in 2005 of the same name. Less well-remembered is its British cousin Sophisti-pop which I don't recall even having a name at the height of ABC, Prefab Sprout, Scritti Politti and The Style Council. (I've also heard the term 'Soulcialism' used more recently which I've always thought to be more apt). Bubblegum was not similarly named after the fact. It had been used for "groups" like The Archies as pop music began to make a comeback in the face of all this late sixties' rock.

It turns out, bubblegum has some strict definitions. The Monkees have even been excluded, possibly on the grounds that they proved to be far more creative than they had been expected to be. Tommy Roe would become identified with it when "Dizzy" became a global smash in 1969 — to the extent that his whole career came to be defined as such, even though he was having hits years before anyone had used the term.

In a sense, I suppose "Sheila" is bubblegum. Then again, so was a lot of early sixties' pop. When the bulk of the mainstream music is highly disposable, it's difficult for any particular singers or groups to stand out. On the other hand, Roe was clearly aspiring towards being the next Buddy Holly. Between his vocal mannerisms, the rhythm guitar and the drumming, "Sheila" sounds like it was lifted directly from "Peggy Sue". No one considered Holly bubblegum so why should one of his musical descendants?

Still, bubblegum or not, I'm not fussed by this. While the musicianship is more than credible, the songwriting is slight with all-too-obvious rhymes. Like a good deal of cheap pop, it seems nice enough while it's on but it becomes forgotten about almost as soon as it comes to an end. Whatsmore, it goes downhill with each subsequent listen: what seems like good, harmless fun at first, quickly becomes tiresome and trite in short order.

The poptimist movement of the early 2000's really did a lot of good in terms to ridding the world of that ludicrous idea that the likes of ABBA, Bee Gees and Carpenters were 'guilty pleasures' but it has plenty to answer for as well, not the least of which being that pop should unquestionably be taken seriously when not all of it deserves to be. Some bubblegum is decent but much of it is as disposable as we'd previously been led to believe. Think about it this way: as a kid, Hubba Bubba was the gum to go for. It had the best flavours (even if I'll never understand what was so great about watermelon), it blew the best bubbles and it remained a softer chew for longer. At the other end of the spectrum was Juicy Fruit, which scarcely seemed like bubblegum at all. The flavour would vanish in seconds, you could hardly get a bubble out of a single piece and its dull grey appearance was hardly appetizing. Like the gum, bubblegum pop could vary in quality, from those who lasted to those who rapidly fell apart.

On the other hand, Tommy Roe may have been the Juicy Fruit of pop but at least he wasn't the Thrills gum.

Score: 4