Sugar-Sugar (In My Life)

Background

"Sugar-Sugar (In My Life)" is the second track of Deja Vu All Over Again, the seventh solo album of John Fogerty. The collection of songs was released in September 2004. It reached #23 in the USA and #1 in Sweden. 

It's quite fair to describe Deja Vu All Over Again as the family album of John Fogerty. He wrote a gentle acoustic shuffle "Sugar-Sugar" for his wife. The old-fashioned rock and roll number praises the pleasures of the long-term relationship.  "I kind of had subconsciously borrowed that from her", recalled Fogerty in an interview by PBS-TV some weeks before the release of the album. "She grew up saying that with her grandpa really, “Come here and give me some sugar.” Somehow it came out of me years later the way I wrote this song." 

Personnel

Guitars, lead vocals, background vocals, pump organ: John Fogerty

Bass: Viktor Krauss

Drums/programming: John O'Brian

Recording session

John Fogerty played the acoustic flatpicked solo of the song by rolling his hand and doing alternate picking - down up, down up (Art Thompson, Interview with John Fogerty, The Guitar Player, March 2008). 

Collector's notes

"Sugar-Sugar (In My Life)" was released as a promotional CDR acetate single in the USA in 2004. No cover sleeve. Length: 3:07. It was also released as a promotional single in Sweden (Universal) and Finland (Universal UMFIPROMO-73). No cover sleeve. Length: 3:30. 

Live versions

The world premiere of the live version of "Sugar-Sugar" took place at KLRU-TV's Studio 6A in Austin, Texas, on August 10th, 2004 when the Austin City Limits TV concert was taped. It was screened by the PBS network in the USA on October 8th. However, TV viewers in America witnessed the song for the first time in the Live By Request show broadcast live from Englewood, New Jersey, already on September 22nd. 

Furthermore, he played the song live on the Sirius satellite radio on September 30th.  

Kicked off in November 2004, Fogerty delivered "Sugar-Sugar" in each concert of the Deja Vu All Over Again Tour until it vanished from the set lists for good in June 2005. . 

Extraordinary live versions include a duet with John Fogerty and Keith Urban at Union Station in Los Angeles on January 20th, 2005. It was aired in the USA one month later.  

Critical reception

"'Sugar Sugar'' is among several songs that celebrate the joys of a long-term relationship. Framed by a lilting combination of acoustic guitars, pump organ and background vocals (all by Fogerty), the song is a pop confection so light it threatens to blow away." -Jim Abbott, The Orlando Sentinel, September 17th, 2004.  

"---while it features some neat acoustic guitar work and is pleasant enough, the singer is mere reflective than passionate. Just a little of the heat from "Chooglin'" or "Bootleg" would have made the passion more convincing." -Thomas M. Kitts, John Fogerty: An American Son, 2015 

Fans' views

"This is a classic JF song in the same fun rock & roll style as Down On the Corner. It is meant to be danced to and John does a great job on the guitar."

"Easy and simple. Four chords, great for playing unplugged."

"Good soul music is always welcome."

"Makes me want to dance...relaxing."

"My wife has never been a big fan but came to concerts with me. She loved 'Sugar' so much she's been listening to the whole album while I've been at work - and she's got it on tape in the car ---."

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