The Forgotten Bubblegum Pop Group That Had More Hits Than You Remember

One of bubblegum pop's biggest acts was the 1910 Fruitgum Company. Best remembered for one big hit — 1968's Top 5 smash "Simon Says" — the project was far more successful on the charts (and impactful on the music industry) than the world might believe all these years later. Bubblegum was built on gently rocking jangly guitars and friendly lyrics about lighthearted themes — crushes, fun, candy — to appeal to kids and tweens too young for psychedelic '60s rock. One lesser-known fact about the Monkees is that the originally studio-musician-based band directly led to the rise of bubblegum pop hits recorded by uncredited musicians. And that's where the 1910 Fruitgum Company comes in.

Part of the roster of producers Jerry Kasenetz and Jeff Katz's Super K Productions, the 1910 Fruitgum Company was once a real band from Linden, New Jersey, called Jeckell & the Hydes. With a deal in place and member Mark Gutkowski leading a group of hired studio players, the rebranded 1910 Fruitgum Company churned out a slew of classic albums that define bubblegum pop and a surprisingly high number of hit singles over just a few years.

Bubblegum pop acts were capable of a remarkable turnaround, particularly the 1910 Fruitgum Company. The band's name appeared on six albums released between 1968 and 1970 — half of them going on sale in 1968. On record, much of the original group was replaced by Super K's session musicians, as well as the same vocalists who sang on many of the company's other hits, such as Joey Levine, voice of Ohio Express ("Yummy Yummy Yummy"). 

But actual legacy Jekell & the Hydes member Mark Gutkowski was permitted to sing sometimes, and it's his voice on the 1910 Fruitgum Company's first and biggest hit: "Simon Says," a No. 4 hit in 1968. That extraordinarily catchy tune didn't just follow the tried-and-true, hook-laden bubblegum pop formula, it also found a niche for the 1910 Fruitgum Company. The band issued more short and sweet singles built on childhood and playground games: "May I Take a Giant Step (Into Your Heart)" rose to No. 63, while "1, 2, 3, Red Light" soared to No. 5.

The 1910 Fruitgum Company wasn't just about making songs for kids about pastimes they'd probably only just outgrown. They had three other hits on the Hot 100 in 1968 and 1969: "Goody Goody Gumdrops," "Indian Giver," and "Special Delivery," all of which made the Top 40. Their final single, "The Train," only reached No. 57.

When the bubblegum pop era began its decline in the very early 1970s, the 1910 Fruitgum Company (and its Super K handlers) tried to hang on with a dramatic image reboot and musical style overhaul. Having once adopted different cartoonish costumes and personas for all five of the public-facing musicians — policeman, Old West conman, French soldier, Russian noble, and suited businessman — the next era found them all dressed in leather and releasing albums full of free-form experimental rock. It didn't work, and the 1910 Fruitgum Company disappeared after 1971, having scored a respectable seven hits in their brief life.