Build Me Up Buttercup
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"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 hit 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, behind "Lily the Pink" by the Scaffold. 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 2020–21 Geico commercials.
The song is played at every home game by the Wisconsin Badgers Football Team. It previously 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
| Chart (1968–1969) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Weekly charts Chart (1968–1969) Peak position Argentina 14 Australia (Go-Set) 1 Australia (Kent Music Report) 2 Belgium (Wallonia) 49 Canada RPM Top Singles 1 Ireland (IRMA) 3 Netherlands 9 New Zealand 4 Norway 3 South Africa 3 UK Singles (OCC) 2 U.S. Billboard Hot 100 3 U.S. Cash Box Top 100 1 West Germany 24 | Year-end charts Chart (1969) Rank Australia 22 Canada 13 U.S. Billboard Hot 100 5 U.S. Cash Box 9 |
| Argentina | 14 |
| Australia (Go-Set) | 1 |
| Australia (Kent Music Report) | 2 |
| Belgium (Wallonia) | 49 |
| Canada RPM Top Singles | 1 |
| Ireland (IRMA) | 3 |
| Netherlands | 9 |
| New Zealand | 4 |
| Norway | 3 |
| South Africa | 3 |
| UK Singles (OCC) | 2 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 3 |
| U.S. Cash Box Top 100 | 1 |
| West Germany | 24 |
| Chart (1969) | Rank |
| Australia | 22 |
| Canada | 13 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 5 |
| U.S. Cash Box | 9 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Spain (Promusicae) | Gold | 30,000‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI) | 2× Platinum | 1,200,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA) | Gold | 1,000,000^ |
| ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
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.
External links
- on YouTube