You know how random things pop into your head with absolutely no rhyme or reason? Well, that’s how I found myself on the internets over the weekend, looking for “Sugar Don’t Bite” by Sam Harris.
For those of you who are wondering who the hell Sam Harris is, well, the simple answer would be that he was the Kelly Clarkson of the 1980s. Sam won the first season of “Star Search” back in 1983, performing songs like “Over the Rainbow” with lungs that rivaled Patti LaBelle’s. After wowing audiences on the syndicated talent contest, Sam went on to sign with Motown Records, releasing two albums and scoring a Top 40 hit in 1984 with “Sugar Don’t Bite”.
After his contract expired, Sam went on to Broadway, where he’s become an in-demand actor and performer. He’s worked with artists from Wayne Brady to Michael Jackson over the years, and is still in demand today.
That’s all well and good, of course, but the main reason I’m writing this column is to show you the video for “Sugar Don’t Bite”. Now, even if the video was set in a boxing ring and starred Mike Tyson, the song would still be the campiest thing in the world. Add in what might be one of the gayest videos of all time (even by 1984 standards) and you end up with a spectacle so queer that pink triangles practically float out of your television set.
It’s also worth mentioning that the chorus is very melodically similar to Madonna’s “Papa Don’t Preach”, which arrived two years later. Is it possible that Madge, always a friend of the gays, had the melody of “Sugar” stuck in her head when she wrote “Preach”? Well…no, because Madonna didn’t write “Papa Don’t Preach”. But there *is* a similarity. I’m just saying.
Although no one can deny the man’s vocal talent, I’d imagine that Sam looks at this video nowadays and either has a hearty laugh or hides his head in shame.
