Sugar Me

The single was a hit in many countries, notably reaching the top of the singles chart in the Netherlands (where it stayed for five weeks),[3] Belgium, Sweden and Spain as well as the top 20 in the UK, Australia, Germany, Austria, Denmark and Japan. It also reached the no. 1 position on the Bangkok HSA chart in October 1972, and was play listed on some (WERS-FM, KCRW, KFAI, WPKN etc) US radio stations.[4] It also received favourable reviews in the United States,[5][6] and was listed as being among the best 5 singles of 1972 by Cashbox.[7][8] "Sugar Me" was ranked the 14th best selling single of 1972 in the Netherlands,[9] the 40th best seller the same year in Australia,[10] the 80th best selling single of 1972 in the UK,[11] and the 89th best selling single on the 1973 German chart.[12] It entered the Netherlands Digital Top 100 on the 5 October 2014, just after De Paul died. The version on de Paul's debut album, Surprise, was a re-recorded and slightly extended version that featured a longer solo by violinist Johnny Van Derek and was produced by de Paul.[13] "Sugar Me" was re-released as a single in 1977 backed with "Won't Somebody Dance With Me" on the MAM label to tie in with the release of her Eurovision Song contest entry "Rock Bottom".[14]

De Paul re-recorded the song in an updated style including a club mix version and both versions appeared on her 1994 album, Just a Little Time.[15] The club mix was also included on the 2001 compilation album, Dance Sensation (The Ultimate Urban Dance Remix Collection).[16]

The song has been recorded by many other artists, notably Nancy Sinatra, as a non-LP single,[17] and received positive reviews.[18] This version appeared as the lead track on her 1999 album How Does It Feel and on her 2023 album Keep Walkin': Singles, Demos & Rarities 1965-1978.[19] Claudine Longet also recorded her version of the song on her 1993 album Sugar Me.[20] The song was also covered by actress Abigail on her 1973 self-titled album.[21] Later it was covered by Dutch group Gigantjes,[22] Belgian female trio "Candy",[23] Nydia Caro (both as a single and also as a track on her 1978 album),[24][25] Esmaye on her album Elements in Me,[26] plus singer-songwriter Nasia Christie who released her version of "Sugar Me" as her first single produced by Brian Canham from Pseudo Echo in 2007.[27] There has also been a rock version of the song performed by the German group Gwen Stacey, on their 1989 EP "Sugar Me".[28] More recently, it has been recorded by Papernut Cambridge,[29] Italian artist, LIM[30][31] and Karl Jonas on his 2016 album, In a Gilbert Play.[32]

In 1973, Klaus Wunderlich performed an instrumental version of "Sugar Me" as a medley with "Standing in the Road",[33] originally by Blackfoot Sue. This version was sampled for the song "Certified" by Guru on his 2000 album Guru's Jazzmatazz, featuring Bilal on vocals and de Paul received co-writing credits.[34] The track was also released as a single with various remixes.[35] This version of the song also appeared on the album Rap History 2000[36] and also on the 2007 CD Sound Maeuvers by DJ Mitsu The Beats, DJ Mu-R, where it is entitled "Certified/Sugar Me",[37] and the 2010 CD Wolt Beats – My Brain Dilla's Anthology,[38] as well as on the 2016 CD Mr.Beats a.k.a. DJ Celory J Dilla Mix Pt. 2.[39]

The de Paul album version of "Sugar Me" is featured as the first song in the movie Cut Snake,[40] and it is performed by Austrian actress Sophie Rois in the German comedy film La série" aka "Fräulein Phyllis.[41] It was also featured in the 1980 Russian movie Тростинка на ветру (Reed in the Wind).[42] It was also featured in episode 1 of the 2021 TV series Physical.[43][44] The version by Claudine Longet appears on the sound track to the 2019 German film, Club der einsamen Herzen (Lonely Hearts Club).[45]