<P> Written and produced by Motown's main production team Holland--Dozier--Holland, the song is one of the most well - known Motown tunes of the 1960s . The song reached number one on the R&B charts and was also the number - one song on the Billboard Hot 100 for two non-consecutive weeks, from June 12 to June 19 and from June 26 to July 3 in 1965 . It replaced "Back in My Arms Again" by labelmates The Supremes, was first replaced by "Mr. Tambourine Man" by The Byrds, then regained the top spot before being replaced by "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" by The Rolling Stones . Billboard ranked the record as the No. 2 song of 1965 . It was also the Four Tops first Top 40 single in the UK, reaching #23 on its original release, and a 1970 reissue peaked at #10 in the UK charts . </P> <P> The song finds lead singer Levi Stubbs, assisted by the other three Tops and The Andantes, pleadingly professing his love to a woman: "Sugar pie, honey bunch / I'm weaker than a man should be! / Can't help myself / I'm a fool in love, you see ." The melodic and chordal progressions are very similar to the Supremes' "Where Did Our Love Go". Allmusic critic Ed Hogan claims that the song uses the same chords as The Supremes' 1964 hit "Where Did Our Love Go," also written by Holland - Dozier - Holland . </P> <P> Rolling Stone magazine ranked the song #415 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time . It has been covered extensively since 1965, including versions done for several television commercials . </P> <Ul> <Li> Lead vocals by Levi Stubbs </Li> <Li> Background Vocals by Abdul "Duke" Fakir, Renaldo "Obie" Benson, Lawrence Payton, and The Andantes: Jackie Hicks, Marlene Barrow, and Louvain Demps </Li> <Li> Instrumentation by The Funk Brothers and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (strings) </Li> <Li> Written by Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, and Edward Holland, Jr . </Li> <Li> Produced by Brian Holland and Lamont Dozier </Li> </Ul>

I can't help myself sugar pie honey bunch