Bubblegum: A Beginners' Guide

ARCHIES: As the Monkees started to slip in late '68, Don Kirshner unveiled his new media blitz – a cartoon show (based on a popular comic book), with records supplied by anonymous session technicians. The Archies, being animated figments, were not susceptible to Monkees-style flak over playing-their-own-instruments. They got off to a slowish start, but their third hit, 'Sugar Sugar', became one of the top five selling records of all time. The first three Archies albums are attractive artifacts of unpretentious pop, thanks to producer Jeff Barry and the usual talented Kirshner songwriting teams.