Candy (Cameo song)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| "Candy" | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Single by Cameo | ||
| from the album Word Up! | ||
| Released | 1987 | |
| Recorded | 1986 | |
| Genre | Funk | |
| Length | 5:39 | |
| Label | Casablanca Records | |
| Writer(s) | Larry Blackmon Tomi Jenkins |
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| Producer(s) | Larry Blackmon | |
| Chart positions | ||
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| Cameo singles chronology | ||
| "Word Up!" (1986) |
"Candy" (1987) |
"Back and Forth" (1987) |
"Candy" is a song by the group Cameo that reached number 1 on the R&B charts in 1987. Despite being somewhat overshadowed by the group's previous hit, the iconic 1980s anthem "Word Up!", "Candy" is one of the high points of the Cameo discography, and remains a fascinating statement in its own right.
The song is a seamless blend of electrofunk, new wave, and disco, with elements of heavy metal thrown in for good measure. Predictably, it relies on metaphor and simile comparing its subject (an unnamed lover) to sweet confectionery. The melody of the song is a falsetto harmony sung by an ensemble, over which frontman Larry Blackmon interjects his commentary, in a distinctive minstrel-esque voice. The song contains both a guitar solo and a saxophone solo, as well as a danceable beat and a unique bassline. The accompanying music video, directed by Zbigniew Rybczyński, is a powerful visual, set against a backdrop of nightlife in the big city, with dancing girls, special effects, and Blackmon's signature red codpiece and foot-tall flattop hairdo. The over-the-top silliness of the song does nothing to obscure the powerful funk, however, and the genius of "Candy" can still be heard when juxtaposed against more contemporary pop hits in a dancehall or party setting.
Mariah Carey sampled lyrics from "Candy" on her 2001 single "Loverboy" which reached number-two on the Billboard Hot 100.
Cameo tried to capitalize off the song's success by re-using the melody on the song "Honey" from their next album, Machismo.
