Candy Girl (New Edition song)
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| “Candy Girl” | |||||
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| Single by New Edition from the album Candy Girl |
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| Released | February 14, 1983 | ||||
| Format | CD single |
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| Recorded | November 6, 1982 | ||||
| Genre | R&B/Pop | ||||
| Length | 3:52 | ||||
| Label | Streetwise/Warlock | ||||
| Writer(s) | Maurice Starr | ||||
| Producer | Maurice Starr | ||||
| New Edition singles chronology | |||||
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"Candy Girl" is an R&B/Pop song by R&B quintet New Edition. Released in 1983, it was the first single from their debut album of the same name.
Contents |
[edit] Overview
[edit] History
After having discovered New Edition performing at a local talent show, songwriter/producer Maurice Starr wrote "Candy Girl" for the group, envisioning them as a 1980s answer to The Jackson 5. Ralph Tresvant was positioned as the lead singer, because Starr considered his high tenor as reminiscent of a younger Michael Jackson, while having members Ricky Bell and Bobby Brown sharing alternate leads.
[edit] Release and reaction
Released as a single in 1983, the song netted a slow ascent up the charts. It eventually peaked at #46 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart singles chart, and #1 on the R&B singles chart; it also topped the charts in the UK. The song established New Edition as a seminal teen act of their day, and paved the way for a string of hits to come.
[edit] Trivia
The song has been sampled by several hip-hop acts. Much notably, the song's chorus was lifted for hip-hop group D4L's crossover hit, "Laffy Taffy". It was also the basis for LL Cool J's hit "Candy", which featured Ralph Tresvant and Ricky Bell. Recently, Lil' Keke's track "Luv By Few Hated By Many" also sampled it. The song was also one of the first songs that mixed hip-hop and R&B, with all five band members sharing raps in the song. Some have suggested that the song bears a striking resemblance to the Jackson 5's song, ABC.
[edit] Credits
- Ronnie DeVoe: rap and background vocals
- Bobby Brown: lead and background vocals; rap
- Ricky Bell: lead and background vocals; rap
- Michael Bivins: rap and background vocals
- Ralph Tresvant: lead and background vocals; rap
| Preceded by "Atomic Dog" by George Clinton |
Billboard's Hot R&B Songs number one single May 14, 1983 |
Succeeded by "Beat It" by Michael Jackson |
| Preceded by "True" by Spandau Ballet |
UK number one single (New Edition version) May 22, 1983 |
Succeeded by "Every Breath You Take" by The Police |
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