"I Want Candy" is a song written and originally recorded by

the Strangeloves The Strangeloves were a band created in 1964 by the New York City, New York-based United States, American songwriter, songwriting and record producer, production team of Bob Feldman, Jerry Goldstein (producer), Jerry Goldstein, and Richard Got ...

in 1965 that reached No. 11 in the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart. It is a famous example of a song that uses the

Bo Diddley beat The Bo Diddley beat is a syncopated musical rhythm that is widely used in rock and roll and pop music. The beat is named after rhythm and blues musician Bo Diddley, who introduced and popularized the beat with his self-titled debut single, "Bo D ...

Original version

"I Want Candy" was written by

Bert Berns Bertrand Russell Berns (November 8, 1929 – December 30, 1967), also known as Bert Russell and (occasionally) Russell Byrd, was an American songwriter and record producer of the 1960s. His songwriting credits include "Twist and Shout", "Piece ...

Bob Feldman Robert C. Feldman (born June 14, 1940) is an American songwriter and record producer, best known for his work in the 1960s with fellow writers Jerry Goldstein and Richard Gottehrer, including " My Boyfriend's Back", "I Want Candy", and " Sorrow". ...

, Jerry Goldstein and

Richard Gottehrer Richard Gottehrer (born 1940) is an American songwriter, record producer and record label executive. In 1997, he co-founded the Orchard with longtime business partner Scott Cohen, an independent music distribution company. His career began as ...

in 1965. Some reports suggest that the song was written after the producers saw dancer

Candy Johnson Candy Johnson (February 8, 1944 – October 20, 2012) was an American singer and dancer who appeared in several films in the 1960s. Biography She was born on 8 February 1944 as Vicki Jane Husted in Los Angeles County, California to Jeannette 'J ...

performing at the

1964 World's Fair The 1964–1965 New York World's Fair was a world's fair that held over 140 pavilions and 110 restaurants, representing 80 nations (hosted by 37), 24 US states, and over 45 corporations with the goal and the final result of building exhibits or ...

. As writer/producers, Feldman, Goldstein and Gottehrer had already scored big hits for other artists, including " My Boyfriend's Back" by the Angels. For this song, the trio took on the moniker of

, and recorded the tune themselves, augmented by studio musicians (co-writer Berns was not involved in the studio recording). The female vocalist heard half-screaming, half-singing "Baby!" in the middle of the track was an unknown session singer. Although Feldman, Goldstein and Gottehrer used their real names in the writing and production credits of this single, they claimed the Strangeloves were actually three Australian brothers (and ex-sheep farmers) named Giles, Miles and Niles Strange. Feldman, Goldstein and Gottehrer dressed up in shaggy wigs and exotic clothing for publicity photos as the Strangeloves. "I Want Candy", the Strangeloves' second single, reached No. 7 in Canada and hit No. 11 in the US. The record failed to chart in the UK—or in the Strangeloves' so-called "native" country, Australia.

Cover versions

Bow Wow Wow version

English new wave group

Bow Wow Wow Bow Wow Wow are an English new wave band, created by manager Malcolm McLaren in 1980. McLaren recruited members of Adam and the Ants to form the band behind 13-year-old Annabella Lwin on vocals. They released their debut EP '' Your Cassette ...

released their version as the first and only single from their EP ''

The Last of the Mohicans ''The Last of the Mohicans: A Narrative of 1757'' is a historical romance written by James Fenimore Cooper in 1826. It is the second book of the '' Leatherstocking Tales'' pentalogy and the best known to contemporary audiences. '' The Pathfinde ...

''. For many in America, "I Want Candy" was their first introduction to young lead singer

Annabella Lwin Annabella Lwin (born Myant Myant Aye, , 31 October 1966) is an Anglo-Burmese singer, songwriter and record producer best known as the lead singer of Bow Wow Wow. Early life, family and education Lwin was born in Rangoon, Burma to a Burmese fat ...

and the band, who partnered with producer

Kenny Laguna Kenneth Benjamin Laguna is an American songwriter and record producer, best known for his work with Joan Jett. Biography Laguna was born in Greenwich Village, New York City, United States, and started playing piano at high school dances from th ...

to record the song at

Criteria Studios Criteria Studios is a recording studio in North Miami, Florida, founded in 1958 by musician Mack Emerman. Hundreds of gold, platinum, and diamond singles and albums have been recorded, mixed or mastered at Criteria, for many notable artists and ...

in Miami, Florida. The song barely scraped the Top 50, but became an enduring new wave classic. To capitalize on the success of the "I Want Candy"

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...

, RCA compiled an album called ''

I Want Candy "I Want Candy" is a song written and originally recorded by the Strangeloves in 1965 that reached No. 11 in the US Billboard Hot 100, ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart. It is a famous example of a song that uses the Bo Diddley beat. Original version ...

'' for their newfound American audience. The album peaked at No. 123 on the ''Billboard'' 200. The Bow Wow Wow recording appeared on two

VH1 VH1 (originally an initialism of Video Hits One) is an American basic cable television network based in New York City and owned by Paramount Global. It was created by Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment, at the time a division of Warner Commun ...

countdowns: *No. 86 on VH1's "100 Greatest Songs of the '80s" *No. 8 on VH1's "100 Greatest One Hit Wonders of the '80s"

Charts

Candy Girls featuring Valerie Malcolm version

British duo Candy Girls, consisting of Rachel Auburn and

Paul Masterson Paul Kevin Masterson is a Northern Irish DJ and record producer, originally from Belfast and now living in London. He is best known for recording as Yomanda. He is also part of the dance music duo Hi-Gate, along with BBC Radio 1 DJ Judge Jul ...

, released a cover of "I Want Candy" featuring singer Valerie Malcolm. It became their third hit single in 1996, peaking at No. 30 on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

and No. 12 on the

UK Dance Singles Chart The UK Dance Singles Chart and the UK Dance Albums Chart are music charts compiled in the United Kingdom by the Official Charts Company from sales of songs in the dance music genre (e.g. house, trance, drum and bass, garage, synthpop) in record s ...

. But it hit number-one on ''

Music Week ''Music Week'' is a trade publication for the UK record industry distributed via a website and a monthly print magazine. It is published by Future. History Founded in 1959 as '' Record Retailer'', it relaunched on 18 March 1972 as ''Music W ...

''s UK on a Pop Tip Club Chart. The single was their last as the duo split after the release. Masterson went on to have hits as Amen! UK, Clergy, Yomanda, Dorothy and

Hi-Gate Hi-Gate is the dance music pairing of BBC Radio 1 DJ Judge Jules, and Paul Masterson. History In 1998, Masterson sent Jules a copy of a track he had just finished, which would later become known as 'Yomanda – "Synth and Strings"'. Jules noted ...

. A

was also produced to promote the single.

Critical reception

A reviewer from ''

'' rated Candy Girls' version of "I Want Candy" three out of five, describing it as "a pumped-up version of

's hit complete with piano breaks for that hands in the air bit. The girls' debut could catapult them chartwards." Daisy & Havoc from the magazine's ''RM'' Dance Update gave it four out of five, writing, "The next booming Candy Girls outing is probably their best yet. It's really amusing, with the so-suitable 'I want candy' vocal and the all-round Nineties pop meets Fifties kitsch feel, and it's positively rabble-rousing in its enormous piano breaks."

Track listings

* Disc 1 #"I Want Candy" (Radio Edit) #"I Want Candy" (12" Mix) #"I Want Candy" (Candy's Disco Dub) #"I Want Candy" (Jon the Dentist's Mix) #"I Want Candy" (Beat Barons Mix) *Disc 2 #"I Want Candy" (Radio Edit) #"Wham Bam" #"Fee Fi Fo Fum"

Charts

Aaron Carter version

Aaron Carter Aaron Charles Carter (December 7, 1987November 5, 2022) was an American singer and rapper. He came to fame as a teen pop singer in the late 1990s, establishing himself as a star among preteen and teenage audiences during the first years of the ...

released a cover of "I Want Candy" as his seventh overall single, and the second single from his second album, ''

Aaron's Party (Come Get It) ''Aaron's Party (Come Get It)'' is the second studio album by American pop singer Aaron Carter. It serves as the follow-up to his international debut album. ''Aaron's Party'' was released in the fall of 2000 becoming his first album under Jive ...

'' (2000). This version of "I Want Candy" begins with a phone conversation with a friend about a girl named Candy and features the participation of his brother Nick Carter from the

Backstreet Boys Backstreet Boys (often abbreviated as BSB) are an American vocal group consisting of Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, AJ McLean, and cousins Brian Littrell and Kevin Richardson. Lou Pearlman formed the group in 1993 in Orlando, Florida. The gr ...

. Carter promoted it by performing it on the show ''

Lizzie McGuire ''Lizzie McGuire'' is an American comedy television series created by Terri Minsky that premiered on Disney Channel on January 12, 2001. The series stars Hilary Duff as the titular character, who navigates the personal and social issues of her te ...

''. A music video was produced to promote the single, directed by

Andrew MacNaughtan Andrew Neil MacNaughtan (25 February 196425 January 2012) was a Canadian photographer and music video director. Work MacNaughtan won four Juno Awards for his work as a photographer, director and album art designer, including three wins for CD ...

. Carter released a remix of the song in 2018, self-produced on his ''LøVë'' album. The music video for this version features Carter going on a date with Candy while three boys constantly harass him.

Track listings

Single #"I Want Candy" (album version) – 3:13 #"I Want Candy" (instrumental) – 3:13 Maxi CD #"I Want Candy" (album version) – 3:13 #"I Want Candy" (instrumental) – 3:13 #"Jump Jump" – 2:39

Charts

Year-end charts

Melanie C version

"I Want Candy" was the second single to be taken from

Melanie C Melanie Jayne Chisholm (12 January 1974 - 25 December 2022), better known as Melanie C or Mel C, is an English singer-songwriter and media personality. She is best known as one of the five members of the Spice Girls, during which time she was ni ...

's fourth album '' This Time'', in the UK, Denmark and Italy. The song was also the soundtrack to the movie of the same name, and the video featured Melanie dancing for the first time since the

Spice Girls The Spice Girls are a British girl group formed in 1994, consisting of Melanie Brown, also known as Mel B ("Scary Spice"); Melanie Chisholm, or Melanie C ("Sporty Spice"); Emma Bunton ("Baby Spice"); Geri Halliwell ("Ginger Spice"); and Vict ...

. Melanie split her time between the UK and Europe, where she was promoting "

The Moment You Believe "The Moment You Believe" is a song by British singer-songwriter, Melanie C. It was released in 2007 as the first single in Europe from her fourth album '' This Time''. Produced and co-written by Peter Vettese, it has been soundbed for the sprin ...

", and as a result, the single was not heavily promoted and reached No. 24 — although on the physical chart, the single reached No. 7. "I Want Candy" went on to sell 12,510 copies in the UK, but had better success in Italy (No. 9) and Denmark (No. 12). Melanie premiered her version of the song during ''

Al Murray's Happy Hour ''Al Murray's Happy Hour'' is a television chat show presented by comedian Al Murray and produced by Avalon TV. The first series aired in early 2007 and contained stand-up, guest interviews and live music. The episodes ended with Murray performing ...

'' on

ITV1 ITV1 (formerly known as ITV) is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the British media company ITV plc. It provides the Channel 3 public broadcast service across all of the United Kingdom except for t ...

on 24 February 2007. The video was premiered on 2 March 2007 in the UK. The song was released as

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

's and

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark ...

's first single from the new album, where it reached No. 9 in both countries, while in other

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

an countries, the ballad "The Moment You Believe" was chosen.

Music video

In the video for "I Want Candy", Melanie C is featured in a skin-tight

catsuit A catsuit is a one-piece form-fitting garment that covers the torso and the legs, and frequently the arms. They are usually made from stretchable material, such as lycra, chiffon, spandex (after 1959), latex, or velour, but may use less elasti ...

, featuring a sexually suggestive dance routine with half-naked bodybuilders in crowd-controller uniforms. The video instantly grabbed the No. 1 spot on

YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...

with 200,000 hits in its first day.

Formats and track listings

These are the formats and track listings of major single releases of "I Want Candy" by Melanie C. *UK 7" vinyl single #"I Want Candy" #"Already Gone" *UK Maxi CD single #"I Want Candy" – 3:23 #"I Want Candy" – 6:37 #"I Want Candy" – 5:16 #"I Want Candy" – 7:33 #"I Want Candy" – 3:22 *Italian Maxi CD single #"I Want Candy" – 3:23 #"I Want Candy" – 6:37 #"I Want Candy" – 5:16 #"I Want Candy" – 7:33 #"Already Gone" – 4:12 #"I Want Candy" – 3:22

Charts

Other cover versions

*In the UK, the song first hit the

in 1965, covered by

Brian Poole and the Tremeloes The Tremeloes are an English beat group founded in 1958 in Dagenham, England. They initially found success in the British Invasion era with lead singer Brian Poole, scoring a UK chart-topper in 1963 with "Do You Love Me". After Poole's departure ...

, who took it to No 25. This version also peaked at No. 81 in Australia.

References

{{authority control 1965 singles 1965 songs 1982 singles 2000 singles 2007 singles 2008 singles Aaron Carter songs Bow Wow Wow songs Cody Simpson songs Melanie C songs Music videos directed by Andrew MacNaughtan Song recordings produced by Stephen Hague Songs written by Bert Berns Songs written by Jerry Goldstein (producer) Songs written by Richard Gottehrer Bang Records singles RCA Records singles Jive Records singles EMI Records singles Songs written by Bob Feldman