"Oh, Candy" is the debut single by American rock band

Cheap Trick Cheap Trick is an American rock band from Rockford, Illinois, formed in 1973 by guitarist Rick Nielsen, bassist Tom Petersson, lead vocalist Robin Zander and drummer Bun E. Carlos. The current lineup of the band consists of Zander, Nielsen and ...

, released in 1977 from their self-titled debut studio album. It was written by

Rick Nielsen Richard Alan Nielsen (born December 22, 1948) is an American musician best known as the lead guitarist, primary songwriter, and leader of the rock band Cheap Trick. He is well-known for his numerous custom-made guitars from Hamer Guitars, incl ...

and produced by Jack Douglas.

Background

"Oh, Candy" is based on a true story of photographer Marshall Mintz, Cheap Trick's first photographer and a friend, who committed

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and s ...

hanging Hanging is the suspension of a person by a noose or ligature around the neck.Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed. Hanging as method of execution is unknown, as method of suicide from 1325. The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' states that hanging i ...

. The name Candy referred to Mintz's initials, which shared the name of the popular candy

M&M's M&M's (stylized as m&m's) are multi-colored button-shaped chocolates, each of which has the letter "m" printed in lower case in white on one side, consisting of a candy shell surrounding a filling which varies depending upon the variety of M&M ...

. Rather than call the song "Marshall Mintz" or "M & M", Nielsen decided to use "Candy" to make the song easier for listeners to identify with. In the 1998 Cheap Trick biography ''Reputation Is a Fragile Thing'', Nielsen said: A music video was filmed to promote the single, which was directed by Chuck Lashon, who also produced videos for several other songs from Cheap Trick's debut album, such as "

He's a Whore "He's a Whore" is a song written by Rick Nielsen that was first released on Cheap Trick's 1977 debut album ''Cheap Trick''. It has also appeared on a number of Cheap Trick compilation albums, including ''The Essential Cheap Trick''. It has also ...

", " ELO Kiddies", "Hot Love", and "The Ballad of T.V. Violence."

Release

"Oh, Candy" was released on 7" vinyl by Epic Records in the United States and Canada. For its release as a single, a new mix of the song was created, which included a different vocal take and the addition of handclaps. The single version would later appear on the band's 1996 compilation ''

Sex, America, Cheap Trick ''Sex, America, Cheap Trick'' is a 1996 box set by the rock band Cheap Trick. It includes 17 previously unreleased songs (among them the earliest studio recording of the 1979 hit " I Want You to Want Me"), as well as the band's biggest hits. A ...

''. "Oh, Candy" later appeared as the B-side of the band's 1979 UK single " Way of the World".

Critical reception

Upon release, ''

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', was an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...

'' listed the single as one of their "feature picks" during April 1977. They commented: "Intelligently recycled riffs mark the debut single of this theatrical heavy pop-rock ensemble. Jack Douglas' 1977-"wall of sound" production lends character to the endlessly reverberating harmonies." In a review of ''Cheap Trick'', ''Primo Times'' praised the album and listed a number of notable tracks while adding: "...the undisputable choice for single is "Oh, Candy." Listen for a cliff-hanger close on that one that should prove that fade-outs are indeed cop-outs." ''

The Pittsburgh Press ''The Pittsburgh Press'' (formerly ''The Pittsburg Press'' and originally ''The Evening Penny Press'') was a major afternoon daily newspaper published in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1884 to 1992. At one time, the ''Press'' was the second larg ...

'' described the song as an example of a "rousing rocker at tsbest" and a "single possibility". In a retrospective review of the album,

Stephen Thomas Erlewine Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance writer, occ ...

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

said: "...Even "Oh, Candy," apparently a love song on first listen, is an affecting tribute to a friend who committed suicide. In short, Cheap Trick revel in taboo subjects with abandon, devoting themselves to the power of the hook, as well as sheer volume and gut-wrenching rock & roll." He also recommended the song by labelling it an AMG Pick Track. ''Billboard'', in a review of the 2001 live album ''Silver'', included the album's version of "Oh, Candy" as one of the highlights. In a review of a 1997 Cheap Trick concert, Chris Riemenschneider of the ''

Austin American-Statesman The ''Austin American-Statesman'' is the major daily newspaper for Austin, the capital city of Texas. It is owned by Gannett. The paper prints Associated Press, ''New York Times'', ''The Washington Post'', and ''Los Angeles Times'' internation ...

'' described the song as a "delightful poppy ditty". In the 1998 Cheap Trick biography ''Reputation Is a Fragile Thing'', the song was described as a "gloriously commercial tune" and a "fitting debut single". Essi Berelian, in his 2005 book ''The Rough Guide to Heavy Metal'', described the song as a "commercial tune". In his 2017 book ''Still Competition: The Listener's Guide to Cheap Trick'', Robert Lawson described the song as having a "deceptively catchy chorus barely hiding the tale of suicide". In 2015, Joe Szczechowski of AXS considered "Oh, Candy" to be one of Cheap Trick's "five most underrated songs". He described the song as a "melodic rocker", but added "perhaps many rock fans weren't ready for such a dark narrative set to an upbeat melody."

Track listing

;7" single #"Oh, Candy" - 3:06 #"Daddy Should Have Stayed in High School" - 4:42 ;7" Single (US promo) #"Oh, Candy" - 3:06 #"Oh, Candy" - 3:06

Personnel

;Cheap Trick *

Robin Zander Robin Wayne Zander (born January 23, 1953) is an American musician, best known as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist for the rock band Cheap Trick, but is also a solo artist. Zander was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016 as a ...

- lead vocals, rhythm guitar *

- lead guitar, backing vocals *

Tom Petersson Thomas John Peterson, better known as Tom Petersson, is an American musician who is best known for being the bass guitar player for the rock band Cheap Trick. Career Before joining Cheap Trick, Petersson played in a number of bands, including t ...

- bass, backing vocals *

Bun E. Carlos Brad M. Carlson, better known by the stage name Bun E. Carlos, is the original drummer for American rock band Cheap Trick. He recorded and performed with the band from 1973 to 2010. Carlos was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016 ...

- drums, percussion ;Additional personnel * Jack Douglas - producer * Jay Messina - engineer * Sam Ginsberg - assistant engineer

References

{{Cheap Trick 1977 songs 1977 debut singles Cheap Trick songs Songs written by Rick Nielsen Song recordings produced by Jack Douglas (record producer) Songs about suicide