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

Cheap Trick Cheap Trick is an American rock band formed in Rockford, Illinois in 1970 by guitarist Rick Nielsen, bassist Tom Petersson, lead vocalist Robin Zander and drummer Bun E. Carlos. Their work bridged elements of '60s pop rock, guitar pop, '70s har ...

, 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 who is 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, including hi ...

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. Risk factors for suicide include mental disorders, physical disorders, and substance abuse. Some suicides are impulsive acts driven by stress (such as from financial or ac ...

hanging Hanging is killing a person by suspending them from the neck with a noose or ligature strangulation, ligature. Hanging has been a standard method of capital punishment since the Middle Ages, and has been the primary execution method in numerou ...

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

M&M's M&M's are color-varied sugar-coated dragée chocolate confectionery by the Mars Wrigley Confectionery division of Mars Inc.. The candy consists of a candy shell surrounding a filling which determines the specific type of M&M's. Each piece has ...

. 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", " 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 c ...

''. "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'', is 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, for over a century, from 1884 to 1992. At the height of its popul ...

'' 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 former senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of multiple artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance ...

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

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 the U.S. state of Texas. It is owned by Hearst Communications. The distribution of the following ''The New York Times'', ''The Washington Post'', '' ...

'' 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 AXS may refer to: Anschutz Entertainment Group * AXS (company), primary ticket platform developed by Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG). * AXS TV, a cable channel partially owned by Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG). Other * Access (group), a Japa ...

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 (born May 9, 1950), better known as Tom Petersson, is an American musician who is best known as the bass guitar player for the rock band Cheap Trick. Career Before joining Cheap Trick, Petersson played in a number of bands ...

- bass, backing vocals *

Bun E. Carlos Brad M. Carlson (born June 12, 1950), 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 ...

- 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 Epic Records singles