I Want Candy

"I Want Candy" was written by Bert Berns, Bob Feldman, Jerry Goldstein and Richard Gottehrer in 1965. Some reports suggest that the song was written after the producers saw dancer Candy Johnson performing at the 1964 World's Fair.^[7]

As writers/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 the Strangeloves, 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^[8] and hit No. 11 in the US.^[6] The record failed to chart in the UK—or in the Strangeloves' ostensibly "native" country, Australia.

In the UK, the song first hit the UK Singles Chart in 1965, in a version by beat group Brian Poole and the Tremeloes, who released their version that July^[9] and took it to No. 25.^[10] This version also peaked at No. 81 in Australia.^[11]

The Count Bishops, a British proto punk and pub-rock band, released their version of "I Want Candy" on independent label Chiswick Records in June 1978, making an appearance on the British TV show Top of the Pops.

Quick facts Single by Bow Wow Wow, from the EP The Last of the Mohicans ...

"I Want Candy"
Standard UK and international vinyl picture sleeve
Single by Bow Wow Wow
from the EP The Last of the Mohicans
B-side	"King Kong"
Released	May 28, 1982 (1982-05-28)[12]
Studio	Criteria (Miami)
Genre	New wave[13][14] bubblegum[15]
Length	2:46
Label	RCA
Songwriters	Bert Berns Bob Feldman Jerry Goldstein Richard Gottehrer
Producer	Kenny Laguna
Bow Wow Wow singles chronology
"Go Wild in the Country" (1982) "I Want Candy" (1982) "Fools Rush In" (1982)
Music video
"I Want Candy" on YouTube

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English new wave group Bow Wow Wow released their version in May 1982 as the lone single from their EP The Last of the Mohicans. It was a top 10 hit in their native United Kingdom. For many in America, "I Want Candy" was their first introduction to young lead singer Annabella Lwin and the band, who partnered with producer Kenny Laguna to record the song at Criteria Studios in Miami, Florida.^[16] The song barely scraped the top 60 there but became an enduring new wave classic.^[17]

The single was released in the Uk as a one sided single, with I Want Candy on the A side, and the Bow Wow Wow logo etched onto the B side. To capitalize on the success of the "I Want Candy" music video, RCA compiled an album called I Want Candy for their newfound American audience. The album peaked at No. 123 on the Billboard 200.^[18]

EMI also used the name in the UK for a compilation of tracks (not including the actual song) the band had recorded for the label in 1980-1981. Elsewhere in the world, this album was titled Twelve Original Recordings.^[19] The UK release peaked at No. 26 in the UK Album Charts, matching the peak position of See Jungle! See Jungle! Go Join Your Gang Yeah, City All Over! Go Ape Crazy!, the band's official debut studio album on RCA.^[20]

The Bow Wow Wow recording appeared on two VH1 countdowns:

• No. 86 on VH1's "100 Greatest Songs of the '80s"^[21]
• No. 8 on VH1's "100 Greatest One Hit Wonders of the '80s"^[22]

Quick facts Single by Candy Girls featuring Valerie Malcolm, B-side ...

"I Want Candy"
Single by Candy Girls featuring Valerie Malcolm
B-side	"Four other remixes"
Released	November 13, 1996 (1996-11-13)
Studio	The Sleaze Pit Studios
Genre	Dance[32]
Length	3:30 (radio edit)
Label	Feverpitch EMI
Songwriters	Bert Berns Bob Feldman Jerry Goldstein Richard Gottehrer
Producer	Candy Girls
Candy Girls singles chronology
"Wham Bam" (1995) "I Want Candy" (1996)
Valerie Malcolm singles chronology
"I Want Candy" (1996) "History '97" (1997)
Music video
"I Want Candy" on YouTube

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British duo Candy Girls, consisting of Rachel Auburn and Paul Masterson, released 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 and No. 12 on the UK Dance Singles Chart. On Music Week's UK on a Pop Tip Club Chart, the song hit number-one. 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. A music video was also produced to promote the single, featuring the duo performing by a swimming pool with a group of male swimmers.

Quick facts Single by Aaron Carter, from the album Aaron's Party (Come Get It) ...

"I Want Candy"
Single by Aaron Carter
from the album Aaron's Party (Come Get It)
B-side	"Jump, Jump"
Released	September 4, 2000 (2000-09-04)[42]
Genre	Pop[43]
Length	3:16
Label	Jive Zomba
Songwriters	Bert Berns Bob Feldman Jerry Goldstein Richard Gottehrer
Producer	Steve Mac
Aaron Carter singles chronology
"Aaron's Party (Come Get It)" (2000) "I Want Candy" (2000) "That's How I Beat Shaq" (2001)
Music video
"I Want Candy" on YouTube

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Aaron Carter 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) (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. Carter promoted it by performing it on the show Lizzie McGuire. A music video was produced to promote the single, directed by Andrew MacNaughtan. Carter released a remix of the song in 2018, self-produced on his LøVë album.^[44]

The music video for this version features Carter going on a date with Candy while three boys constantly harass him.

Quick facts Single by Melanie C, from the album This Time ...

"I Want Candy"
Single by Melanie C
from the album This Time
B-side	"Already Gone"
Released	March 26, 2007
Genre	Pop[56]
Length	3:23
Label	Red Girl
Songwriters	Bert Berns Bob Feldman Jerry Goldstein Richard Gottehrer
Producer	Stephen Hague
Melanie C singles chronology
"The Moment You Believe" (2007) "I Want Candy" (2007) "Carolyna" (2007)
Music video
"I Want Candy" on YouTube

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"I Want Candy" was released as the second single from English singer Melanie C's fourth album This Time, and the first single in the UK, Denmark and Italy, released on March 26, 2007.^[57] The song was also the soundtrack to the film of the same name, and the video featured Melanie dancing for the first time since the Spice Girls. Melanie split her time between the UK and Europe, where she was promoting "The Moment You Believe", 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 on ITV1 on February 24, 2007. The video was premiered on March 2, 2007 in the UK. The song was released as Italy's and Denmark's first single from the new album, where it reached No. 9 in both countries, while in other European countries, the ballad "The Moment You Believe" was chosen.