Wikipedia

Oh, Candy

"Oh, Candy" is the debut single by American rock band Cheap Trick, released in 1977 from their self-titled debut studio album. It was written by Rick Nielsen and produced by Jack Douglas.[2]

"Oh, Candy"
Single by Cheap Trick
from the album Cheap Trick
B-side"Daddy Should Have Stayed in High School"
ReleasedApril 1977[1]
GenreRock
Length3:06
LabelEpic
Songwriter(s)Rick Nielsen
Producer(s)Jack Douglas
Cheap Trick singles chronology
"Oh, Candy"
(1977) 		"I Want You to Want Me"
(1977)

Background

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"Oh, Candy" is based on a true story of photographer Marshall Mintz, Cheap Trick's first photographer and a friend, who committed suicide by hanging. The name Candy referred to Mintz's initials, which shared the name of the popular candy M&M's. 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:

"I thought that calling the song "Marshall Mintz" sounded pretty stupid, so I put a little twist on it and called the song "Oh, Candy". Here was a guy who committed suicide, and I was asking him why. Obviously, the song makes the story sound like it's about a young woman. Nobody wants to hear about some older guy that I knew. I just tried to tell the story in such a way that as many people as possible could identify with it."[3]

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."[3]

Release

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"Oh, Candy" was released on 7" vinyl by Epic Records in the United States and Canada.[1][4] 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.[3] The single version would later appear on the band's 1996 compilation Sex, America, Cheap Trick.[5] "Oh, Candy" later appeared as the B-side of the band's 1979 UK single "Way of the World".[6]

Critical reception

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Upon release, Cash Box 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."[7] 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."[8] The Pittsburgh Press described the song as an example of a "rousing rocker at [its] best" and a "single possibility".[9]

In a retrospective review of the album, Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic 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.[2] Billboard, in a review of the 2001 live album Silver, included the album's version of "Oh, Candy" as one of the highlights.[10] In a review of a 1997 Cheap Trick concert, Chris Riemenschneider of the Austin American-Statesman described the song as a "delightful poppy ditty".[11]

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".[3] Essi Berelian, in his 2005 book The Rough Guide to Heavy Metal, described the song as a "commercial tune".[12] 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".[13] 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."[14]

Track listing

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

Personnel

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Cheap Trick
Additional personnel
  • Jack Douglas - producer
  • Jay Messina - engineer
  • Sam Ginsberg - assistant engineer

References

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  1. ^ a b "Cheap Trick - Oh, Candy / Daddy Should Have Stayed In High School - Epic - USA - 8-50375". 45cat. 2015-09-09. Retrieved 2018-07-17.
  2. ^ a b Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "Cheap Trick [1977] - Cheap Trick | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2018-07-17.
  3. ^ a b c d Hayes, Mike & Sharp, Ken (1998). Reputation Is a Fragile Thing. Poptastic. pp. 36–38. ISBN 978-0966208108.
  4. ^ "Cheap Trick - Oh, Candy / Daddy Should Have Stayed In High School - Epic - Canada - 8-50375". 45cat. Retrieved 2018-07-17.
  5. ^ Cheap Trick. "Sex, America, Cheap Trick - Cheap Trick | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2018-07-17.
  6. ^ "Cheap Trick - Way Of The World / Oh Candy - Epic - UK - S EPC 8114". 45cat. 1980-01-04. Retrieved 2018-07-17.
  7. ^ Cash Box newspaper - April 23, 1977 - Singles reviews - page 20
  8. ^ "Primo Times - Google Books". 2009-09-29. Retrieved 2018-07-17.
  9. ^ The Pittsburgh Press - Album reviews - March 15, 1977 - page 9
  10. ^ "Billboard - Google Books". 2001-03-10. Retrieved 2018-07-17.
  11. ^ [1] [dead link‍]
  12. ^ Berelian, Essi (2005). The Rough Guide to Heavy Metal - Essi Berelian - Google Books. Rough Guides. ISBN 9781843534150. Retrieved 2018-07-17.
  13. ^ Lawson, Robert (2017-11-13). Still Competition: The Listener's Guide to Cheap Trick - Robert Lawson - Google Books. FriesenPress. ISBN 9781525512261. Retrieved 2018-07-17.
  14. ^ "Cheap Trick's five most underrated songs - AXS". Archived from the original on 2016-07-31.
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