In the early eighties, Bow Wow Wow was a surprising but also controversial band from Great Britain.

An important factor for all the attention is singer Annabella Lwin. He was discovered by Malcolm McLaren and pitched for the band Bow Wow Wow when he was just 14 years old. The singer’s sensual image, but also the suggestive lyrics often spark heated discussions.

I Want Candy was the biggest American success with the eleventh spot on the Billboard Hot 100. In the Netherlands it became the band’s first hit, but I Want Candy does not surpass number 26 here. It was different for Bow Wow Wow and in 1983 the two Do You Wanna Hold Me? and The Main Mountain became top 3 hits. The band also briefly joined Boy George. However, he soon resigned to start the Culture Club.

This song originated in 1965 on I Want Candy by The Strangeloves. The group from Australia will consist of brothers Giles, Miles and Niles Strange. However, it turned out to be a publicity stunt as the three were from New York and each had a lot of experience in the music scene and were definitely not siblings. I Want Candy is the title track of their only album. After several singles released, Strangeloves again disappeared from the music scene.

I Want Candy re-entered the Top 40 in 2000, now in Aaron Carter’s version. That version ends at number 27.

You can read more about the origin of the Top 40 hits here originalhits.nl

(02/07/2023)