The funk band that recruited Michael Brecker!
Formed already back in 1974, Cameo is considered one of the best Funk bands around.
Even though the band has been going for such a long time, their two best-known tunes were actually released one after the other, Word Up! and Candy both came out in 1986.
By now the band was on their 12th album and well-established. They had chart success before but nothing like this.
As a top ten in both the U.S. and the U.K., as well as several other countries. Word Up! brought the band proper fame, even earning them Awards.
Candy was released as a follow up which didn’t do as well, although arguably it has had better longevity.
Just like Get Ready, and The Macarena, this is down to audience participation, Candy has a dance routine that I keep seeing performed at parties almost 40 years later!
It looks like some kind of ethnic line dancing and actually has a name, it’s called the electric slide.
It’s even become part of the Black Lives Matter movement, with people doing the dance at protests.
I’ve included an instruction video for how to do it in the playlist above.
Apparently, the dance started out with another tune but Candy is the one that’s stuck. I don’t dance but I’ll happily play the riff when you do!
Anyway, my favorite bit of Candy is not the dance or the awesome syncopated riff, it’s not even the guitar solo.
My favorite part is the Sax solo, played by Michael Brecker, and one day, when I work out how to play it on the guitar, you’ll be the first to know.
Cameo tunes | Related pages
Candy
| G | G |
It’s like candy, I can feel it when you walk,
| A | Bm |
even when you talk it takes over me.
Cameo on the web
