We previously featured Cameo's smash "Word Up," which was the group's breakthrough song. The second single off the Word Up LP was "Candy," and it would be the only other Cameo song to break the top 40 at #21. In contrast, the band had a string of charting R&B songs from 1976 through the early 1990s. Cameo had a remarkably long and interesting career, and managed to change with the times during the 1970s and 1980s. It's a shame that they didn't have more crossover success, but that's the way it goes, sometimes.
The video for "Candy" was directed by Zbigniew Rybczyński, using Times Square, New York (circa 1986) as the backdrop. It was technically advanced for the time, with multiple images appearing one after another. And yes, many of the images are wearing a red codpiece, starting 9 second in. In our view, the video captures the energy, funkiness and strangeness of Cameo; we're fans of it.
As we mentioned on the "Word Up" post, Cameo had continued R&B success until the early 1990s, then faded from view. Frontman Larry Blackmon remained in the industry as an A&R executive, though there have been occasional Cameo releases in recent years.
Like parachute pants, I'm surprised the codpiece never took off as a fashion trend. It was invented to protect those from being kicked in the nuts for the sole reason of wearing a codpiece in the first place.
ReplyDeleteWell said. And as a bonus, you do tend to stand out in a crowd.
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