Robbed Hit of the Week 1/21/13 - New Edition's "Candy Girl"...

New Edition - "Candy Girl"
from the album Candy Girl (1983)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #46

This week's "robbed hit" was the first single by the Boston-area R&B supergroup-to-be New Edition. Started out by schoolmates Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins, and Bobby Brown, they shuffled a couple members before settling with another friend Ralph Tresvant and Ronnie DeVoe. After getting music producer Maurice Starr's attention at a talent show, he signed them and recorded their debut album Candy Girl. With a re-write of the Jackson Five's "ABC" in mind, and the prepubescent voices of the boys in fine form, the result was like the second coming of the family act, with Ralph Tresvant in the lead...

While the infectious "Candy Girl" was a huge hit in England, reaching #1 on the singles chart, and also topping the American R&B chart, the single stalled out at #46 on the pop chart (though to be fair soul music was having a hard time on the charts at the point as it was). 

After being taken total advantage of by Starr, the boys ended up having to sue to get out of their contract, and sign with MCA, where their next album would make them stars.

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...and here's the guys in 2005 revisiting the song on TV..

That's it for tonight...I'll return tomorrow with another Song of the Day, Candletime, and this week's French and German chart recaps. Take care!