Sometimes when I’m in a drugstore or supermarket candy counter…
…I get nostalgic for a minute or two about the sweets of my childhood.
Fortunately, most of the time those products are no longer available for an adult’s impulse buy.
I got kids in college, ya know…”
Even the ones that are still available wouldn’t taste the same to me.
It can be that way with music, too.
If sommeliers and restaurateurs can find intriguing pairings in foods and wine, why can’t we can do the same with the sweet stuff of years gone by?
For example…
Razzles
This was marketed as the candy that became a gum.
It was big with my elementary school classmates and me.
Some of my favorite songs start off as one sound… and become something else:
- Donna Summer’s “On the Radio” and “Last Dance.”
- The Beatles’ “A Day in the Life”
- Barbra Streisand and Donna Summer’s “No More Tears”
Bottle Caps
These were candies shaped like… bottle caps.
In flavors of fizzy soft-drinks.
Neat concept, but they left an odd aftertaste:
- Wilton Place Street Band’s “Disco Lucy”
- The Bayside Boys mix of Los Del Rio’s “Macarena”
- Reba McEntire’s “You Keep Me Hanging On”
- Dolly Parton’s “Peace Train”
- The dance remix of Hanson’s “I Will Come to You”
Bubble Yum
Sweet?
Yes.
Durable but doesn’t always keep its flavor. Annoying if overdone.
- The Archies’ “Sugar, Sugar”
- The DeFranco Family’s “Heartbeat – It’s a Lovebeat”
- Spice Girls’ “Wannabe”
- Backstreet Boys’ “I Want It That Way”
Spree
Sweet, but surprisingly tart.
Confections that leave a colorful residue:
- Florida Georgia Line and Nelly’s “Cruise”
- Kelly Clarkson and Jason Aldean’s “Don’t You Wanna Stay”
- Monica and Brandy’s “The Boy Is Mine”
Necco Wafers
Colorful…
…but tasteless.
- The Pussycat Dolls’ “Don’t Cha”
- Two Grammy performances:
Cee-Lo and Gwyneth Paltrow’s “Forget You”
and Eminem and Elton John on “Stan”
Milkshake Candy Bar
Popular and pleasurable for a moment …
…then gone:
- (Of course:) Kelis’ “Milkshake”
- Jennifer Lopez’s “Love Don’t Cost a Thing”
- Jennifer Paige’s “Crush”
Luden’s Honey Licorice Cough Drops
A sentimental favorite – the cough drops remind me of my namesake grandfather…
…but an odd flavor combination:
- Olivia Newton-John and The Tubes’ “Dancin’”
- Mary J. Blige and U2’s “One”
- Tina Turner and Barry White’s “In Your Wildest Dreams”
York Peppermint Patties
The right balance…
… with a long-lasting flavor:
- Madonna’s “Into the Groove”
- Prince’s “Little Red Corvette”
- Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean”
- Stevie Wonder’s “Signed Sealed Delivered, I’m Yours”
- Gladys Knight and the Pips’ “Midnight Train to Georgia”
What songs would you put in these categories?
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Great idea Chuck. Nicely done.
Educational for me too as we didn’t have any of those sweets over here. The only one I’ve heard of is the peppermint patty, on the way back from Florida in April we raided the candy cart at Orlando Airport with the loose change we had left over and I tried one.
Onto the songs;
Razzles = Franz Ferdinand: Take Me Out
Bottle Tops = Gary Jules: Mad World. Liked the concept and the version at first but it led to a deluge of slow, acoustic covers of electro-pop classics that wore thin after a while
Bubble Yum = ELO: Mr Blue Sky. A song I love but since it was used in Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind it crops up so often its lost its impact
Necco Wafers = Serge Gainsbourg & Jane Birkin: Je t’aime… moi non plus
Milkshake candy bar = MARRS: Pump Up The Volume
Cough Drops = Freddie Mercury & Montserrat Caballe: Barcelona
York Peppermint Patties = The O’Jays: Backstabbers
https://youtu.be/Y1fiOJDXA-E
This was a lot harder than I thought! But also a lot of fun. 🙂
Razzles: “Age of Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In” by 5th Dimension; “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen; “Paranoid Android” by Radiohead.
Bottle Caps: “American Pie” by Don McLean; “Truly Madly Deeply” by Savage Garden,” “I Swear” by All 4 One, “Don’t Worry Be Happy” by Bobby McFerrin.
Bubble Yum: “I Gotta Feeling” by Black Eyed Peas, “Happy” by Pharrell, “Sexyback” by JT, pretty much any song by Taylor Swift
Necco Wafers A (tasteless as in debased): “Doo Doo Brown” by 2 Hyped Brothers and a Dog; “Lollipop” by Lil Wayne, “Low” by Flo Rida, “Back That Thang Up” by Juvenile, “Sippin on Syrup” by Three Six Mafia, “Get Low” by Lil Jon.
Necco Wafers B (tasteless as in bland): “Hold My Hand” by Hootie and the Blowfish, “How You Remind Me” by Nickelback, “Crazy” by Aerosmith, “My Heart Will Go On” by Celine Dion.
Milkshake: “The Rockafeller Skank” by Fatboy Slim, “Gangsta’s Paradise” by Coolio, “We Are Young” by Fun, “Fancy” by Iggy Azalea.
Luden’s: “Little Drummer Boy / Peace on Earth” by Bing Crosby and David Bowie; “Buffalo Gals” by Malcolm McLaren; “Shiny Happy People” by R.E.M., “Get Lucky” by Daft Punk.
York Peppermint Patty: “I Feel Love” by Donna Summer; “Oh Yeah” by Yello; “Two of Hearts” by Stacey Q, “I Need You Tonight” by INXS; “Lose My Breath” by Destiny’s Child; “Single Ladies” by Beyonce, “Bad Romance” by Lady Gaga.
I grew up in New England and NECCO, of course, stands for the New England Confectionery Company. I will always by a pack when I’m up there and then wonder why. They’re OK, but it’s more nostalgia than anything else.
I was always a Jolly Rancher “Cherry Stix” guy. But I’ll play:
I left out Spree! So let’s go with my current earworm, Whale’s “Hobo Humpin’ Slobo Babe.”
Me too.
Some picks for sweet but surprisingly tart:
“I’ve Never Been to Me” by Charlene, “China Girl” by David Bowie, and “You Think You’re a Man” as lovably covered by the Vaselines.
Looked at the lyrics for “I’ve Never Been to Me” for the first time. Quite the revelation. I wasn’t paying attention. I was too busy laughing at the spoken word section. Now, it works.
Time-traveling fata morgana?
Somebody like Chelsea Wolfe should take a whack at this.
Kinda dark.
The lyrics may come across as funny to some people because it’s in the key of adult contemporary. No adult contemporary song has lyrics like this.
“I spent my life exploring the subtle whoring that cost too much to be free,” is not the stuff of soft rock.
That’s particularly the line that popped in my head as some hidden tartness finally come out.
I feel like I need to recreate this list with the candy of my generation: Nerds, Jolly Ranchers, Now&Laters, SweeTarts, Mentos… But I’ve got a lot of work to do after a 4 day weekend (took Friday off to celebrate the Teen’s birthday).
I love the concept!!! Excellent work Chuck!
Razzles- Why Does It Shake?(Protomartyr)
Bottle Caps- All Night(Icona Pop)
Bubble Yum- Such Great Heights(The Postal Service)
Spree- Tricks(Stella Donnelly)
Necco Wafers- Blurred Lines(Robin Thicke)
Milk Shake- I’m Too Sexy(Right Said Fred)
Ludens- Voices Carry(“Til Tuesday)
York- Judy and the Dream of Horses(Belle and Sebastian)
York was an ingenious way to name your favorite song of all-time. Honorable mention goes to Diana Ross and the Supremes’ “Forever Came Today” and Jon Hopkins’ “Open Eye Signal”.
“Little Red Corvette” is in my top ten.
“I guess I should’ve known by the way you parked your car sideways that it wouldn’t last,” once and awhile, gives me chills. What a great line.
Dang, nicely done Chuck! I wouldn’t even know where to begin with categorizing songs like you did, but I will say this –
I read ‘Spree’ and was immediately transported back to the local public pool as a kid. They were the only candy my mom would let me buy there, probably cause they wouldn’t melt into messy piles. But they totally would leave candy color dye stains on your hands! The ones I got were in this long silver cylindrical shape, like Rolo’s, and I’d pop them out like oversize Pez.
Great piece Chuck, I don’t think that any of those candies were known over there, so I don’t have suggestions for songs.
On the other hand, is there a candy or a certain product that could be defined as a terrible idea or a big “no, thanks”?, because I could think about a lot of songs as examples.
Candy Corn.
Peeps.
Those big brown blobs of some chewy material with a questionable white blob in the center.
Black Licorice.
😁
Those are all bad (ok Peeps aren’t so bad but I hate candy corn). Have you heard of salted licorice? Apparently an Eastern European candy… worst thing I’ve ever put in my mouth. And I’ve eaten yak brains.
So with you on Peeps. Yuck.
I like candy corn, the caramels with white centers, and black licorice. But peeps are gross. They seem like a chemistry lab accident with sugar on the outside. Yuck indeed.
I’m glad I’m not the only one who likes candy corn. In small doses.
Rather than suggest songs I think would work under your categories here, which are great, I’m going to leave the rather memorable Milk Shake commercial here. Warning: Once you’ve seen it, it cannot be unseen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEG0m8-TJS4
Dear Lord, I wasn’t sure at first which cow body part I was seeing toward the end (during the “moo” in “moolicious”). Still horrifying even after it resolved.
Man, it seems like the only flavor of Bottle Caps I ever got was root beer. I love drinking root beer, but the taste never translates well into candy.
That is a fantastic earworm.
Man, I love the Necco wafers. It’s not just the flavors (chocolate and wintergreen being the best), but it’s the texture, too. The thin wafers almost give a feeling of putting pieces of slate in your mouth, which is oddly satisfying. And then they’re kinda chalky, too. I love chalky candies (also see those pink wintergreen lozenges, which I love).
I love the pink wintergreen lozenges, too, but they actually have a flavor, unlike the Necco wafers. I remember lots of my Catholic friends telling me they played “communion” with them, but that must have been a pre-Vatican II thing. That, or I just wasn’t excited enough about them to get them for any reason. (If I were going to play “communion,” the white peppermint lozenges would work just fine.)
Laffy Taffy
It’s smaller than you remember and the jokes were never funny