Ear Candy (Helen Reddy album)

Last updated

Ear Candy
Reddy-Ear.jpg
Studio album by
Helen Reddy
Released25 April 1977
RecordedFebruary 1977
Studio Brother Studios, Santa Monica
Genre Pop rock [1]
Length34:30
Label Capitol
Producer Kim Fowley, Earle Mankey
Helen Reddy chronology
Music, Music
(1976)		Ear Candy
(1977)		 We'll Sing in the Sunshine
(1978)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [1]

Ear Candy is the ninth studio album by Australian-American pop singer Helen Reddy, released on 25 April 1977 by Capitol Records. The album included a modern take on the doo-wop genre ("Long Distance Love"), a Cajun number that gave the Melbourne native her first and only appearance on Billboard magazine's Country chart ("Laissez les Bontemps Rouler"), [2] and a dark self-parody on which Reddy proclaims: "I don't take no shit from nobody" ("Baby, I'm a Star"). [3] Unusually, half of the songs recorded for Ear Candy were co-written by Reddy herself, including the second single, "The Happy Girls", Reddy's first self-penned A-side single since "I am Woman". The album's first single, a remake of the 1964 Cilla Black hit "You're My World", gave Reddy a final Top 40 hit.

Contents

Recording and release history

Ear Candy debuted on the Billboard 200 album chart in the 21 May 1977 issue of Billboard. It was on the chart for nineteen weeks; it stalled at number 75. [4] RPM, the music trade magazine for Canada, would afford Ear Candy an album chart peak of number 84. [5] Despite being the parent album of Reddy's Top 20 comeback hit "You're My World", Ear Candy would become the singer's first album since her 1971 eponymous sophomore LP not to receive Gold certification from the RIAA [6] Although Reddy would have five more studio albums released - and also the 1978 Live in London concert album - before retiring as a career recording artist after her 1983 album release Imagination [4] Ear Candy would afford Reddy her final charting album in Billboard. Reddy would be afforded one more charting album in Canada: Reddy (number 97).

Ear Candy was recorded at Brother Studios (Santa Monica, CA) in early February 1977 with production by Kim Fowley, assisted by Earle Mankey. Although Reddy's precedent 1976 album Music, Music had been certified Gold its second single release "Gladiola" had been Reddy's first Billboard Hot 100 shortfall since her 1971 Hot 100 debut with "I Don't Know How to Love Him" (of Reddy's fifteen 1971-76 Hot 100 entries all but two had reached the Top 20 affording her ten Top 20 hits). Jeff Wald, then Reddy's husband and manager, would state in 1977: "Helen has enough hits to be established in the public mind...but it still shakes you when you're suddenly not on the charts". [7] Wald therefore had not wanted Reddy's ninth studio album to be (quote) "just another Helen Reddy album[:] I let it be known on the street that whoever came to me with the right material, with a hit song, was going to produce Helen Reddy"..."I wanted hit singles and something a little different" [8] ..."I called every publisher in town: listened to 800-900 songs" [7] ..."I let a dozen producers walk into this office and play me a song. I called Kim Fowley" [8] - "I've always thought he was bright" [7] - "and let him know I would like to hear from him, what his ideas were"; [8] "Of the several producers who played me stuff he was the best prepared...He played me five songs, four of which I liked immediately". [7]

Wald further said of Fowley: "He doesn't read a note of music, he doesn't work a dial in that studio, but he's a catalyst. He worked completely opposite from any way we've [previously] worked [on Reddy's albums] we've always picked the ten songs before we've gone into the studio, worked on all ten of them [til they're] down perfect and then recorded them. But it wound up on ['Ear Candy'] that five of the songs were written in the studio. Helen has always had a writer's block but this time she wrote or co-wrote five songs. Kim loosened her up in the studio and he let her take chances." [8]

Fowley, then known primarily for his involvement in the Los Angeles proto-punk scene, would explain his surprising assignment of producing Helen Reddy - cited by Fowley (quoting Alice Cooper) as "the queen of housewife rock" - thus: "Jeff [Wald] wanted us to get together and I simply wanted to have fun", with Fowley likening his producing a Helen Reddy album to "Bloody Sam" Peckinpah directing a movie starring Julie Andrews. [9] However Fowley also stated "I see Helen Reddy as the great American voice. [Her voice] is easily accepted and digested by large groups of people. I'm not trying to compromise her position but extend it in the same way Simon & Garfunkel went from the 'Sounds of Silence'to 'Mrs Robinson'. It was still Simon & Garfunkel but in a different perspective." [7]

Reddy began promotion of her upcoming album with a performance of the track "One More Night" on The Tonight Show episode broadcast 21 February 1977, with an unspecified advance single release anticipated within the upcoming two weeks; [7] however the track "You're My World" was not issued as a single until 4 April 1977. Reddy would reminisce about the song "You're My World": "I used to sing along with Cilla Black on the radio when they played this song back in the early 1960s. When it was suggested [in 1977] as a track for me to record, I leapt like a trout to the fly." [10] The Ear Candy album itself was released issued 25 April 1977, with its 21 May 1977 Hot 100 debut closely followed by Reddy's performing four songs featured on the album - "Aquarius Miracle", "The Happy Girls", "Midnight Skies" and "You're My World" - on the 6 May 1977 broadcast of The Midnight Special . [11]

"You're My World" debuted on the Billboard Easy Listening Top 50 dated 16 April 1977, to reach a number 5 peak within a 21-week chart tenure [12] "You're My World" would return Reddy to the Billboard Hot 100 as of the chart dated 30 April 1977 with a Top 40 comeback effected on the Hot 100 dated 11 June 1977; the single would peak at number 18 on Hot 100 charts dated 23-&-30 July 1977 with an overall Top 40 tenure of 12 weeks while an overall Hot 100 tenure of 22 weeks would tie "You're My World" with Reddy's signature number 1 hit "I am Woman" as Reddy's longest-lasting Hot 100 entry. [13]

"You're My World" also reached number 13 on the Canadian pop chart. [14] The potential for further international success for Reddy's version of "You're My World" was narrowed by the concurrent release of a remake by UK pop group Guys 'n' Dolls which was a number 1 hit in the Netherlands and Flemish Belgium. Although the Guys 'n' Dolls version was unsuccessful in the British Isles, its release there did cause Capitol UK to make Ear Candy's lead single the track "Long Distance Love" with "You're My World" as B-side, while in the Netherlands Reddy's co-write "Midnight Skies" was the choice for single (with "Long Distance Love" as B-side) with neither local release affording Reddy any success. In Reddy's native Australia a remake of "You're My World" had been a number 1 hit in January 1975 for Daryl Braithwaite factoring into the Australian release of Reddy's version being unsuccessful.

The second single from Ear Candy, the Reddy co-write "The Happy Girls", began a seven-week Hot 100 tenure with 8 October 1977 chart with an eventual peak of number 57, [13] the 8 October 1977 issue of Billboard also inaugurated the eleven-week Easy Listening chart tenure of "The Happy Girls", the Easy Listening peak of which was number 14. [12] The single's B-side, "Laissez les Bontemps Rouler", afforded Reddy a unique Hot Country Songs chart appearance with a one-week tenure at number 98 reported in the 22 October 1977 issue of Billboard. [2] In November 1977, "The Happy Girls" reached number 65 on the Canadian pop chart. [15]

Cash Box magazine afforded "You're My World" a number 16 chart peak in Top 100 singles chart dated 6 August 1977 and afforded the track a six-week Top 20 tenure, as opposed to the three weeks over which the track ranked in the Billboard Hot 100. Conversely "The Happy Girls" fared less well on the Cash Box singles chart than in Billboard, the Cash Box peak for "The Happy Girls" being number 75 with a four-week tenure.

Reddy had announced in the summer of 1977 that she intended to record her next studio album with Fowley as producer and also that Fowley would helm a Helen Reddy live album [16] with the latter tentatively announced as a recording of Reddy's 8 November 1977 concert at Radio City Music Hall. [17] However the production duties on Reddy's tenth studio album, the 1978 release We'll Sing in the Sunshine , were split between Fowley (helming six tracks) and veteran easy listening producer Nick De Caro (helming four). Although De Caro had not previously produced Reddy, he had been arranger and conductor on Reddy's 1971 breakout hit "I Don't Know How to Love Him", on her 1975 number 1 hit "Angie Baby", and also her final hit to reach the Top Ten of the Billboard Hot 100, "Ain't No Way to Treat a Lady" (1975). De Caro had also been arranger/ conductor on Reddy's lesser hits "Bluebird" (1975), "Somewhere in the Night" (1975) and "I Can't Hear You No More" (1976). Also Reddy's concert album would be the Live in London - recorded at the London Palladium in May 1978 - with production by Reddy herself collaborating with John Palladino.

On 23 February 2010, Ear Candy was released for the first time on compact disc as one of two albums on one CD, the other album being Reddy's tenth studio album release: We'll Sing in the Sunshine (1978). [18]

Track listing

Side 1

  1. "You're My World" (Umberto Bindi, Gino Paoli, Carl Sigman) – 2:41
  2. "One More Night" (Stephen Bishop) – 3:32
  3. "Long Distance Love" (Becky Hobbs) – 2:56
  4. "If It's Magic" (Stevie Wonder) – 3:50
  5. "Aquarius Miracle" (Kim Fowley, Toni Lamond, Helen Reddy) – 2:36

Side 2

  1. "Laissez les Bontemps Rouler" (Julie Didier, Casey Kelly) – 2:28
  2. "The Happy Girls" (Kim Fowley, Rick Henn, Earle Mankey, Helen Reddy) – 5:02
  3. "Midnight Skies" (Kim Fowley, Rick Henn, Helen Reddy) – 3:32
  4. "Baby, I'm a Star" (Kim Fowley, Rick Henn, Earle Mankey, Helen Reddy) – 4:03
  5. "Thank You" (Kim Fowley, Rick Henn, Earle Mankey, Helen Reddy) – 4:00

Charts

Chart (1977)Peak
position
Canada Albums ( RPM ) [19] 84
US Billboard 200 [20] 75

Personnel

Production
Background vocalists
Musicians [A]

Notes

  1. 1 2 "Ear Candy - Helen Reddy". allmusic.com. All Media Network, LLC. Retrieved 4 June 2015.
  2. 1 2 Whitburn 2002 , p. 285.
  3. ↑ (1977) "Ear Candy" by Helen Reddy. Los Angeles: Capitol Records SO-11640.
  4. 1 2 Whitburn 2010 , p. 646.
  5. ↑ "RPM 100 Albums". RPM . 23 July 1977. p. 24.
  6. ↑ RIAA Gold and Platinum Search for titles by Helen Reddy
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Los Angeles Times 21 February 1977 View section p. 12
  8. 1 2 3 4 Record World Vol 35 number 1581 (22 October 1977) pp. 39, 41
  9. ↑ Cash Box 7 May 1977 p.25
  10. ↑ (2006) The Woman I Am: The Definitive Collection by Helen Reddy [CD booklet]. Los Angeles: Capitol Records 09463-57613-2-0.
  11. ↑ "The Midnight Special - Season 5, Episode 28: Host: Helen Reddy (May 6, 1977) - TV.com". Archived from the original on 5 November 2016. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
  12. 1 2 Whitburn 2007 , p. 227.
  13. 1 2 Whitburn 2009 , p. 805.
  14. ↑ "100 Singles". RPM . 2 July 1977. p. 17.
  15. ↑ "100 Singles". RPM . 26 November 1977. p. 22.
  16. ↑ Cash Box 3 September 1977 p.56
  17. ↑ Billboard vol 89 number 35 (3 September 1977) p.106
  18. ↑ "Ear Candy/We'll Sing in the Sunshine - Helen Reddy". allmusic.com. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 4 June 2015.
  19. ↑ "Helen Reddy Album Discography". RPM . RPM Library Archives. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
  20. ↑ "Helen Reddy Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
  21. 1 2 AFTRA

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Helen Reddy</span> Australian-American singer, actress, TV host, and activist (1941–2020)

Helen Maxine Reddy was an Australian-American singer, actress, television host, and activist. Born in Melbourne to a show business family, Reddy started her career as an entertainer at age four. She sang on radio and television and won a talent contest on the television program Bandstand in 1966; her prize was a ticket to New York City and a record audition, which was unsuccessful. After a short and unsuccessful singing career in New York, she eventually moved to Chicago, and subsequently, Los Angeles, where she made her debut singles "One Way Ticket" and "I Believe in Music" in 1968 and 1970, respectively. The B-side of the latter single, "I Don't Know How to Love Him", reached number eight on the pop chart of the Canadian magazine RPM. She was signed to Capitol Records a year later.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Delta Dawn</span> 1972 song written by Collins & Harvey

"Delta Dawn" is a song written by musician Larry Collins and country songwriter Alex Harvey. The first notable recording of the song was in 1971 by American singer and actress Bette Midler for her debut album. However it is best known as a 1972 top ten country hit for Tanya Tucker and a 1973 US number one hit for Helen Reddy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You're My World</span> 1964 single by Cilla Black

"You're My World" is a cover of Italian ballad originally recorded in 1963 as "Il mio mondo" by Umberto Bindi, who co-wrote the original version with Gino Paoli. Subsequently, an English version was commissioned, and the lyrics were written by Carl Sigman as "You're My World". The song reached No. 1 in Australia (twice), Belgium, Mexico, Netherlands, South Africa and United Kingdom in recordings by Cilla Black, Daryl Braithwaite, Guys 'n' Dolls and Helen Reddy. Black's and Reddy's versions reached the US Top 40 in 1964 and 1977, respectively. The song also reached No. 1 in France and Spain in the respective translations "Ce monde" and "Mi Mundo", both sung by Richard Anthony.

"Nut Rocker" is an instrumental rock single recorded by American instrumental ensemble B. Bumble and the Stingers that reached number 23 in the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in March 1962 and went to number 1 in the UK Singles Chart in May 1962. It is a version of the march from Tchaikovsky's 1892 ballet The Nutcracker.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">This Masquerade</span> 1976 single by George Benson

"This Masquerade" is a song written by American singer and musician Leon Russell. It was originally recorded in 1972 by Russell for his album Carney and as a B-side for the album's hit single "Tight Rope". The song was then covered on Helen Reddy's 1972 album, I Am Woman. It was then recorded by American vocal duo, the Carpenters, for their 1973 album Now & Then and as the B-side of the Carpenters's single "Please Mr. Postman". Three years later, "This Masquerade" was recorded by American singer and guitarist George Benson, who released it on his 1976 album, Breezin'. Benson's version, featuring Jorge Dalto on piano, was released as a single and became the first big hit of his career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keep On Singing</span> Early 1970s hit song

"Keep on Singing" is a 1973 song composed by Danny Janssen and Bobby Hart, and was originally recorded by Austin Roberts from the album Austin Roberts. It was released as a single on Chelsea Records and reached No. 50 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and No. 39 on the Cash Box Top 100. In Canada it reached # 79. "Keep on Singing" was best known as a hit single by Helen Reddy in 1974.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">We'll Sing in the Sunshine</span> 1964 single by Gale Garnett

"We'll Sing in the Sunshine" is a 1964 hit song written and recorded by Gale Garnett which reached No. 2 in Canada, and No. 4 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart for the week ending 17 October 1964. It also enjoyed success on easy listening and country music radio stations, spending seven weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Easy Listening chart and No. 42 on the country chart. The Cash Box Top 100 ranked "We'll Sing in the Sunshine" at No. 1 for the week of 31 October 1964, and it also reached No. 1 in Garnett's native New Zealand that November. In Australia, "We'll Sing in the Sunshine" afforded Garnett a Top Ten hit with a No. 10 peak in October 1964. Garnett's sole Top 40 hit, "We'll Sing in the Sunshine" won the Grammy Award for Best Ethnic or Traditional Folk Recording in 1965.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ain't No Way to Treat a Lady</span> Song covered by Helen Reddy in 1975

"Ain't No Way to Treat a Lady" is a 1974 written and first recorded by American singer-songwriter Harriet Schock. It was covered by various other artists, and saw its greatest success when it was covered by Helen Reddy, whose 1975 rendition became a top 10 hit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Helen Reddy discography</span>

Australian-American singer Helen Reddy (1941–2020), often referred to as the "Queen of 70s Pop", recorded 18 studio albums, seven of which have achieved sales of 500,000 units in the US for which they were awarded Gold certification by the Recording Industry Association of America. One of those seven, I Am Woman, eventually went Platinum by reaching sales of one million copies, and her first compilation album, Helen Reddy's Greatest Hits, was awarded Double Platinum status in 1992 for hitting the two million sales mark. The respective US and Canadian album charts in Billboard and RPM magazine each had appearances by 10 of these LPs during the 1970s.

<i>I Am Woman</i> (album) 1972 studio album by Helen Reddy

I Am Woman is the third studio album by Australian–American pop singer Helen Reddy, released on 13 November 1972, by Capitol Records. The album included her second recording of the song that gave the album its name, which was also the version that spent a week at number one on the Billboard Hot 100.

<i>Love Song for Jeffrey</i> 1974 studio album by Helen Reddy

Love Song for Jeffrey is the fifth studio album by Australian-American pop singer Helen Reddy, released on March 25, 1974, by Capitol Records. The album focused on her family, giving special attention to those who had died within the past year. A tribute on the back cover reads: "In memory of my mother, Stella Lamond Reddy, July 1973, my father, Max Reddy, September 1973, and my beloved aunt, Helen Reddy Sr., January 1974."

<i>Free and Easy</i> (album) 1974 studio album by Helen Reddy

Free and Easy is the sixth studio album by Australian-American pop singer Helen Reddy that was released in the fall of 1974 by Capitol Records. The album included rare forays into rock and vaudeville ("Showbiz"). The album debuted on Billboard's Top LP's & Tapes chart in the issue dated November 2, 1974, and reached number eight during its 28 weeks there. The following month, on December 18, the Recording Industry Association of America awarded the album with Gold certification for sales of 500,000 copies in the United States. In the UK it peaked at number 17, and in Canada's RPM magazine it got as high as number nine on its list of the top LPs in the issue dated January 11, 1975. On January 27, 2004, it was released for the first time on compact disc as one of two albums on one CD, the other album being her other 1974 release, Love Song for Jeffrey.

<i>No Way to Treat a Lady</i> (album) 1975 studio album by Helen Reddy

No Way to Treat a Lady is the seventh studio album by Australian-American pop singer Helen Reddy that was released in the summer of 1975 by Capitol Records and found Reddy tackling country pop, bossa nova and blues. The album debuted on Billboard's Top LP's & Tapes chart in the issue dated July 12, 1975, and peaked at number 11 over the course of 34 weeks, and on the album chart in Canada's RPM magazine it got as high as number 13. On January 19, 1976, the Recording Industry Association of America awarded the album with Gold certification for sales of 500,000 copies in the United States, and on August 23, 2005, it was released for the first time on compact disc as one of two albums on one CD, the other album being her 1976 release, Music, Music.

<i>Helen Reddys Greatest Hits</i> 1975 compilation album by Helen Reddy

Helen Reddy's Greatest Hits is a compilation album by Australian-American pop singer Helen Reddy. It was released in 1975 by Capitol Records.

<i>Music, Music</i> 1976 studio album by Helen Reddy

Music, Music is the eighth studio album by Australian-American pop singer Helen Reddy that was released in the summer of 1976 by Capitol Records and later described by J. Scott McClintock for AllMusic: "There are breezy, Bacharach-ian excursions, bluesy numbers, light country ('Mama'), jazzy ballads, and even a little Philly soul. On August 2 of that year the Recording Industry Association of America awarded the album with Gold certification for sales of 500,000 copies in the United States.

<i>Well Sing in the Sunshine</i> (album) 1978 studio album by Helen Reddy

We'll Sing in the Sunshine is the tenth studio album by Australian-American pop singer Helen Reddy that was released in 1978 by Capitol Records. The album included two songs that were also covered by Johnny Mathis in the first half of that year: "All I Ever Need", which came out on his March release, You Light Up My Life, and "Ready or Not", on which he duetted with Deniece Williams for their June release, That's What Friends Are For. Reddy also ventures into Beatles territory with their rockabilly number "One After 909" and takes on Jeff Lynne's "Poor Little Fool" with accompaniment in the vein of Electric Light Orchestra. This was her first album not to reach Billboard's Top LP's & Tapes chart. On February 23, 2010, it was released for the first time on compact disc as one of two albums on one CD, the other album being her 1977 release, Ear Candy. "Blue" was originally featured on the 1977 animated film Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure.

<i>Live in London</i> (Helen Reddy album) 1978 live album by Helen Reddy

Live in London is the first live album by Australian-American pop singer Helen Reddy that was released in 1978 by Capitol Records and, as with her previous release, did not reach Billboard magazine's Top LP's & Tapes chart. On June 25, 2002, the album was released for the first time on compact disc.

<i>Reddy</i> (album) 1979 studio album by Helen Reddy

Reddy is the eleventh studio album release by Australian-American pop singer Helen Reddy. Between 1971 and 1978, Reddy had ten studio albums released by Capitol Records, the label also having issued her Greatest Hits album and a concert album: Live in London, the latter issued in December 1978 - which same month Reddy filed suit claiming Capitol Records had shortchanged her $1,793,000, the suit being an apparent bid to win release from the label. However Reddy, issued in June 1979, would be released by Capitol Records, Reddy's tenure with the label extending to include her twelfth studio album: Take What You Find, issued in 1980.

<i>All-Time Greatest Hits</i> (Helen Reddy album) 1991 compilation album by Helen Reddy

All-Time Greatest Hits is a compilation album by Australian-American pop singer Helen Reddy that was released in 1991 by EMI-Capitol Special Markets and reissued by various labels with different covers on multiple occasions since.

<i>I Am Woman: The Essential Helen Reddy Collection</i> 1998 compilation album by Helen Reddy

I Am Woman: The Essential Helen Reddy Collection is a compilation album by Australian-American pop singer Helen Reddy that was released in 1998 by Razor & Tie and, in addition to the title track, includes three additional songs written or cowritten by Reddy as well as rare compilation appearances by "Bluebird", "The Fool on the Hill", and two recordings from her brief time with MCA Records.

References

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.