Candyland

Candyland had a sweet tooth for Madchester: dope-fueled dance beats; choppy, lazy guitars; and slices of ’60s psychedelic pop. Arguably more club-oriented than their peers, the multi-racial group — it featured members from Somalia and Jamaica as well as from the U.K. — was formed in London, England, by Felix Tod (vocals) and David Wesley Ayers, Jr. (guitar); Kenediid Osman (bass), Derrick McKenzie (drums), and Colin Payne (keyboards) were eventually added to the lineup. Gil Norton, renowned producer of post-punk acts like Echo & the Bunnymen and the Pixies, recorded the band’s first demo. Even before the group’s debut single, “Fountain of Youth,” appeared, they were invited to perform at the Great British Music Weekend in Wembley. In 1991, Candyland released their first and only LP, Suck It and See, breaking up shortly after its release. In 1993, the breathy-voiced Tod became a producer, working with Heather Nova; he ended up producing four of her albums as well as reggae artist Mishka’s (Nova’s brother) 1999 self-titled debut. ~ Michael Sutton