“I Want Candy” by Bow Wow Wow (f/ Alex Goldman)

“I Want Candy” by Bow Wow Wow (f/ Alex Goldman)

From One Hit Thunder by Geekscape

May 20, 2026 · 1h 12m · Episode 316

About this episode

The episode discusses Bow Wow Wow's cover of 'I Want Candy' and the complexities surrounding the band's rise and fall.

In the summer of 1982, the punky, upbeat sound of Bow Wow Wow’s cover of “I Want Candy” served as a perfect compliment to both the warm weather and the music revolution that was MTV. The band was fronted by the very young Annabella Lwin, whose energy, style, and mohawk made her as memorable as the song itself. It was the controversial vision of fashion designer, manager, lyricist, and provocateur Malcolm McLaren that helped propel the band to stardom, but once they achieved success, he grew bored and moved on. The band’s demise soon followed, leaving a legacy of quirky music and questionable choices to discuss. This week, we’re joined by accomplished podcaster Alex Goldman to do just that, and decide if we can separate the art from the child exploitation. One Hit Thunder is brought to you by DistroKid, the ultimate partner for taking your music to the next level. Our listeners get 30% off your first YEAR with DistroKid by signing up at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://distrokid.com/vip/onehitthunder⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy some Merch⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join our Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join our Facebook Group⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠…

People in this episode

Host: unknown

Guest: Alex Goldman

Topics covered

  • music history
  • 1980s music
  • MTV
  • punk music
  • child exploitation
  • band dynamics

Keywords

  • Bow Wow Wow
  • I Want Candy
  • Annabella Lwin
  • Malcolm McLaren
  • 1982
  • MTV
  • music revolution

Sponsors

DistroKid

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: One Hit Thunder, Geekscape

Books & works: I Want Candy

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