Candyland

Embracing the Madchester sound, Candyland fused drug-charged dance rhythms with jagged, laid-back guitars and fragments of 1960s psychedelic pop. More dancefloor-focused than most contemporaries, the racially diverse ensemble—drawing members from Somalia, Jamaica, and the U.K.—originated in London, England, when Felix Tod on vocals and David Wesley Ayers, Jr. on guitar assembled the core; bass duties later went to Kenediid Osman, drums to Derrick McKenzie, and keyboards to Colin Payne. The band’s inaugural demo was captured by Gil Norton, the noted producer behind post-punk outfits such as Echo & the Bunnymen and the Pixies. Prior to the emergence of their debut single “Fountain of Youth,” the group received an invitation to appear at the Great British Music Weekend held in Wembley. Candyland issued their sole full-length album, Suck It and See, in 1991 and disbanded soon afterward. By 1993 the breathy-voiced Tod had shifted into production work, collaborating with Heather Nova and ultimately helming four of her albums in addition to reggae artist Mishka’s self-titled 1999 debut, which featured Nova’s brother.