Biography

The British band Candy Flip was caught in the party-all-night atmosphere of late-'80s/early-'90s Manchester, England. Named after the slang term for mixing ecstasy with acid, Candy Flip was formed by Danny Spencer (vocals, keyboards) and Ric Peet (keyboards) in 1990. Not as critically acclaimed as their peers -- and obvious influences -- Happy Mondays and the Stone Roses, Candy Flip nevertheless attracted U.K. press and radio attention with an electronic update of the Beatles' "Strawberry Fields Forever." The single, funkier and more club-happy than the Beatles' original, peaked at number three on the British charts; it was also a minor success on college and alternative stations in America. In 1991, Candy Flip released their first album, Madstock...The Further Adventures of Fish Rides a Bicycle, capturing the drugged-out beats of Manchester dance music and the fey synth pop of Pet Shop Boys and the Beloved. Madstock was surprisingly well-received from a group considered to be a one-hit wonder. However, Candy Flip split up in 1992 after the English rave scene faded into history. Peet became a producer and engineer, working with bands such as the Charlatans U.K. and Six By Seven. Spencer joined Sound 5, recording the full-length No Illicit Dancing in 2000. ~ Michael Sutton, Rovi