"Do You Wanna Hold Me?" by Bow Wow Wow

Just about everyone knows Bow Wow Wow’s cover of “I Want Candy,” but in 1982 it was hard to find that song on the airwaves in the US. I would eagerly sit by the radio on weekends hoping Casey Kasem would announce it on American Top 40. He rarely did. It has of course become a classic.

Bow Wow Wow was initially the brainchild of London Impresario Malcolm Mclaren. After convincing Adam Ant’s guitarist and rhythm section to jump ship, an acquaintance found a young teenager singing in a laundromat and the rest is history. Their sound was memorable for Barbarossa’s drum patterns which was often considered the ''Burundi beat''.
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"Do You Wanna Hold Me?" is from their 1983 album When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going. It was their third, and sadly, final album. I also think it’s their best. "Do You Wanna Hold Me?" is part love song, part social statement, and features their trademark bouncy interplay between the drums and bass.  It also features Ashman’s shimmering guitar and Annabella Lwin’s powerfully youthful voice. I think it’s a classic 80’s song that never got that much attention this side of the Atlantic, and it's one I adore.