by Mark Nobes, chief editor
Cameo frontman, Larry Blackmon, was certainly a unique performer! He had a strange nasal vocal style and caused controversy (at the time) by sporting a codpiece over his pants!
This single was the title track and first single to be taken from the Word Up album, and it reached No.3 in the UK Singles Chart. Three more singles were released from the album, Candy (No.27), Back and Forth (No.11) and She's Mine (failed to chart).
The Electro/Soul/Funk band formed in 1974 and had seven Top 40 hit singles in the UK, all of these during the 1980's. In 2001, Cameo featured in the singles chart again when Mariah Carey reached #12 with Loverboy, which was based around a sample of their hit Candy.
If you're not from the UK you may not know about the Cadbury's gorilla. He first appeared in an ad performing on the classic Phil Collin's In The Air Tonight. Here here is again drumming to Cameo's Word Up - enjoy!