"Candy Kisses" is a 1949 song written and first recorded by American country crooner George Morgan. "Candy Kisses" was George Morgan's debut release on the charts and was his only #1 on the Best Selling Folk charts, where it stayed for three weeks. The B-side of "Candy Kisses", a song entitled, "Please Don't Let Me Love You" reached #4 on the same chart.
Background
"Candy Kisses" is a song composed by country crooner George Morgan, earning that category for his smooth voice. The song developed one day in 1947 while George was on his way to work during his time at WWST radio as an early morning talent. During his commute, he hummed along to his car engine while thinking about an ex-girlfriend whom he just broke up with. He had the song roughly thought up within twenty minutes. The song became his theme song that day over at WWST and he carried his theme song with him into 1948 when he landed a new job at WWVA radio in Wheeling, W. Va. In December 1948, Morgan got a record deal and signed with Columbia Records. Just two weeks later, he was hired as a vocalist replacing Eddy Arnold at the Grand Ole Opry. Morgan debuted there on September 25, 1948 and stayed for the next 27 years. By the age of 24, Morgan recorded "Candy Kisses" for Columbia Records in January 1949 and the song jumped to number one on the best-selling folk charts where it remained for three weeks. By the end of the year, "Candy Kisses" sold more than 2 million copies, and had ten top cover versions. This song was also the first song featured on the self titled album "Candy Kisses". The song was so meaningful to Morgan that he even named his first daughter Candy.
Cover versions
In addition to the original version by singer/songwriter, George Morgan, there were several cover versions of the song "Candy Kisses", in 1949. The song was also recorded by Eddy Howard, Danny Kaye, Johnny Mercer,, The Fontane Sisters, Elton Britt, Red Foley, Cowboy Copas, Eddie Kirk and Bud Hobbs. Despite the many cover versions, George Morgan's version was the only one to be positioned at #1 on the Billboard top 40 country hits back in 1949. Later cover versions include:
Bill Haley & His Comets included the song on their album Haley's Juke Box in 1960.
In 1984, Jerry Lee Lewis released a version of the song on his album I Am What I Am. The song was track B1 on the album released by MCA Records.
Eddie Cochran’s cover version of the song was released in 1997 on the Rock Star Records’ album, Rockin' It Country Style.
George Morgan’s daughter, country singer Lorrie Morgan, also released her version of "Candy Kisses" on her 1998 album, The Essential Lorrie Morgan. Lorrie also sang the song at the Grand Ol’ Opry 70th Anniversary bash, singing against a backdrop of a video of her father.
