Customer Reviews

Candi Staton

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4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Candi Staton may not have been as acclaimed as Aretha Franklin, but for a time, she was one of the best and most consistent singers of southern soul and rhythm and blues. Like other soul singers, Staton started out singing as a child in the church. From there, she sang gospel music with her family and friends and eventually cut a few sides with the Jewel Gospel Trio. She travelled the gospel music circuit where she learned to move audiences with her passionate and soulful vocals. She was a contemporary of other "gospel birds" including Aretha Franklin, Shirley Caesar, Lou Rawls (whom she was engaged to marry at one time) Mel Carter and the Staple Singers. But after gospel music stars Sam Cooke and Franklin crossed over to secular recordings and mainstream success, Staton, now a divorcee with children to support, decided to try her hand at interpreting secular material. By the late 1960s, Staton was living in Birmingham, Alabama and began singing secular material at a local nightclub there. The response to Staton was so positive, she became one of the club's regular performers. While there, she met blind singer Clarence Carter, who eventually introduced Staton to Rick Hall, owner of the legendary Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. At Fame, Staton began working on secular material produced by Hall and backed by some of the same musicians (i.e. The Sweet Inspirations, drummer Roger Hawkins and keyboardist Spooner Oldham,), who had also worked with Aretha Franklin on her landmark recordings for Atlantic Records. With Hall producing and some of country and soul music's best songwriters supplying the material, Staton's first album "I'm Just A Prisoner" was released in 1970. One of the highlight's was Staton's first pop/soul single "I'd Rather Be An Old Man's Sweetheart (Than Be A Young Man's Fool)," which had been issued the year before. That slice of sizzling, southern soul earned Staton her first gold record. After years of being out of print, or simply too hard to find: some of Staton's classics like "I'd Rather Be An Old Man's Sweetheart" and "I'm Just A Prisoner" have been gathered for this well anticipated disc that features the singer pouring out all of her heart and soul in 26 tracks. Staton is an expressive and soulful singer. On these 26 songs, Staton sings with so much conviction and passion. you get the feeling that she left a little bit of herself back there on the floor of Fame Studios. Her speciality was songs of love lost and loneliness, very dramatic tunes that told the truth about adult love and relationships. One of the set's strongest ballads is "Mr and Mrs. Untrue," in which Staton sings about an adulterous affair so sleazy and dirty, she makes you feel the pain, shame and frustration of one of these sad and sorry love affairs. She pours her heart out so convincingly that you'll probably think twice about ever becoming involved in an undercover affair. Staton also shows her skill at turning songs recorded by others into her own personal triumphs. She was one of the few R&B singers, who successfully covered country tunes, turning them into soulful masterpieces such as her versions of Tammy Wynette's "Stand By Your Man" and "In The Ghetto," a social commentary tune written by Mac Davis and made popular by Elvis Presley. So impressed was Presley after hearing Staton's cover of "Ghetto," he allegedly sent her a congratulatory note. If you're a fan of real, soulful singing, do yourself a favor and get a copy of this collection of songs by Candi Staton, one of the most underrated and best singers of southern soul.

Candi Staton is perhaps best known today for a couple of big disco tunes, Young Hearts Run Free and You Got The Love, but before those she had enjoyed a big run of southern soul hits, all recorded at Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals AL with producer Rick Hall. They have the classic gritty Muscle Shoals sound with big, fat lithe horns and female choruses, and dissect the seamier side of life with titles like I'd Rather Be An Old Man's Sweetheart (Than A Young Man's Fool), Mr And Mrs Untrue and Another Man's Woman, Another Woman's Man.

Candi had grown up singing, first in the church choir as a schoolgirl, and in gospel groups from the age of eight onwards, later touring with Aretha, Mahalia Jackson, Sam Cooke and others, and had no difficulty whatsoever in switching to the rhythm and blues and country soul she recorded for Fame. Her naturally sweet voice was deliberately given a hoarser edge by Rick Hall through over singing to get the soulful effect he desired. Country music was as big in Alabama as soul so it was unsurprising that Candi should have hits with her heartfelt interpretations of Stand By Your Man and In The Ghetto.

This collection gathers most of the best of the classic recordings she made with the Muscle Shoals crew between 1969 and 1973, and which had been overlooked for far too long. They are not presented in chronological order and the notes are very hazy as to what was recorded when, and which of them were singles and which were album cuts. Eight A-sides and nine B-sides are actually included, with all but one A-side (Love Chain, from 1973) and three B-sides (tracks 13, 19 and 26) also duplicated on her first three albums.

In fact, the first two albums are present in full. I'm Just A Prisoner (1969) can be recreated by programming tracks 5, 3, 15, 2, 9, 10, 6, 1, 7 and 22; while Stand By Your Man (1971) comprised tracks 12, 17, 1 (again), 16, 14, 8, 9 (again), 18, 20 and 23. Her third album, Candi Staton (1972) is represented by tracks 21, 4, 24, 15 (again - unless a new version) and 25.

Finally, a collection of Candi Staton's FAME late-60s/early 70s recordings, made in Muscle Shoals and dripping with heartbreak, defiance, soul, and mystery. What a set of pipes!! To my ears more complicated arrangements than rival STAX, FAME envelopes Ms. Staton's stellar vocals with hard-edged, passionate sounds, creating a true interplay between singer and band that carries you through astounding performance after performance. Even her covers are jaw-dropping: check out her take on "Stand By Your Man" or the soul standard "That's How Strong My Love Is" to see the power and the glory that this collection represents. Sadly, she went on to California in the mid-70s to become a disco queen, but having heard this collection, I can only say: It's ok -- you made your mark.

I was mostly familiar with Ms. Stanton from her gospel music. You can catch her regularly on cable's TBN and although the subject matter of her music has changed; you can still hear the remnants of Delta blues, gospel, and soul, that has made her who she is.
This collection from Ms. Stanton is perhaps one of the best CD's I have purchased in a long time. I say that because Ms. Stanton's raw gut sung emotion can be heard on each and every song. Tempo does not matter in this case, because there is a piece of Ms. Stanton in every track.
Pure music does not have to be pitch perfect, Billie Holiday proved that. Ms. Stanton possesses the same realness in her voice as do the foundation layers for music as we know it today. I'm talking Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker foundation. I'm talking Bessie Smith foundation. I'm talking Etta James and Tina Turner Foundation. I'm Talking Koko Taylor Foundation. I'm talking that old Black woman in every one room Southern Baptist church that sangs from the soul because she has been through some "thangs" foundation. If you understand what I am "talkin" about then you will understand the nature and degree of this album. If you don't know soul and you want to know soul then please purchase this album and study it like it is a religion.

In dark days like these, what a joy it is at last to hear these recordings together and see the recognition Candi Staton's work is receiving from young people hearing it for the first time.

I wouldn't want to disagree with reviewers with such excellent taste and perception as Juan Mobili and Alexander Laurence, but Candi Staton has other music that can stand beside this.

Her work for Warner's includes Here I am Again, which to my mind is even better than the songs on this compilation, as well as some other cuts which are just about their equal. Her disco music, in particular the hit, Young Hearts Run Free, is just revered by fans of the genre, and her recent gospel work shows no dimunition of her pipes, intelligence, and feeling. With the caution that the Warner Archive compilation is over 50% disco, I'd recommend it just for Here I am Again.

I think all different sorts of people respond to her music not because of its versatility, but because of its singularity: she reaches the universal by getting down to the utter truth of her own life as she lives it.

One of the reviewers was upset, offended, really, because this record was mistakenly listed in the gospel section. But this music expresses with heartbreaking honesty the loss and despair where her journey towards peace and joy began. As CS Lewis said of the psalms, they are songs of one desperately in need of a redeemer. Her sacred and secular music are all of a piece, because she is.

There's a Zen temple in Kyoto with a stone garden, and the same thing happens every time a group of tourists come in: At first they admire it animatedly, pointing out its features to one another. Then, gradually, the talk starts to die down, one by one, people sit down, and they become completely still. Her music is like that garden.

Soul, the way it's supposed to be sung.
I wasn't too familiar with Candi Statons material, and boy, was I glad A friend of mine let me listen to this.
It's full of soul and funky ala Aretha Franklin meets James Brown, meets Al Green.
A great retrospective from a career that was overlooked by many (including myself!).
If your not too familiar with her, don't worry, BUY THIS, and I can gaurantee you 100%, you won't be dissapointed.

Candi has had more than her share of life's problems but, when given the opportunity, she has proved that she can sing soul and disco music as brilliantly as anybody in the business. She is most famous for her disco hits, especially her international hit of 1976, Young hearts run free. The music here is from an earlier period in her career when Candi recorded for a small record label in her home state of Alabama. With Rick Hall as producer, Candi laid down these soulful recordings between 1969 and 1973.

Candi's first American hit, I'd rather be an old man's sweetheart than a young man's fool, set the standard for what followed. Candi demonstrated her ability to sing soul classics such as That's how strong my love is, while she occasionally wrote her own songs such as To hear you say you're mine. Candi also covered a few country songs, adapting them to suit her style. Here you can find Candi's interpretations of Stand by your man (Tammy Wynette), He called me baby (Patsy Cline) and In the ghetto (Elvis Presley). Of the three, the most interesting is Stand by your man - very different from Tammy's version but still respectful of the original - no Tammy fan would be upset by Candi's version. Indeed, Tammy sometimes enjoyed listening to soul music so I expect she was as impressed as I am.

There are many other great songs here. Apart from those already mentioned, I particularly like I'm just a prisoner, You don't love me no more, Mr and Mrs Untrue and I'll drop everything and come running, but every song here deserves to be heard. Whether singing tender ballads, heart-wrenching tales of love gone wrong or up-tempo rocking songs, Candi performs brilliantly.

You can find Young hearts run free elsewhere, but if you really enjoy soul music, you will surely love this collection.

Candi Staton is my favorite soul singer of all time! During the time that Candi was with FAME Records, she recorded three albums (I'M JUST A PRISONER, STAND BY YOUR MAN, and CANDI STATON) and managed to have a Top 40 Pop hit (#24) with her soulful interpretation of Tammy Wynette's "Stand By Your Man" in 1971. Other hits included the Top Ten R&B hit "I'd Rather Be An Old Man's Sweetheart (Than A Young Man's Fool)", "He Called Me Baby", another soulful interpretation of Elvis Presley's "In The Ghetto" (which she received a Grammy nomination and even got a congratulatory note from the King of Rock himself!)

This collection of Candi's FAME material showcases southern soul at its best. All of these songs were superbly accompanied by astounding musicianship and were sung with strong conviction by Candi. Her voice is real and you can hear in each song some kind of experience that she must have been going through at the time in order for her to make the song come alive. To my amazement, this collection is missing the wonderful "Do It in the Name of Love" which was a Top 20 R&B hit in 1973.

However, these songs are masterpieces of the late 60s/early 70s southern soul era. Anyone who loves southern soul, will definitely enjoy this collection of Ms. Staton's FAME material. Personally, I enjoy her Warner Bros. material more, because I like urban soul/quiet storm grooves, but her earlier work is what she is critically known for. Overall, this album deserves an excellent rating and if I could, I would give it 100 stars.

I must say that I have been devoted, enchanted, and elevated in spirit, by this glorious classic work by Candi Staton. To attempt to select songs for special appreciation would be pointless. This is one of those remarkable miracles among the myriad of recordings available: it is perfect, emotive, funky, heart-breaking Soul, from beginning to end. In this album for Fame she's at her peak, her sensual and powerful delivery could claim its place beside Aretha's best work. Of course, Aretha maintained her greatness for decades -bad albums included- whereas for Candi, this was her unparalleled moment. But, believe me, if this album was all any artist was to aspire to create, she or he would also be satisfied for the rest of her or his life.

It's unfortunate that the legacy of great music Candy made for Fame is almost never talked about in most soul circles. In fact it's typical of an industry that still doesn't really give Aretha much R-E-S-P-E-C-T like she also deserves. What makes Candi's Fame output so special is her delivery. She is able to convey hurt, vulnerability, tenderness, and the need for love or liberation from men that few other singers can do. The material is mostly always astounding. From "I'd Rather Be An Old Man's Sweetheart" to tearjerking "Too Hurt To Cry", I can't get enough. There are some songs missing that appeared on the Import collection of her fame output last including her essential R&B (#17) hit "Do It In The Name of love and "Something's Burning" as well as two others, but this collection is digitally remastered and is much better sounding!