For those of you who think that all there was to Candi Staton was Young Hearts Run Free or as the featured singer on a rather good house track by The Source, I implore you to check out this album. If you like classic tracks performed by an excellent band and sung with real passion then this album is for you.
The album is a collection of Staton's recordings on Rick Hall's Fame label, out of Muscle Shoals Alabama, from 1969 - 1973. This covers the release of her first 2 albums. If there is a better example of Southern Soul then I would like to hear it. The matrial on this album had been unavailable for nearly thirty years until Damon Albarn's Honest Jon's label decided to release this compilation in 2003, something I will be forever more grateful to him for than anything else he has done.
Since the release of this album, Candi Staton has released 2 further albums of new material and the voice is nearly as impressive as it is on tracks originally recorded nearly 40 years previously. She came to Glasgow in February this year and unfortunatley I couldn't go due to baby L being born a month earlier and asking for 2 passes on the same week may have been seen as kicking the arse out of it from some quarters.
Candi Staton - He Called Me Baby
Candi Staton - Stand By Your Man
5 comments:
Ok, guilty as charged, I'm one of those who thought she was a 'one hit wonder' and ignored her. Thanks man, especially for 'he called me baby', that is one hot tune.
It's guys like you, blogging about quality music that lots of us have missed..... makes the 'blogosphere' schtick worthwile. Keep on, keep on.
Nick,
My pleasure, invest in the album, it is excellent.
Thanks for the comment
It's a killer collection - Heart On A String is perhaps my fave from the set..
It is that Mondo and begs the question why did it take nearly 30 years for someone to reissue this material.
An absolutely stunning version of In The Getto
Some of it did get reissued earlier - I had a Stateside LP from about 1989 with Candi stuff from this period on one side and Bettye Swann on the other (what an embarrassment of riches!). But you're damn right, this is lovely, lovely music.
Have you ever visited Darcy's? I think you will like it over there; tell him I sent you.
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