A Candy Staton commentary by Steve Koenig

Marcio** · January 25th, 2005, 10:34 PM

CANDI STATON. Young Hearts Run Free/ House of Love. Ambassador Soul Classics/Spy 40002-2, 73:39. @ Amazon-US | Amazon-UK

Ms. Staton has one of the best voices of any singer in any genre, period. She has an earnestness and a texture in the gullet that makes every song immediately believable. I would listen to her sing the phone book. Coming from the world of southern soul and gospel, she hit the charts hard with her song "Young Hearts Run Free" and her major dance hit, "Victim." Her albums have, like most soul discs, been erratic, with a few must-have tracks with some filler.

These two classic Warners albums are reissued here, contain the two hit mentioned above, are remastered in 24-bit sound by Ivan J. Goldberg, and for most readers, reissues matter in only two concerns: extra tracks and special packaging, and sound. The former is generic. As is wont with Collectibles and many other twofer reissue labels, there are the two original albums reproduced on the cover, and there are no extra tracks. The tiny print but intelligent essay by David Nathan puts Staton's Warner discs with long-term producer David Crawford in a proper musical and historical context. There is full recording data (excluding musician's names) for each track.

First, the Young Hearts album. Most of the songs are fun, generic disco tracks, with word that are neither embarrassing nor gripping. On ballads, however, Staton glows. "What A Feeling" has a rap (in the original sense, the singer speaking directly to the listener) where you not only feel for the narrator's plight (all good pop tunes and operas are of found love or lost love, of course; the best contain both), but you fall in love with her too. Al Green's "Living For You" is nice to have, but not better nor interestingly different from his.

"Yesterday Evening" is a beautiful soul ballad that could easily be from by Margie Joseph or Carole King; "I Wonder Will I Ever Get Over It" is the kind of southern soul ballad that could also easily be a country hit except the "ooh la la" chorus places it firmly in southern soul. "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me" mildly discofies the classic Supremes/Temptations song in a duet with producer Dave Crawford, who has an unobjectionable, generic soul voice. She closes out with her gospel roots in Thomas Dorsey's "Take My Hand, Precious Lord," but permit me to backtrack to the dance cuts.

House of Love begins with one of all-time great soul and dance songs, "Victim."
The twelve-inch single of "Victim," which became a major street, club and radio hit as soon as it reached oxygen, was withdrawn within weeks of commercial release to force consumers to buy the House of Love album, which contained the full-length 8:31 dance track, unshortened in the dance mix. I never had the chance to buy it back then; I had to get the album.

"Honest I Do" is one of those weird songs where the lyric is actually stronger than the dance aspect, but since my tushie is moving as I type this; hey. It has a nice sitar effect, strong pointillistic guitar solos, and her voice shines through the mix beautifully, as do the backup singers. I don't recall if there was a dance mix beyond the 5:53 here. "Summer Time With You" is a disco ballad, enjoyable, and again her strong but sultry voice carries the day. It would make a good match with Musique's "Summer Love Theme." "I Know" is uptempo, little known, and would have made a great radio and club hit back then had Warners extended the track from its 3:42.

Now for the sound. I've long lost my vinyl copy, and a Unidisc 12" reissue was weak-sounding, but I have "Victim" on a brilliant non-mixed dance compilation Club Floor Classics: The 70s (Warner Bros. 46604-2), curated by Kevin Tong in 1998. Amazon-US | Amazon-UK
The Club Floor Classics sounds fine, or so I thought until I A-B'ed it with this new release which has tighter, punchier bass by far, and a chorus I had thought was a synth line now can clearly be heard as a human chorus. I'm assuming the other tracks are superior as well.

This CD is must-have for all r'n'b aficionados, and for anyone wanting the best-sounding version of "Victim." appropriately only with piano and backup chorus. (Many of Staton's 1990s gospel albums have been execrable in arrangement and lyrics, but may I recommend her underground housemusic gospel hit with the group The Source, "You Got The Love," best on its stripped-down 1986 Source Records (Chicago) twelve-inch, although it's been perennially remixed.)

Also available in this first batch of Ambassador Soul Classics are Brenda Russell, Debra Laws, Dionne Warwicke and twofers from the Sweet Inspirations and Change, all in excellent, refurbished sound.

http://www.jumparts.org/Records/colu...s_dec_2003.htm

**paul** · January 26th, 2005, 03:09 PM

Nice post Marcio. I like Candi. I do have a lot of her songs already but this remastered cd has me intrigued.

**DoctorDisco** · January 26th, 2005, 06:49 PM

"Young Hearts Run Free" only served me as filler music between hits in the clubs I deejayed in...the gay crowds didn't really care for her all that much...I got kind of a so-so crowd response on the dance floor when it was played.

I guess it did better on the East Coast or the Left Coast. I guess some hits are not hits everywhere.

**markydefad** · January 26th, 2005, 09:27 PM

San Francisco LOOOOOOOVED CANDI STATON!!!! :D :D :D

I recall a guy constantly blasting "Young Hearts Run Free" in the apartment building next to mine and me runnning to my kitchen window to listen. Of course, this made him think I was interested. :oops: :oops: :oops: Nope. Just wanted to hear Candi. :P

I Want Candi!!!!! :D :D :D :D

Troc played the hell out of "Victim" & "When You Wake Up Tomorrow" also.

**keefelc** · January 27th, 2005, 08:01 PM

DoctorDisco, I don't know what part of the Left Coast you were in, but Mark is absolutely right, San Francisco loved Candi! We even loved "Run To Me."

In fact, at one point, I got sick from too Candi at Troc!