Gospel, soul, r&b and disco music bonafide legend Candi Staton, who turns 85-years-old in March, returns to her down-home Alabama roots on her forthcoming Valentine’s day-released album, “Back to My Roots” – the 32nd LP of her amazingly successful career which began when she was just 12-years-old.
Ms Staton was in London a few days ago to receive the Americana Music Association UK’s highest honour, the International Lifetime Achievement Award, at the UK Americana Music Awards ceremony.
She also attended the premiere of “I’ll Take You There”, a new film about the music and civil rights history of Alabama, in which she appears. This documentary was screened at Hackney Picturehouse, preceded by a panel discussion featuring participating artists with Candi Staton as special guest.
The twelve-track set on the new album which releases globally on February 14th, 2025 via Beracah Records / New Day Distribution, features an array of Staton-penned originals and some well-chosen covers.
“These songs represent my roots,” Candi says, as she reflects on her many trials and triumphs. “Even the new songs on some level represent something I’ve experienced and that’s what real soul music is about.”
“Back to My Roots” was produced by Candi Staton with her second eldest son, Marcus Williams, a professional drummer who has toured with the likes of Peabo Bryson, Isaac Hayes, and Tyler Perry. They brought in Mark Nevers of Lambchop fame, who produced three of Candi’s prior Americana albums for Honest Jon’s and Thirty Tigers record labels, to sweeten certain tracks.
“Some of the first songs I ever heard were songs like `Peace in the Valley’ and `It’s Gonna Rain’. The new songs or cover songs are tracks that remind me of that era when I was growing up as a child and evolving as a young woman. That’s why I named the album ‘Back to My Roots’, because I’m going back to the roots that made me who I am.”
First single “Love Breakthrough” is now available. Written by Candi, this stand-out track about divinely inspired peace and universal love showcases a Motown-styled flavour in the classic style of Diana Ross & The Supremes’ biggest 1960s hits.
Candi Staton’s older sister, Maggie Staton Peebles [who alongside Candi was a member of the Jewel Gospel Trio in the 1950s], joins her for two duets. The first, “It’s Gonna Rain,” features just a drum, steel guitar and vocals. “My mother used to sing that song to us all the time when I was a child. It’s a really soulful kind of song I wanted to revisit,” comments Candi.
They then take turns leading Thomas Dorsey 1939 gem “Peace in the Valley” which Elvis Presley popularised in the 1950s. “Hang on in There” is a new, mid-tempo song that has an old school gospel flavour and features vocals from veteran bluesman, Larry McCrary.
While in Europe in 2023 for her farewell concert tour that took her to the Glastonbury Festival and Love Supreme, Staton and her British band, PUSH, went into a London studio to record a new version of The Rolling Stones’ 1972 gem, “Shine A Light.” “I love the way that came out. We put a big choir on it and put our own twist on it.”
The mood takes a turn on “1963.” It’s a poignant, spoken-word reflection on September 15th, 1963, when four black girls were killed in the Birmingham Church bombing in Alabama. “I was in the city that day and I remember the chaos and horror after the bombing,” Candi sadly recalls. “Just thinking of how racism and hatred caused those men to kill those girls was so emotional for me that I could only do it in one take.”
It’s a perfect segue into “Reach Down and Touch Heaven,” a haunting, plea for divine intervention into the affairs of mankind. “That’s straight Baptist,” she says. “I used to be a church pianist back in the 1960s. I’ve never played piano on one of my records before so that’s a unique song for me because I’m finally playing on one of my records.”
“I grew up hearing a lot of these old gospel songs when they were new songs. I toured with the Jewel Gospel Trio in the 1950s and we got to know people like Mahalia Jackson, Sam Cooke and others who first sang these songs. So, I’m sort of paying tribute to them and the influence they had on me by refreshing these songs and making new songs in the old style.”
A staffer brought Aaron Frazer & the Flying Stars of Brooklyn NY’s “My God Has a Telephone” to Candi’s attention. While the retro 1960s arrangement is similar to the original version, Staton brought in her long-time friend and STAX Records legend, William Bell (“I Forgot to Be Your Lover” and “Trying to Love Two”), to add raspy seasoning to the track.
The album closes with the wistful, “In God’s Hands We Rest Untroubled,” that was originally written and recorded by the late country star, Lari White, who died in 2017 at the age of 52. “Lari sent me that song to consider at least ten years ago and I always loved it,” Staton says. “The record label didn’t want it on the album or something, so I just held it.”
Back to My Roots track listing:
I Missed the Target Again (Candi Staton)
It’s Gonna Rain (Public Domain/ Candi Staton arranger)
Hang on in There (Candi Staton)
Shine A Light (Mick Jagger, Keith Richards)
Lord Will Make a Way Somehow (Thomas Dorsey)
God’s Gonna Use Me Anyway (Candi Staton)
1963 (Candi Staton)
Reach Down and Touch Heaven for Me (Candi Staton)
Love Breakthrough (Candi Staton)
Shine A Light (Mick Jagger, Keith Richards)
My God Has a Telephone (Aaron Frazer, Micah Blaichman, Wyndham Baird)
Ft. William Bell
In God’s Hands We Rest Untroubled (Lari White, Jimmy Stewart, Marion Cannon)
Candi Staton’s Track Record:
1. First song you recall hearing as a child?
I’m sure it was something in church. My mother was very devout, and she always had the radio playing gospel or she was singing some song she heard in church. My first church solo when I was five years old was me singing “The Lord Will Make A Way Somehow” at our little church in Alabama. I was so nervous. They stood me up on this little chair and let me sing and people started getting happy and throwing coins and handkerchiefs. I didn’t know what was going on. When I was done, I ran over to my mother for safety [laughs].
2. First single you owned?
I don’t remember exactly but it might have been “Don’t Let Go” by Roy Hamilton or “Mama He Treats Your Daughter Mean.” I loved those songs as a teenager. I’ve often thought about re-recording “Mama, He Treats Your Daughter Mean” but someone always talks me out of it.
3. First LP/album you owned?
I don’t really remember having a lot of albums back in the day. I grew up in the 45 rpm era and I usually just got a 45 rpm of a song I liked like Aretha Franklin’s “Do Right Woman,” Etta James’ “Tell Mama” or Ray Charles’ “Let’s Go Get Stoned.”
4. First CD you owned?
A Ray Charles CD. I don’t remember the name of it. I love his voice. It’s such a soothing voice, a little country, a little gospel, a little R&B. I didn’t buy anything for a long time because I was out there on the road with the singers and heard them singing the songs I liked every night.
5. Last music you bought and in what format (CD/vinyl/digital download)?
I was in New York city at a record store. I bought a Sam Cooke greatest hits LP.I have it displayed on a shelf in my great room. The crazy thing is I don’t have a record player yet [laughs].
6. Which album would you be happy to receive as a gift?
Hmmm. Let’s see. That’s a good question. I was watching The Grammy Awards the other night and Cynthia Erivo was singing something. That girl can sing. I’d love to receive her album as a gift.
7. Favourite album? (Choose more than one if need be…)
Aretha Franklin’s “Amazing Grace” gospel album.
8. Best record ever made (can be single/album/EP – and choose more than one if need be)?
“Georgia on My Mind” by Ray Charles.
9. Guilty secret (or anything unusual or perhaps unexpected) in your music collection?
I’m sad to say that I don’t have much of a record collection. It’s probably unusual that a singer wouldn’t have a record collection, but I really don’t. I don’t even have a copy of all the albums I’ve recorded.
10. What does music mean to you and how does it make you feel?
It may sound like a cliché, but music is literally my life. It really has made my life a good one. I’ve had my ups and downs, but music has brought me a lot of happiness. The only career I ever thought of having other than music is nursing. I worked in a medical facility in my early 20s and that can be a depressing job when you see sick people get sicker or pass away. So, I’m glad that didn’t become my career.
Music makes me feel good and people have often come up to me and told me stories about how my different songs inspired them. People have told me they left bad relationships because of “Young Hearts Run Free” and back in the day, people used to line up outside my dressing room and talk to me as if I was a therapist. “Victim” was another song that made people end relationships or just get smart about them.
11. Which song or album is a guaranteed mood booster?
“I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor.
12. Which song or album would be the soundtrack to a film about your life?
Oh, that’s easy. Young Hearts Run Free is literally the soundtrack of my life. The writer and producer David Crawford wrote that song about an abusive marriage I was locked into back in the 1970s. We used to have these lunch working sessions to talk about what kind of music would be on my album. One day we were talking, and I was just frustrated by my husband and David asked what was wrong.
“I just started fussing about him and everything he did that was wrong and I have these 5 children to raise and so forth. He was writing things down, but little did I know that he was taking notes to work all of that conversation into what became “Young Hearts Run Free.”
13. Your favourite driving track – or music to exercise to?
My recent favourite track to use when I’m on the treadmill is the Kelly G remix of “Power of One.” That song just gets my blood moving. I was on a Zoom call with him and I told him I do a Holy Ghost dance when that song comes on and we started laughing. Another song I like to exercise to is Mary J. Blige’s song called “Just Fine.” It’s just a feelgood song and it makes you want to move.
14. Best song or album for a romantic moment?
I probably shouldn’t say this, but I dated Lou Rawls when I was a teenager. He was in a gospel group called The Pilgrim Travelers and I was in a group called The Jewel Gospel Trio. We toured all over the country together, so that’s how we first met each other. We were engaged to be married. His mother really liked me, so one day she pulled me aside and told me that she loved her son but that he would never be a good husband to me.
He was still busy playing the field and she didn’t want me to be unhappy. I remember that Roy Hamilton song “Don’t Let Go” was playing on repeat on the record player when we had our first romantic moment. However, I think a duet I recorded with Bobby Womack is a great song for romance. It’s called “Stop Before We Start.” It’s a very sensual, but sophisticated song.
15. Which song was played for the “First Dance” at your wedding (if you are married) or which song would you choose if you did get married?
There wasn’t no first dance. We had a shot-gun wedding. I was 18 and we got married at a justice of the peace. I was just glad to get it over with and be done. My mother made us get married, so there wasn’t no wedding song [laughs].
16. Your choice of song to sing at karaoke?
Oh, “I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor hands-down. I’ve always loved that song and the strength that it portrays. I’ve known Gloria for years and I’ve always teased her that I would have loved to have recorded that song. Everybody knows it and it’s such an empowering message.
17. Which song takes you back to your childhood – and to which specific memory/memories?
There are a few songs on my new album that I first learned as a child. “There Will Be Peace in the Valley” and “The Lord Will Make a Way” or a couple of them. Another song on this album that takes me right back to my childhood is “It’s Gonna Rain.” My mother used to sit the six of us kids down and have us sing that song to her. She loved that song, and she wanted to hear us sing it almost every day. We were singing it a cappella back then but on this new version, we put some steel guitar on it to give it some of that Pop Staples kind of guitar feeling.
18. Favourite band (or bands)?
I loved The Temptations. They have a lot of great songs. I opened for them on many concerts back in the 1970s. David Ruffin and Eddie Kendrick were friends of mine, especially David. He and I often hung out with Bobby Womack. One time, the three of us got stuck in a snow storm somewhere. In recent years, I got to do a few oldies but goodies tours with Dennis Edwards and his Temptations Revue. We became good friends.
The Commodores are great. One time, I was performing at The Apollo Theater and my band couldn’t get there for some reason, and The Commodores backed me up for that show. I was friends with their manager Benny Ashburn and he’d invite me to the studio when they were recording. I was in the studio with them the day that they recorded “Three Times A Lady.” They had loads of great songs.
19. Favourite singer (or singers)?
Most of my favourites are from yesteryear because I don’t actually listen to a lot of music unless I’m in the car driving. When I’m at home, I’m often watching Lifetime cable TV or some movie channel. However, my all-time favourites are artists like Aretha Franklin, Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, B.B. King.
I grew up listening to Eddy Arnold, Ernest Tubb and a lot of country music because my mother wouldn’t let me listen to R&B. But, she would let me listen to country music because the songs were story songs that often had a moral to the story. She was a praying woman, so if she could see a spiritual element in a song then she was okay with it.
20. Which song would you like played at your funeral?
Maybe my version of Thomas Dorsey’s “Precious Lord.” I recorded it back in the 1970s on the “House of Love” album that had my disco hit “Victim” on it. The producer David Crawford and I were in the recording studio on a Sunday and neither one of us had attended church in a long time. David used to play keyboards with The Caravans and Rev. James Cleveland, so he knew that style of churchy keyboarding.
Since it was a Sunday, we said we feel like we should be in church. So, we just started singing that song for ourselves and the engineer recorded it. We didn’t even mean for it to be on the album but the powers that be said keep it on there. When this life is all over, that’s my wish that the Lord would just take my hand and lead me to heaven.
MINI BIO:
The four-times Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter, born Canzetta Staton, began her professional career as a member of the ground breaking Jewel Gospel Trio, the first gospel group with a full band. They toured with golden age of gospel legends such as Mahalia Jackson, Sam Cooke & The Soul Stirrers and The Staple Singers in the 1950s. By the late 1960s, Staton had launched her solo r&b career with Rick Hall’s FAME Records, where she scored more than a dozen southern soul-styled hits such as the Top Ten cuts “I’m Just a Prisoner (Of Your Good Lovin’)” and “I’d Rather Be an Old Man’s Sweetheart (Than A Young One’s Fool).”
Her covers of country songs “In the Ghetto” and “Stand by Your Man” earned her Grammy nominations. She closed the 1970s with Warner Brothers Records, where she scored dance hits such as “Nights on Broadway,” “Victim” and her platinum-signature hit “Young Hearts Run Free” which reached #1 on the US R&B charts and # 2 in the UK.
In the 1980s, she left r&b and began a gospel career that brought more Grammy nominations and a string of hit albums. In the early millennium, a series of compilations celebrating her FAME Recordings revived her secular career. She began to make a series of Americana-styled albums that celebrated her southern soul roots such as the critically-acclaimed “His Hands” (2006), “Who’s Hurting Now?” (2009), “Life Happens” (2014) and “Unstoppable” (2018).
“Life Happens” featured a brilliant Staton collaboration with Jason Isbell, John Paul White (of The Civil Wars) and The Swampers on “I Ain’t Easy to Love.” It earned them an unforgettable performance on The Late Show with David Letterman. At the same time, she’s also maintained a side career with the dance community that has made songs such as “Love Sweet Sound,” the timeless smash hit “You Got the Love”, and “Hallelujah Anyway” major club classics.
“You Got the Love” has sold and streamed millions, with various remixes hitting the UK chart Top Ten in 1991, 1997 and 2006. The song has been covered with great success by Florence & The Machine, Joss Stone, Becky Hill and Pete Tong, among others. It’s been featured in commercials for Mercedes Benz, Charlotte Tilbury and the TV series “Sex and the City.”
Recently Candi Staton has enjoyed millions of streams for new dance cuts with CHANEY (“Lose My Number”), Kelly G (“Power of One”) and Benji LaVida’s viral House remake of “Young Hearts Run Free.”
Lyle Lovett & Candi Staton at the Americana UK awards – photo by Michael Wilson
Candi Staton with her Lifetime Achievement award – photo by Alan Messer
2 x portrait photos of Candi [Leopard print dress & pink trousers] by Sean Cokes
Live photos of Candi by Steve Thorne/Getty and Jason Sheldon/Junction 10 Photography
