Candi Staton: The Queen of Soulful Reworks
Candi Staton’s career began in the late ’60s, and over the years, she has released an impressive 30 studio albums. While few of her singles charted high, many of her reworked versions of songs have become classics. Candi is renowned for both reinterpreting tunes and having them specially written for her.
One of her first notable hits was her funky soul rendition of the country classic Stand By Your Man in 1971. Her version, with lush strings and a modern twist, sounds far more contemporary than the original, which had been released just three years earlier. There’s also the famous, less serious version of Stand By Your Man in The Blues Brothers film, but to me, Candi’s take is clearly the standout.
Building on the success of her reinterpretations, Candi tackled Elvis Presley’s In The Ghetto in 1973. While it didn’t quite match the impact of her earlier work, it did reasonably well on the charts.
However, it wasn’t until 1976 that Candi landed her first #1 hit with Young Hearts Run Free. Written specifically for her, the song was inspired by a conversation Candi had with songwriter David Crawford over lunch.
Candi’s next chart success came in 1977 with her reworking of the Bee Gees’ Nights on Broadway. Though the song was only a couple of years old, Candi’s fresh spin on it made it a standout.
In 1982, she revisited another Elvis classic with her version of Suspicious Minds, originally written by Mark James and released by Elvis in 1969. This time, the song took a little longer to land in her hands, but it was a solid addition to her catalog.
Her final big hit came in 1986 with You Got The Love, a track written for her by the U.K. songwriting team The Source. The song later gained another resurgence when Florence + The Machine covered it in 2009, proving the enduring power of Candi’s reworked classics.
Candi Staton Tunes | Related Pages
In The Ghetto | Chords + TAB
You can learn how to play In The Ghetto by Elvis Presley using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and the original recording.
| Bb Bbsus4 | Bb Bbsus4 Bb |
As the snow flies…
Check out the full TAB lesson here: In The Ghetto (Elvis) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Suspicious Minds | Chords + TAB
You can learn how to play Suspicious Minds by Elvis Presley using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and the original recording.
| G (C/G) | G (C/G) | C (F/C) | C (F/C) |
We’re caught in a trap, I can’t walk out…
Check out the full TAB lesson here: Suspicious Minds (Elvis Presley) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
You’ve Got The Love | Chords + TAB
You can learn how to play You’ve Got The Love by Florence + the Machine using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and the original recording.
| G#m | F# |
Sometimes I feel like throwing my hands up in the air…
Check out the full TAB lesson here: You’ve Got The Love (Florence + the Machine) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Young Hearts Run Free | Chords + TAB
You can learn how to play Young Hearts Run Free by Candi Staton using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and backing tracks.
| Fmaj7 F6 | Fmaj7 F6 |
What’s the sense in sharing, this one and only life…
Check out the full TAB lesson here: Young Hearts Run Free (Candi Station) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Candi Staton on the web
