Candi Staton prepares to celebrate her eighty-fifth birthday in March, but prior to this, the legendary soul star will be feeling the love on February 14th by releasing her new studio album Back To My Roots. Candi gives us a taster of the set with self-penned track Love Breakthrough – produced by Marcus Williams.
A mix of originals and covers, Candi shares: “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.”
Candi shares more about the album: “I grew up hearing a lot of these old 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 sang these type of 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.”
Of the twelve tracks, bouncy Motown-inspired anthem Love Breakthrough shines, whilst Candi takes on The Rolling Stones on Shine A Light. Spoken word piece 1963 poignantly explores the Birmingham Church bombing, whilst The Lord Will Make a Way Somehow is an Al Green influenced gospel number. God’s Gonna Use Me Anyway boasts some slick Caribbean flavours, Hang on in There delivers mid-tempo gospel grooves, and I Missed the Target Again delivers Bonnie Raitt inspired gospel-blues.
- I Missed the Target Again
- It’s Gonna Rain
- Hang on in There
- Shine A Light
- Lord Will Make a Way Somehow
- God’s Gonna Use Me Anyway
- There Will Be Peace in the Valley
- 1963
- Reach Down and Touch Heaven for Me
- Love Breakthrough
- My God Has a Telephone
- In God’s Hands We Rest Untroubled
