Song:Candy
Album:Classic Stax
The Astors recorded a handful of singles for Stax in the mid-60s. The 1965 single Candy was the only one that charted. They started out in 1958 as The Duntinos. They all went to Melrose High School in Memphis. They were Curtis Johnson, Eliehue Stanback, Richard Harris, Sam Jones and Richard Griffin. Pianist Herman "Red" Arnett and the legendary Rufus Thomas mentored them and helped them get gigs. After recording some backup vocals, They recorded a couple of singles in 1961 as The Chips named after producer Chips Moman. And then in 1963 the group name was changed to The Astors. The 1965 single Candy was their only chart single. It reached #12 on the R&B Singles chart and #63 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was written and produced by Stax legends Steve Cropper and Isaac Hayes. Curtis Johnson sang lead. The Astors went on tour as part of The Stax Review. Richard Harris left The Astors in 1967. He was replaced by Curtis Johnson's brother Harold Johnson. The Astors split up after Stanback and Jones were drafted into the military. Candy turns up on Stax box sets like this 3CD comp released in England. Curtis Johnson was a producer for Mercury Records in 1968. He and Harold Johnson were members of Brothers Unlimited who recorded an album for Capitol in 1970. Here's a video for Candy by The Astors.
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