Candi Staton - Victim (Warner Bros. Records 1978)

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• published: 14 Jul 2011
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"Victim" is a song written and produced by Dave Crawford with arrangements by Sylvester Rivers. Candi Staton is an American soul and gospel singer, best known for her 1970 remake of Tammy Wynette's "Stand By Your Man" and her 1976 disco hit "Young Hearts Run Free". In 2007, Staton was inducted into the Christian Music Hall of Fame. At the age of eleven or twelve, Staton and her sister Maggie were sent to the Jewell Christian Academy in Nashville, Tennessee. Her vocal abilities quickly set her apart from the crowd; the school's pastor teamed the two sisters with a third girl (Naomi Harrison) to form the Jewell Gospel Trio. As teenagers, they toured the traditional gospel circuit in the 1950s with the Soul Stirrers, C. L. Franklin and Mahalia Jackson. They recorded several sides for Nashbro, Apollo and Savoy Records between 1953 and 1963. In 1968, Staton was introduced to Rick Hall by Clarence Carter and launched her solo career as a Southern soul stylist, garnering 16 R&B; hits for Rick Hall's Fame Studios and gaining the title of "First Lady of Southern Soul" for her Grammy-nominated R&B; renditions of the songs "Stand by Your Man" and "In the Ghetto".[4] Staton appeared on the September 23, 1972 edition (Season 2, Episode 1) of Soul Train. In 1976, Staton began collaborating with producer David Crawford on disco songs such as "Young Hearts Run Free", which reached #1 on the US R&B; charts, #2 in the UK Singles Chart and went Top 20 on the Pop Hot 100 during the summer of 1976. It was remixed and re-released in 1986 reaching the UK Top 50. Follow up song "Destiny" hit the Top 50 in the UK. Candi's version of "Nights on Broadway" hit the UK Top 10 in 1977; it had been a US Billboard hit for the Bee Gees over a year before. In 1978, she scored another Top 50 hit in the UK with "Honest I Do I Love You". In 1979, from her album "Chance" Staton released album single "When You Wake Up Tomorrow" (co-written by Patrick Adams and Wayne K. Garfield) and the title song "Chance", a TOP 20 R&B; charted record. Other Dance club chart hits included "When You Wake Up Tomorrow" and "Victim". In 1982, Candi again hit the UK chart with a version of Elvis Presley's "Suspicious Minds". In 1997, singer Kym Mazelle recorded "Young Hearts Run Free" for the film adaption of Romeo and Juliet. In 1982, Staton returned to gospel music. She married her fourth husband, John Sussewell (drummer for Ashford & Simpson and also Dory Previn's sixth album). Together they founded Beracah Ministries in Atlanta, Georgia with help from Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker's PTL Ministries. She has since recorded eight gospel albums, two of which received Grammy Award nominations. When I started out It was just a matter of seeing you every day I looked forward to the times When you would come my way, oh yes I longed just to see you Wore a smile just to greet you I became a victim of the very song I sing You gave me a brand new reason To start fixing up my face Having cocktails at your favorite place A table just for two Got rid of loneliness, now that I have you I became a victim of the very song I sing I told you young hearts run free When I didn't listen to myself Engulfed by the power of love I just fell right in, oh yes I did Wasn't hardly worried about tomorrow You were my future As long as I was being satisfied I didn't won't nothing else, no no baby And now already, I'm being left at home I wonder what it is That makes a man leave a girl so all alone Oh people another woman is usually the thing Running 'round, it just don't seem to change I'm a victim, I'm a victim, I'm a victim, I'm a victim I'm a victim of the very song I sing Why don't you practice what you preach That's what everybody keeps telling me They say if my advice is good for others It's gotta be good for me, can't you see? I try to occupy my mind Keep myself busy all the time But the more I try to do The more I keep thinking of you, oh baby Oh well, I guess I'll end up in the lost and found It Looks like love and me We've fought another round Another woman is his claim to fame I'd be lucky, I can break these chains Victim, victim, I'm a victim of the very song I sing Come on help me sing Do do wap, oh oh do do wap Oh oh do do wap, yea mmm... Say Do do wap, oh oh do do wap Oh oh do do wap, yea mmm... I'm a victim, I'm a victim, I'm a victim, I'm a victim I'm a victim of the very song I sing Victim, victim, victim, victim Hunter got captured by the game, oh oh oooh Victim, I'm a victim, oh yes I am you see I'm a victim, oh lord, victim Victim of the very song I sing I can't help myself, ooh yes Victim, I'm a victim, you see I'm a victim Victim of the very, my man and me Oh baby, oh baby Come on, come on, come on, ooh I'm a victim, victim yea yea you see I'm a victim oh yes I am Oh oh yea, oh yea, oh baby I can't get you off my mind Victim, oh yes I am I'm a victim, alright you see I'm a victim