Candy And The Kisses

[Guest WPaulVanDyk]

I managed to find a cd other day cheap in Virgin of Candy and the Kisses, not know much about them but wondered what you all think. Some of you maybe have some of the original 45's by them

[Guest Dan]

I managed to find a cd other day cheap in Virgin of Candy and the Kisses, not know much about them but wondered what you all think. Some of you maybe have some of the original 45's by them

some good stuff on scepter, like out on the streets again. i guess the 81 is their best known oldie? what's the tracklisting?

[Winsford Soul]

I managed to find a cd other day cheap in Virgin of Candy and the Kisses, not know much about them but wondered what you all think. Some of you maybe have some of the original 45's by them

Got a Scepter demo of Out on the streets again and a red Parkway ( i think ) issue of the 81.Top quality northern soul. Bought a compilation album in the late 70,s called Out on the streets again for the title track,

Steve

Edited April 12, 2006 by Winsford Soul

[Guest Netspeaky]

If you're into girl groups they are a must. Do the 81

[TheBigO]

Here's what I've got on them on the laptop in my various sections on groups etc:

Armed with a fly name and gifted producers and writers, this Port Richmond, NY, group still didn't click. The group consisted of sisters Candy and Suzanne Nelson and their friend Jeanette Johnson. The Nelsons' father was a minister and they developed their singing skills in his church. For a while they were the Symphonettes but never recorded as such; they became Candy and the Kisses with their first release, "After I Cry" b/w "Let the Good Times Roll," issued in 1963 on R&L Records. The hurtin' ballad sold well, where played, but it didn't get played much or in many places. "The 81" b/w "Two Happy People" (Cameo Records, 1964) was their biggest record; Kenny Gamble and Jerry Ross wrote the shuffler about the popular Philly dance. Leon Huff and Cindy Scott wrote the flip; Gamble & Huff later united to become Hall-of-Fame songwriters and producers. "The 81" stopped short of Billboard's pop Top 40 and nested in the 50s. Cameo followed with Phil Spector's "Soldier Baby (of Mine)" b/w "Shakin' Time" (1965), but politics killed the potential two-sided hit and the Cameo deal. They signed with Scepter Records in 1965 and were assigned to the writing team of Josephine (Joshie) Armstead, Valerie Simpson, and Nicholas Ashford. However, excellent material like "Keep on Searchin'," "Sweet and Lovely," "Out in the Streets Again," "I'll Settle for You," "Mr. Creator," and "Are You Trying to Get Rid of Me Baby," fail to chart. Even a remake of the Shirelles' 1960 hit "Tonight's the Night" and "You Did the Best You Could" misfired. In 1968, the final Candy & the Kisses recording appeared on Decca Records; when "Chains of Love" b/w "Someone out There" didn't bust a grape, Candy retired. Suzanne, Jeanette, and new lead Beryl Martin tried again as Sweet Soul on Mercury Records in 1969. Their only single "Oh No, Oh No" b/w "If You Love Him" didn't win, place, or show, and they disbanded.

In 1963 a group calling themselves Candy and the Kisses recorded a beautiful ballad entitled "A Good Cry," on the R&L label. The song missed out on a lot of airwaves, and that group disapeared from the music scene, however, one year later, three young ladies on the Cameo label would revive the name to great success.

Candy and Suzanne Nelson were daughters of a minister in New York when they and friend Jeanette Johnson decided to form a girl group like many teen girls of the day. The Symphonettes, as they christened themselves were soon discovered by a young Jerry Ross, producer extraordinaire.

Ross had been in Philadelphia with Kenny Gamble, and while at a record hop they saw some kids doing a new dance they called "The 81" to a Martha and the Vandellas song, "In My Lonely Room." The duo immediately made a sound-a-like dance tune called the "The 81" and had Candy and the gals record it for release. Soon the single, and its B-side "Two Happy People" peaked just outside the Top 50 on the charts.

The group followed up their hit status with a cover version of an unreleased Ronettes' song called "Soldier Baby (Of Mine)." The song didn't spark much interest until Brenda Hall used a much more uptempo version for the B-side of her "Oh Eddy My Baby" single. Also from this period came the live recording "Shakin' Time," which was another dance tune.

Candy and the Kisses soon jumped over to the Sceptor label, which had had much success with the Shirelles and Dionne Warwick. "Keep On Searchin" kept the Kisses searchin' for another hit, but neither that single, nor its several follow-ups were big successes. The Sceptor-Kisses match may not have been friutful on the charts, but artistically both entities were at their finest with songs like "Are You Trying To Get Rid Of Me Baby," "You Did The Best You Could," and "Out In The Streets Again." The group retired after one further release on Decca.

Got more somewhere on them will try and dig out. By the way, The 81 is great but check out their storming stomping version of my other fave girlie group, The Sherrielles, Tonights The Night - awesome and a big spin for Keb in the late 80's if memory serves right. Available on Kent lp and various CDs, try Amazon for a sound clip.

[Guest Kevin J]

Keep on Searching and Out In the Streets both get plays from my box. Do the 81 is great too. love the girlies!!

[Guest WPaulVanDyk]

Sounds great and seems like you all happy with them. Tracklist on cd is

1. The 81

2. Two Happy People

3. Soilder Baby (of Mine)

4. Shakin Time

5. Keep on Searching

6. Together

7. Let Love Win

8. Smokey Joe's

9. Sweet and Lonely

10. Out In The Streets Again

11. The Last Time

12. Tonights The Night

13. Are you Trying to Get Rid of My Baby

14. You Did The Best You Could

15. I'll Settle For You

16. Lookie Lookie (What I Got) - previously unreleased

17. All You Gotta Do - previously unreleased

18. One Sweet Kiss - previously unreleased