Doowopheaven: Candy & The Kisses

Samstag, 2. Mai 2015

Candy & The Kisses

Candy & The Kisses

aka Sweet Soul

Ref. Honey Love & The Love Notes

(Port Richmond, New York)

Group members:

Beryl “Candy” Nelson (lead)

Suzanne Nelson

Jeanette Johnson

Discography:

Candy & The Kisses

Singles:

1963 - A Good Cry / Let The Good Times Roll (R&L 500) 1963

1964 - The 81 / Two Happy People (Cameo 336)

1964 - Soldier Baby (Of Mine) / Shakin’ Time (Cameo 355)

1965 - Keep On Searchin’ / Together (Scepter 12106)

1965 - Out In The Streets Again / Sweet And Lovely (Scepter 12125)

1966 - Tonight's The Night / The Last Time (Scepter 12136) (first pressing)
1966 - Let Love Win / The Last Time (Scepter 12136) (second pressing)

1968 - Chains Of Love / Someone Out There (Decca 32415)

Unreleased:

n/a - Smokey Joe’s*

n/a - Are You Trying To Get Rid Of Me Baby?

n/a - You Did The Best You Could

n/a - I’ll Settle For You

n/a - Lookie Lookie (What I Got)

n/a - All You Gotta Do

n/a - One Sweet Kiss

*Released in 1965 in France as ‘Smokey’ on the Vogue EP INT 18007

Honey Love & The Love Notes

1965 - We Belong Together / Mary Ann (Cameo 380)

Love Notes

1966 - Baby Baby You / Beg Me (Cameo 409)

Sweet Soul

1969 - If You Love Him / Oh Oh Oh No (Mercury 72976)

Biography:

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 Boy (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.

Andrew Hamilton, All Music Guide

Additional notes: Candy & The Kisses recorded with Harriet Laverne under the alias of Honey Love & The Love Notes for Cameo Records. Candy & The Kisses on the R&L label was possibly a different group.

Links:

Candy & The Kisses biography at Vocalien Voices

Candy & The Kisses biography at Popdose

Candy & The Kisses biography at Girl Group Chronicles

Candy & The Kisses discography at Soulful Kinda Music

Candy & The Kisses label scans at 45cat

Honey Love & The Love Notes label scans at 45cat

Songs: