(February 26, 2025) There isn’t too much musical ground that legends Candi Staton and William Bell haven’t covered. Gospel, blues, Southern Soul, soul and R&B, Staton and Bell have sung it. Now, the two pair up on a cover of Aaron Frazer’s “My God Has a Telephone.”
The tune is one of the tracks featured on Staton’s latest album, Back To My Roots. That 12-track collection finds Staton performing American roots music, such as “Love Breakthrough,” the first tune from Back To My Roots featured in a First Listen last month.
“My God Has a Telephone” is a song that fuses a strong gospel message of a God that is always connected to humanity. All we must done to activate the line is pray. The song fuses that gospel message with a musical arrangement that oozes with soulfulness, right down to the doo-wop inspired backing vocals.
Stanton and Bell worked magic with this kind of material for more than half a century, Stanton sang gospel as a member of the Jewel Gospel Trio before transitioning to R&B and Southern Soul in the 1960s. Staton was a mainstay on the charts throughout the 60s and 70s. Bell was a hit maker with Stax records with songs like “Private Number.”
Staton and Bell have continued releasing songs and working with a new generation of artists who want the honesty and soul music power these legends brought to any project. Now, we get to hear Staton and Bell work together on “My God Has a Telephone. Check it out here.
By Howard Dukes
