The group, The Duntinos, quickly made a name for themselves performing regularly at local Beale Street and area venues. "Red" taught the guys to perform, and they learned to entertain under the tutelage of Rufus "Walking The Dog" Thomas, while working the "Chittlin Circuit" with him and his band, The Bearcats. After Curtis and Eliehue graduated, the Duntinos moved to Buffalo, New York with Curtis' relatives, looking, for the "Bright Lights" of New York, but found that Buffalo was very cold, and a long way from "The Big Apple". After working a few jobs in Buffalo, the group return to Memphis to do some backup vocals for Carla and Rufus Thomas and other artist recording at a new studio, then called Satellite Records.
In 1961 the group recorded their first release "You Make Me Feel So Good"(Curtis -lead), a song that Curtis wrote b/w "As You Can See"(Eliehue-lead), written by Eliehue Stanback. The group's name was changed to The Chips for this release, named after producer, Chips Moman. In 1961, Curtis joined the Air Force, but continued to record when on leave from the Military. In 1963 the group's name was changed again to The Astors for the next release, written by guitarist, Larry Lee who played with Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock and later played with Al Green for years. That record was " What Can It Be" b/w "Just Enough To Hurt Me"(Curtis-lead). "What Can It Be is my favorite of all the songs we recorded", says Curtis.
In 1965, Stax Records, formerly Satellite, released a song on the group "Candy" that was recorded while Curtis was on leave.
"Candy"(Curtis-lead), written by Booker T & MG's guitarist Steve Cropper and Isaac Hayes, was their biggest record. The song b/w "I Found Out" , written by Eliehue, climbed to #12 on the Billboard Top 100 R&B charts, and #63 on the Top 100 Pop charts. As "Candy" moved up the charts, The Astors performed on shows at the Uptown Theater in Philly, the Howard Theater in D.C., The Regal Theater in Chicago, and The Apollo Theater in New York. The other performers on these shows included The O'Jays, The Coasters, Curtis Mayfield and The Impressions, and Redd Foxx to name a few. The Astors also spent 2 1/2 months performing on tour with The James Brown Review.
In late Summer of 1965, the group traveled to Los Angeles, CA with the first Stax Review to perform in Watts, and spent 13 days their filming TV shows during the day ("Where the Action Is" a Dick Clark production, and "Hollywood A-Go-Go", a syndicated dance show and Shivaree, another dance TV show). Nights, the group performed at nightclubs on The Strip in Hollywood. A 2-night stand at the 5/4 Ballroom Club in Watts was the climax of this tour, and was recorded live.
The complete Stax Review included Carla and Rufus Thomas, Booker T. and The MG's, William Bell, The Mad Lads, Wilson Pickett, and The Mar-Keys. These shows were recorded and can be heard on "Funky Broadway: Stax Live At The 5/4 Ballroom" (SCD-8567-2). The 1965 "Watts Riot" started about this time. "We could see the smoke from the riot while we were flying out of LA." says Curtis.
The follow-up record to "Candy" was "In The Twilight Zone" (Curtis-lead) written by Isaac Hayes, David Porter, and Sidney Bailey b/w "Mystery Woman" written by Cropper & Hayes.
Later, Richard decided to leave the group to spend more time with his family, and Curtis' brother, Harold Johnson, joined the group. In 1967 the group recorded and released a song written by Booker T. Jones and William Bell, "Daddy Didn't Tell Me" b/w More Power To You" written by David Porter and Curtis. Eliehue and Sam were drafted into the military thereafter, and the group broke up.
In 1992, Fantasy Records, who took over the Stax catalogue, after Stax closed it's doors for good, released a Box Set of 9 CDs that included 5 Astors songs, and in 1995 reissued The Astors music on the CD " The Astors Meet the Newcomers: Sweet Soul from Memphis" that include 11 songs by the group. Many compilation CDs have been released over the past 8 years that also include songs the Astors recorded at Stax, some of them were never released before.
Be My Lady
The Astors Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's terribly sad but true,
All dressed up, no place to go
Each evening I'm awfully blue.
I must win some handsome guy
Can't go on like this,
I could blossom out I know, With somebody just like you. So
Oh, sweet and lovely lady, be good
Oh, lady, be good to me
I am so awfully misunderstood
So lady, be good to me
Oh, please have some pity
I'm all-alone in this big city
I tell you I'm just a lonesome babe in the wood,
So lady be good to me.
Oh, please have some pity
I'm all alone in this big city
I tell you I'm just a lonesome babe in the wood,
So lady be good to me.
Oh lady be good to me.
The Astors' song "Be My Lady" is a tale of loneliness and yearning for companionship. The singer is a person who is always dressed up but has no place to go and is terribly sad and lonely each evening. The person wants to find someone special to be with, to "win some handsome guy" and blossom out. The singer believes that they can be happy if they find someone "just like you," the "sweet and lovely lady" who can be good to them. They plead for pity and help from someone who can understand their loneliness and be there for them.
Throughout the song, the singer's sense of loneliness and isolation is palpable. The repeating refrain of "lady, be good to me" only reinforces this feeling. There is a desperation in the singer's voice, a sense that they are hanging on by a thread and need someone to rescue them. The song is a poignant reminder of the human need for companionship and love, and the pain that comes with loneliness.
Overall, The Astors' "Be My Lady" is a soulful and emotional plea for understanding and love. It is a snapshot of the human experience, expressing the universal desire for companionship and the longing for someone to be good to us.
Line by Line Meaning
Listen to my tale of woe,
Please pay attention to my story of sadness and troubles,
It's terribly sad but true,
It is unfortunate but it is the reality of my situation,
All dressed up, no place to go
I look good but I have nowhere to go,
Each evening I'm awfully blue.
Every night I am sad and depressed,
I must win some handsome guy
I need to find and attract a good-looking man,
Can't go on like this,
I cannot go on living this way,
I could blossom out I know,
I have the potential to grow and flourish,
With somebody just like you.
It can happen with someone just like you. So,
Oh, sweet and lovely lady, be good
Oh, kind and beautiful lady, please be good to me,
Oh, lady, be good to me
Please show me kindness and goodness, lady,
I am so awfully misunderstood
People don't understand me and it hurts me deeply,
So lady, be good to me
That's why, lady, please be good to me,
Oh, please have some pity
I beg of you, please empathize with me,
I'm all-alone in this big city
I am lonely and isolated in this large urban area,
I tell you I'm just a lonesome babe in the wood,
I am like a helpless little creature in the middle of a vast forest,
So lady be good to me.
Please, dear lady, be good to me,
Oh lady be good to me.
Oh lady be good to me, please.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind