In the nick of time, before midnight approaches (at least on the East Coast) and June 30 – and thus ‘Black Music Month’ – draws to a close, my third selection of picks from the Stax vaults…

MEL & TIM: Sam & Dave were gone (returning to Atlantic Records from whom they had been ‘on loan’ to Stax) so Stax ‘replaced’ their hottest duo with cousins Mel Hardin and Tim McPherson who had already had a pair of hits for ‘Duke Of Earl’ Gene Chandler’s Bamboo label (the provocative “Backfield In Motion” and “Good Guys Only Win In The Movies”) in the late ‘60s. In 1972, the pair gave Stax a major R&B and pop hit in the form of the Phillip Mitchell-penned classic “Starting All Over Again.” The guys had one more mid-sized Stax chart entry with “I May Not Be What You Want” which they performed at the L.A. Wattstax show in 1972. Recommended: their one Stax album, “Starting All Over Again.”

DAVID PORTER: While he is mostly known as one-half of the premier Stax writing and production team with Isaac Hayes, David Porter actually started his career with the
label as recording artist after cutting a few singles for other labels under the names “Little David” and “Kenny Cain.” In the wake of partner Hayes’ success as an out front artist in his own right, David stepped up to the plate himself, cutting a total of four albums and enjoying some modicum of chart action with the single “Can’t See You When I Want To.” Recommended: “Victim Of The Joke? An Opera.”

OTIS REDDING: The late Arthur Conley, one of his protégés, described him as ‘The King of Them All, Y’all” in the lyric lines of his biggest hit “Sweet Soul Music” in 1967. In many ways, in the pantheon of ‘60s soul music, that’s what Macon, Georgia-born Otis Redding was. He was
most assuredly the king at Stax Records, becoming the label’s best-selling male vocalist from 1964 on, an international star whose music influenced such pop and rock heroes as Mick Jagger (of The Rolling Stones). Not only a powerful vocalist but a prolific and notable songwriter – think “Respect,” “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long” in particular. Otis’ life was tragically cut short in a fatal airplane crash in 1967 but his music has lived on for generations since. Recommended: “Stax Profiles: Otis Redding” most especially for the brilliant “I’ve Got Dreams To Remember.”

THE SOUL CHILDREN: The brainchild of Isaac Hayes & David Porter, the quartet known as The Soul Children could have been considered the most emotive group to ever record for Stax! With brilliant gospel-honed harmonies, Norman West, John Blackfoot, Shelbra Bennett and Anita Louis may have been just too powerful vocally to gain the kind of mainstream success their talent so obviously deserved. There were hits – “The Sweeter He Is,” “I’ll Be The Other Woman” and “Hearsay” – but never the kind of sales that might have propelled them to a more lofty status in the upper reaches of R&B stardom. Live, they were unbelievable as a reunion at the 2007 50th Anniversary celebrations for Stax in Memphis proved. Recommended: “The Soul Children: Chronicle.”

THE STAPLE SINGERS/MAVIS STAPLES: Known as the ‘First Family Of Gospel,’ Pops Staples, daughters Mavis and Cleotha and son Pervis were well established in that field before they landed at Stax Records in 1968. They’d gained some recognition in pop and R&B circles during a brief stint at Epic (notable for 1967’s version of Stephen Stills’ “For What It’s Worth”) but it was at Stax that the family achieved its greatest success. It was slow going to start out with but when Stax exec Al Bell took over the production reigns in 1971, the group (with Pervis replaced by sister Yvonne) soared, hitting the heights with classics like “Respect Yourself” and “I’ll Take You There.” Mavis stepped out to record her first solo album at Stax in 1969, demonstrating the power and chops of any number of her contemporaries. Recommended: “The Very Best Of The Staple Singers” and “Mavis Staples/Only For The Lonely,” a compilation of her two Volt albums.

JOHNNIE TAYLOR: Like so many of his soulful brothers at Stax, Johnnie Taylor started his musical journey singing in church. He replaced Sam Cooke in the famous Soul Stirrers and followed in Cooke’s footsteps by switching to secular music in 1961 and recording for Cooke’s own record labels. In 1965, Johnnie signed with Stax and working with Hayes & Porter, came up with some fine R&B sides including “I Got To Love Somebody’s Baby” and “Somebody’s Sleeping In My Bed.” However, it was when he began recording with Detroit-based producer Don Davis that he achieved across-the-board hits in the form of “Who’s Making Love,” “I Could Never Be President” and “Cheaper To Keep Her.” He passed away in 2000. Recommended: “Lifetime,” a great 3-CD set.

CARLA THOMAS/RUFUS THOMAS: A comedian and radio personality and with daughter Carla the first artist to give the fledgling Stax company a hit record (in the form of 1959’s “Cause I Love You”), Rufus Thomas was always a character! His musical career was marked by such memorable dance crazes as “Walking The Dog,” “Do The Funky Chicken,” and “The Breakdown” and he was also known for his highly amusing stage antics and bright-colored outfits! Carla Thomas virtually reigned supreme as the ‘First Lady Of Stax,’ thanks in part to her 1960 smash “Gee Whiz” which really helped put her (and Stax) on the map. No surprise that one of her albums was entitled “The Queen Alone” or that she was paired with Otis Redding for the classic ‘King & Queen” album in 1967. Recommended: “The Very Best Of Rufus Thomas” and “Carla Thomas: The Queen Alone.”

Enjoy!

David Nathan
A/k/a the British Ambassador Of Soul
Secretary, The Rhythm & Blues Foundation (www.rhythmblues.org)
Owner,
www.soulmusic.com,
www.soulmusicstore.com,
www.soulmusicglobal.com

The Epsilons’ “The Echo”
Single released December 1968

We Philly guys like to think we know a little bit about soul music, too. After discovering the Stax connections to other cities such as Detroit, Nashville and Los Angeles, I began to wonder if Stax could somehow be connected to Philadelphia, too. I found the Philly sound on The Complete Stax/Volt Soul Singles Volume 2, with “The Echo” by the vocal quintet The Epsilons.

The Epsilons came to Stax through Otis Redding. The group admired him so much they sang backstage for him when he performed in Philadelphia; Redding reciprocated, bringing them on tour as his support vocalists for more than a year. Through Redding, “The Echo” was purchased, not recorded, by Stax, and released as a single. The version of the Epsilons that recorded “The Echo” (most likely in Philadelphia) was Allen Beatty, James Knight, Lloyd Parks, Gene McFadden and John Whitehead.

“The Echo” was one of three singles Stax released in December ‘68. Even though its lead vocal is raw southern soul, folks lucky enough to grow up around Philadelphia can recognize its instrumental and vocal arrangements as the sound of Philadelphia - more specifically, the sound of vocal soul ensembles such as The Delfonics.

Stax showed little interest in the band after the single failed to chart, and The Epsilons made their way back home. Parks eventually became a member of another Philly soul vocal group, backing up Harold Melvin in the Blue Notes. McFadden and Whitehead paired up and began writing for the “Philly International sound” that congealed around producers Leon Huff and Kenny Gamble and Philadelphia International Records. McFadden and Whitehead wrote “Back Stabbers” for The O’Jays and eventually topped the charts with their own single, “Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now” (#13 pop, #1 R&B).

The Epsilons also provided the (uncredited) support vocals on “Sweet Soul Music,” Arthur Conley’s 1967 smash hit (which, to bring everything full circle, Conley co-wrote with Redding).

Continuing with my blog from yesterday, celebrating June as Black Music Month, here are the next group of my picks from the Stax vaults…

EDDIE FLOYD: Most folks associate Eddie with his classic “Knock On Wood” and understandably so. In fact, after he joined Stax in 1966, Eddie – a former member of the Detroit-based Falcons – was almost as busy as a songwriter (for folks like Carla Thomas, Wilson Pickett, Sam & Dave and Otis Redding) as he was a recording artist. Beyond “Wood,” Eddie was successful with tunes like “I’ve Never Found A Girl (To Love Me Like You Do)” and “Bring It On Home To Me” and is about to release a new album on Stax this year. Recommended: “Rare Stamps” since it includes some relative obscurities like “Got To Make A Comeback” and “Love Is A Doggone Good Thing.”

ISAAC HAYES: Briefly a sax player with The Mar-Keys and then a keyboard player on several sessions at the Stax studios, Isaac Hayes made his mark at the label initially as a songwriter and producer with partner David Porter, working with Carla Thomas, Johnnie Taylor and of course, Sam & Dave. His first album as a soloist was 1967’s “Presenting Isaac Hayes” but it was the revolutionary “Hot Buttered Soul” in 1969 – with just four tracks and Isaac accompanied by the Memphis Symphony Orchestra and the Bar-Kays – that established him as an artist in his own right. Recommended: any of the Stax compilations on Ike but, honestly, “Hot Buttered Soul” is still his best!

MABLE JOHN/RUBY JOHNSON: Two of the most soulful ladies to ever record for Stax! Mable, the sister of the late R&B pioneer Willie John, was the first female recording artist signed to Motown and made Stax her next recording home. With Isaac Hayes and David Porter masterminding her first session, the trio came up with “Your Good Thing (Is About To End),” still a showstopper whenever Mable sings it live (as she did in 2007 at the various Stax 50th anniversary events): she went on to become the leader of Ray Charles’ Raelettes and is now an ordained minister and author of two novels. The late Ruby Johnson never achieved the kind of success her super-emotive style and talent warranted. The Memphis vocalist became a favorite among deep soul music lovers in the UK, thanks to her brilliant “I’ll Run Your Hurt Away” and in 1993, prompted by UK Ace Records, Stax issued a stunning twenty-track compilation of her work. Recommended: the two albums in the catalog by these great singers – Mable’s “Stay Out Of The Kitchen” and Ruby’s “I’ll Run Your Hurt Away.”

ALBERT KING: The annals of blues guitarists, the name ‘King’ has reigned supreme for many decades – and while B.B. certainly achieved the most across-the-board recognition, Mississippi-born Albert (who recorded for Stax from 1966 to 1974) not only influenced a couple of generations of other musicians including Stevie Ray Vaughan (with whom he recorded in the late ‘90s), Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix. The left-handed guitarist’s most renowned recordings for Stax included “Laundromat Blues,” “Born Under A Bad Sign,” “Crosscut Saw” and “I’ll Play The Blues For You” and he even did a tribute album to Elvis Presley (1969’s “King Does The King’s Things”)! Recommended: 2007’s “The Very Best Of Albert King.”

LITTLE MILTON: Known as an R&B hitmaker as a result of his ‘60s hits with Chess Records – tunes like “Who’s Cheating Who,” “We’re Gonna Make It” and “Grits Ain’t Groceries” – before he got to Stax, Little Milton was as adept a bluesman as he was a soul man. With the label from 1971-1975, the talented music maker (who passed away in 2005) made some blistering cuts at Stax including “Walking The Backstreets And Crying,” the live version of which – cut during the time of the Wattstax festival in Los Angeles in 1972 – is perhaps one of the most riveting recordings Milton ever made. Recommended: 2006’s “Stax Profiles.”

THE MAD-LADS: OK, so the Mad Lads were never a household name in the world of music but R&B fans of the ‘60s in particular remember John Gary Williams (the group’s primary lead), William Brown, Robert Phillips, and Julius Green for their tight harmonies and soulful sounds, in particular on their hits “Don’t Have To Shop Around” and the exquisite “I Want Someone.” Recommended: 1995’s “Don’t Have To Shop Around.”

THE MAR-KEYS: The original house-band at Stax, members of The Mar-Keys truly laid the foundation for the funky sound that became synonymous with the Memphis label. The original line-up included Duck Dunn and Steve Cropper along with Charles Axton (son of Stax co-founder Estelle Axton), Don Nix and Wayne Jackson. Dunn and Cropper went on to become founding members of Booker T. & The MGs but only after being on the Mar-Keys’ biggest hit, 1961’s “Last Night.” In all, The Mar-Keys recorded some half-a-dozen albums – with various personnel – for Stax over ten years. Recommended: the two-on-one combo of “Last Night” and “Do The Pop-Eye.”

Look for Part 3 by Monday, June 30!

David Nathan
A/k/a the British Ambassador Of Soul
Secretary, The Rhythm & Blues Foundation (www.rhythmblues.org)
Owner,
www.soulmusic.com,
www.soulmusicstore.com,
www.soulmusicglobal.com

I’ve been a little remiss in not doing this sooner since June is “Black Music Month” (an official initiative started by the way in the mid-’70s as I recall by the now-defunct Black Music Association) and we’ve got one week to go! It occurred to me that I should delve into the Stax catalog of albums still available through Concord and make some selections that represent the depth and brilliance of black music as showcased through the Stax vaults…so here goes (in alphabetical order), with Pts. 2 and 3 to follow in the next few days…

THE RANCE ALLEN GROUP: Hard to pick one album because this amazing team made some excellent records for the Truth and Gospel Truth imprints from 1971-1974 returning to Stax briefly in 1978. Unquestionably the best-selling straight-up gospel group for the label with hits like the classic “Ain’t No Need Of Cryin’” and “There’s Gonna Be A Showdown.” Rance and his brothers turned in an amazing performance at the Stax 50th anniversary show in Memphis in 2007. Recommended: “The Best Of The Rance Allen Group,” the 1990 album that includes all their gospel crossover hits.

THE ASTORS/THE NEWCOMERS: Two Stax groups that never achieved mainstream success but represent the best of Memphis-fused vocal harmonies. The Astors recorded for Stax from 1961-67 and are still remembered and much-loved for their classic “Candy”; The Newcomers ‘took over’ their vocal harmony slot in 1969 and stayed with Stax till ’75 and are best known for “Pin The Tail On The Donkey.” Recommended: the 20-track compilation entitled “Sweet Soul From Memphis,” originally released in 1996.

THE BAR-KAYS: Originally a stand-up straight-ahead team of players in the mid-‘60s, The Bar-Kays (with a changed line-up following the loss of all but one member in the tragic plane crash that took Otis Redding in 1967) emerged as funk-meisters closer in spirit (and appearance!) to George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic in the ‘70s! Indeed, the group were often considered pioneers of ‘black rock’ and their albums reflected such. Recommended: the two-on-one, “Black Rock/Gotta Groove,” a true example of psychedelic soul!

WILLIAM BELL: An early signing to Stax (pre-dating Otis Redding), this soulful vocalist made consistently good records for the label even if his chart success didn’t necessarily match his talent although his duet with the late Judy Clay, “Private Number” did become a No. 1 hit in Britain in 1968. No doubt, William recorded some early classics for the label – “You Don’t Miss Your Water” and “Everybody Loves A Winner” immediately come to mind and some of his lesser-known singles were cult favorites among UK R&B lovers (such as “Marching Off To War” and “Lonely Soldier,” inspired by his stint in the military in the ‘60s). Recommended: “The Very Best Of William Bell” because it contains a few non-album singles like “Eloise, Hang On In There”!

BOOKER T, & THE MGs: The backbone of Stax as the label’s rhythm section, Booker T. Jones, Donald Dunn, Steve Cropper and Al Jackson Jr. played on virtually every record made at the studios on McLemore Avenue for almost an entire decade. They didn’t do too badly with their own records either, starting with “Green Onions” through the infectious “Time Is Tight.” Recommended: 2007’s “The Best Of Booker T. & The MGs” for its inclusion of the brilliant “Johnny, I Love You” from the “Uptight” soundtrack along with their chart hits.

SHIRLEY BROWN: Yes, she sounded like Aretha in terms of her phrasing and the gospel-influenced vocal style which both women had in common: that said, Shirley’s 1974 classic “Woman To Woman” set the stage for her to have a career that has endured – look up Shirley’s discography and you’ll find that the singer who was brought to Stax by guitarist Albert King has made a dozen albums since that debut set. The song has been sampled and has been the inspiration for more than a few other tunes about infidelity! Recommended: well, the “Woman To Woman” album, of course!

THE DRAMATICS: When Al Bell took over the reigns as president of Stax in the late ‘60s, he determined that the label should expand beyond its Memphis base and began adding artists from other soul music havens to the roster. In that wave of new sigings came Detroit’s Dramatics, who had somehow escaped being signed to Motown even though they rivaled some of that label’s best in terms of harmonies. Stax lucked out with the group on hits like “Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get” and “In The Rain,” still considered The Dramatics’ most memorable classics. Recommended: 1991’s “The Best Of The Dramatics” because it includes the brilliant “Toast To A Fool” and “And I Panicked.”

THE EMOTIONS: Al Bell’s expansion (see above) included signing the female family group The Emotions to Stax via Pervis Staples of The Staple Singers. Originally a gospel team known as The Hutchinson Sunbeams, the three sisters (Wanda, Jeanette and Sheila) were mere teens when they hit the charts with the sweet soul of “So I Can Love You.” A few years later, Maurice White of Earth Wind & Fire helped them gain international prominence with “The Best Of My
Love” but The Emotions’ Stax recordings remain more than worthy. Recommended: “Chronicle: Greatest Hits” from 1990.

David Nathan
A/k/a the British Ambassador Of Soul
Secretary, The Rhythm & Blues Foundation (www.rhythmblues.org)
Owner,
www.soulmusic.com,
www.soulmusicstore.com,
www.soulmusicglobal.com