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

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