One of the most rewarding aspects of the Stax catalog has always been the depth and breadth of black music it encompasses and with the changeover in 1968 from ‘blue’ to ‘yellow’ labels (coincident with the switch in distribution and ownership), the company extended its roster beyond mostly Memphis-based artists to include the likes of The Emotions and The Staple Singers (both based in Chicago) and The Dramatics (from Detroit)…and Little Milton, a native Mississippian who came to prominent national attention after signing with Checker Records in 1961. A guitarist known more for his soulful vocal sound than his nonetheless skills as a musician, Milton’s presence at Stax demonstrated the company’s commitment to including all forms of black music, from R&B to gospel and blues.

Prior to Checker, Milton had co-owned his own label (Bobbin Records) whose line-up of artists had included such luminaries as Fontella Bass (a future Chess artist) and Albert King (a future Stax labelmate); at Checker, Little Milton was a regular R&B chartmaker thanks to his 1965 anthemic classic “We’re Gonna Make It” and a string of other hits such as “Who’s Cheating Who,” “Feel So Bad” and “If Walls Could Talk.”

While he only recorded for the label for approximately four years, Milton’s Stax years included some truly outstanding performances, a highpoint of which is arguably a scorching recording of “Walking The Backstreets And Crying” included on a 2004 reissue, “Wattstax: Highlights from the Soundtrack” which as the title implies was culled from the famous 1972 Los Angeles festival which featured almost the entire Stax roster. A live album released by Stax (apparently culled from Milton’s performance at a local L.A. club around the same time as the Wattstax event) includes this amazing cut along with his reprise of a 1969 Checker hit “Grits Ain’t Groceries,” itself a remake of (brother of Stax soul sister Mable John) Little Willie John’s “All Around The World” . The song was memorable for its lyric line, “Grits ain’t groceries, eggs ain’t poultry and Mona Lisa was a man!” and was later recorded by Van Morrison, to whom Little Milton paid tribute on a 2003 album entitled “Vanthology.”

Although he wasn’t a high charting artist for Stax (scoring seven R&B singles during between 1971 and 1975), Little Milton’s presence on the label bespoke the afore-mentioned determination by the company to ensure that black musical culture, with all its richness, was fully represented through an all-encompassing roster. After his Stax experience, Milton went on to record for Henry Stone’s TK family of labels in Florida before making his home with Malaco for him he made over a dozen albums until his passing in 2005. You can hear one of Little Milton’s Stax hits, “That’s What Love Will Make You Do” on the Stax 50th Anniversary Celebration 2-CD set.

David Nathan
Aka the British Ambassador Of Soul
Owner, www.soulmusic.com