“Raw Blues” in the Stax Pocket
May 31st, 2008 by
In 1969, Stax seemed focused on incorporating into their “Memphis sound” the styles and sounds from urban music centers such as Detroit and Chicago, an expansion primarily masterminded by producer turned co-owner William Bell, who imported, among others, former Motown producer Don Davis to Stax. But even in the midst of this stylistic expansion, Stax released an album that couldn’t fit more squarely in the label’s traditional soul, blues and gospel music pocket, Johnnie Taylor’s ‘69 set Raw Blues.
Precious little documentation exists for these sessions, except for songwriting credits. But from what we know through other sources about this time in Stax history, the house band that provided Taylor’s instrumental support was most likely a combination of the Bar-Kays and the MGs sans Booker T. Isaac Hayes may have stepped up on piano - whoever this pianist was sure rolled out the blues, especially in the hot first verse to the first tune, “Where There’s Smoke, There’s Fire.”
“That’s Where It’s At” provides a useful point of reference: This Sam Cooke tune was also a hit for Lou Rawls, a singer who may have had an entirely different type of voice but used it the same way as Taylor, simmering into a rich and deep blend of gospel, soul and blue funk. A beautiful, almost hymn-like melody and uncredited harmony vocals bring similar gospel power to “You’re Good For Me.”
And some tunes sound more blue than others. “Part Time Love” is for real, sure ’nuff blues in form and content. So is “Where Can A Man Go From Here,” a portrait of a pained man poised on that all too familiar emotional tripwire: “Too hurt to smile/ Too proud to cry/ Afraid to stay with you/ Can’t tell you goodbye/ Now where does that leave me/ And where can a man go from here?”
Not one single was released from Raw Blues, although “Sundown” became one of Taylor’s concert staples (which you can hear on last year’s release of Live at the Summit Club).
