Stax
Profiles
10 Individual Stax CD's Released July 2006
Universal Music
Please click on the above pictures to take you to each review .
Jim
Stewart and sister Estelle Axton were the co-founders of Memphis-based
Stax Records. Stax and Motown were the two most important record labels
in America in terms of bringing black music into the mainstream during
the Sixties and Seventies. Stax recorded some of the greatest acts in
the history of soul music – Otis Redding, Booker T. & the
MG’s, Eddie Floyd, Johnnie Taylor and Carla Thomas among them. Amongst them they cut
some of their greatest sides at Stax. If Motown was “the Sound of Young
America,” then Stax/Volt was “Soulsville, U.S.A.” Between 1959 and
1975, Stax and its affiliated labels released 300 albums and 800
singles. Among the latter, 167 were bonafide hit singles.
July
2006 sees the release of these ten Stax CD's with cherry picked tracks
by a number of well known names in the music industry. Set to win new
fans worldwide these new releases are sure to win many new fans of this
legendary label and now That a the mighty Universal Music Group have
got their hands on the distribution rights here in the UK, you can be
absolutely sure they will market the product to the MAX. Here's a brief
overview of what you can expect to find on these superb sides;
Albert
King
A hand picked selection from Bill Beaumont and a great way
to kick off this review. Albert King is the daddy of all blues
guitarists and one that guitar giants Eric Clapton, BB King, John
Mayall and the likes have all been influenced one way or another. I
must confess that King's music has passed me by over the years and it
was only his superb performance at Wattstax in 1972 that resurrected
some interest in this great man. Not only did he set the rules on how
the blues was played, he was a leading light throughout the middle to
late sixties where his unique brand of presentation reverberated across
the globe and gained him an enormous underground following. Records
like 'Crosscut Saw' and 'I Love Lucy' first appeared in the UK on the
old blue label circa 1967, and whilst record sales here at that time
was somewhat limited, it did open up a new channel over here for this
new name . This set contains the aforementioned single 'Lucy' as well
as his live recording of 'I'll Play the Blues For You' at Wattstax, but
listen to 'Loveliest Woman In Town' to see what a damn good singer he
was too. There are no shortage of good guitarists in the world but
those who posses a great voice too fall into that 'something special'
tag. Check out his collaboration with Stevie Ray Vaughan on his classic
'Born Under A Bad Sign' recorded in Chicago in 1983 some sixteen years
after its initial release. Other notable tracks include the atmospheric
'Everyone Wants To Go To Heaven' from his 1970 LP 'Lovejoy' and
from 1974 the uptempo 'Oh, Pretty Woman' featuring some well known
names from the Stax library which found its way onto a single release
that year. A brilliant compilation that merely scratches the surface of
King's legacy.
Booker
T & the MG's
The very heart of Stax records was provided by their
in-house backing band Booker T & the MG's who clocked up loads of
hits during the 60/70's kicking off with their R'n'B instrumental
'Green Onions'. In this CD we are treated to fifteen gems chosen by
Elvis Costello who clearly had a good ear for music. This particular
set concentrates on some of their more well known tunes and includes
some cracking flip sides not seen so much on the more commercial CD
issues
in the shops. 1969 was a good year for the group as they clocked up a
massive hit with 'Time Is Tight' and this version sounds definitely
differently to the vinyl 45 in my collection. This is a much faster
version and features the original guitar intro and fans will remember
that this track was taken from the 'Uptight' soundtrack. There are a
couple 'live' versions of well known tunes to whet your taste buds
including 'Bootleg' which featured as the flip side to 'Green Onions'
here in the UK when issued on the Atlantic label, as well as a
live cut of the aforementioned track. At the heart of their sound was
Booker T's hammond organ which became iconic during the R'n'B and
beat boom of the swinging sixties and one listen at their 1963 Stax
single 'Burnt Biscuits' is testament to that. There's a couple of
cover versions included by Costello including their attempt on two
Beatles songs with 'Something' and 'Lady Madonna'. Each member of the
quartet had their own distinct style and lead guitarist Steve Cropper
and bassist Donald 'Duck' Dunn added a really special sound to their
recordings many of which influenced future instrumental groups of that
era. Worthy of mention here are 'Over Easy' from the Soul Limbo set of
1968 and is so reminiscent of Ramsey Lewis' work you could easily
mistake it. From the same set we have 'Hang 'Em High' a
really typical blaxploitation piece of magic although this was cut for
a western movie but who cares........
Johnnie
Taylor
Ask any self respecting soul collector to name their all
time favourite blues and soul singer of the last forty years and
there's every chance that the name Johnnie Taylor will be mentioned.
The late singers Stax catalogue digs back much deeper and further than
his hits from 1968 onwards. They go back as far as the 1950's where he
recorded many a gospel/church flavoured songs two of which open this
excellent set with 'I Dreamed That Heaven Was Like This' and 'Out On A
Hill' from the 1950's. By the time 1967-68 arrived his music took on a
new angle and his recordings became more and more soulful whilst still
retaining those gospel overtones from the previous decade. 1968 was the
year that broke him into mainstream soul circles with the release of
his excellent single 'Who's Making Love' a great piece of uptempo dance
about someone making love to someone's old lady while they were out
makin' it elsewhere. The song has become synonymous with Stax and was
the springboard that launched further hit singles for Taylor. 'I Am
Somebody' is featured in both parts here a powerful statement delivered
perfectly by this great man. Another face on the Wattstax movie singing
a much more uptempo rendition of his hit 'Jody's Got Your Girl And
Gone' . Introduced by the aforementioned Rufus Thomas in a live club
setting this has to be seen to be believed. The last cut on this CD is
Taylor's mid seventies release on the CBS label 'Disco Lady' which gave
him a minor hit here in the UK but wasn't released on Stax. A superb
set here from one of the label's most famous stars.
Otis
Redding
Otis Redding was one of those singers that I could take or
leave. Despite his tag as 'King' I never rated a lot of his work.
Always backed by the excellent Booker T & the MG's and the Markeys
on his live sets in Europe his was unquestionably a great live act to
watch borne out by his memorable performance on the UK Ready Steady Go
along with Chris Farlowe and Eric Burdon. I personally preferred his
ballad material to his uptempo tunes many of which descended into long
drawn out affairs leaving me begging for the end to come. Scoring hits
with the aforementioned Carla Thomas in 1967 he also enjoyed hit
records by covering Sam Cooke's 'Shake' (one live, and one studio take
issued as two singles) as well as Cooke's 'A Change Is Gonna Come' and
The Rolling Stones' 'Satisfaction' from 1965. This compilation was
chosen by Steve Cropper who played lead guitar on many of Reddings
recordings and actively toured with him during 65-67 until Redding's
untimely death in a plane crash in 1967. Cropper co-wrote many a tune
with Redding during his career. A track featured here worthy of mention
has to be 'Direct Me' which was issued in the UK as the flip side to
'Papa's Got A Brand New Bag' and has some really neat guitar work from
Cropper and a really good vocal performance from Otis.
Rufus Thomas
Dubbed the Clown Prince of Pop Rufus Thomas had been around
for a very long time and spawned a musical family consisting of
daughter Carla who also recorded for the Stax empire as well as grand
daughter Vaneece who enjoyed a superb LP in 1987. Thomas was no
stranger to the UK and could often be found appearing on the UK pop TV
show 'Ready Steady Go' around 1964 where a couple of his hit records
dented the lower part of the UK charts at that time namely 'Walking The
Dog' 'Jump Back' and 'All Night Worker' just to name a few. He later
became more famous after his 1969 hit on the Stax yellow imprint with
'Funky Chicken' which I remember everyone in our club trying out all
the moves sung by Mr Thomas. This selection is brought to you this time
by Roger Armstrong who you may recognise from his Ace record label in
the UK and his twelve selections from the late singer who died at the
age of 84 in 2001 are amongst the best he recorded. Thomas' raw power
on his recordings always produced a touch of magic be it a song of his
own or a cover version of someone else's hit such as the excellent
dance track 'Ride Your Pony' a song made famous by Lee Dorsey. His
music continued as far as 1975 whereupon he went very quiet but
definitely not forgotten. A regular visitor to the Ready Steady Go
studios in London around 1964 it was his appearance at Wattstax in 1973
that finally brought him to a wider audience. Do try and catch his
performance on this superb Stax DVD.
Carla Thomas
Rufus Thomas was not alone when it came to making hit
records in the USA during the 1960's. His daughter Carla followed
in her fathers footsteps and became a singing sensation in her own
right. On this collection chosen by former Motown recording artist
Mable
John you get a very clear picture of what Carla achieved during her
recording career at Stax. Best known admittedly for her duets with the
late Otis Redding in 1967 with 'Tramp' and 'Lovey Dovey' any self
respecting soul collector will tell you that her catalogue of
recordings goes much deeper than those couple of hits. Carla was a
no-nonsense singer who delivered from the heart and quickly built up a
local reputation of being a star in the making and whilst 'Gee Whizz'
is one of the strongest tunes from the early years on this disc (and
one that she is most famous for) you'll enjoy the alternative version
of 'Promises' from 1961 with its latin beat and semi Motown feel from
their early days and it's nagging piano riff is a pure joy to
listen to. Carla too was featured in the Wattstax movie and her
performance of 'Pick Up The Pieces' (1968) makes the purchase of the
DVD essential. You can also find her performing on the 'Back To Stax'
DVD at Cannes a few years back. Carla too ventured into the 1970's and
found additional fame amongst the northern soul fraternity via her
uptempo 'I'll Never Stop Loving You' and whilst that particular track
is not featured on this CD you'll find her equally appealing 'I
Play For Keeps' just as good to dance to.
Eddie Floyd
This great selection from one of the labels finest artists
comes courtesy of one Dan Aykroyd
who was one half of the famous Blues Brothers during the 1980's. Eddie
Floyd first appeared on the blue Stax label around 1967 and was a
regular face on the US air force bases here in the UK touring with a
multitude of American acts and his stage show was always guaranteed to
be a show stopper. His musical style along with his Stax contemporaries
was sharp, soulful, and downright great to dance too. Backed by the
wonderful Booker T & the MG's who were the resident house band at
Stax. Steve Cropper (MG's guitarist) co wrote his million selling
'Knock On Wood' and the song remains one of the most potent reminders
of great sixties soul/beat music and thankfully is included here even
though it can often be found on dozens of other soul compilations. My
own first Eddie Floyd purchase is the uptempo 'Big Bird' (featuring the
work of the not to be forgotten Markeys) and which opens this excellent
set and could be found on the blue Stax label but it was his rousing
'Things Get Better' from 1967 that took my fancy and although it isn't
included here this time is certainly one to remind everyone of just how
good he was.
Floyd's rendition of the classic 634-5789 isn't as strong as Wilson
Pickett's version at that time but makes a useful addition to this CD.
When the company launched its famous finger clickin' yellow label in
1968 Eddie moved up a notch to a much more sweeter sound and his
fabulous 'I Never Found Me A Girl' must surely rate as his best ever.
Delightfully sung with an amazing arrangement. Eddie continued into the
1970's and his music just got better and better and his style developed
into a more relaxed arrangement and his 1972 cut 'Watcha Gonna Do With
My Heart' which features one Gloria Jones on backing vocals will warm
your heart after one listen - gorgeous!
Other standout tracks include the well known self produced 'Soul
Street' from 1974 featuring the Memphis Horns, and 'California
Girl' from the 1970 self titled album which has that 'new' Stax
sound of the early seventies. Check out too Eddies most famous live set
number 'Raise Your Hand' which he always turned into a ten minute
affair and always brought the house down. Check out his performance of
this very song on the DVD 'Back To Stax'
Little Milton
One of the greatest names in blues and soul. Not only was he
a Stax artist, he recorded many a fine side for the Chess/Checker
Record label too. Similar in some ways to Rance Allen in that he could
deliver a fine gospel flavoured song as well as singing the blues as
good as the next man too. As with so many of his contemporaries Milton
never sacrificed his musical style in exchange for commercial success
hence the reason he never quite achieved the hit record status as some
of the other Stax names but Milton was a believer and sang the way HE
wanted to express himself - hence what we have here is a blues man of
the highest quality par none. You can instantly recognise the
comparisons with Albert King in his playing style as well as his vocal
delivery especially in 'Walking The Back Streets And Crying' another
tune taken from the Wattstax movie which shows this great man in full
flow. Never far from his buddies BB King and the great Bobby 'Blue'
Bland he joined the Memphis based label in 1971 until 1975 and those
four fruitful years was a perfect continuation on his musical output
for Chess/Checker a decade earlier. Standout tunes are a many - I loved
the live version of 'Let Me Down Easy' from his live in Montreaux LP of
1973 , and his 1971 single 'If That Ain't A Reason' most notably
because it has in its credits the one and only Don Davis and that alone
is good enough for me. Also of interest is his rendition of the country
song 'Behind Closed Doors' given a very special treatment and is a song
that keeps raising its head with an unreleased version of this song by
southern soul sister Jackie Moore has just been issued here in the UK.
A great mixture of studio and live recordings from his time with Stax.
Nobody does it like Little Milton Campbell - he was one of the
best.
Rance Allen
When our promo copies arrived for this project I somewhat
left this CD at the bottom of the pile fearing that it may have been
the less commercial release of the set - how wrong I was. I thoroughly
loved it from start to finish. Having only ever owned his hit single
'Showdown' from the early 1970's this CD compiled by Deannie Parker was
a real wake up call to this mans great talents. OK so his product was
aimed mainly at the gospel market but this collection gives the
listener a great insight as how good gospel soul can be. Whilst I had
always admired the work of the Mighty Clouds OF Joy - Rance Allen
certainly had the edge and one listen at 'Joy' will confirm that on
occasions gospel can not only be fun, it can sound ever so commercial
too and this track had HIT stamped all over it. 'What Is This' finds
Allen screaming his soul out on occasions - but there again don't
all gospel singers. Stax released his recordings on their Gospel Truth
subsidiary label where they quickly built up a following throughout the
US. Listen to 'I Belong To You' which is a trip down the classic soul
ballad road and is so reminiscent of those classic soul ballads of the
1980's - just gorgeous soul music at its very best and it reminded me
so much of Bobby Womack's 'I'll Keep Looking Up' side from the that
era. 'Let The Music Get Down In Your Soul' is a happy go lucky stab at
the dance market of the middle seventies and just listen to his vocal
arrangement on the chorus line - unique!. Other standout tracks include
the scatty arranged 'Up Above My Head' a vibrant uptempo gospel
message, and 'Ring My Bell' although drawn out to a lengthy 9:43 could
have been better served edited down somewhat to a more acceptable
length. I was amazed at this guys talents and one thing is for certain,
and that it when the good Lord was looking for someone to spread the
word on this earth he certainly chose the right person in Rance Allen.
Staple
Singers
The Staple Singers have to be Stax
records biggest selling artist in the history of the label. Never to
release a bad record the group had initially set out as a gospel group
and built themselves a healthy following. My first encounter with the
groups recordings were as a teenager collecting singles on the Stax
label and their first issue on the yellow label format was 'Long Walk
To DC'
in 1968. It did nothing for me and I had to wait until the early 1970's
when 'Respect Yourself' was released to fully appreciate the talents of
Pops and the girls. That song was an instant hit across the world and
attained a firm placing in the UK's dancehalls where it was played
continuously for years. Behind the song of course was a powerful
statement to the black brothers and sisters across the globe and this
can be seen in their excellent portrayal in the Wattstax movie where
they perform this song in full. Their music for Stax apart from being
pure joyous was never far from the civil rights movement and like
fellow brother Curtis Mayfield there was always a message in their
music. After the initial success of their late 60's releases for the
label other hits followed in the form of the gospel flavoured
'Heavy Makes You Happy' 'Oh La De Da' and the superb 'Touch A
Hand Make A Friend' and 'If Your Ready Come Go With Me' all of which
helped make the group more acceptable to a wider record buying
public. Compiler Cheryl Pawelski has understandably chosen numerous hit
singles and their corresponding flip sides to give the listener a
general feel for this extraordinary outfit. As a slight side issue
Mavis Staples went on to record a number of solo projects which are
superb also.
