TRACK LIST:
| 1 | Sam And Dave*– | Hold On, I’m Comin’ | 2:26 |
| 2 | Eddie Floyd– | Knock On Wood | 3:01 |
| 3 | The Staple Singers– | Respect Yourself | 4:50 |
| 4 | Carla Thomas– | B-A-B-Y | 2:47 |
| 5 | Shirley Brown– | Woman To Woman | 3:53 |
| 6 | The Soul Children*– | I’ll Be The Other Woman | 3:31 |
| 7 | Johnnie Taylor– | Cheaper To Keep Her | 3:25 |
| 8 | Little Milton– | That’s What Love Will Make You Do | 3:56 |
| 9 | William Bell– | I Forgot To Be Your Lover | 2:39 |
| 10 | Jean Knight– | Mr. Big Stuff | 2:44 |
| 11 | Rufus Thomas– | (Do The) Push And Pull, Part I | 3:16 |
| 12 | Booker T & The MGs*– | Green Onions | 2:48 |
| 13 | Mel And Tim*– | Starting All Over Again | 3:27 |
| 14 | The Dramatics– | In The Rain | 5:06 |
| 15 | The Emotions– | So I Can Love You | 2:48 |
| 16 | Otis Redding– | (Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay | 2:38 |
| 17 | The Staple Singers– | I’ll Take You There | 4:36 |
| 18 | Johnnie Taylor– | Who’s Making Love | 2:45 |
| 19 | Frederick Knight– | Lonely For So Long | 3:17 |
| 20 | Isaac Hayes– | Theme From “Shaft” | 4:34 |
After Motown music, I was a big fan of the artists at STAX Records. I own all of Isaac Hayes’s albums. Loved Otis Redding (who left us too soon) and Booker T & The MGs. Later, I discovered William Bell and Johnny Taylor.
Even Wal-Mart created a Pandemic TV commercial featuring Sam & Dave’s “Hold On, I’m Comin'” as the music background. If you’re looking for some great Soul Music, Top of the STAX–in the words of The Staple Singers–will take you there! How many of these songs do you remember? Any favorites? GRADE: A
I am especially unsuccessful in familiarity with most of these tunes. Otis Reading and Issac Hayes seem to be all.
Patti, many of these hits were only played on local “Soul Stations.” Isaac Hayes and Otis Redding did receive wider air-play on radio stations.
Favorites? Sam & Dave (also Soul Man, of course), Otis Redding (though I prefer I’ve Been Loving You Too Long and Try a Little Tenderness), Eddie Floyd’s Knock on Wood, The Staple Singers (also love Mavis doing The Weight), Booker T. & The MGs (of course, Steve Cropper & Duck Dunn also played on the Sam & Dave and other records).
Nice coincidence: a couple of days ago we were talking about the movie UPTIGHT after there was an article (which I think I sent you) about it, and I pulled out my two-disc collection STAX 50th ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION to put on Booker T.’s “Time is Tight” from the movie.
Oh, what the heck, here is the list. I must admit I don’t remember all the songs or groups, but it’s a great collection overall.
Disc 1:
Gee Whiz (Look at His Eyes) – Carla Thomas
Last Night – The Mar-Keys
You Don’t Miss Your Water – William Bell
Green Onions – Booker T. & the MGs
Walking the Dog – Rufus Thomas (Carla’s father, of course)
I’ve Been Loving You Too Long (To Stop Now) – Otis Redding
Candy – The Astors
Respect – Otis Redding (he wrote it, of course)
You Don’t Know Like I Know – Sam & Dave
I Want Someone – The Mad Lads
Hold On I’m Comin’ – Sam & Dave
Let Me Be Good to You – Carla Thomas
Your Good Thing Is About to End – Meble John
Knock on Wood – Eddie Floyd
B-A-B-Y – Carla Thomas
Tramp – Otis Redding & Carla Thomas
Soul Finger – The Bar-Kays
Born Under a Bag Sign – Albert King
Soul Man – Sam & Dave
(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay – Otis Redding
I Got a Sure Thing – Ollie & the Nightingales
Soul Limbo – Booker T. & the MGs
I’ve Never Found a Girl (To Love Me Like You Do) – Eddie Floyd
What a Man – Linda Lyndell
Private Number – William Bell & Judy Clay
Who’s Making Love – Johnnie Taylor
I Forgot to Be Your Lover – William Bell
I Like What You’re Doing (To Me) – Carla Thomas
Jeff, I probably have the STAX 50th ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION around here someplace, too. Great music!
Pretty good collection. There are a few I’m not familiar with. I always liked Otis Redding, Sam and Dave , Johnnie Taylor, William Bell, Booker T. Stax artists were always a little grittier than Motown
Steve, I agree with you on the STAX performers and their grittiness.
Here is Disc 2:
Time is Tight – Booker T. & the MGs
So I Can Love You – The Emotions
Walk on By – Isaac Hayes
Do the Funky Chicken – Rufus Thomas
Jody’s Got Your Girl and Gone – Johnnie Taylor
Mr. Big Stuff – Jean Knight
Never Can Say Goodbye – Isaac Hayes
Whatcha See is Whatcha Get – The Dramatics
Respect Yourself – The Staple Singers
Theme From Shaft – Isaac Hayes
Son of Shaft – The Bar-Kays
That’s What Love Will Make You Do – Little Milton
I’ve Been Lonely for So Long – Frederick Knight
Hearsay – Soul Children
In the Rain – The Dramatics
I’ll Take You There – The Staple Singers
Starting All Over Again – Mel & Tim
Dedicated to the One I Love – The Temprees
If You’re Ready (Come Go With Me) – The Staple Singers
Cheaper to Keep Her – Johnnie Taylor
I’ll Be the Other Woman – Soul Children
Woman to Woman – Shirley Brown
For me soul music was a Thing, but never the Main Thing. So I’m familiar with only about half of these, but I do like all the ones I know. Otis Redding would be my favorite.
Michael, I may have to search for my OTIS REDDING’S GREATEST HITS CD and listen to it.
I have Otis’s GREATEST HITS too.
Are these the songs that were on Lover’s Rock?
Patti, here’s the track list for LOVER’S ROCK:
ROBIN HOOD by Cry Tuff & The Originals
HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE by Pat Kelly
DARLING OOH by Errol Dunkley
HE’S THE GREATEST DANCER by Sister Sledge
KUNG FU FIGHTING by Carl Douglas
THINGS IN LIFE by Dennis Brown
AFTER TONIGHT by Junior English
LONELY GIRL by Barry Biggs
BABY MY LOVE by The In Crowd
SILLY GAMES by Janet Kay
KEEP IT LIKE IT IS by Louisa Mark
MINSTRAL PABLO by Augustus Pablo
KUNTA KINTA DUB by The Revolutionaries
DREADLOCKS IN MOONLIGHT by Lee “Scratch” Perry
HAVE A LITTLE FAITH by Nicky Thomas
I know almost every song here and like, even love, the majority of them. Big favorites include “Respect Yourself,” “Green Onions,” and “Theme from Shaft.”
Deb, I figured you would be a fan of the hits on this CD! I love “Theme from SHAFT”!
The Otis Redding would be the favorite, and I’ve always really liked “Knock On Wood”. Many good songs, and a few I don’t recognize.
Rick, hope your Covid-19 shot went well.
Not getting it until this afternoon, but I’m sure it will be fine.
…and it was. Pfizer. 2nd at end of month.
Seems we all have similar tastes – I still remember how flabbergasted I was when I heard Green Onions on AFN – must have been on a weekend on my radio at home, during the week I was studying mathematics.
Otis Redding’s Dock of the Bay too, the others I remember darkly.
Only in the mid 1960s did I find friends who were as crazy as me on “Black Music”. Before that people would react strangely when I played them What’d I Say – still my favourite song.
I have an Otis Redding CD (cassette?), maybe Live at Leeds! Isaac Hayes was a Hubbardite so I dismiss him as an enemy and don’t listen to him! Too bad, because I Stand Accused was pretty great! I’ve enjoyed many of the others over the years!
Bob, I think “I Stand Accused” is a classic! And I suggest you consider modifying your bans against Hubbardites if they are dead.
What the hell is a Hubbardite? I even Googled it and got zilch.
It’s a Scientologist, which Isaac Hayes was.