Stax-Volt Southern Soul Jazz Funk Blues

The Stax-Volt Label ( ) One of the premiere soul / R&B record labels of the 1960s Founded in Memphis by Estelle Axton and Jim Stewart Originally “Satellite Records” Studio housed in an old theater & included a record store “House band” was integrated The subsidiary “Volt Records” focused on R&B Stax studios often used by Atlantic producer Jerry Wexler Distribution deal with Atlantic until around 1968 Estelle Axton and Jim Stewart

Stax Location: Memphis Vibrant music scene: jazz, traditional blues, R&B, soul Many African-American musicians played a diverse variety of musical gigs Integrated audiences, with many white listeners attending “black” music clubs Also had a history of excellent music education programs in the predominantly African- American high schools

The Stax Volt Studio

Comparison: Motown-Stax Based in the North (Detroit) Detroit – manufacturing city Exclusively black players, artists, producers Consciously aimed at white, suburban record audience Producer-dominated recording techniques Production: Lavish, extensive, carefully planned, many musicians

Comparison: Motown-Stax Based in the South (Memphis) Memphis – River city Black and white players, artists, producers Consciously aimed at black record audience Band-dominated recording techniques Production: simple, groove-oriented, feel and performance very important, “head” arrangements

Stax-Volt’s “House Band” Booker T and the MG’s Booker T Jones (keyboards) Al Jackson, Jr (drums) Donald “Duck” Dunn (bass) Steve Cropper (guitar) Originally the “Mar- Keys,” they then became “Booker T and the Memphis Group”

Booker T & the MG’s Green Onions Released in 1962 on Stax This is an integrated band (Black & White musicians) Listen for: the 12 bar blues format simple, repetitive rhythmic groove

Have you seen some of the MG’s somewhere else? Steve Cropper (guitar) and Duck Dunn (bass) were part of the band in the Blues Brothers movie. Other members of the Blues Bros band: Tom Malone, trombone, trumpet, sax Matt “Guitar” Murphy, guitar Alan Rubin, trumpet Paul Shaffer, keyboards Tom Scott, sax Cab Chamberlain, vocals Steve Jordan, drums John Popper, harmonica Jake and Elwood John Belushi & Dan Akroyd in: The Blues Brothers

Eddie Floyd “Knock on Wood” Released 1966 on Stax Listen to how well the instruments mesh together This is the result of a powerful groove & excellent production The Stax-Volt production style was similar to that of George Martin (Beatles)

Sam and Dave You Don’t Know Like I Know (1966) Sam Prater & Dave Moore Sam & Dave’s perfomances, live & in studio, captured the “Dueling” nature of Memphis “cutting contests” Sam & Dave did NOT get along Other hits include: “Soul Man” “Hold On, I’m Comin’”

Sam & Dave: Soul Man (1966) Later recorded by the Blues Bros Band Listen for: Use of “hooks” One played by guitar One played by the Memphis Horns

Wilson Pickett Wilson Pickett passed away on Jan 19, 2006, as the result of a heart attack. “In the Midnight Hour” (1965, Volt) Listen to Pickett’s strong voice & phrasing

Otis Redding One of Stax-Volt’s most successful and well-loved artists. Killed in a plane crash in Dec. 1967, along with several members of his band.

Otis Redding: I’ve Been Loving You Too Long Released in 1965 on Volt Redding was not known as a “dynamic” performer Redding relied on his powerful, gospel- inflected voice

Otis Redding: Respect Released in 1965 on Volt Otis’ performance at the Monterey Pop Festival helped to introduce him to the young, white hippie audience This song was later covered by who?

Otis Redding: Sitting on the Dock of the Bay Released in 1965 on Volt Many Stax-Volt band members say that their experiences with Redding in the studio were some of the most intense of their careers Otis died in a plane crash, 12/9/67

Aretha Franklin (Atlantic) Soul / gospel singer Considered by many to be one of the greatest singers in the history of American music. Franklin recorded for Columbia & Atlantic, not Stax This confusion is the result of the Stax-Atlantic connection & the Blues Bros movie, & the fact that one of her greatest hits (Respect) was written by Otis Redding.

Aretha Franklin: I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You) Released in 1967 on Atlantic Aretha grew up singing gospel; Her father was the famous Rev. CL Franklin. She was discovered by Columbia’s famous A&R man, John Hammond.

Aretha Franklin: Respect Released in 1967 on Atlantic This is a great example of the Muscle Shoals studio style Muscle Shoals had their own powerful “house band” (that at one time included Duane Allman)

Stax – Some Stax -Volt artists moved to Atlantic, Redding dies 1968: unsuccessful contract renegotiation with Atlantic Discovered that Atlantic owned all the master tapes Company sold to Gulf and Western Isaac Hayes & others have hits for G & W, Stewart re- purchases Stax - Volt Subsidiary labels for comedy & music started (R. Pryor on comedy label)

The End of Stax - Volt 1972: Distribution deal made with Columbia Financial differences and difficulties ensued 1976: Stax goes bankrupt Post-Atlantic Stax Masters bought by Fantasy Records, based in San Francisco.

The original site of Stax Records in Memphis is now the Stax Museum of American Soul Music (