| 19th December 2006 05:42 AM |
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| Gazza |
Legendary record label Stax, home to Otis Redding and Isaac Hayes, is to return 30 years after it folded.
Based in a converted cinema in Memphis, Stax released classic soul singles such as Knock On Wood, Respect, Shaft and Soul Man in the 1960s and 1970s.
The label was based in Memphis, Tennessee
Concord Records bought the Stax name in 2004, and it now plans to resurrect the label with a series of new signings.
These include Hayes, who was the voice of Chef in the animated series South Park, and US R&B singer Angie Stone.
"Stax always has been and always will be soul music. I was a part of that," said Hayes, whose 1969 album Hot Buttered Soul was one of the label's biggest hits.
Hayes won an Oscar for the soundtrack to Shaft
"I am coming back to Stax because there is still so much to do. It's like coming home."
Concord also plans to release deluxe versions of classic Stax albums, and a feature-length documentary.
Influential sound
The Stax studio, which became known as "Soulsville USA", was second only to Motown in its production of soul hits during its 1960s heyday.
It was also remarkable for being an integrated business in a largely segregated city.
Between 1959 and 1975 Stax artists collected eight Grammy awards, produced 12 top 10 hits and three number ones.
Hayes also won an Oscar for his Shaft soundtrack.
But the label folded in 1975, forcing the local neighbourhood into recession.
The famous studios were sold to a church for $1 in 1981, and were eventually torn down in 1989.
A new building opened on the site as the Stax Museum of American Soul Music and the Stax Music Academy in 2003.
www.bbc.co.uk |
| 19th December 2006 06:48 AM |
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| mrhipfl |
great news! The future of popular music is beginning to look brighter. Stax was also responsible for popularizing the beatles, no? |
| 19th December 2006 07:21 AM |
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| glencar |
Not to my knowledge! VeeJay had a couple of early Beatle songs but not Stax. |
| 19th December 2006 02:46 PM |
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| texile |
my favorite label of all time...
the music and the logo. |
| 19th December 2006 03:55 PM |
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| glencar |
Yes but this'll be ersatz Stax. Not the real deal. |
| 19th December 2006 04:18 PM |
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| mrhipfl |
I hope they'll sign traditional RnB musicians, not modern ones like Usher or R. Kelly types. |
| 19th December 2006 05:22 PM |
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| texile |
quote:
glencar wrote:
Yes but this'll be ersatz Stax. Not the real deal.
that was my first thought...
they won't be able to create the original magic -
stax was an entire genre, mood and time.
re-inventing it is a little pointless. |
| 19th December 2006 07:14 PM |
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| Sir Stonesalot |
Well, I don't think that they CAN reproduce that signature Stax sound. The rooms that all those wonderful sounds were recorded in are gone...as is all the analogue recording equipment and those wonderful vintage mics.
And let's not forget...the Stax house band, that played on so many of those shit-hot records...will not be playing on future Stax releases.
It will be nice to see that name again, but it'll never ever come close to what it once was.
My uncle has all the Stax Singles box sets. Along with the Nuggets boxes and the Chess boxes...the Stax boxes are as good as good can get. If you can find 'em, I highly recommend them. |
| 19th December 2006 07:48 PM |
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| charlotte |
SS you are right will be hard to duplicate that sound(one of a kind),I have The Complete Stax-Volt Singles 1959-1968 [BOX SET] one of my treasures!
How can you go wrong with Fool In Love - Veltones ,Green Onions - Booker T. & The MGs ,Pain In My Heart - Otis Redding ,Jump Back - Rufus Thomas ,Laundromat Blues - Albert King ,You're Taking Up Another Man's Place - Mable John ,As Long As I've Got You - Charmels just to name a few!!
Thanks for the article gazza!
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| 19th December 2006 10:44 PM |
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| texile |
i used to love to rummage through flea market bins and find those red and yellow 45s.....
and every song was a classic. |
| 19th December 2006 10:51 PM |
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| Ten Thousand Motels |
quote:
Sir Stonesalot wrote:
It will be nice to see that name again, but it'll never ever come close to what it once was.
Yeah. It's like trying to raise a dead horse. If I'm not mustaken someone tryed or did reopen the Cotton Club a while back. It can't really be done. I'd like to see them try to reopen Studio 54 again....it can't really be done though....on to the next big thing.....
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| 19th December 2006 10:56 PM |
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| pdog |
good news, the re-releases... |
| 19th December 2006 11:32 PM |
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| GotToRollMe |
quote:
charlotte wrote:
How can you go wrong with Fool In Love - Veltones ,Green Onions - Booker T. & The MGs ,Pain In My Heart - Otis Redding ,Jump Back - Rufus Thomas ,Laundromat Blues - Albert King ,You're Taking Up Another Man's Place - Mable John ,As Long As I've Got You - Charmels just to name a few!!
You can't go wrong...pure gold, through and through. 
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| 20th December 2006 07:40 AM |
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| Gazza |
quote:
glencar wrote:
Not to my knowledge! VeeJay had a couple of early Beatle songs but not Stax.
You are correct (VeeJay in the US before Capitol - they were always on Parlophone in the UK prior to 'Hey Jude') |
| 20th December 2006 07:55 AM |
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| glencar |
quote:
Ten Thousand Motels wrote:
Yeah. It's like trying to raise a dead horse. If I'm not mustaken someone tryed or did reopen the Cotton Club a while back. It can't really be done. I'd like to see them try to reopen Studio 54 again....it can't really be done though....on to the next big thing.....
Studio 54 is now a theater. |
| 20th December 2006 10:05 AM |
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| gustavobala |
sam & dave are from stax?
i really like this label, one of the best, IMO |
| 20th December 2006 10:12 AM |
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| GotToRollMe |
quote:
Gazza wrote:
You are correct (VeeJay in the US before Capitol - they were always on Parlophone in the UK prior to 'Hey Jude')
I used to have a couple of those VeeJay records - one in particular which was a US release with basically the same stuff as "With The Beatles"/"Beatles For Sale" had a great half-front cover that opened up and gave all their vital statistics and likes/dislikes. God, I wish I still had those albums.
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| 20th December 2006 10:20 AM |
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| Voodoo Scrounge |
My mum will be delighted! She loves soul! |
| 20th December 2006 10:31 AM |
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| Honky Tonk Man |
I suppose it great news in itself that such a classic label is starting up again, but what kind of music are they planning to release? Music has proggressed a lot since the days of Ottis Reading, Sam and Dave etc. Black music these days to to = Hip Hop, Urban and Rn'b |
| 20th December 2006 10:43 AM |
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| gustavobala |
quote:
Honky Tonk Man wrote:
Music has proggressed a lot since the days of Ottis Reading, Sam and Dave etc...
yes, but not the good music 
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| 20th December 2006 11:16 AM |
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| TampabayStone |
quote:
Gazza wrote:
"Stax always has been and always will be soul music. I was a part of that," said Hayes, whose 1969 album Hot Buttered Soul was one of the label's biggest hits.
I love this album. His version of "Walk on By" is fantastic! |
| 20th December 2006 11:56 AM |
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| polytoxic |
quote:
Honky Tonk Man wrote:
I suppose it great news in itself that such a classic label is starting up again, but what kind of music are they planning to release? Music has proggressed a lot since the days of Ottis Reading, Sam and Dave etc. Black music these days to to = Hip Hop, Urban and Rn'b
Interestingly enough, a lot of the big hiphop & r&b smashes have used sampled Stax breaks (Rufus Thomas' The Breakdown, The Emotions' Blind Alley, Linda Lyndell's What A Man just to name a few). Dr.Dre in particular uses Stax samples to great success. In a way, this sound is more current than ever and has crossed over more than ever thanks to all the CD reissues.
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| 20th December 2006 12:46 PM |
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| Gazza |
quote:
GotToRollMe wrote:
I used to have a couple of those VeeJay records - one in particular which was a US release with basically the same stuff as "With The Beatles"/"Beatles For Sale" had a great half-front cover that opened up and gave all their vital statistics and likes/dislikes. God, I wish I still had those albums.
Wasnt there one called "The Beatles vs The Four Seasons" with tracks by both artists - or am I imagining things?
[Edited by Gazza] |
| 20th December 2006 01:13 PM |
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| Honky Tonk Man |
quote:
Gazza wrote:
Wasnt there one called "The Beatles vs The Four Seasons" with tracks by both artists - or am I imagining things?
[Edited by Gazza]
That release may not of existed, but I found this bizzare one.
VJS-1085 - England's Greatest Recording Stars: The Beatles and Frank Ifield on Stage - Beatles/Frank Ifield [8/64] Second cover. This has a blue background with a drawing of the Beatles, and "Jolly What!" has been dropped from the cover title. On all variations of the record label itself, the title is given as The Beatles and Frank Ifield on Stage. The stereo version has the true stereo hit version of "I Remember You." Please Please Me - Beatles (S)/Any Time - Frank Ifield (S)/Lovesick Blues - Frank Ifield (S)/I'm Smiling Now - Frank Ifield (S)/Nobody's Darling - Frank Ifield (S)/From Me To You - Beatles (M)//I Remember You - Frank Ifield (S)/Ask Me Why - Beatles (S)/Thank You Girl - Beatles (M)/The Wayward Wind - Frank Ifield (S)/Unchained Melody - Frank Ifield (S)/I Listen To My Heart - Frank Ifield (S)
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