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Released on 23 September 1969, Isaac Hayes’ Hot Buttered Soul remains a visionary album, and a masterpiece that single-handedly invented symphonic soul.
The irresistible Isaac Hayes-David Porter composition and production 'Soul Man' became another Stax classic.
The best Isaac Hayes songs revolutionised soul music in the 60s and 70s, spearheading symphonic soul and helping to invent the Blaxploitation genre.
The soundtrack album to the 1972 festival, ‘Wattstax: The Living Word’ captured the power, heart and sense of unity and purpose behind the pioneering event.
One of the world’s pre-eminent songwriters, Jimmy Webb can be said to have spearheaded an Americana equivalent of The Great American Songbook.
Jimmy Webb is not only a great tunesmith, he's fantastic wordsmith. Few songwriters have a gift for both words and music greater than Webb.
One soul duo covered another in 1967, when James and Bobby remade the Sam & Dave song of two years earlier.
The history of ‘Fever’ includes some strange tales and unlikely artists. Here are some of the best cover versions of the song made famous by Peggy Lee.
Among the best Stax vocal groups, you’ll find some of the finest soul singers of the 60s and 70s, letting you know how it felt to be young, gifted and black.
The great writer-guitarist, with wife Bonnie, made some of the best blues, rock and gospel-flavoured US music of their generation.
Many people mistake pop music as disposable. But from the blues to The Beatles, some of the most important artistic statements have been wrapped up in the world’s most popular songs.
On 6 November 1971, the 'Shaft' LP climbed to No.1 on the Billboard pop album chart, unseating John Lennon’s 'Imagine.'
The playlist coincides with the release of the 2LP compilation of the same name, with digital reissues to follow daily throughout Black Music Month in June.
The collection is part of Craft's 'Made In Memphis' campaign and features many of Stax's biggest stars and songs of the era, such as Eddie Floyd, the Staple Singers and Albert King.
The Bristol collective hit the UK summit for the first time with the 1998 album.
