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Music/Film: Respect Yourself: The Stax Records Story

And while we're on the subject - we've posted on this film before - but do yerself a favor and check out "Respect Yourself: The Stax Records Story." It documents an amazing chapter in American history and further shines a light on an incredibly fertile time and place - Memphis, TN in the 60's. Pass this story down to your kids.

Posted in Music, Film

Tags: southern brand, memphis, southern music, american music, stax records, soul music, r & b,

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Music: Eyes On The Prize

The great Mavis Staples' powerful and poignant version of "Eyes On The Prize". If you don't already know about this amazing woman and her family's band - The Staple Singers, check her out. And check out this clip from the film Wattstax.

Posted in Music

Tags: southern brand, southern music, american music, stax records, memphis music, wattstax, mavis staples, staple singers,

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Music/Film: Stax Records - Memphis, Tennessee

I just got turned on to somethin' special. It's a doc called "Respect Yourself: The Stax Records Story." It's tells of the rise and fall of Memphis-based Stax Records. Founded in 1957 as Satellite Records and renamed Stax in '61 - a mix of the names Jim Stewart and Estelle Axton, the brother and sister who co-founded it. This studio, started in a garage and later moved to an old movie theatre, released some of the most important and influential American music of all time including Otis Redding, Booker T and the MGs, Albert King, Sam & Dave, Isaac Hayes, Rufus & Carla Thomas, Eddie Floyd, and the Bar-Kays. The doc tells of the amazing musical and social ground that was broken by this little studio in the deep south. Forged in a black neighborhood by two white country music fans during a time when most of Memphis was still segregated, Stax was revolutionary. The doc covers the highs as well as the lows such as the unexamined fine print in Stax's distribution agreement with Atlantic Records which turned over the rights to classic Stax masters. It goes on to tell of the label's resurgence with the success of Isaac Hayes, blaxploitation film production and soundtracks (Shaft, Sweet Sweetback's Badass Song) and the historical WattStax show and ultimately the label's downfall behind the exorbitant spending, corrupt business associates and shady dealings. An epic American story. And the footage is amazing. I'd been to the Stax Museum a couple of times (a jewel in the crown of American culture - make the pilgrimage before you kick the bucket!), but this documentary does a superb job of telling the story through the eyes and voices of those who lived it.