Booker T' and the MGs were like a four piece orchestra said Donald "Duck" Dunn, "Booker played so full, Steve was so precise and Al was the heartbeat of Stax. I just tried to complement the lyrics or stay out of the way of the lyrics. It worked."
Also, odd for the times, Booker T and the MGs were a racially-mixed group. Jones and Jackson were black and Cropper and Dunn white. According to Mavis Staples, "That was because was just so open, no boundaries, no rules at anytime."
Rob Bowman, who wrote the story of Stax in his book "Soulsville, USA" added The day-to-day workings at Stax were a manifestation of Dr. Martin Luther King's dream where white and black came together organically to make music.
However, Otis Redding's tragic death in a plane crash in 1967 and then King's assassination a few months later shattered the dream, causing office problems and local youths threatened musicians.
A NEW DIRECTION
Booker T & the MGs split in 1971 and Stax changed direction toward Isaac Hayes, who had been a songwriter for the label. He became a superstar after "Shaft." Then, the Staple Singers came along with their gospel-tinged music.
Otis, My Man!!! --RoadDog
Being an account of some things I'm interested in, what I'm doing, and reflections on my past, especially music.
Listen to this man. Seven years of college, you know. Trying to reason with 2020 and, now, 2022.
No comments:
Post a Comment