Melissa Etheridge: ›Memphis Rock and Soul‹

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Melissa Etheridge: ›Memphis Rock and Soul‹ Soul Tales Musik | Auf Platte: Melissa Etheridge: ›Memphis Rock And Soul‹ Soul Tales – Stax Records gibt es seit 60 Jahren und Melissa Etheridge ist the funkiest Woman alive in der Rockmusik mit ›Memphis Rock And Soul‹ Von TINA KAROLINA STAUNER Melissa Etheridge war schon mit Bruce Springsteen auf der Bühne und mit Dolly Parton. Sie hat eine ganze Reihe eigener Alben eingespielt. Straighter Rock und bluesiges Country Feeling. Ihre neueste CD ›Memphis Rock And Soul‹ widmet die auch als Frauenrechtlerin bekannte Etheridge dem Memphis-Soul und Song-Adaptionen des legendären Stax-Labels. Black Boys R’n’B and Blue-Eyed Soul »It didn’t matter about the color of your skin. We weren’t in there to prove that we were Black and they were proving that they were White; we were there proving that music is a sentiment of a man’s soul.« (Blues vocalist Mable John from Respect Yourself: The Stax Records Story) In den 1960er und 1970er waren für die Soulmusik zwei besonders wichtige Labels Stax und Motown. Stax war im Süden in Memphis, Motown im Norden in Detroit. Stax, gegründet von Jim Stewart und Estelle Axton, featurte den Soul der Schwarzen. Der ureigene »einfache« Sound mit Orientierung an Gospel und Einsatz Stax-typischer Bläsersektion aus der East McLemore Street in Memphis wurde sofort weltbekannt. Eine tonangebende Sessionband war Booker T. & The MG’s, auch in Zusammenarbeit mit den Memphis Horns. Spontane Sessions, »Head Arrangements« genannt, waren üblich. Auch Crossovers und der Blue-Eyed Soul der Weißen gehörte zum Spektrum. Kein Geringerer als Elvis Presley nahm einige Songs im Stax-Studio auf. Stax in einem alten Kino in Memphis »…I can read your mind And I know your story I see what you’re going through…« (Stephens) Soul Tales Das Stax im Capitol wurde 1989 abgerissen und seit 2003 gibt es dort das Stax Museum of American Soul Music, die Stax Music Academy and die The Soulsville Charter School. 1975 ging Stax Records in Konkurs. Ab 1977 war der Katalog bei Fantasy Records. Bis 1968 war Atlantic involviert. 2004 kaufte Concord das Fantasy-Label mit Stax; seit 2006 ist Stax selber wieder aktiv. 2007 erschien eine CD-Box mit 50 Hits. Von Stax gab es ungefähr 800 Singles und 300 Alben. Es gelangen 15 Nummer-eins-Hits. Das Label war ein Repräsentant des kulturellen amerikanischen Südens. Es steht für nichts anderes als Southern Soul. Es gab starke Frauen im Line-Up wie Carla Thomas und Barbara Stephens. Die Männer waren in der Überzahl. Concord listet in seiner Stax-Info aktuelle Musiker auf wie Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Ben Harper und Southern Avenue. ›Starting All Over Again‹ (Mel & Tim) »…Well, you can, tell her that Im happy, tell her that Im ok. Tell her I won’t have it, any other way…« (Bell) Von Stax-Legenden hat Melissa Etheridge 12 Songs musikalisch und textlich frei interpretiert. In den Royal Studios von Willie Mitchell und Lawrence »Boo« Mitchell in Memphis wurde an einem authentischen Rocksound mit souligem Touch gearbeitet. Beteiligt waren bei »Memphis Rock And Soul« Musiker wie die Hodges Brothers und John Mayer. Melissa Etheridge hat mit ihrer rauen Stimme und ihrer direkten Rockmentalität die Soulsongs souverän im Griff. Deep Soul transformiert in soliden Rock. Kraftvoll und energiegeladen gibt es einen Soul-Klassiker nach dem anderen: Otis Redding, Rufus Thomas, The Staple Singers, William Bell, Johnnie Taylor, Sam & Dave, Isaac Hayes, Barbara Stephens, Albert King. To name a few tracks: ›I’m A Lover‹ (Staples), ›Born Under A Bad Sign‹ (King) und ›Any Other Way‹ (Bell). Rockmusik und Soulmusik brauchen nicht unbedingt intellektuell komplizierte Diskurse. Wer zuhört, hört zu. Soul Tales No Filter. Gradliniger Rock und Old Soul. Das Feeling stimmt. Einfach Schöner Southern Soul. Melissa Etheridge gibt dabei auch eine Lektion in Sachen Musikgeschichte. Vielleicht hat mancher den einen oder anderen Stax-Song vermisst. ›That’sThe Way It Is With Me‹ (Barbara Stephens)… | TINA KAROLINA STAUNER Titelangaben Melissa Etheridge: ›Memphis Rock And Soul‹ (Concord Records / Universal Music, 2016) Concord/Rhino veröffentlicht in diesem Jahr zun 60-jährigen Labelbestehen diverse Stax-Alben. Es gibt aus vergangenen Jahren: ›Stax 50: A 50th Anniversary Celebration Box-Set‹, Original Recording Remastered, (Concord / Universal Music, 2007) oder ›Classic Stax“‹ (Imports, 2016).
Recommended publications
  • Congressional Record United States Th of America PROCEEDINGS and DEBATES of the 110 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION
    E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 110 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION Vol. 153 WASHINGTON, MONDAY, JUNE 18, 2007 No. 98 House of Representatives The House met at 12:30 p.m. and was mismanagement, corruption, and a per- In this program, people receive an called to order by the Speaker pro tem- petual dependence upon foreign aid and overnight transfer from an American pore (Ms. HIRONO). remittances. Mexico must make tough bank account to a Mexican one. The f decisions and get its economy in shape. two central banks act as middlemen, Until then, Madam Speaker, we will taking a cut of about 67 cents no mat- DESIGNATION OF SPEAKER PRO continue to face massive immigration ter what the size of the transaction. TEMPORE from the south. According to Elizabeth McQuerry of The SPEAKER pro tempore laid be- While we are painfully aware of the the Federal Reserve, banks then typi- fore the House the following commu- problems illegal immigration is caus- cally charge $2.50 to $5 to transfer ing our society, consider what it is nication from the Speaker: about $350. In total, this new program doing to Mexico in the long run. The WASHINGTON, DC, cuts the costs of remittances by at June 18, 2007. massive immigration is draining many least half. In America, 200 banks are I hereby appoint the Honorable MAZIE K. villages across Mexico of their impor- now signed up for this service com- HIRONO to act as Speaker pro tempore on tant labor pool.
    [Show full text]
  • Definitive Collection of Stax Records' Singles to Be
    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: DEFINITIVE COLLECTION OF STAX RECORDS’ SINGLES TO BE REISSUED Two volumes, due out December 16, 2014 and Spring 2015, cover 1968-1975. Volumes to be made available digitally for first time. LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Concord Music Group and Stax Records are proud to announce the digital release and physical reissue of two comprehensive box set titles: The Complete Stax/Volt Soul Singles, Vol. 2: 1968-1971 and The Complete Stax/Volt Soul Singles, Vol. 3: 1972-1975. Originally released in 1993 and 1994, respectively, these two compilations will be re-released back into the physical market in compact and sleek new packaging. Each set includes full-color booklets with in-depth essays by Stax historian and compilations co- producer Rob Bowman. The volumes feature stalwart Stax R&B artists including Isaac Hayes, the Staple Singers, Rufus Thomas, Johnnie Taylor, Carla Thomas, the Bar-Kays and William Bell, as well as bluesmen Little Milton, Albert King and Little Sonny, and “second generation” Stax hitmakers like Jean Knight, the Soul Children, Kim Weston, the Temprees, and Mel & Tim. Many of the tracks included in these collections will be made available digitally for the very first time. The story of the great Memphis soul label Stax/Volt can be divided into two distinct eras: the period from 1959 through the beginning of 1968, when the company was distributed by Atlantic and was developing its influential sound and image (chronicled in acclaimed 9-CD box set The Complete Stax/Volt Singles 1959-1968, released by Atlantic in 1991); and the post-Atlantic years, from May 1968 through the end of 1975, when Stax/Volt began its transition from a small, down-home enterprise to a corporate soul powerhouse.
    [Show full text]
  • Soulsville, USA Van De Vele Muzikale Heiligdommen Die Mem- Phis Rijk Is
    Albert Moreu Tangela Mathis (links) in actie Bij het uitstappen op de parkeerplaats van Stax Records: Hoop voor de toekomst het Stax Museum for American Soul Music schalt Soul Man van Sam & Dave uit blikkerige speakers. Natuurlijk. Ik ben weer terug waar ik in 2007 voor het eerst op bedevaart ging, bij een Back to Soulsville, USA van de vele muzikale heiligdommen die Mem- phis rijk is. Hier aan East McLemore Avenue, iets ten zuiden van het centrum van de stad, Je zou het bijna vergeten, maar ten tijde van Elvis en B.B. King staat een herbouwde versie van de studio van het platenlabel Stax Records, waar ooit soulgigan- schonk Memphis, Tennessee de wereld ook nog eens het beroemde ten als Otis Redding en Isaac Hayes kind aan huis waren. Hier, in het hart van een wijk die Stax Records, waar soullegendes als Otis Redding en Isaac Hayes thuis officieus Soulsville, USA heet, wonen ook nu nog de armsten van Memphis, een stad die toch waren. Het baanbrekende platenlabel werd niet alleen bekend om zijn al niet overloopt van rijkdom en kansen. Net als deze hele regio is de geschiedenis van Stax onmiskenbare sound, maar was door zijn koppige kleurenblindheid een Records een boek vol zwarte bladzijdes. Maar tegelijkertijd is er geen beter voorbeeld te vinden onverwacht baken binnen de strijd om gelijke burgerrechten in de jaren van de kracht van hoop en optimisme, die hier net als in de jaren zestig ook nu weer tegen alle zestig van de vorige eeuw. AmericA ging terug en ontdekte dat Stax verwachtingen in springlevend blijken te zijn.
    [Show full text]
  • Stax Reissues 'Boy Meets Girl: Classic Soul' Duets
    PRLog - Global Press Release Distribution Stax Reissues 'Boy Meets Girl: Classic Soul' Duets Duets include Eddie Floyd & Mavis Staples, William Bell & Carla Thomas, Delaney & Bonnie Bramlett, and a rare one from Dusty Springfield & Spencer Davis July 20, 2009 - PRLog -- LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Stax Records through Concord Music Group will reissue its 1969 compilation Boy Meets Girl, which paired Stax male and female artists for a set of classic duets. Featured are many of the greatest names in soul music including Johnnie Taylor, Eddie Floyd, Pervis Staples, Carla Thomas, William Bell, Mavis Staples and Cleotha Staples. The reissue adds two rare duets of Bell and Booker T. Jones’ ”Private Number,” by Bell and Judy Clay, and by Dusty Springfield and Spencer Davis. The latter version was previously available only on a long out-of-print mid-‘80s Takoma Records release. The album is slated for a street date of August 18, 2009. “Duets have always been an integral part of the history of soul music,” writes Stax historian Rob Bowman in his liner notes, “Boy Meets Girl provides a vehicle for several interesting examples of the medium cut for the mighty Stax Records.” Most of Boy Meets Girl was recorded in 1969 at the suggestion of Stax president Al Bell, who felt Stax should progress from a singles label to an album-oriented label. A variety of producers oversaw the various tracks including Bell himself, Isaac Hayes, Booker T. Jones, Don Davis, Donald “Duck” Dunn, Randy Jackson, Homer Banks and Don Nix. The 18-track set begins with the Bell-Clay “Private Number”; next, Bell and Mavis Staples reprise the Sam & Dave hit “I Thank You”; Eddie Floyd and Mavis Staples tackle Janis Joplin’s “Piece of My Heart”; Johnnie Taylor and Carla Thomas perform “Just Keep On Loving Me”; and Eddie Floyd and Mavis Staples perform Floyd and Booker T.
    [Show full text]
  • Transforming Southern Soul: an Examination of Stax Fax and Stax
    Transforming Southern Soul: An Examination of Stax Fax and Stax Records During the Late 1960s Chandler Vaught Rhodes Institute for Regional Studies 2017 Vaught 2 Special Thanks to Al Bell Deanie Parker Jeff Kollath Jennifer Campbell And Dr. Charles Hughes Vaught 3 In the early 1960s Deanie Parker moved from Ironton, Ohio to Memphis, Tennessee in order to finish high school and be with her mother, who was living in the city at the time. She attended Hamilton High School, where future star Carla Thomas would also graduate from, and became the lead female vocalist for a student band.1 Encouraged by the school’s glee club instructor, the group took part in a Beale Street music competition for which the first place prize was an opportunity to audition for Stax Records. “And we won that prize,” Parker recalls, “So that was how I managed to get into Stax Records and to learn what it was they did in that old Capitol Theater that had been converted into a recording company. Which was behind Satellite Record Shop on McLemore at College.”2 Though Deanie would not go on to become a hit musician, she would become an integral part of Stax Records. In 1965 Jim Stewart, the president of Stax, hired Deanie as the company’s first publicist. The ultimate goal of her job was to package and advertise the product (the songs and artists of Stax) to both the DJs who played their music and the general public as a whole.3 In the fall of 1968 a new marketing tool was developed that would aid her in this endeavor, Stax’s very own magazine called Stax Fax.
    [Show full text]
  • An Educator's Guide to Visiting the Stax Museum of American Soul Music
    A Facing History and Ourselves Publication The Sounds of Change An Educator’s Guide to Visiting the Stax Museum of American Soul Music A Facing History and Ourselves Publication The Sounds of Change An Educator’s Guide to Visiting the Stax Museum of American Soul Music Facing History and Ourselves is an international educational and professional development organization whose mission is to engage students of diverse backgrounds in an examination of racism, prejudice, and antisemitism in order to promote the development of a more humane and informed citizenry. By studying the historical development of the Holocaust and other examples of genocide, students make the essential connection between history and the moral choices they confront in their own lives. For more information about Facing History and Ourselves, please visit our website at www. facinghistory.org. Copyright © 2014 by Facing History and Ourselves National Foundation, Inc., and the Stax Museum of American Soul Music. All rights reserved. Facing History and Ourselves® is a trademark registered in the US Patent & Trademark Office. Text credits: Song lyrics for “Soul Man,” “Respect,” “Respect Yourself,” and “If You’re Ready (Come with Me)” are used with permission from Universal Music Publishing Group. Cover art credit: API Photography, Memphis, TN. For additional resources, visit Facing History’s The Sounds of Change website. Facing History and Ourselves Headquarters 16 Hurd Road Brookline, MA 02445-6919 2 Facing History and Ourselves Facing History and Ourselves is a global nonprofit organization founded in 1976 by educators who wanted to develop a more effective and rewarding way to engage students. We’re guided by the belief that the lifeblood of democracy is the ability of every rising generation to be active, responsible decision makers who’ve learned to value compassion as much as reason.
    [Show full text]
  • A RESOLUTION to Recognize the Visitors to the Stax Museum Opening Events As Honorary Tennesseans
    Filed for intro on 04/22/2003 SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 305 By Cohen A RESOLUTION to recognize the visitors to the Stax Museum Opening Events as Honorary Tennesseans. WHEREAS, from the mountains in the East, to the honky-tonks of Nashville, to the streets of Memphis, the sounds of music emanate from every corner of this great State; and WHEREAS, from Hank Williams to Elvis Presley, the Carter Family to the Staple Singers, and Otis Redding to Isaac Hayes, Tennessee has borne and nourished the music that revolutionized American culture; and WHEREAS, Tennessee is recognized throughout the world as the home to country music, the blues, and sweet soul music; and WHEREAS, visitors to this great State share with its citizens a common love and respect for the sounds, cultures, and sites of Tennessee; and WHEREAS, citizens and visitors alike will gather in Memphis from April 27 through May 1, 2003, to celebrate the Grand Opening of the Stax Museum; and SJR0305 00624183 -1- WHEREAS, the developers of the Stax Museum recognize the utmost importance of the music that was created within the walls of the Stax Records recording studios; the Museum is devoted to the documentation and preservation of the Stax legacy; and WHEREAS, in 1959, former country fiddler Jim Stewart, and his sister, Estelle Axton, founded what would, in 1961, become Stax Records; the label's first hit was "Cause I Love You," by Rufus and Carla Thomas; and WHEREAS, second only to Motown in popular soul music sales and influence, Stax Records was nevertheless first in gritty, raw, stripped-down soul; featuring artists like Otis Redding, Rufus & Carla Thomas, Sam & Dave, and Isaac Hayes, and with house band Booker T.
    [Show full text]
  • The Social and Economic Impact of the Stax Legacy on the Soulsville Community Joshua Cape 2011 Rhodes Institute for Regional Studies Introduction
    Cape 1 The Social and Economic Impact of the Stax Legacy on the Soulsville Community Joshua Cape 2011 Rhodes Institute for Regional Studies Introduction The story behind Memphis‟ role in the proliferation of soul music relies heavily on Stax Records, a soul music powerhouse during the 1960s and 1970s.1 The sound of Stax found a niche in the soul and R&B music markets, and Stax served as a medium for championing social issues. On a global level, Stax Records defined Memphis soul music as the “Memphis Sound” and is remembered today as a symbol of racial integration. On a local level, Stax maintained an intimate relationship with the surrounding community, now known as Soulsville U.S.A.2 Although mentioned by Robert Gordon and Peter Guralnick in their books on Memphis music, it was only through the work of Dr. Rob Bowman, a professor of ethnomusicology who spent more than a decade researching Stax, that definitive historical and musicological accounts of the soul label were compiled.3 Bowman‟s book entitled Soulsville U.S.A.: The Story of Stax Records offers a detailed study of the label‟s life, exploring its significance as both a local focal point and a business. Despite touching on Stax‟s relationship with its surroundings, Bowman 1 Aside: Throughout its history, numerous Stax recordings charted on Billboard magazine’s music charts. The soulful Stax sound often found itself charting in the R&B classification, since no soul chart existed at the time. For a detailed analysis of Stax soul music, read Bowman’s dissertation Stax Records: A Historical and Musicological Study (diss.
    [Show full text]
  • Soulsville U.S.A. Mark R
    Furman Magazine Volume 45 Article 4 Issue 4 Winter 2003 1-1-2003 Soulsville U.S.A. Mark R. Crosby '84 Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarexchange.furman.edu/furman-magazine Recommended Citation Crosby, Mark R. '84 (2003) "Soulsville U.S.A.," Furman Magazine: Vol. 45 : Iss. 4 , Article 4. Available at: https://scholarexchange.furman.edu/furman-magazine/vol45/iss4/4 This Article is made available online by Journals, part of the Furman University Scholar Exchange (FUSE). It has been accepted for inclusion in Furman Magazine by an authorized FUSE administrator. For terms of use, please refer to the FUSE Institutional Repository Guidelines. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ALL PHOTOS COURTESY FANTASY RECORDS EXCEPT AS NOTEO. n early January of this year, I flew out to San Francisco to spend two days I at Fantasy Records. The purpose of my visit was to listen to old recording sessions from the 1960s and '70s that took place at the long-gone Stax Records recording studio, once located in Memphis, Te nn. Stax went bankrupt back in 1975, and Fantasy had acquired most of its assets, including the original master tapes of such hits as "(Sittin' on) The Dock of the Bay," "Soul Man" and "Theme From Shaft." This was my third visit to Fantasy to listen to the Stax tapes. The five-story Fantasy Records build­ ing, located in Berkeley, just across the bay from San Francisco, is somewhat modern looking, with a tinted-glass and white concrete-slab exterior. The Stax tapes are kept on the second floor, in a vault-like room behind a door you'd think was for a hall closet.
    [Show full text]
  • Respect Yourself: Stax Records and the Soul Explosion Pdf, Epub, Ebook
    RESPECT YOURSELF: STAX RECORDS AND THE SOUL EXPLOSION PDF, EPUB, EBOOK Robert Gordon | 480 pages | 09 Apr 2015 | Bloomsbury Publishing PLC | 9781608194162 | English | New York, United States Respect Yourself: Stax Records and the Soul Explosion PDF Book This is the unexpurgated story. This a good book and you don't have to be a music fan. It's about a small independent company's struggle to survive in a business world of burgeoning conglomerates. This book tells the story of Stax Records, but it isn't just a the story of Stax the record label, as it also places the story in the context of Memphis and the civil rights movement, and there are some very interesting parallels between the rise and fall of Stax and other American businesses. One of the best music books I've ever read. I absolutely ate Loved this well-written book and highly recommend it! Everything is lost, and the sanctuary that flourished is ripped from the ground. For anyone interested in independent record labels and their music in midth-century America. If you're interested in the soul music of the 60's and 70's, Respect Yourself is a must-read. Respect Yourself chronicles the rise and fall of Stax Records. The story has three arcs: The simple days of creating a new genre of music and building a record company to bring the tunes to a diversified audience The story of Stax Records unfolds like a Greek tragedy. That was Marvell heading to heaven. Enjoyed this one so much more! And always at the center of the story is Memphis, Tennessee, an explosive city struggling through heated, divisive years.
    [Show full text]
  • The Music of the Colorblind: How Integrated Music Was
    THE MUSIC OF THE COLORBLIND: HOW INTEGRATED MUSIC WAS CREATED IN A REGION OF POLITICAL AND SOCIAL SEGREGATION by Damon A. Brooks A Thesis/Project Presented to The Faculty of Humboldt State University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Social Science In Teaching American History May, 2005 THE MUSIC OF THE COLORBLIND: HOW INTEGRATED MUSIC WAS CREATED IN A REGION OF POLITICAL AND SOCIAL SEGREGATION by Damon A. Brooks Approved by the Master’s Thesis Committee: Delores McBroome, Committee Chair Date Rod Sievers, Committee Member Date Gayle Olson, Committee Member Date Delores McBroome, Graduate Coordinator Date MASS – Teaching American History Donna E. Schafer, Dean for Research and Graduate Studies Date ABSTRACT The Music of the Colorblind: How Integrated Music was Created in a Region of Political and Social Segregation Damon A. Brooks The importance of Memphis, Tennessee in the history of popular American music cannot be overstated. If Memphis had produced just the Sun recordings of Elvis Presley in the fifties alone, its status as a city rich in musical tradition would be secure. But there is so much more music that came from Memphis: Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Howlin’ Wolf, Roy Orbison, Booker T. and the M.G.s, Otis Redding, Rufus and Carla Thomas, Isaac Hayes, Albert King, Sam and Dave, and Al Green to list just a few. Memphis helped shape almost all subsequent rock and roll. The synthesis of black and white musical styles that occurred there in the fifties was unique. The Stax recordings of sixties soul music and seventies funk continued Memphis’ history of mixing black and white music together.
    [Show full text]
  • The Memphis Sound: a Case Study of Music and Integration in Mid-Century America Overview
    THE MEMPHIS SOUND: A CASE STUDY OF MUSIC AND INTEGRATION IN MID-CENTURY AMERICA OVERVIEW ESSENTIAL QUESTION How has Memphis music culture provided one example of art’s capacity to challenge the racial boundaries that have so often structured American life? OVERVIEW In the early 1950s, Elvis Presley, the future “King of Rock and Roll,” would wander down to the Beale Street area of Memphis on breaks from his job as an usher at Loew’s Theater. Beale Street was a predominantly black part of Memphis. As a white teenager in a segregated city, Elvis was crossing a line. But he was enthralled by African-American life. Window-shopping for clothes at establishments like Lansky Bros. and expressing his love for the music he heard coming from black Memphis, Elvis was resisting racial norms. Beale Street had an energy he couldn’t ignore. With its rich musical history and bustling shops, many of them owned by African-Americans, that part of town had a vibrancy that appealed to many, both black and white. At the level of culture, it was impossible to segregate Memphis. Memphis is just one example within a larger, national story about music and culture providing an alternative to the systems of segregation, official and unofficial, that defined American life during the 1950s and 60s. In large cities such as Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit, and New York City, as well as smaller communities like Muscle Shoals, Alabama, music played a powerful role in breaking down racial boundaries. Segregation had been written into American law through legislation such as the 1896 Supreme Court decision Plessy vs.
    [Show full text]