40 Year Itch: Dum-Dum-Dum-Dum Sock It, Sock It

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"It pleased God to put a guitar in my hands and a song on the lips of my children and we aim to please God through our music"
-Roebuck "Pops" Staples

The Staple Singers began as a family gospel act and never completely left the church and its teachings behind ...even when they found success on the pop and R and B charts. From Bealtitude: Respect Yourself ,The Staple Singers has two big hits : the #12 pop/#2 R and B "Respect Yourself" and the #1 pop and R and B hit "I'll Take You There", which may be the best song to ever emerge from Muscle Shoals Studio.



The introduction was lifted by these good God fearing folks from the reggae artists Harry J All Stars UK hit "The Liquidator". But it was all in the name of getting us to heaven via the breathy, moaning vocals of Mavis Staples and that Eddie Hinton guitar solo has a grace all of its own...so what the hell.



That was kind of the point of what The Staple Singers did: spreading the good word about love. As "Pops" told Essence Magazine's Vernon Gibbs :

"We always tried to do material that was inspirational and uplifting in addition to whatever else it was, and I guess the deejays picked up on that...we've always tried to make music that is affirmative, happy music that makes a positive point. Our aim is to get across a message while we're entertaining people. We want people to enjoy the music, but we also want them to hear the lyrics and hear one message--love."

Bealtitide is a great album full of sanctifying soul. Our deep cut is "This Old Town" which basically says we're all the same and if you can't figure that our now, you will when you get to "the community just up the hill." And if that's not inspiring, maybe this woman's interpretive dance will do the trick.

Six Degrees of Separation: Booker T and the MG's to Luther Ingram

1. Booker T and The MG's: I Want You ( She's So Heavy)

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In 1969, The Beatles and Booker T & The MG's had mutual fan clubs. John Lennon called the Stax band "Book a Table and the Maitre D's" and, in 1970,  The MG's covered the entire Abbey Road album.

2. Bill Withers: Do It Good

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In 1971,  Booker T Jones produced and played on the Bill Withers debut Just As I Am. On the short track "Do It Good", Withers tells listeners how "Mr Jones" told him to just do what he does, and do it good. The following album Still Bill included the #2 1972 single "Use Me",  a track on the Anchorman soundtrack .

3. Gene Chandler: Groovy Situation

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Another track on the Anchorman soundtrack was the million selling single "Groovy Situation" from 1970. "Groovy Situation" was originally recorded by an R&B duo The "Duke of Earl" discovered, Mel and Tim.

4. Mel and Tim : Starting All Over Again

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Best known for 1969's  "Backfield in Motion"Cousins Mel Hardin and Tim McPherson scored a Top 20 in 1972 with "Starting All Over Again". That was a the year they performed at Wattstax,a concert held to commemorate the seventh anniversary of the Watts riots. Other performers included The Bar-Kays, Issac Hayes and The Staple Singers.

5. The Staple Singers: We The People

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The Staple Singers performed "We The People" at Wattstax as well as "Respect Yourself, a 1971Top 20 pop hit written by Stax Records singer Luther Ingram and songwriter Mack Rice. Frustrated with the world, Ingram told Rice "black folk need to learn to respect themselves."

6. Luther Ingram : If Lovin You Is Wrong (I Don't Want To Be Right)


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In the Summer of  1972,  Luther Ingram topped the Billboard R&B charts  ( and hit #3 on the pop charts) with "If Loving You is Wrong ( I Don't Want To Be Right)". He sold nearly 4 million copies of this song about an adulterous affair. Millie Jackson covered the song in our last Six Degrees.