Stax Records
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Stax Records was a Memphis, Tennessee based record label that existed from 1959 to 1976. It is known as a major factor in the creation of the Southern soul and Memphis soul music styles, and as a frequent recorder of early funk and 1960s Chicago blues. Stax is also well known for having some of the first popular ethnically-integrated bands.
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[edit] History
Satellite Records (renamed to 'Stax' in 1961) was founded in 1959 by Jim Stewart and Estelle Axton. The first successful artists recorded by Satellite were vocalists Rufus and Carla Thomas, a father-daughter duo whose work attracted Atlantic Records, with whom Stewart made a contract giving ownership of master tapes and first choice on releasing recordings. Another of the early bands signed to the company was a Memphis group, The Mar-Keys, formerly known as The Royal Spades. Shortly thereafter, pianist Booker T Jones joined the label and, along with members of The Mar-Keys, began performing as Booker T. and the Memphis Group; this band's sound exemplified the style that Stax was looking for. In 1962, Stax created a subsidiary label, Volt Records, used for rhythm and blues music. The first artist released by Volt was Otis Redding, their most successful artist. Another hit-making act was Sam and Dave, sent to Stax by Atlantic. Atlantic producer Jerry Wexler frequently brought his artists to Memphis for recording sessions at Stax. In the BBC documentary Soul Deep he reported putting Wilson Pickett and Booker T. and the MGs' guitarist Steve Cropper in a motel room "with a bottle of Jack"; the night's work produced the soul standard "In the Midnight Hour".
In 1968, contract renegotiations fell through with Atlantic; Stewart sold the label to Gulf and Western in March of that year. Although Stax had lost their most valuable artists — Sam and Dave, who were signed to Atlantic, and Otis Redding, who had died shortly before the move between companies — they recovered quickly, building on such new artists as Isaac Hayes, whose Hot Buttered Soul album went triple-platinum in 1969. However, Stax's record sales were down overall under Gulf and Western's management. In 1970, Stewart and Al Bell, Stax's sales director, purchased the label back. Stax subsisted on its own for a short period until 1972, when negotiations with Columbia Records began.
In 1972, Al Bell and Stax recording artists staged a concert, Wattstax, which drew over 100,000 predominantly African-American Los Angelenos. The event, known as the "Black Woodstock," was MC'ed by Reverend Jesse Jackson and filmed by director Mel Stuart (Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory). The festival featured performances by Stax recording artists and humor from a then little-known Richard Pryor.
Meanwhile, the future of Stax was not so hopeful. A deal was struck with Columbia, but Stax's profits were cut severely; the company was unable to continue. The last big hit for Stax was "Woman to Woman" from Shirley Brown in 1974. Its success delayed the crunch for several months but, in 1976, Stax finally went bankrupt.
Fantasy Records bought the post-Atlantic (post-May 1968) Stax recordings and continued to repackage and rerelease the Stax catalogue. Atlantic still has the rights to the Atlantic-era Stax recordings released up to May 1968, most of which have been reissued by co-owned Rhino Records or licensed to Collectables Records. Fantasy released a box set titled The Stax Story, which includes Atlantic-era material which was included by arrangement with Atlantic. Fantasy does have the rights to Atlantic-era Stax recordings which were not released by Atlantic Records. Stax, along with the rest of the Fantasy label group, is now owned by the Concord Music Group.
On the BBC radio station 1Xtra, Angie Stone, in an interview with Ronnie Herel, announced that Concord are restarting Stax and that she is currently recording an album to release on the label sometime in 2007.
The Sept 23, 2006 issue of Rolling Stone reported that Justin Timberlake is attempting to revive the label and sign Matthew Morris.
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
[edit] Bibliography
- Rob Bowman (1997). Soulsville U.S.A: The Story of Stax Records. Prentice-Hall. ISBN 0-8256-7284-8.
[edit] Sample
- Download sample of Otis Redding's "Mr. Pitiful", released in 1964 on Stax.
[edit] External links
- History of Stax
- Stax Museum
- Stax unofficial website
- P.O.V. Wattstax companion website (featuring streaming audio of performances and a podcast interview with director Mel Stuart)
- The Otis Redding French site
- MP3 audio interview with Stax Records expert Rob Bowman on the radio program The Sound of Young America
