Sam & Dave

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Rock & Roll Hall of Fame members and Grammy award winning artists Sam & Dave were an American soul duo, and were known as one of the best and earliest soul groups and one of the best live performing R&B acts of the 1960s.

Contents

[edit] History

Singers Sam Moore and Dave Prater both grew up with strong gospel roots, having performed individually in such groups as the Melionaires and the Sensational Hummingbirds. Sam had recorded two songs in 1954 with the Majestics- "Nitey, Night" and "Caveman Rock" and was once offered the job as Sam Cooke's replacement in the Soul Stirrers, but turned it down to perform popular R & B music. Sam & Dave met in The King of Hearts Club in Miami in 1961, where Moore was the MC and Prater would perform on amateur nights. When Prater forgot the words to the Jackie Wilson song he was singing one night, Moore jumped in and started singing with him, and the musical chemistry between them quickly developed. They started working together professionally, developing a raucous live act featuring gospel inspired call-and-response performances that soon began packing nightclubs. Their on-stage success earned them a signing to the independent Roulette Records label based in Miami, where they recorded and released six two sided 45's from 1962-1964 which did not chart. They were discovered by Atlantic Records A & R soul genius Jerry Wexler (who was involved in the careers of Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, and others) in 1965, who signed them to the Atlantic label. Wexler asked Memphis-based Stax Records, which Atlantic distributed nationally, to work with Sam & Dave, and so the pair were 'loaned out' to Stax, although technically they remained Atlantic artists.

[edit] Soul Men-The Stax Years

When Sam & Dave arrived at Stax, they worked with several songwriters, including Steve Cropper from Booker T. & the MG's, but quickly gravitated to two emerging Stax songwriters, producers and arrangers- session musician Isaac Hayes and record store clerk and background singer David Porter. Hayes & Porter had a very significant impact on Sam & Dave,including influencing the groups singing style, and according to Moore: "In many ways, what Sam & Dave came to be- musically, was Isaac's idea, not Dave's or mine."

The combination of Sam & Dave's gospel & soul infused vocal stylings, writers and producers Hayes and Porter, and the powerful sounds of the Stax house band Booker T. & The MG's and the Memphis Horns helped Sam & Dave become one of the biggest recording acts in R & B and Soul music. While their first two singles failed to chart, their third Stax single, "You Don't Know Like I Know" (#7 R&B 1966), started a string of 11 consecutive Top Twenty R&B chart hits over the next three years. These included: "Hold On! I'm Comin'"(#1 R&B 1966);"You Got Me Hummin'"(#7 R&B 1966); "Said I Wasn't Gonna Tell Nobody"(#8 R&B 1966); "When Something Is Wrong with My Baby" (#2 R&B 1967); "Soothe Me"(#16 R&B 1967);"Soul Man" (#1 R&B 1967); "I Thank You" (#4 R&B 1968); "You Don't Know(What You Mean To Me)"(#20 R&B 1968); "Can't You Find Another Way of Doin'It"(#19 R&B 1968) and "Soul Sister, Brown Sugar"(#18 R&B 1968). Eleven of their songs also crossed over onto the Pop music charts, most notably "Soul Man"(#2),"Hold On' I'm Comin'"(#21) and "I Thank You"(#9). Sam & Dave were also very popular in Europe, and enjoyed four top 50 placements on the British pop charts, including #24 for "Soul Man" and a #15 for "Soul Sister, Brown Sugar".

Sam & Dave won the Grammy Award in 1967 for Best Performance-Rhythm & Blues Group for "Soul Man". Rolling Stone magazine named "Soul Man" one of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time in 2005 and "Soul Man" was also voted into the Grammy Song Hall of Fame. "Soul Man" was also the #2 Billboard R & B song of the year in 1967 and #19 Pop song of the year. Surprisingly, "Soul Man" is also Sam & Dave's only Gold Record. According to Isaac Hayes and others, "Soul Man" was also much more than "just" a hit song-in 1967 it became an anthem for Black Awareness and pride. Along with the earlier Stax hit "Soul Finger", "Soul Man" helped define the new music genre called "Soul Music" in 1967.

"Hold On, I'm Comin'" was the first song where the higher voiced Sam Moore took over sole lead vocals on the first verse and the deeper, rougher voiced Dave Prater given the "response" role and second verse (at Hayes and Porter's suggestion)and the duo stayed with this winning formula on most of their future songs. The song was created when Hayes was trying to write and called to Porter, who was in the bathroom. Porter responded with "Hold on, I'm Comin" and a major hit song was born. "Hold On, I'm Comin", when originally released, received objections from radio station and Atlantic Record officials over the potentially sexually suggestive title, resulting in a quick re-write and name change, with the official U.S. Stax single released finally as "Hold On, I'm-A-Comin". Rolling Stone magazine named "Hold On, I'm Comin" one of the best 100 songs of the past 25 years in 1988, the song was the #1 song of the year for 1966 on the Billboard R & B charts and the LP of the same name made it to #16 on the Billboard R & B album charts and #45 on the Billboard Pop album charts.

[edit] Later Years

In 1968, Stax ended its distribution association with Atlantic, and Sam & Dave were deprived the use of Hayes, Porter, and the Stax house musicians. Their last R&B Top 20 hit (and one of the last tracks they recorded at Stax) was "Soul Sister, Brown Sugar" in 1969, but their next few singles, all recorded in New York City with Atlantic songwriters and musicians, failed to reach the chart heights of their Stax heyday, adding stress to their increasingly volatile personal relationship. In '68, Prater escaped prosecution for shooting his then girlfriend by marrying her, but the episode distracted Prater from many of his musical commitments for a time. While they were never really close offstage, tensions between the partners grew so bad, they literally ceased to communicate with one another other than to perform together. Their stalled career, their personal disputes, and their increased drug use all contributed to their first break-up in 1970.

Sam & Dave reunited several times during the 1970s, including the single "Come On, Come Over" which appeared on the debut LP (1976) of the late jazz bass extraordinare Jaco Pastorius. They recorded an album on United Artists in 1974 titled "Back at Cha" which was produced by Steve Cropper, and featured the MG's and Mephis Horns and produced a minor R&B hit, "A Little Bit of Good". Their last reunion resulted from Dan Ackroyd's and John Belushi's sketch charactersThe Blues Brothers's 1978 double platinum re-recording of "Soul Man", and movie The Blues Brothers, which revived public interest in Sam & Dave. The Blues Brothers personas and stage act were heavily influenced by Sam & Dave, and as recognition, they played the songs "Hold On,Im Comin" and "Soothe me" in the soundtrack during the first car chase scene in the movie. Dan Ackroyd later said "If there wasn't a Sam Moore, there never would have been a Jake and Elwood." In 1980, the duo appeared in Paul Simon's film One Trick Pony and performed on Saturday Night Live. The pair last performed together on New Year's Eve, at the Old Waldorf in San Francisco in 1981. According to Moore, they walked off stage and never spoke to each other again. Afterward, Prater toured for a time under the New Sam & Dave name with Sam Daniels, until Moore legally blocked Prater from using the group's name without his participation. In 1986 Moore re-recorded "Soul Man" with Lou Reed for the film of the same name.

On April 9, 1988, Prater died in a car crash in Sycamore, Georgia while driving to his mother's house.

Sam Moore appeared with Junior Walker in the 1988 film Tapeheads. He had a renewed solo career in 1991, when his duet with Conway Twitty, "Rainy Night In Georgia" appeared on the Top 10 crossover album Rhythm, Country, and Blues. Moore also appeared on LP's by Bruce Springsteen, Don Henley and others. Sam also performed duets with many other top artists, including Springsteen, Henley, Annie Lennox, Elton John, Sting, Billy Joel, Aretha Franklin, Lou Reed, and James Brown. Sam continues to receive glowing accolades for his voice as well as his work with the duo. BB King said "To me, Sam Moore is the Frank Sinatra of Soul Music." Well known Rock critic Dave Marsh said "Sam Moore is the Greatest Living Soul Singer".

The pair were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992. At the award ceremony, Sam Moore brought Isaac Hayes & David Porter, his Stax songwriters and collaborators, onstage with him to honor their contributions to the duo's success. A two CD compilation of Sam & Dave's songs, The Definitive Soul Collection, digitally remastered, was released in 2006 by Rhino Records.

Sam & Dave's hits have proven to be durable over the years, and others have found success covering them as well. In addition to the double platinum Blues Brothers version of "Soul Man," both ZZ Top and Bonnie Raitt have made "I Thank You" one of their own signature songs, and the Fabulous Thunderbirds hit the Top 40 in the 1980s with their take on "Wrap It Up". "Hold On, I'm Comin" has been recorded by at least 17 different artists, including one of Sam's idols, Jackie Wilson,as well as by Aretha Franklin, an Eric Clapton & BB King duet, and Martha Reeves & the Vandellas. Elvis Costello recorded an uptempo version of "I Can't Stand Up for Fallin' Down" which he still regularly performs live.

As of 2007, Sam Moore continues to perform on a limited basis to strong reviews at the age of 71,and also record, and was nominated for a Grammy award in 2007 for the song "I Can't Stand the Rain"(a tribute to Billy Preston featuring Billy on vocals) from his 2006 album of collaborations produced by American Idol judge Randy Jackson,Overnight Sensational.

[edit] Live Performances

On stage, Sam & Dave were celebrated as one of the best live acts in music, firing up their audiences with their soul andGospel intensity, and they earned the nickname "Double Dynamite" for their energetic performances. Phil Walden, Otis Redding's manager, added-"I think Sam and Dave will probably stand the test of time as being the best live act that there ever was. Those guys were absolutely unbelievable. Every night they were awesome." In a command performance in 1966 for Queen Elizabeth, their grinding and shaking performance proved too hot, and they had the curtain pulled on them just three minutes into their performance. An October 1968 Time Magazine article reads:"Of all the R & B cats, nobody steams up a place like Sam & Dave...weaving and dancing(while singing!), they gyrate through enough acrobatics to wear out more than 100 costumes per year!" A career high point came in Spring of1967, when they were part of the "Hit the Road Stax Tour" in Europe; although Otis Redding headlined the tour, many musicians and fans agreed that Sam & Dave stole the show night after night. The Memphis Horns Wayne Jackson added-"Every night you had to feel sorry for Otis. Sam & Dave had taken the audience to heaven and back. They'd have to carry them off. They would jump out in the audience and just go crazy like they were having a fit and then jump back onstage and faint. They would have to carry Dave off like he was dead, and then then would carry him back on like he was resurrected. By the time it was over with, all the wax on the floor was gone, burnt up. Otis would be standing there in the corner praying..." After this tour, Otis Redding refused to be booked on the same bill with Sam & Dave again.

[edit] Singles Discography

  • I need love / Keep walkin' - Roulette 4419 * (1962)
  • No more pain / My love belongs to you - Roulette 4445 * (1962)
  • She's alright / It feels so nice - Roulette 4461 * (1963)
  • It was so nice while it lasted / You ain't no big thing baby - Roulette 4480 * (1963)
  • If she'll still have me / Listening for my name - Roulette 4508 * (1963)
  • I found out / I got a thing goin' on - Roulette 4533 * (1964) [January]

Sam & Dave switch to Stax in 1965.

  • A place nobody can find / Goodnight baby - Stax 168 * (1965)
  • I take what I want / Sweet home - Stax 175 * (1965)
  • You don't know like I know / Blame me - Stax 180 * (1966)
  • Hold on I'm comin / I got everything I need - Stax 189 * (1966) [No. 1 R&B]

Roulette releases older Same & Dave Recordings and markets it as "the next Sam & Dave record!"

  • It feels so nice / It was so nice while it lastes - Roulette 5671 * (1966) [reissue]

Back to the stax hits:

  • Said I wasn't gonna tell nobody / If you got the loving - Stax 198 * (1966)
  • You got me hummin' / Sleep good tonight - Stax 204 * (1967)
  • When something is wrong with my baby / Small portion of your love - Stax 210 * (1967)
  • Soothe me [live version, recorded in Paris] / I can't stand up for falling down - Stax 218 * (1967)
  • Soul man / May I baby - Stax 231 * (1967) [No. 1 R&B for 7 weeks, Gold Record]
  • I thank you / Wrap it up - Stax 242 * (1968)

Stax breaks up with Atlantic, Sam & Dave continue to record at Stax but are released on the Atlantic label.

  • You don't know what you mean to me / This is your world - Atlantic 2517 * 1968
  • Can't you find another way / Still is the night - Atlantic 2540 * 1968
  • Everybody got to believe in somebody / If I didn't have a girl like you - Atlantic 2568 * 1968
  • Soul sister brown sugar / Come on in - Atlantic 2590 * 1969
  • Born again / Get it - Atlantic 2608 * 1969

Born again was the last record produced by Hayes & Porter at the Stax Studios. The next three records were produced by Jerry Wexler & Tom Dowd (which says recorded in NY).

  • Ooh ooh ooh / Holdin' on - Atlantic 2668 * 1969
  • Baby baby don't stop now / I'm not an Indian giver - Atlantic 2714 * 1970
  • When you steal from me / One part love two parts pain - Atlantic 2728 * 1970

The next couple of records where produced by Dave Crawford, which means a turn to the south again.

  • Knock out in the park / You easily excite me - Atlantic 2733 * 1970
  • Don't pull your love out / Jody Rider got killed - Atlantic 2839 * 1971

Sam & Dave go back to some of their roots and release the following singles backed by their old Stax band and produced by Steve Cropper.

  • A Little Bit of Good(Cures a Whole Lot of Bad)/Blinded By Love - United Artists 438*1974
  • Under the Boardwalk/Give it What You Can - United Artists 531*1974

Sam & Dave go to England in 1977 to record with producer John Abbey on the Contempo Label. Ironically, one of their last singles is a ballad remake of "We Can Work it Out" by the Beatles. The Medley of older Sam & Dave songs is recorded with a Disco groove.

  • We Can Work it Out/Why Did You Do It - Contempo 1977 7004(UK only)
  • Why Did You Do it/Dont Mess with My Money, My Honey or My Woman - Contempo 2109 1977(UK Only)
  • We Can Work It Out/Medley:You Dont Know Like I Know/Hold on Im Comin - Contempo 2124(UK Only)
  • Living It Down(a single track from these recording sessions which appears on Compilation LP Soul Deep Vol. 2) Contempo CLP 606(UK Only)

[edit] External links

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