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An oft-overlooked album that Rance and group recorded during a return to Stax after their record on Capitol with Larry Mizell. The groove here is more tightly produced than on their earlier Stax LPs, with more of a modern soul sound, and more of an orientation towards a dancefloor beat – but... read more

A beautiful mix of gospel soul and heavy Memphis production – and the kind of heavy soul album that made Rance Allen one of Stax's best new artists during the 70s. David Porter produced and arranged, and the album has some great electric keyboard work by Rance that provides a perfect... read more

A return to Stax by Rance Allen – his first album for the label after a stellar set for Capitol, and a much smoother set than before! Rance has learned from his work with Larry Mizell on Capitol, and is using a warmer glide on his tracks on this set – arrangements mostly done by... read more

The Bar-Kays' last album for Stax – most likely recorded in earlier years – and a surprisingly funky set that still holds onto the group of the group's earlier 70s work, while also pointing the way towards the future! The overall sound isn't nearly as slick as in the Mercury years, and... read more

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Sublime sounds from Booker T & The MGs – the group's first five albums, laid out in one totally package! The progression in Memphis soul here is wonderful – as the package starts with the initial Green Onions set – a record that grew out of a famous jam from Book and the... read more

A great little album from Booker T & The MGs – recorded in the post Green Onions years, at a time when the group was really coming together – with a tightness that perfectly illustrates their sublime Memphis instrumental groove! The album's heavy on guitar and organ, as you'd... read more

Classic Memphis organ grooves from Booker T and the mighty MGs! Includes plenty of nice early tracks – like the funky sample classic "Hip Hug Her", and "Soul Limbo", "Time Is Tight", "Heads Or Tails", and "Hang Em High".... read more

A legendary album of Memphis soul – and a full length set that helped redefine the sound of instrumental music in the 60s! The record's a monumental follow-up to Booker T & The MGs' huge hit single "Green Onions" – an extremely seductive organ-based instrumental that the... read more

Booker T's definitely getting a bit funky with this one – stepping off with the incredible title cut, a tune which really complicates the groove from the earlier years! The sound is still solid Memphis soul, with a raw instrumental vibe – but the grooves are even better than before,... read more

The Beatles had Abbey Road – and Booker T & The MGs had McLemore Ave, the main street running outside the Stax studios, and a fitting title for the album that has them playing tunes from The Beatles' incredible Abbey Road album. If you've ever thought that Abbey Road was a soft-rock... read more

A great little record from Booker T and group – often overlooked amidst the range between Green Onions and Melting Pot, but a very strong album of soulful Memphis instrumentals all the way through! Book's organ is bubbling hot, and the band's tight rhythm style works in a perfect laid-back... read more

A wonderful soundtrack from Booker T & The MGs – a record that's probably much better remembered than the film for which it was written! The tunes show a whole new depth for the group – a style that still has some of the charm of their previous hits, but which also takes off in... read more

A surprisingly strong collaboration between Steve Cropper and Felix Cavaliere – both artists who have a long history working on the left side of the mainstream, often in some pretty soulful territory! Cropper's guitar lines still come across with some of that classic charm forged back on the... read more

An excellent lost LP of soulful tracks by one of the best songwriters in the Stax stable in the post-Atlantic years! Bettye wrote a heck of a lot of great stuff for Stax during the late 60s and early 70s, but this is the only album we've ever seen that has her in the lead! She wrote most of the... read more

A fantastic album by The Dramatics – with a harder funkier sound than you'll find on most of their other records of the time – a gritty gem from the group's early years, and a record that really deserves its placement on the Stax label! The record has the group moving into a post-Tempta... read more

2 early 70s sessions from Billy Eckstine – both recorded for Stax Records! First up is Senior Soul – a well-titled set not only given Billy's age, but also because of the surprisingly soulful undercurrent to the record – an extension into the genre even greater than Eckstine's... read more

The legendary lost album by Stax/Volt female soul combo the Emotions – officially issued for the first time ever, with a wealth of bonus material! The Songs Of Innocence & Experience album was slated for release in 1972, and for whatever reason, the album didn't come out – leaving... read more

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A legendary set from Eddie Floyd – the southern soul singer's first-ever album, and still the one that defines the sound of his career! The set was issued on Stax, but also helped to shape the sound of Atlantic Records soul in the 60s – a powerful bridge that crossed over big at the... read more

Not really a set as "rare" as the title implies – but a great little record that easily stands as some of Eddie Floyd's best work of the 60s! The album features a few key cuts from earlier years, mixed with material from the second generation of Stax – the point when the... read more

The first full length collaboration between blues, soul and rock slide guitar eclecticist Ben Harper and harmonica master Charlie Musselwhite – and it's win for both – with a vibe that's rooted in many traditions, but feels right at home in both Harper's and Musselwhite's wheelhouses. ... read more

The first full length collaboration between blues, soul and rock slide guitar eclecticist Ben Harper and harmonica master Charlie Musselwhite – and it's win for both – with a vibe that's rooted in many traditions, but feels right at home in both Harper's and Musselwhite's wheelhouses. ... read more

The first full length collaboration between blues, soul and rock slide guitar eclecticist Ben Harper and harmonica master Charlie Musselwhite – and it's win for both – with a vibe that's rooted in many traditions, but feels right at home in both Harper's and Musselwhite's wheelhouses. ... read more

One of Isaac Hayes early 70s classics for Stax Records – a perfectly conceived masterpiece of baroque soul that builds and builds as the set goes on! Ike heads up the instrumentation on electric piano, vibes, and plenty of percussion – but he's also getting strong support here from the... read more

Massive work from Isaac Hayes – a hard and heavy soundtrack that we like even more than his classic work on Shaft! Unlike Shaft, Ike actually starred in the film Truck Turner – which may be one reason why he brought his full game to the table for the record – and scored a batch... read more

A lost album from the legendary Stax Records – a full set of tracks from the deep soul group Hot Sauce – planned as a record of its own in the final years of the label, but never issued at the time! Hot Sauce were one of the funkiest groups on Stax in the early 70s – a wickedly... read more

Weird album that came out in the early 70s, when Stax was getting their hands into so many other styles of music besides southern soul and funk. Margaret Singana's the lead vocalist of this group that plays in a sort of Afro Pop/Afro Funk style, and she lays down the lyrics on tracks like "The... read more

Leela James burst proudly back on the scene with a killer debut for Stax Records – a set that comes across with a lot deeper sound than her previous records for other labels – proof that the newly revived Stax is a very good thing! Production is by a handful of different talents –... read more

Two overlooked female soul groups from the legendary Stax Records – both brought to light on this excellent CD! Neither act ever issued a full album at the time – and instead, each cut a handful of singles, and some unreleased gems – which are all brought together here, in a... read more

One of THE electric blues records of the 60s – a seminal set by Albert King that was probably blasted out of more college dorm rooms than southside juke joints, but which still more than deserves its due! The set was recorded by Stax with a nice raw sound – guitar very much upfront,... read more

One of THE electric blues records of the 60s – a seminal set by Albert King that was probably blasted out of more college dorm rooms than southside juke joints, but which still more than deserves its due! The set was recorded by Stax with a nice raw sound – guitar very much upfront,... read more

Sweet electric blues from Albert King – recorded with some great full production, in a burning Memphis style that's got plenty of soul in the mix as well! The set's got a quality level that takes it past some of the cliche-ridden blues of the time – really soulful overall, with a sound... read more

Plenty of blues power here – a searing live set recorded by Albert King before a very enthusiastic crowd at the Fillmore in the late 60s! The album's filled with lots of King's sharp-edged guitar lines – searing with a bit more soul than your usual bluesman, possibly in part because... read more

Soulful blues from Albert – recorded in Memphis with some strong arrangements by Al Jackson. The tracks aren't necessarily in the funky blues mode, but Albert's guitar and vocals are great all the way through, with that tight crossover sound that made him one of the best acts of his time in... read more

A fantastic lost album from one of the 60's most under-rated female singers – done in a style that's far hipper than Barbara's work for Atlantic! The set's got a vibe that's totally great – proud and righteous – stepping out in a mode that shakes off the sweetness of Barbara's... read more

Baaad bluesy work from Little Milton – one of his killers for Stax, and a record that's equally heavy on the soul tip too! There's a strong Memphis vibe going on here – thanks to arrangements from James Mitchell, and backings from the Memphis Horns – who really do a good job of... read more

No waiting here – as Little Milton's guitar is plenty sweet throughout – making the album a key cooker from his classic years on Stax! The album's an essential effort in the shift between grittier urban blues and some of the tighter, more warmed up sounds that played big in the 70s... read more

Teena Marie on Stax Records – something we never thought we'd see, but which we're happy to applaud, given the strength of this set! Teena's arranging and producing herself here – and the record has some of the best tight soul modes of other recent sets in the Stax revival – an... read more

Vintage Memphis instrumentals from The Mar-Keys – a record cut at a time when the group were still rising up with the same power as Booker T & The MGs! There's a very similar vibe going on here – tight rhythms and no-nonsense combo instrumentation that's heavy on organ and tenor,... read more

A great Memphis sound from the second greatest instrumental group on Stax next to Booker T & The MGs – heard here on a massive record that really pushes The Mar-Keys to the next level! On previous records, the combo always had a sound that was a bit brighter than Booker and his group... read more

Two great Memphis instrumental groups, back to back on one CD – in a smoking little live set that keeps the Stax Records sound strong – even away from the studio! The set's actually heavier on work by Booker T & The MGs than it is cuts by The Mar-Keys – as Book and crew... read more

The second Stax album from Mel & Tim – and even better than the first! Although the pair are probably best known for their soaring soul singles at the end of the 60s, by the time of this 1973 record, they'd matured wonderfully – hitting some deeper, more heartfelt modes that are... read more

Ahhh, good ol' Mel & Tim – possibly our favorite soul duo ever, and a really dynamic pair that carve some great new territory away from the path set by Sam & Dave! The album's a bit of a comeback for the duo, as you'd guess from the title – even though it was only recorded a... read more

Tremendous work from N'Dambi – a set that really moves her career forward strongly, while still holding onto the best soulful sound of her roots! The album's N'Dambi's first for a big label – the newly-reformed Stax – but it's got a perfectly balanced sound that's sure to please... read more

His first LP on his own, with production by Isaac Hayes, backing by the Bar Kays, and lots of nice cuts that have a produced soul sound that's similar to some of the stuff that Ike was doing at the time. Although he was best known as part of the songwriting team of Porter/Hayes, this LP, like Ike's... read more

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A very cool idea – and a set that works together almost as a "lost" Otis Redding album – from the cover art right down to the grooves on the disc! The package focuses on the deepest, bluest side of Otis Redding – his amazing talent for a heartbreaking song and a sad-ting... read more

A very cool idea – and a set that works together almost as a "lost" Otis Redding album – from the cover art right down to the grooves on the disc! The package focuses on the deepest, bluest side of Otis Redding – his amazing talent for a heartbreaking song and a sad-ting... read more

Some of the best male/female soul duets of the 60s! For us, Carla Thomas is in her best ever mode here with Otis, doing a wonderful job – and the two of them together hit a vibe that's a lot more raunchy and down-and-dirty than on their own records! The album is also a breezy, easygoing... read more

Massive soul from Wendy Rene – one of the lesser-known talents from the Stax Records scene of the 60s, and an artist who's finally getting her due! We're not sure why Wendy never hit bigger at the time – because her singles here are wonderful – excellent female soul that not only... read more

Massive soul from Wendy Rene – one of the lesser-known talents from the Stax Records scene of the 60s, and an artist who's finally getting her due! We're not sure why Wendy never hit bigger at the time – because her singles here are wonderful – excellent female soul that not only... read more

Two classics from this legendary team – packaged here with bonus tracks too! First up is the self-titled Sam & Dave album – one of the best ever albums by this incredible soul duo! Sam & Dave may have been one of the bigger names on the 60s scene, but they also had a sheer raw... read more

Classic Sam & Dave work for Stax – a searing batch of hard soul tracks that forever redefined the concept of a male soul duet! This was the sound that put Sam & Dave over the top hard – and which left a generation of similar acts trying to catch up. The album sports a sublime... read more

Classic Sam & Dave work for Stax – a searing batch of hard soul tracks that forever redefined the concept of a male soul duet! This was the sound that put Sam & Dave over the top hard – and which left a generation of similar acts trying to catch up. The album sports a sublime... read more

One of the best-ever albums by this incredible soul duo! Sam & Dave may have been one of the bigger names on the 60s scene, but they also had a sheer raw soul approach that blew away most of their contemporaries – a way of trading vocal lines then combining them that infused their songs... read more

About as classic as you can get with the Staple Singers! The record was cut at that perfect moment when the group was forging an electric soul sound that would bring them high in the charts in the 70s – filled with all the righteousness of their gospel years, but also touched with elements... read more

Classic work by one of the greatest gospel/soul groups ever! A very righteous vibe pervades, and the harmonies soar right out of church into the neighborhood – on tracks that include "Respect Yourself", "Heavy Makes You Happy", "Oh La De Da", "Long Walk To... read more

The Staple Singers are cooking on all burners at this point – and it's hard to stop them with that much power – a soaring, searing sort of energy that definitely earns them a place in the sky! The set's a totally strong batch of gospelly soul tracks – produced by Al Bell with... read more

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Previously unreleased material by The Staple Singers – recorded in the 70s, but issued after their departure from Stax – but all strong enough to make a great companion to their better-known albums of a decade before! The sound is tight and righteous – that sublime blend of... read more

A great back-to-basics set for the Sweet Inspirations – now working here as the trio of Estelle Brown, Myrna Smith, and Sylvia Shamwell – and working with David Porter in a strongly Memphis mode! The arrangements on the set are a bit more ambitious than usual for Stax at the time... read more

A great back-to-basics set for the Sweet Inspirations – now working here as the trio of Estelle Brown, Myrna Smith, and Sylvia Shamwell – and working with David Porter in a strongly Memphis mode! The arrangements on the set are a bit more ambitious than usual for Stax at the time... read more

A streamlined set of Johnnie's biggest for Stax – 11 tracks that sum up Johnnie's unique blend of southern soul and wit, touched with all the harder bluesy touches of these years! Tracks include "Who's Making Love", "Steal Away", "We're Getting Careless With Our... read more

Funky soul from Johnnie Taylor – a set that mixes tight core grooving with some larger arrangements from Bert Keyes and Rudy Robinson – a perfect blend that shows why Taylor easily stood out from some of his bluesy contemporaries! It's clear that Johnnie's just the right guy to handle... read more

One of the coolest covers of Johnnie Taylor's early years on Stax Records – and some pretty great music to match! The album's got a wicked funky blues groove – with production by Don Davis that hangs nicely on both the hard edges and mellower moments – really showing Taylor's... read more

Sweet, smooth, and bluesy – perhaps not as hard as some of Johnnie's earlier Stax work, but with an increasing sophistication that really shows his development as a soul singer. The record's a good bridge into Johnnie's modern soul work at Columbia – and it's got arrangements by Wade... read more

Johnnie Taylor's first album for Stax – and a tremendous little set that easily stands as one of his greatest records ever! Sure, we love Johnnie in all his incarnations – but there's a special sort of something here – a rawness and earnestness – that makes the whole thing... read more

One of the sexiest covers ever from Carla Thomas – and one of her most sultry records, too – a set that really has her growing up, stylistically – and coming across with a new sort of boldness in her vocals! The production is prime 60s Stax, with a slightly classy touch for the... read more

The queen of Memphis soul – caught "alone" after a some earlier hit recordings as part of a duo with Otis Redding – but now on her own in the years after Otis untimely early passing! The album has Thomas strongly returning to the sound of her first few albums on Stax –... read more

A crowning achievement for Rufus Thomas – a set that bubbles over with funky intensity, and one of the last great albums he ever recorded for Stax! The funky Rufus mode is still in full full swing here – with loads of tunes that have the word "funky" in the title –... read more

2 of the best Rufus Thomas funky albums for Stax – back to back on a single CD! First up is Did You Heard Me – recorded in the early 70s with backing by The Movement and The Bar Kays, and with a good raw Stax sound on most cuts! Rufus is certainly in the "funky ___" mode... read more

One of the best Rufus Thomas albums from the 70s – a key record from his comeback years, and one that has him trading in his older R&B mode for a harder, funkier Memphis groove! Rufus was 52 at the time, but thanks to a never-dying fire, and some great youthful arrangements, the set... read more

One of the best Rufus Thomas albums from the 70s – a key record from his comeback years, and one that has him trading in his older R&B mode for a harder, funkier Memphis groove! Rufus was 52 at the time, but thanks to a never-dying fire, and some great youthful arrangements, the set... read more

A great version of the classic Rufus Thomas album Do The Funky Chicken – presented here with lots of bonus tracks from singles! The core record is one of Rufus' best from the 70s – a key record from his comeback years, and one that has him trading in his older R&B mode for a harder... read more

A killer live set by Rufus Thomas – recorded right at the height of his funky comeback, before a very right-on crowd at PJ's Nightclub in LA! Rufus was always a great entertainer, and he really opens up in this live setting – doing some nice versions of "Do The Funky Chicken"... read more

This beautiful LP was released by Stax in the early 70s, but somehow got lost in the shuffle between all the Isaac Hayes LPs. Fortunately, it was rediscovered by the international groove community about 10 years ago, and it's been at the top of everyone's playlist (and want list) ever since! This... read more

This beautiful LP was released by Stax in the early 70's, but somehow got lost in the shuffle between all the Isaac Hayes LPs. Fortunately, it was rediscovered by the international groove community about 10 years ago, and it's been at the top of everyone's playlist (and want list) ever since! ... read more

A musical – but a pretty darn soulful one, as you might expect from the mighty Melvin Van Peebles! The soundtrack features tunes from Van Peebles early 70s stage production Don't Play Us Cheap – an attempt to bring the modes explored in his film work to the theater – and given... read more

The legendary Stax Records catalog just got a little bigger – thanks to this amazing collection of previously unreleased work! The quality of these tracks is incredible – the kind of sharp-edged southern soul that should be equally appealing both to newcomers to the Stax sound, and to... read more

A classic set from 1969 – issued as a special project by Stax in their first year after parting with Atlantic, almost as a message to that label that they were more than capable of handling things on their own! The double-length set brings together the label's best male and female artists,... read more

The hit sounds of Stax in the post-Atlantic years, and a great compilation featuring a good mix of soul singles from the label's still-strong output! Includes the funky funky "Son Of Shaft" by The Bar Kays, plus "The Look Of Love" by Isaac Hayes, "The Breakdown" by... read more

A stellar batch of smoldering gospel soul and good word funk – long underappreciated material released in the early-to-mid 70s on the Truth & Gospel Truth labels, imprints of the mighty Stax Records! The sound is often early 70s Memphis soul & funk to the bone – a few strings... read more

Back in the 60s, Memphis Gold was Stax Records Gold – and there's no finer proof of that fact than this classic compilation! Titles include "Baby" by Carla Thomas, "Everybody Loves A Winner" by William Bell, "Soul Finger" by The Bar-Kays, "Your Good... read more

Think you know Stax Records? Guess again – as this mindblowing collection offers up a whole new side of Stax we've never heard before. Forget the hits, forget the overplayed oldies – this set's brimming full of deep soul gems from the legendary Memphis label – including a fair... read more

Think you know Stax Records? Guess again – as this mindblowing collection offers up a whole new side of Stax we've never heard before. Forget the hits, forget the overplayed oldies – this set's brimming full of deep soul gems from the legendary Memphis label – including a fair... read more

The funkiest side of Stax Records – a treasure trove of funky nuggets, all hand-picked by RZA! As the title implies, these are some of the grooves that became the building blocks of the Wu-Tang sound – but even without that pedigree, these tracks are more than great enough on their own... read more

The funkiest side of Stax Records – a treasure trove of funky nuggets, all hand-picked by RZA! As the title implies, these are some of the grooves that became the building blocks of the Wu-Tang sound – but even without that pedigree, these tracks are more than great enough on their own... read more

A massive amount of classic sample tracks – all funky nuggets pulled from the legendary catalog of Stax Records! The set's the first American set we've ever seen to pay tribute to Stax from this perspective – and alongside a well-chosen batch of tunes, all remastered for the set, the... read more

Stax Does The Beatles – and they do a pretty nice job of it too! The collection's a much better one than you might expect from the title and cover – as the grooves here are all pretty darn soulful, and not just simple copycat modes of hits by the Fab Four – but even more... read more

Some of the biggest southern soul from the height of the Stax era – and a solid sampler of the breadth of talent at the legendary label! Includes 60s high points from Booker T & The MGs, Sam & Dave, Eddie Floyd and Otis Redding – plus the later, funk and deeper southern soul... read more

The Memphis sound, working hard overseas – in a smoking live set that has some Stax Records stars working in Paris! There's a tightness here that arguably goes past the studio work by the singers – possibly because everyone's working in the same space, with the same backing group... read more

Funky breaks from the Stax Records – the legendary Memphis label that's had as much of an influence on the sound of hip hop as any northern company! The set brings together 19 tracks that are immediately recognizable for their use in modern hip hop – all heavy funk numbers with a solid... read more