Sam & Dave “I Thank You”

sfilzen — Tue, 10 Feb 2026 20:25:31 +0000

Sam & Dave “I Thank You” 1968. Released on Atlantic but recorded at Stax in Memphis. Soul, with some dashes of funk, I Thank You is a collection of songs that highlight Sam Moore’s and David Prater’s perfectly blended vocals; most are written by Isaac Hayes and David Porter, who also both produced the LP. So many great classics! The title track, “I Thank You” was originally released as single in ’68; it was their final release on Stax Records and it went to #9 on the US singles chart and #4 on the R&B chart. “Wrap It Up” is also so good and the b-side to “I Thank You” (the 80’s child that I am, I think I first heard The Fabulous Thunderbirds version from 1986). Another soul-funky (and very Hayes flavored) standout is “Talk to the Man.” Penned not by Hayes & Porter but another Stax artist, Otis Redding, is “These Arms of Mine,” which Redding originally released in 1962. Another great funky soul track is “Don’t Turn Your Heater Down” – those horns! which was written by future Stax owner Al Bell and in-house Stax musician Steve Cropper.

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Isaac Hayes “Shaft” soundtrack

sfilzen — Fri, 20 Aug 2021 18:57:33 +0000

Isaac Hayes “Shaft” soundtrack, released 50 years ago this month. Stax Records. Today, August 20th, also would have been Isaac Hayes’ 79th birthday (b. 1942, d. 2008). The Shaft soundtrack went to # 1, as did the the single “Theme from Shaft.” The soundtrack spent an astounding 60 weeks on the Billboard album chart, is part of the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry and won a bunch of accolades including Grammys for the Best Engineered Recording, Non-Classical and Best Instrumental Arrangement and the film score as a whole won for Best Instrumental Composition Written Specifically For A Motion Picture or for Television. Hayes also won an Oscar for the theme single and was nominated for best Original Dramatic Score. Hayes had originally wanted to star in the film as John Shaft (Richard Roundtree had already been cast) so got a cameo in the movie instead. The soundtrack, written entirely by Hayes specifically for the film, is mostly instrumentals for specific scenes (i.e. “Shaft’s Cab Ride” and “Cafe Regio’s”) except for the title track, the excellent “Do You Thing” which charted in the top 40, and “Soulsville.”

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Sam & Dave “I Thank You”

Isaac Hayes “Shaft” soundtrack