My Favorite Trax from STAX – Part 2: 1964-1966

On this episode, we continue our journey from last year through the history of Stax Records, the iconic label that defined Southern Soul music, as I play some of my favorite Stax tracks from 1964 to 1966.

Sam & Dave, Otis Redding, Booker T & The MG’s, Albert King, Rufus & Carla Thomas, Eddie Floyd… they’re all here on some of the greatest singles ever released. Let’s dig in, shall we?

TRANSCRIPT:

The night time is the right time for the “I’m In Love With That Song” podcast, coming to ya on the Pantheon Podcast Network. I’m Brad Page, host of the show, and on this special edition of the podcast, we’re going to continue our look at Stax Records and some of my personal favorite records released by Stax– this time, from 1964 through 1966.

Last year, back on Episode 163, we looked back at the beginning of Stax Records, when Jim Stewart and his sister Estelle Axton opened their first studio, then called “Satellite”, in 1959, eventually moving to 926 East McLemore Avenue in Memphis, Tennessee, and changing their name to Stax Records.

Back on that previous episode, I played a bunch of my favorite Stax tracks from those early years, 1959 to 1963. If you haven’t heard that episode, you might want to go back and listen to it, though you don’t necessarily have to. I’ll try to catch you up on who’s who and what’s what as we pick up the story here at Stax in 1964.

Stax got off to a fine start in January 1964 with the release of another Rufus Thomas classic with “Dog” in the title. This time it was “Can Your Monkey Do The Dog?” It’s hard to top that title.

Rufus returned in April with a duet with his daughter, Carla Thomas. The A-side was a track called “That’s Really Some Good”, but my favorite is actually the B-side; it’s their version of the Ray Charles hit, “The Nighttime Is The Right Time”.

Otis Redding released a handful of singles in 1964. My personal favorites came right at the end of 1964 with a killer A and B side, pairing with one of his all-time classics on the A-side” “That’s How Strong My Love Is”.

And you flip that record over and on the B-side is another great Otis Redding track, “Mister Pitiful”.

In March 1965, Stax released a single called “A Place Nobody Can Find”. Though it was not much of a hit, it was a momentous occasion, as it was the first stack single released by Sam & Dave, the duo that would go on to have some of the biggest hits in Stax history. Sam and Dave were brought to Stax by their partnership with Atlantic Records. They had released six or seven singles for other labels without much success, and their first Stax single didn’t make many waves either. But big things were on the horizon, and it would all begin here with “A Place No One Can Find”.

Another momentous occasion for Stax in ‘65 was the arrival of Al Bell. Al Bell wasn’t a musician, a singer, or a songwriter; he came on board as the head of promotion, but he would go on to become a key figure in Stax history. Soon, he would become Vice President of Stax, and by 1972, he would own the company.

Booker T and the MGs, besides being the core Stax studio band and backing musicians, continued to release instrumental albums. In April 1965, they released their biggest hit since “Green Onions”, a track called “Boot-leg”. A few things make this one notable: It’s the first MG’s track to feature Donald “Duck” Dunn on bass—he had replaced Lewos Steinberg; and though it bears his name, Booker T doesn’t even play on this track. The keyboards were actually played by Isaac Hayes.

May ‘65 saw the release of “Candy” by The Astors, written by Steve Cropper and Isaac Hayes. It was The Astors biggest hit, largely forgotten now, but I think it’s a perfect little confection blending R&B and b with pop.

In August 1965, Otis Redding released a little song he wrote called “Respect”. Of course, Aretha Franklin would release her version a couple years later and totally make it her own. But Otis wrote it, and his original version is pretty damn good, too.

As I said, this is just me picking some of my favorite Stax singles. It’s not a definitive list, these are just songs that I really like. Case in point, this next track: it was not a hit or an important track for Stax, I just like it. It’s another one by The Astors– this one’s called “In The Twilight Zone”.

In November 1965, we were gifted with the first of Sam and Dave’s true classics.  Written by Isaac Hayes and David Porter, the songwriting team that would go on to write many iconic tracks, this was their first big hit for Sam & Dave. It’s the brilliant “You Don’t Know Like I Know”.  Dave sings the first verse and they both trade lines on the second verse. It’s well known that Sam and Dave didn’t really like each other very much, but man, they knew how to work a tune.

1966 was a big year for Stax. In February, Otis Redding released his version of the Rolling Stones’ “Satisfaction”, putting his own spin on it. It was Steve Cropper’s idea to cover the Song. Otis had never even heard the song before. What you’re hearing here was done in just a couple of takes; it’s just an inspired go for it performance.

March 8 saw the release of the first Stax single by Eddie Floyd. The song was called “Things Get Better”, and it was inspired by an advertising slogan for Coca-Cola, “Things go better with Coke”. You know, when you’re a songwriter, you take inspiration anywhere you can find it. “Things Get Better” wasn’t a big hit for Eddie Floyd, but it was a start.

One of the overlooked gems from Stax is this track by Ruby Johnson. “I’ll Run Your Hurt Away” was written by David Porter and Isaac Hayes. It was a moderate hit on the R&B chart at the time, but inexplicably, it’s faded into obscurity. But Ruby turns in a fantastic vocal performance, just listen to her phrasing on this track.

March ‘66 also brought us one of the best Sam & Dave tracks. David Porter was in the bathroom, and Isaac Hayes was tired of waiting for him to finish his business… he yelled, “Get a move on”, and Porter yelled back, “Hold on, I’m coming!”. And that, believe it or not, was the birth of one of the greatest R&B songs.

Albert King was one of the great blues guitarists. He was left-handed and played a right- handed Gibson Flying V with the strings upside-down, so the high strings were on top. He played fierce, fiery solos that inspired generations of guitar players, in particular, Stevie Ray Vaughan. Albert King had been making records since 1953, but largely at the insistence of Estelle Axton, Albert King cut his first single for Stax in April 1966, and it became one of his most popular tunes: “Laundromat Blues”.

Skipping ahead to July 1966, Carla Thomas returned to the charts with a hit called Baby, B-A-B-Y”. Written by Hayes and Porter, it originally had a groove better suited for Sam & Dave, but Booker T. Rearranged it to fit Carla’s style, and I think it turned out to be one of her best singles.

Also in July came one of the all-time great R&B songs.  Recorded by Eddie Floyd and written by Floyd and Steve Cropper. It’s “Knock On Wood”. What more do I need to say?

Albert King was back at Stax with another song that would become one of his all-time classics– a song that would be covered many times in the future, including a version by Gary Moore in 1990 that also featured a guest appearance by Albert King. But this is the original version from August 1966, It’s Albert King with “Oh, Pretty Woman”.

And Otis Redding was still on a roll at Stax. In September, he released “Fa Fa Fa Fa Fa (Sad Song), another big hit.

And in November, Stax released my favorite Otis Redding track, “Try A Little Tenderness”. The song had been around for years, both Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra had recorded versions of it. Isaac Hayes initially arranged it, with contributions by drummer Al Jackson Jr. and Booker T. Everybody contributed, but it was really Otis Redding’s vision. He owned it. It’s his masterpiece.

November also included the release of Albert King’s third major contribution, his version of “Crosscut Saw”, another blues classic that would be covered multiple times, including by Eric Clapton. Here’s Albert King with his version of “Crosscut Saw”.

And two Christmas songs came out in November to close out 1966 for Stax: Carla Thomas had “All I Want For Christmas Is You”.  No, not the Mariah Carey Song, this is a melancholy ballad that was originally released in 1963 as the B-side to “Gee Whiz, it’s Christmas”. This time they reissued it as an A-side.

And Booker T. And the MGs had their version of “Jingle Bells” with a great guitar solo by Steve Cropper.

And we’ll wrap up this episode there. We’ll pick up with 1967 sometime next year.

In the meantime, go seek out some of these records, and if you really want to splurge, pick up one of the massive box sets. There are three of them. Most of the facts and figures in this episode come from the fabulous book included in the box sets written by Rob Bowman; some of the best researched and written material you’re ever going to find on Stax. Highly recommended, and of course, I thank Rob for his scholarly work.

Of course, there’s a great Stax documentary on HBO that I’ve mentioned before, released last year, that is well worth watching.

As always, new episodes of this podcast come out twice a month, right here on the Pantheon network, so I’ll see you in about two weeks. All of our past episodes, including the previous episode on Stax, are available on our website, lovethatsongpodcast.com. or just look for them in your favorite Podcast app.

Please, if you enjoyed this episode, tell a friend about it, because your word of mouth and recommendations by people like you, are the best ways for podcasts like this one to grow and thrive. So thanks for supporting the show, and for listening to this episode on some of my favorite tracks from Stax.

RESOURCES:

Stax Records:
Stax Records

Rufus Thomas:
Rufus Thomas

Carla Thomas:
Carla Thomas

Otis Redding:
Otis Redding

Sam & Dave:
Sam and Dave

Al Bell:
Al Bell

Booker T. and the MGs:
Booker T. & the M.G.’s

Isaac Hayes:
Isaac Hayes

Steve Cropper:
Steve Cropper

Albert King:
Albert King

Eddie Floyd:
Eddie Floyd

Ruby Johnson:
Ruby Johnson

Rob Bowman:
Rob Bowman

HBO Max Documentary on Stax Records:
Stax: Soulsville USA | Official Website for the HBO Series | HBO.com

Rob Bowman’s Book on Stax Records:
Soulsville, U.S.A.: The Story of Stax Records

Jackie Shane – “Any Other Way”

William Bell - Published by Bais Music (BMI) & Irving Music (BMI)

Throughout the tapestry of music history, certain figures stand out not just for their talent but for their sheer courage and resilience. Count Jackie Shane among them– a groundbreaking black trans woman who made a mark on the music scene in the 1950’s and 60’s. In our latest podcast episode, we delve into the life and legacy of Jackie Shane, a trailblazer whose story is as compelling as her music.

“Any Other Way” William Bell – Published by Bais Music (BMI) & Irving Music (BMI)

TRANSCRIPT:

Welcome back to the “I’m In Love With That Song” Podcast– dreaming, screaming and streaming to you through the Pantheon Podcast network. My name is Brad Page, host of the show, and each episode here, I pick one of my favorite songs, and we kind of do the audio equivalent of taking out the magnifying glass and getting a close-up look at the song, uncovering all the elements that make it a great song.

So let’s get this out of the way right at the outset: If you’re one of those folks who gets all bent out of shape about things being “Woke”, well, I gotta tell you, this is our wokiest episode yet. June is Pride Month, and as an old straight white guy, I am perfectly happy to stand with our LGBTQ+ friends. And on this episode, we are going to celebrate a groundbreaking figure in the history of the gay and trans community, who is largely unknown but no less important. This is Jackie Shane and a song called “Any Other Way”.

Jackie Shane was born in May 1940 in Nashville, Tennessee. She was born in a boy’s body, but from the beginning, her mind, heart and soul was a black woman. At four years old, she was putting on high heels and dresses, trying on her mom’s makeup. She lived with her mother and grandparents, and they were all supportive of Jackie.

She started singing in church when she was eight, and joined the glee club in junior high. By the time she was 13, she considered herself a woman in a man’s body and started wearing makeup to school. This couldn’t have been easy… this was the 1950’s, after all. But Jackie was confident and stubborn and determined to be herself. She learned to play drums and had her first professional gigs, playing with a trio– herself a piano player and a guitarist. Jackie would play drums standing up and singing lead. Her first recording was in 1957, playing drums on a track called “I Miss You” by Lillian Offit. Lillian’s singing isn’t anything special and the guitar is out of tune, but Jackie’s simple drum beat swings.

Jackie kept busy playing drums on more recording sessions for Excello Records, and playing a ton of live shows in and around Nashville, playing with Big Mabel, Gatemouth Brown, Little Willie John, Joe Tex and more. Around 1958, on the advice from Joe Tex, she left Nashville. She spent time touring with a carnival. The carnival eventually made its way to Canada, where Jackie split with the carnival and made her way to Montreal. It was a smart move. Being black in the South in the ‘50’s was hard enough, being openly gay… but in Canada she felt free.

Not that things weren’t hard… or weird. She was dodging the mob and at one point, was essentially kidnapped by a gangster who thought he was going to make her a star. She talked her way out of that one.

In Montreal, Jackie met a trumpet player named Frank Motley, and she joined his band, the Motley Crew. No, not that Motley Crue. The band would rotate between gigs in Montreal, Toronto, Boston and Washington DC. When they would play in Boston, they were one of the hottest tickets in town. And Jackie was the star of the show. She’d work the audience until they went wild. Tables would be turned over. It was a whole scene.

Jackie had star power, but she wasn’t outrageous. She was subtle. She did her hair and wore makeup, but she didn’t dress outlandish. Her clothes were stylish but androgynous. Her performance style was subtle, too. One musician described her as “gliding like silk”. Focused, controlled, refined in command. She could be mesmerizing.

And this was Jackie offstage, too. This was not an act. She was not a drag queen or what they used to call a “female impersonator”.  On stage or off, she was graceful, dignified and always open, honest and authentic about who she was.

In 1960, while playing the clubs in Washington DC, Frank Motley booked some studio time. After laying down a handful of his tracks, he asked Jackie to sing a few numbers. Jackie felt like she was being put on the spot. She wasn’t prepared to record anything, but reluctantly, she cut a few tracks, including a version of Barrett Strong’s “Money”. These recordings remained unreleased for years, until 1966– six years later, “Money” was released as a single on the Stop label out of Boston.

Meanwhile, Motley, Jackie and the band continued to work their circuit, building quite a following in Montreal and Toronto, as well as DC and Boston. It was while they were in Boston in 1962 that Jackie recorded the song that would be her signature tune. It was originally written and recorded by Stax recording artist William Bell. Here’s a bit of his version.

“Any Other Way” was a brand new song; t this time, it probably had only been out a few weeks before Jackie picked up on it. In fact, the band had likely only played it a handful of times before they recorded it for this session. And the clock was ticking in the studio. Time was tight, and she only had time to record one take– and she nailed it.

The song begins with a short introduction led by the horns. This is unique to Jackie Shane’s version; the original William Bell version doesn’t have this part, but it’s a major hook in Jackie’s version. The tempo is also just a little bit slower, giving a little more sultry feel to Jackie’s recording.

Everything here is very restrained; the horns pull back, the drummer is playing lightly, tapping his stick on the rim of the snare drum. It’s a classic technique. And Jackie turns in a tasteful vocal. No histrionics here, just a smooth, classy vocal.

Now, some people have pointed out that line, “Tell her that I’m happy, tell her that I’m gay”, and tried to assign some meaning to that.  But that line was already in William Bell’s original version of the song. The intent of that lyric seems pretty clear. It’s not to say Jackie was unaware of the interpretation, but let’s not read too much into that. Let’s listen to Jackie’s vocal.

That ends the first verse. And another blast of the horns sets us up for verse number two. There’s even some snare drum fills in here.

I like Jackie’s little laugh before that last line.

You can hear Jackie pop the microphone there. That’s due to what we call “plosives”. That’s when a blast of air from your mouth, from the pronunciation of certain letters, causes the microphone to distort for a split second. That’s the kind of thing you would redo, especially today. But remember, Jackie had only one take, one chance to get it done. There was no time for do-overs.

And those horns return to bring us into the third and final verse. It’s a short song, two and a half minutes– just three verses, no bridge. Here’s that last verse.

And we’ll ride out over that horn riff through to the fade.

Jackie Shane – “Any Other Way”.

Jackie continued to work up through the end of the 1960’s with Frank Motley and the Motley crew, but also with other musicians, too. In fact, George Clinton and Funkadelic wanted to work with her, but she said no. They were just a little too far out, even for Jackie Shane.

One night, Frank Motley showed up to a gig drunk and the promoter called off the show. That was too much for Jackie. She decided she’d had enough. When she told Motley that she was leaving, he lost it– pulled a knife on her and threatened her. But she stood her ground and demanded that she got paid for the gig.

She played her last shows, and in December 1971, she walked off stage after her final performance in Toronto, and left the music business forever.

She essentially disappeared. She lived out the rest of her life in private, spending time caring for her mother, who passed in 1997. She had accomplished what she wanted, and she was content to stay out of the limelight. At the age of 78, Jackie Shane passed away in her sleep in February 2019.

Jackie only recorded a handful of tracks, and there is virtually no film or video of her performances. The only one I know of is an appearance on the local Nashville TV show “Night Train” in 1965. It’s a tight, fun performance, though Jackie is pretty reserved; she did not like doing TV and I believe this was her one and only TV performance. You can find it on YouTube if you look for it.

There is one album available, a live recording called “Jackie Shane Live”. It’s been reissued and you can find that one. And if you really want to dig deeper, there is a 2-CD set called “Any Other Way” that includes an excellent booklet outlining Jackie’s story. It was written by Rob Bowman, and I borrowed liberally from that book to put this episode together. So my thanks to Rob and to the Numero Group for putting out that collection.

Jackie Shane was a trailblazer. She was courageous and brave and strong. She had to be to be out in the world as a black trans woman in the 1950’s and 1960’s. I can’t even imagine. So, if paying tribute to someone with the strength, courage, and dignity of Jackie Shane makes me “woke”, well, I’m more than happy to be woke.

Thanks for joining me here on the Pantheon Network for this edition of the “I’m In Love With That Song” Podcast. New episodes come out on the 1st and the 15th of every month, so I’ll meet you back here then. You can catch up on all of our previous episodes on our website, lovethatsongpodcast.com, or find the episodes on your favorite Podcast app.

If you’d like to support the show, just go tell a friend about it. Your word-of-mouth support is the best promotion I could ask for. So thanks for that.

And thanks for listening to this episode on Jackie Shane and “Any Other Way”.

REFERENCES:

Jackie Shane
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackie_Shane

Frank Motley
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Motley

Excello Records
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Excello_Records

Rob Bowman
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rob_Bowman_(music_writer)

Numero Group
https://numerogroup.com/

Any Other Way (Album)
https://numerogroup.com/products/jackie-shane-any-other-way

Night Train TV Show
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_Train_(TV_series)

William Bell
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Bell_(singer)