Memphis Soul
tagStarted 1961Peak 1965-1973Last big hit 1974From Memphis, United States
Located in 1 route
Gritty, horn-driven Southern soul cut in Memphis: Booker T. & the M.G.'s' lean rhythm-section pocket, unison Memphis Horns stabs, gospel-grit lead vocals and a slightly behind-the-beat drag. Raw, room-recorded warmth from Stax and Hi Records, with Al Green's softer falsetto on the Hi side.
History
Centered on Stax/Volt and Hi Records in Memphis. Stax's racially integrated house band (Booker T. Jones, Steve Cropper, Donald 'Duck' Dunn, Al Jackson Jr.) cut hits for Otis Redding, Sam & Dave and others from 1961. Producer Willie Mitchell built Hi's lusher sound around Al Green in the 1970s, extending the city's reign.
Defining artists
Essential listening
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memphis_soul
- https://staxrecords.com/history/
- https://www.britannica.com/topic/Booker-T-and-the-MGs
- https://www.allmusic.com/style/memphis-soul-ma0000011921