Sam & Dave > Hold On, I’m A-Comin’
Composed by Isaac Hayes & David Porter

I’m even sure I had heard of soul music, as separate from pop or rock or hits or whatever, before I joined this group. It didn’t occur to me where my bandmates found all these great records, but they kept showing up with them and we kept learning them. These guys turned me on to everything from Smokey Robinson to Pink Floyd, and everything in between; it was an incredibly vital moment for the world, and for me personally.

It seems like we gravitated towards the Southern soul of Stax a bit more than Motown (though we did play Shotgun), maybe because of our instrumentation. We existed at the peak of soul as pop, which was just OK.

Neglekted Few Week #7 
Legends of Soul #40, #41, #42
Legends of Pop #12
Tribute to Isaac Hayes #6

Tribute to Isaac Hayes #5
Legends of the Drums #1
Covers #9

Bernard Purdie > Theme from “Shaft”

For this last Isaac Tribute day, it seemed to me his most famous song was so indelibly imprinted on our brains it might be a bit redundant. A cover’s in order. Bernard “Pretty” Purdie bills himself as “the world’s most recorded drummer” and it well might be true. He’s certainly among the best.

Tribute to Isaac Hayes #4 
Legends of Soul # 8
Covers #8

King Curtis > Hold On, I’m Comin’

Written by Isaac Hayes & David Porter

One legend covers another.

ISAAC HAYES: COVER HIM! (via soul sides)

Mighty Voices of Wonder: I Thank the Lord
From Good God! A Gospel Funk Hymnal (Numero Group, 2006)

JoAnn Garrett: Walk On By
From Just a Taste (Chess, 1969)

Joe Bataan: Shaft
From Saint Latin’s Day Massacre (Fania, 1972)

Lyn Collins: Do Your Thing
From James Brown’s Funky People Pt. 2 (Polydor, 1988)

El Michels Affair: Hung Up On My Baby
From Sounding Out the City (Truth and Soul, 2006)

… a few cover songs of Isaac Hayes tunes and compositions in honor of the late master’s catalog. To be honest, it’s not quite as easy as you’d think.

Tribute to Isaac Hayes #3

Carla Thomas > B-A-B-Y

Written by Isaac Hayes & David Porter

Before Hayes & Porter got going with Sam & Dave, they hit the charts with Carla.

Tribute to Isaac Hayes #2

Sam & Dave > I Thank You

Written & produced by Isaac Hayes & David Porter

Not the biggest, but one of the greatest, in a string of hits that Hayes & Porter concocted for the best soul duo I’ve ever seen.