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This mammoth set opens simply: a mellifluous guitar line accompanying Carla Thomas' angelic, expressive voice. It's the sparest of demos—just full enough to get the melody and emotional tenor of the tune across. As a cornerstone of Stax Records' in-house songwriting crew, Thomas penned scores of songs for the label, only some of which were sung by her. Despite this, she, and many of her fellow Stax writers, often had their compositional chops overlooked. Written In Their Soul seeks to remedy that with a huge tranche of original demos: some recorded by Stax artists, some recorded by artists at other labels, and some that never made it past the demo stage. But this seven-disc, 121-track compilation isn’t only stripped-down songs like Thomas' "Comfort Me." Some are more robust than others, and few veer far from the essentials. Written in Their Soul is a satisfying collection, due to the strength of the material and, in many cases, the prodigious talents of the songwriters; they just so happened to be incredible performers as well.
Stax was a label that specialized in delivering music renowned for its essential soulfulness so many of these versions don't sound too far off from the official takes: full band numbers, session run-throughs, and fully-produced funk numbers abound. Still, harmonies—rather than complex band-driven arrangements—tend to provide the sturdiest accompaniments here. Perhaps that's unsurprising on a number like the Staple Singers' "The Ghetto," but it's also true on many of the cuts designed for solo singers. Fidelity is strong throughout and although some tracks do sound like the demos they are—the tentative and echoey version of "634-5789" sounds like it was recorded during a soundcheck in an empty concert hall—it's truly remarkable how consistently high the quality level was at Stax.
Although these are great-sounding demos, they are still demos. That puts a much-needed spotlight on both the oft-unheralded compositional talents of performers like Carla Thomas, Eddie Floyd, and William Bell and the ridiculously prolific songwriters who seldom received credit beyond the parenthetical notices on 45 labels. While writers like Bettye Crutcher, Homer Banks, and Mack Rice were responsible for the label's biggest singles—as well as the equally satisfying material that filled out Stax LPs—they also penned scores of successful numbers for other artists. We not only get to hear Mack Rice's original demo of "Respect Yourself," but also the ones he made for the Detroit Wheels (the drug-soul paean "Linda Sue Dixon") and Aretha Franklin (the bubbling, funky "Without You"). There are also plenty of chances for POV-switching, most notably on "Too Much Sugar for A Dime," presented here in back-to-back versions by Homer Banks and Bettye Crutcher. Although Banks and Raymond Jackson wrote the song, it's a little more convincing when Crutcher belts out the lyric about how "we women work so hard" in her more fully fleshed out version. © Jason Ferguson/Qobuz
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Alvertis Isbell, ComposerLyricist - Steve Cropper, ComposerLyricist - Carla Thomas, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Eddie Floyd, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2022 Craft Recordings.
Isaac Hayes, ComposerLyricist - David Porter, ComposerLyricist - Jeanne & The Darlings, MainArtist
℗ 2022 Craft Recordings.
Al Jackson, Jr., Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Wayne Jackson, Trumpet, AssociatedPerformer - Booker T. Jones, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Gilbert Caples, Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Steve Cropper, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - FLOYD NEWMAN, Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Donald "Duck" Dunn, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Joe Arnold, Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - William Bell, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Andrew Lowe, Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Packy Axton, Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Gene Parker, Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Phil De Lancie, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2022 Craft Recordings.
Alvertis Isbell, ComposerLyricist - Steve Cropper, ComposerLyricist - Carla Thomas, MainArtist - Eddie Floyd, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2022 Craft Recordings.
Alvertis Isbell, ComposerLyricist - Steve Cropper, ComposerLyricist - Eddie Floyd, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2022 Craft Recordings.
Steve Cropper, ComposerLyricist - Eddie Floyd, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2022 Craft Recordings.
Alvertis Isbell, ComposerLyricist - Eddie Floyd, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2022 Craft Recordings.
Eddie Floyd, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Joe Shamwell, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2022 Craft Recordings.
Homer Banks, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Allen Jones, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2022 Craft Recordings.
Steve Cropper, Producer, Engineer, StudioPersonnel, ComposerLyricist - William Bell, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - RON CAPONE, Remix Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2022 Craft Recordings.
Roebuck Staples, ComposerLyricist - The Staple Singers, MainArtist - Wesley Westbrook, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2022 Craft Recordings.
Steve Cropper, Producer, Remix Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Marvell Thomas, ComposerLyricist - RON CAPONE, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Bettye Crutcher, ComposerLyricist - The Staple Singers, MainArtist
℗ 2022 Craft Recordings.
James Edwards, ComposerLyricist - Steve Cropper, Producer, Remix Engineer, StudioPersonnel - RON CAPONE, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - The Staple Singers, MainArtist - Pervis Staples, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2022 Craft Recordings.
Bonnie Bramlett, ComposerLyricist - Steve Cropper, Producer, Remixer, StudioPersonnel - Delaney Bramlett, ComposerLyricist - RON CAPONE, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Homer Banks, ComposerLyricist - Bettye Crutcher, ComposerLyricist - The Staple Singers, MainArtist
℗ 2022 Craft Recordings.
Alvertis Isbell, ComposerLyricist - Al Jackson, Jr., Producer - Steve Cropper, ComposerLyricist - Eddie Floyd, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - RON CAPONE, Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2022 Craft Recordings.
Al Jackson, Jr., Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Wayne Jackson, Trumpet, AssociatedPerformer - Booker T. Jones, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - Andrew Love, Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Steve Cropper, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - FLOYD NEWMAN, Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Carla Thomas, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Eddie Floyd, ComposerLyricist - Jim Stewart, Producer - Donald "Duck" Dunn, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Packy Axton, Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Phil De Lancie, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2022 Craft Recordings.
The Newcomers, MainArtist - Allen Jones, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2022 Craft Recordings.
Billy Eckstine, ComposerLyricist - Bettye Crutcher, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2022 Craft Recordings.
Mack Rice, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Terry Manning, Remix Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Luther Ingram, ComposerLyricist - Al Bell, Producer - Ralph Rhodes, Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2022 Craft Recordings.
Al Bell, Producer - Bettye Crutcher, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - George Horn, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Richard Corsello, Producer - Herb Jimmerson, Producer
℗ 2022 Craft Recordings.
Raymond Jackson, ComposerLyricist - Larry Nix, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Homer Banks, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Johnny Baylor, Producer - Carl Mitchell Hampton, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2022 Craft Recordings.
Raymond Jackson, ComposerLyricist - Carl Hampton, ComposerLyricist - Homer Banks, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2022 Craft Recordings.
Bobby Manuel, ComposerLyricist - Bettye Crutcher, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2022 Craft Recordings.
Raymond Jackson, ComposerLyricist - Carl Hampton, ComposerLyricist - Homer Banks, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2022 Craft Recordings.
Marshall Jones, ComposerLyricist - Carl Smith, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2022 Craft Recordings.
Deanie Parker, ComposerLyricist - Bonny Rice, ComposerLyricist - March Wind, MainArtist
℗ 2022 Craft Recordings.
Leon Moore, Composer, MainArtist
℗ 2022 Craft Recordings.
Homer Banks, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Carl Mitchell Hampton, ComposerLyricist - Raymond Earl Jackson, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2022 Craft Recordings.
Raymond Jackson, Composer - Carl Hampton, Composer - Homer Banks, Composer, MainArtist
℗ 2022 Craft Recordings.
Unknown, ComposerLyricist - Veda Brown, MainArtist
℗ 2022 Craft Recordings.
Al Jackson, Jr., ComposerLyricist - Eddie Floyd, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2022 Craft Recordings.
Deanie Parker, Composer - Bonny Rice, Composer - March Wind, MainArtist
℗ 2022 Craft Recordings.
Bettye Crutcher, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2022 Craft Recordings.
Raymond Jackson, ComposerLyricist - Carl Hampton, ComposerLyricist - Homer Banks, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2022 Craft Recordings.
Marshall Jones, Author - Carl Smith, Author, MainArtist
℗ 2022 Craft Recordings.
Bettye Crutcher, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2022 Craft Recordings.
Bettye Crutcher, Composer, MainArtist
℗ 2022 Craft Recordings.
Raymond Jackson, ComposerLyricist - Carl Hampton, ComposerLyricist - Homer Banks, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2022 Craft Recordings.
Mack Rice, MainArtist - Bonny Rice, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2022 Craft Recordings.
Mack Rice, MainArtist - Bonny Rice, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2022 Craft Recordings.
Eddie Floyd, ComposerLyricist - William Brown, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2022 Craft Recordings.
Carl Hampton, ComposerLyricist - Homer Banks, ComposerLyricist - Shelbra Bennett, MainArtist
℗ 2022 Craft Recordings.
Bonny Rice, Composer - Bettye Crutcher, Composer, MainArtist
℗ 2022 Craft Recordings.
Sam Dees, Composer - Frederick Knight, Composer, MainArtist
℗ 2022 Craft Recordings.
Mack Rice, MainArtist - Bonny Rice, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2022 Craft Recordings.
Bonny Rice, ComposerLyricist - Bettye Crutcher, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Arris Wheaton, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2022 Craft Recordings.
Homer Banks, ComposerLyricist - Henderson Thigpen, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Eddie Marion, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2022 Craft Recordings.
Bonny Rice, ComposerLyricist - Bettye Crutcher, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Arris Wheaton, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2022 Craft Recordings.
Mack Rice, MainArtist - Bonny Rice, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2022 Craft Recordings.
Mack Rice, MainArtist - Donald "Duck" Dunn, ComposerLyricist - Bonny Rice, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2022 Craft Recordings.
Album review
This mammoth set opens simply: a mellifluous guitar line accompanying Carla Thomas' angelic, expressive voice. It's the sparest of demos—just full enough to get the melody and emotional tenor of the tune across. As a cornerstone of Stax Records' in-house songwriting crew, Thomas penned scores of songs for the label, only some of which were sung by her. Despite this, she, and many of her fellow Stax writers, often had their compositional chops overlooked. Written In Their Soul seeks to remedy that with a huge tranche of original demos: some recorded by Stax artists, some recorded by artists at other labels, and some that never made it past the demo stage. But this seven-disc, 121-track compilation isn’t only stripped-down songs like Thomas' "Comfort Me." Some are more robust than others, and few veer far from the essentials. Written in Their Soul is a satisfying collection, due to the strength of the material and, in many cases, the prodigious talents of the songwriters; they just so happened to be incredible performers as well.
Stax was a label that specialized in delivering music renowned for its essential soulfulness so many of these versions don't sound too far off from the official takes: full band numbers, session run-throughs, and fully-produced funk numbers abound. Still, harmonies—rather than complex band-driven arrangements—tend to provide the sturdiest accompaniments here. Perhaps that's unsurprising on a number like the Staple Singers' "The Ghetto," but it's also true on many of the cuts designed for solo singers. Fidelity is strong throughout and although some tracks do sound like the demos they are—the tentative and echoey version of "634-5789" sounds like it was recorded during a soundcheck in an empty concert hall—it's truly remarkable how consistently high the quality level was at Stax.
Although these are great-sounding demos, they are still demos. That puts a much-needed spotlight on both the oft-unheralded compositional talents of performers like Carla Thomas, Eddie Floyd, and William Bell and the ridiculously prolific songwriters who seldom received credit beyond the parenthetical notices on 45 labels. While writers like Bettye Crutcher, Homer Banks, and Mack Rice were responsible for the label's biggest singles—as well as the equally satisfying material that filled out Stax LPs—they also penned scores of successful numbers for other artists. We not only get to hear Mack Rice's original demo of "Respect Yourself," but also the ones he made for the Detroit Wheels (the drug-soul paean "Linda Sue Dixon") and Aretha Franklin (the bubbling, funky "Without You"). There are also plenty of chances for POV-switching, most notably on "Too Much Sugar for A Dime," presented here in back-to-back versions by Homer Banks and Bettye Crutcher. Although Banks and Raymond Jackson wrote the song, it's a little more convincing when Crutcher belts out the lyric about how "we women work so hard" in her more fully fleshed out version. © Jason Ferguson/Qobuz
About the album
- 3 disc(s) - 146 track(s)
- Total length: 07:29:40
- Main artist: Various Artists
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Craft Recordings
- Genre: Soul/Funk/R&B Soul
© 2023 Craft Recordings. ℗ 2023 Craft Recordings.
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