Respect Yourself: Stax Records book

[smark21]

Right now I'm in the middle of reading Respect Yourself, a history of Stax Records that came out last year. Very well done book. I've read Soulsville about 10 years ago, a similar history. Soulsville has more info, but Respect Yourself is more readable. Stax doesn't come up here too often...anyone else here read the new book? Or Soulsville? And what are your thoughts on Stax, their music and their business strategies over the years?

One thing for sure: It's time to watch WattStax again this weekend.

[dvus7]

Right now I'm in the middle of reading Respect Yourself, a history of Stax Records that came out last year. Very well done book. I've read Soulsville about 10 years ago, a similar history. Soulsville has more info, but Respect Yourself is more readable. Stax doesn't come up here too often...anyone else here read the new book? Or Soulsville? And what are your thoughts on Stax, their music and their business strategies over the years?

One thing for sure: It's time to watch WattStax again this weekend.

@smark21....Yes I read both books......But nobody has been able to explain the money that Al Bell was giving to Johnny Baylor!!!! Not even the authors!!!!

[thomas96]

I had a chance to pick this book up but passed because it was so expensive. When you finish let us know if it's worth getting. I read Soulsville already so don't want to pay a lot for this one if it's just going to be the same info.

As for what I think of Stax... I think their music and artists were absolutely amazing. Damn could Arthur Conley belt it out [[one of my favorite singers). Business wise, I don't think they did a great job of marketing their artists to get more crossover popularity. Your average white folk [[non-soul fans but who grew up in that generation) will probably know Marvin, the Supremes, Tempts, Jackson 5, etc. but if asked about Arthur or Johnnie Taylor or Sam & Dave they'll likely say "who?" They still did very well, but probably could've made bigger stars out of some of these artists. Otis got pretty big but I honestly think that was partially because of his premature and tragic death.

[heikki]

Hi!

My review at
http://www.soulexpress.net/deep1_2014.htm#staxstory

Best regards
Heikki

[splanky]

I had a chance to pick this book up but passed because it was so expensive. When you finish let us know if it's worth getting. I read Soulsville already so don't want to pay a lot for this one if it's just going to be the same info.
.

That's why I'm glad my piblic libraries have copies. Read and enjoyed both. If I bought every book I've read I couldn't afford to eat or pay rent!:).......

[smark21]

I'm halfway through the book now...it's very readable and I like how the author ties in Stax with what was going on in Memphis. The chapter on 1968--the King Assasination, the Sanitation workers strike, the death of Otis Redding and 4 of the Bar-Kays, and the screw job agreement with Atlantic in which Stax lost their catalog, is devastating reading.

BTW, I got the book from the library...well worth checking out.

[rrussi]

I loved Stax/Volt and it was a great label. The Wattstax movie is a disappointment years later when you realize that some of the homeless people from the streets being interviewed were really unknown [[at the time) actors. One of them ended up as a regular on TV's The Love Boat. The performances, however, were fantastic, especially Rufus Thomas and Johnny Taylor.

[splanky]

The Wattstax movie is a disappointment years later when you realize that some of the homeless people from the streets being interviewed were really unknown [[at the time) actors. One of them ended up as a regular on TV's The Love Boat. .
I assume you're talking about actor Ted Lange who was in the film and on that show. The
thing is I don't remember at any point in the film where he refered to himself or was refered as "a homeless person." If they used some folks in the business sprinkled among
the voices of the streets and many like Richard Pryor had been both, so what? Wattstax
was one of if not the best soul music documentaries ever made, was released on dvd and
I own and still enjoy it...

[smark21]

Nowhere did the movie imply that the people interviewed were "homeless". I would be curious how you came to such a conclusion. Given the presence of the industry, it would make sense to have someone like Ted Lange, an actor trying to make it, speak and he had some strong words to offer.

[soulster]

Right now I'm in the middle of reading Respect Yourself, a history of Stax Records that came out last year. Very well done book. I've read Soulsville about 10 years ago, a similar history. Soulsville has more info, but Respect Yourself is more readable. Stax doesn't come up here too often...anyone else here read the new book? Or Soulsville? And what are your thoughts on Stax, their music and their business strategies over the years?

One thing for sure: It's time to watch WattStax again this weekend. I'll probably pass because I like lots of information about the technical stuff and the business side of it. If there is a lot about the musicians or artists, i'm not interested.

Thanks for reminding me. I really need to seethe documentary WattStax, and the soundtrack. I've only ever seen it once, back in the 70s.

I do have "Soul To Soul", the one that was done in Ghana.

[smark21]

I finished the book this morning. It was well worth reading and I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn about Stax and if they like it, then move on to the Soulsville book. The author covers the music and artists, the business side of Stax, what was going on in Memphis and little dashes here and there about recording and mixing. There is a two page addendum at the end about some of the equipment that was used at Stax.

The author is generally pro Al Bell, but my impression is that while an ambitious visionary, I'm not sure he had the management skills to run Stax well...some of his decisions were just bizarre like the signing of Lena Zunicotti, opening a Paris office when the company was hemorrhaging money, and his association with Johnny Baylor, a thug who could get things done but too often ran roughshod over company assets, especially when he used violence on musicians to exert power.

[soulster]

Except for the technical stuff, it sounds a bit like it rehashes the same stuff in "Soulsville".

[splanky]

I thought it was a better book than Soulsville, which I did enjoy. I like when writers put
the story of a group or organisation in the context of the times which this book did well.
Of course, no book is perfect or will satisfy everyone. There were some things that the
writer left out intentionally or not, overlooked or just wasn't aware of. I, in particular
wanted more information about The Staple Singers relationship with The Emotions but
all in all I'm thankful for these books because they open the door to more print and other
type telling of the musical histories of my beloved artists. Most of the technical stuff I
could give a red river otter booty less about. It might feed my brain with knowledge but
it communicates nothing to my ear's pleasures or my heart...

[motony]

I like the book, I think its a better read then Soulsville.