Memphis soul, also called the Memphis sound, is the most well-known type of Southern soul music. This bright and smooth style was created in the 1960s and 1970s at Stax Records and Hi Records in Memphis, Tennessee. It uses musical elements like horn players playing the same melody together, organ, guitar, bass, and a strong, steady drumbeat.

Many songs in this style were sung by vocalists who performed with the main bands of Stax, Hi, and Goldwax Records. Memphis soul is different from the Motown sound from Detroit or the gentler style of Chicago soul. After disco music became popular in the late 1970s, Memphis soul lost some of its popularity. The Stax Museum of American Soul Music is dedicated to keeping the Memphis sound alive.

Overview/Memphis Soul

Soul music is a type of music that expresses the emotions and challenges faced by African Americans. It is similar to other styles like Motown and Rhythm and Blues but has its own unique sound and history. In Memphis, musicians Willie Mitchell and Al Green worked together to create the basic sound that became the foundation of soul music. Today, Memphis soul music still follows the style that was perfected in the 1970s.

Characteristics

Memphis soul music is inspired by jazz, Motown, rhythm and blues, gospel, and doo-wop styles. A common feature is a call and response, where the lead singer and chorus take turns singing. Other traits include handclaps, funky rhythms, catchy tunes, and lively movements by performers. Brass instruments like saxophones are often used in Memphis soul music.

Memphis soul is special because it was influenced by the uptown area of Memphis, which shaped Southern regional soul music. Soul music was first created by and for African American people in Memphis but later became popular with people of all races. It was a new and experimental style that changed a lot from the 1950s to the 1970s. Today, soul music is considered the foundation of many American music genres. It directly influenced the development of rock music in America.

Memphis Soul Record Labels

Jim Stewart and Estelle Axton changed an old movie theater into a recording studio at the corner of McLemore Avenue and College Street in Memphis, Tennessee. The studio was first called "Satellite Records," but later renamed "Stax." Stax was one of the most successfully integrated companies in the country, with people of different races working together at all levels, from management to artists. Former WDIA disc jockey Rufus Thomas and his daughter Carla recorded the label's first hit, "Cause I Love You." Soon after, The Mar-Keys, a local R&B group that included Estelle's son, Packy Axton, recorded "Last Night" (1961).

For the next 14 years, Stax Records helped launch the careers of many artists and recorded hits for Johnnie Taylor, The Dramatics, Soul Children, the Staple Singers, Bar-Kays, Albert King, Eddie Floyd, Carla Thomas, Booker T. and the MGs, Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, Luther Ingram, and Isaac Hayes. About 800 singles and 300 LPs were recorded at Stax. These included 166 Top 100 songs in the pop charts and 265 Top 100 hits in the R&B charts, nine of which won Grammy Awards.

Al Bell joined the label in 1968 and became a co-owner. With more than 200 employees, Stax was one of the largest African-American-owned businesses in the United States at the time. Because of this, the African-American community had a strong influence on the label, shaping the sound of Memphis soul music. By 1970, both Stax and Hi Records (described below) had African-Americans in ownership. Under Al Bell's leadership, Stax became one of the first labels to grow into a multimedia company, producing spoken-word recordings and the documentary film Wattstax, which recorded an event known as the "Black Woodstock." The film featured performances by Luther Ingram, Isaac Hayes, Rufus and Carla Thomas, the Bar-Kays, and the Staple Singers, as well as comedian Richard Pryor. It also included interviews about the 1965 Watts revolt.

The Stax rhythm section showed how the label had people of different races working together during the Civil Rights era. The M.G.'s, made up of Booker T. Jones, Steve Cropper, Donald "Duck" Dunn, and Al Jackson, Jr., provided the instrumental backing for many artists, including Rufus and Carla Thomas and Sam and Dave. The group also recorded its own music, such as the hit "Green Onions." Later, members of the group worked on their own projects. Jones co-wrote the blues classic "Born Under a Bad Sign" with William Bell. Cropper helped record Otis Redding and co-wrote hits with Wilson Pickett and Eddie Floyd.

Hi Records was started by three Sun Studio musicians—Ray Harris, Bill Cantrell, and Quinton Claunch—and Joe Cuoghi, who owned a local record store called Poplar ("Pop") Tunes. Hi's early releases were mostly rockabilly. While the label had some success with this sound, rockabilly was becoming less popular, and Hi struggled. The label had its first hit through Bill Black, a friend of Harris.

Just as The Mar-Keys' "Last Night" helped grow Stax Records, the success of Bill Black's Combo changed Hi from a rockabilly label to an instrumental powerhouse in the early 1960s. As the decade continued, Hi recognized changes in music and, with the help of producer, bandleader, and songwriter Willie Mitchell, became a successful soul music label.

Hi Records first gained national attention with Ann Peebles. After Mitchell heard her perform at the Rosewood Club, Peebles reached the charts in 1969 with "Walk Away" and "Part Time Love." She later recorded "I Can't Stand the Rain" in 1974, which became a favorite of John Lennon.

After meeting on tour in Texas, Al Green joined Willie Mitchell and Hi Records. Together, they became the leading source for soul music in the 1970s. Hits like "Tired of Being Alone," "Let's Stay Together," and "Take Me to the River" helped define Hi Records' sound, which was supported by the Hi Rhythm Section.

Mitchell helped Hi Records gain recognition by working with big soul artists, such as Ike and Tina Turner, who were signed to other labels.

Quinton Claunch was a hardware store owner who had previously worked as a country music guitarist, session musician at Sun Records, songwriter, and record producer. He co-founded Hi Records in 1957 but sold his share two years later. Russell was a pharmacist who wanted to be involved in the music business.

Hi Records had its biggest successes with James Carr, who had several R&B hits between 1967 and 1969, including "You've Got My Mind Messed Up" and "The Dark End of the Street." The label also had some success with The Ovations, Spencer Wiggins, and Wee Willie Walker. Hi Records was dissolved in 1969 due to disagreements between Claunch and Russell, as well as James Carr's unpredictable behavior.

Notable Memphis Soul Artists
• Booker T. & the M.G.'s
• Carla Thomas
• Eddie Floyd
• Johnnie Taylor
• Otis Redding
• Rufus Thomas
• Soul Children
• Al Green
• Don Bryant
• O.V. Wright
• Otis Clay
• Ann Peebles
• Quiet Elegance
• Syl Johnson
• Bill Black's Combo
• Willie Mitchell
• James Carr
• The Ovations