Isaac Hayes and Jerry Wexler both shaped two decades of Soul Music. Writer, artist and Black Power icon Hayes and talent scout and producer Wexler both died this month.
Southern born and bred Hayes co-wrote and co-produced the hits for fledgling Memphis, Tennessee, indie label Stax in the early 1960s. At the tail end of the 60’s he managed to capture the surging self confidence of Black Americans as a recording artist, styling himself as Black Moses, arguably the first style icon of the Black Power/Blaxploitation era.
Bronx boy Wexler couldn’t have had a more different background to Hayes, yet he brought the artists into the Stax studio that would cement the label’s and Hayes’ reputation. A partner in R&B label Atlantic Records since the early 1950s, Wexler gave Stax soul duo Sam & Dave, who had huge hits with the Hayes and David Porter penned ‘Soul Man’ and ‘Hold On I’m Coming’.
Hayes And Wexler - The Soul Man Meets The Soul Connoisseur
Wexler recognised that the unique Southern Soul sound that Stax houseband Booker T. & The MGs and house producer/arranger Hayes achieved would revitalise the careers of some of Atlantic’s established Rhythm & Blues stars. It wasn’t an easy feat to convince his urbane artists to cross the Mason Dixon line and record in Memphis. Atlantic artist Wilson Pickett allegedly didn’t want to enter a backroad studio in ‘redneck country’ until Wexler coaxed him into it. The hits kept streaming in soon after.
The hits kept rolling until 1967. In december of that year, Stax biggest artist Otis Redding died in a plane crash. Stax was hit hard. To cut a long story short, the label lost the rights to its recordings up to ‘67 to Atlantic. Hayes and Wexler drifted apart.
Wexler had already found an alternative Southern Soul powerhouse to Stax in Muscle Shoals studios in neighbouring Alabama, where he produced Aretha Franklin’s hit albums. In 1968 Wexler brought Led Zeppelin to Atlantic, establishing the label as a powerhouse in the rock market of the 70’s.
‘Black Moses’ Hayes Re-Invents Soul For the 1970’s
Hayes, meanwhile, was left in charge of turning the fate of the ailing Stax label around. The boppy party stompers and deep ballads that were Stax’ signature were no longer hip with Soul’s core audience in 1968. Tapping into the social changes around him, Hayes came up with an ambitious, sophisticated Soul sound and a smooth but strong stage persona. Hayes 1969 album ‘Hot Buttered Soul’ oozed style and immaculately turned out Hayes adorned with a massive gold necklace invented Bling long before Hip Hop. ‘Hot Buttered Soul’ sold three million copies and established Hayes as Stax’ number one star.
Two years later, Hayes captured the Zeitgeist in one of the all-time classics of popular culture: ‘Theme From Shaft’ with it’s wah wah guitar and symphonic arrangements shaped the sound of Soul and Funk for decades to come.
The sound is sophisticated but tough, just like the movie’s hero, private detective John Shaft. Next time you watch Shaft, look out for Hayes playing the bar tender!
Hayes followed Shaft with the iconic ‘Black Moses’ album in 1971. He continued to ride high on his trademark mix of symphonic Soul and urban Funk until the mid-1970’s. You could argue that he held on to his formula too long. Disco and early Hip Hop became popular but Hayes never really got to terms with either of them. By the end of the decade, he had all but disappeared from view.
Held in high regard by the Rare Groove scene and Hip Hop crate diggers throughout the 80’s and 90’s, Hayes staged a strong comeback with the album ‘Branded’ in 1995. From 1997 to 2006 he provided the voice of ‘Chef’, the school canteen cook in cult cartoon series South Park. Ironically, he would have the biggest hit in his late career as Chef with the song ‘Chocolate Salty Balls’ in 1998.
Isaac Hayes died in Memphis on 10 August 2008 after a stroke, aged 65. Jerry Wexler died of a heart condition on 15 August 2008 in Florida, aged 91.
