THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD
1,452) The Staple Singers — “I See It”
“I see it . . . America can be . . . a land where man is equal and free” This inspiring ‘69 A-side by the Staple Singers (see #680) is “intense” and “non-chalantly struttin'”, “cleverly incorporat[ing] bits and pieces of the ‘Stars and Stripes Forever’ melody” with “Mavis [Staples] really letting it all out”. (Soulmakossa, https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/the-staple-singers/soul-folk-in-action/) From Soul Folk in Action, the group’s Stax debut, [which] wasn’t a commercial success, but . . . is a Southern Soul must-own nonetheless.” (Soulmakossa, again) At Stax, the Staple Singers “set out to share with a far larger audience the very lesson they’d been preaching for almost a decade: A better world is waiting, but it takes something more powerful than just you or me to get there.” (David Cantwell, https://www.nodepression.com/mavis-staples-soul-folk-in-action/)
Bob Gottlieb writes about Soul Folk:
This is one you are probably going to have to search out, but this gem is worth all the effort. First, take the stunning voices of the Staple Singers, with the closely blending harmonies that can only come from the years of a family singing together. Put in the crack vibrato guitar of Pops (he was a blues player early on), add in a top-notch rhythm section that play as close as it gets, and throw in the Memphis Horns. Then add some material that was just about custom-tailored for them, mixed and mastered by Steve Cropper, and you have the makings of a fantastic disc. . . . The only disappointment might come from the brevity of the disc; you just want it to continue. The power and majesty that these voices carry comes as close to heaven as can be felt here on earth. They are truly performers who give their all.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/soul-folk-in-action-mw0000677736
Thomas Fine tells us of the album and the Staple Singers:
The Staple Singers came to Stax Records at a pivotal time in history . . . and wasted no time to create an outstanding album that is as timeless as its message remains timely. Soul Folk in Action, recorded over four days in September 1968, was not a major chart success. But it established a forward momentum for the Staples family on Stax . . . . The Staple Singers of 1968 were Roebuck “Pops” Staples and his children Mavis, Cleotha and Pervis. Pops played guitar and sang high tenor. Mavis, with a deep and soulful, self-assured voice that sounded beyond her young age, sang most lead vocals. Her sister Cleotha and brother Pervis sang background harmonies. The family band had been a working unit since the mid-1950s, scoring a gospel hit on Vee-Jay Records with “Uncloudy Day” in 1956. They had evolved into a folk-gospel style on Epic Records . . . . Pops Staples . . . . was a working blues musician by age 16, but he embraced and led a more spiritual and church-centric life than many of his peers. He married at age 18 and became a father the next year . . . . The family musical group began with Pops playing guitar and teaching his children to sing. Their first performances were at church services, with Mavis’ distinctive deep voice and Pops expert bluesy guitar playing distinguishing them from other gospel groups. . . . The success of [the gospel hit] “Uncloudy Day” [in ‘56] gave the group enough regional momentum to land at Epic Records. By the mid-60s, the Staples family was close to Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Civil Rights movement, and had recorded numerous “message” songs during their time at Epic . . . . Since their Vee-Jay days, the group had been on the radar of Al Bell . . . . [who i]n 1968 . . . had risen to the role of executive VP at Stax Records . . . . Stax was at a crossroads. Its biggest star, Otis Redding, died in a plane crash the prior December. Its distributor, Atlantic Records, cut ties and, in a disputed series of events, ended up owning the master tapes and rights to all Stax recordings that Atlantic had distributed. The little label in Soulsville was without its brightest star and most of its prior corporate assets. Then, on April 4, 1968, Dr. King was assassinated . . . . Stax was connected to King through Bell’s friendship with the civil rights crusader, and various artists’ participation in the movement. . . . Bell signed the Staple Singers in July, 1968, weeks after Epic dropped their contract due to disappointing sales. The group was assigned to guitarist/producer Steve Cropper, himself famous as a member of Booker T. & the MG’s and songwriter and session player on numerous Stax hits. In sessions held September 5, 6, 10 and 12, the 11 songs of “Soul Folk in Action” were waxed. Cropper and Pops Staples played guitar, MGs Donald “Duck” Dunn and Al Jackson Jr. manned the bass and drums, Marvell Thomas handled keyboards and the Memphis Horns (Wayne Jackson, Andrew Love and Joe Arnold) added some spice. . . . “Long Walk to D.C.” . . . was immediately released. . . . [but] failed to chart. A follow-up . . . “The Ghetto” . . . was released in December, also failing to gain traction. [M]iddling commercial success [greeted] Soul Folk in Action . . . . The Staple Singers would have to wait for their shining moment on the label, but they were a key part of the mosaic that allowed the label to survive and then thrive. By the time the Staple Singers left Stax in 1974 after a heated exchange between Pops and Al Bell, they were bona fide soul music stars.
Here’s a demo:
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