Passage V

The Soul of Stax

[1]

Stax Records of Memphis, Tennessee, maybe less renowned than Detroit's Motown, but its contributions to 1960s American soul music has been no less significant. The southern soul coming out of Stax had a grittier, funkier sound than Motown's, blending elements of country, gospel, and rhythm & blues. [A] But beyond genre, it was the people, their methods, and even the building itself (which had once been a movie theater) that made Stax one of the most exceptional recording studios of the era.

[2]

Stax's unlikely founders, siblings Jim Stewart and Estelle Axton, were bankers themselves whom loved music. They knew little about the music industry or soul, but they had open minds and collected collaboration. Their open-door policy allowed unestablished or unconventional artists (often ignored by bigger studios) to make their names at Stax. [B] Booker T. Jones,Carla Thomas, and Otis Redding were just a few of more than thirty artists who recorded hits there.

[3]

That conversation included a range of perspectives rarely found at other studios. Despite the pervasive segregation of Memphis in the 1960s, when the Stax staff and house band were fully integrated. The “Stax family” also included people of various ages and economic backgrounds, all were contributing to Stax's unique sound. [C]

[4]

Another distinction was one of method. At most studios, performers worked, from previously arranged sheet music. For example, Stax musicians spontaneously composed music together, a practice called head arranging. Otis Redding might walk in and sing a few lyrics to the band. The other musicians would riff on his idea until a complete song emerged between the collaboration. Then, they'd record the song without ever putting the notes on paper.

[5]

Even the building, for instance, helped to create the Stax sound. Recording equipment in the 1960s was rudimentary by today's standards. [D] But the former theater's sloped floor and bass-heavy movie speakers gave recordings a deep, raw tone so distinctive that aficionados can often recognize a Stax song within the first few notes.