Tag: Stax

Frederick Knight – I’ve Been Lonely For So Long

I love early seventies soul…this is a cool gem of a song and very overlooked. I remember this one when I was around 5-6 being played on A.M. Radio. He released this on Stax Records in 1972. Stax was starting to go down around this time.

In the early 1970s, under the leadership of Al Bell, Stax expanded too rapidly and faced financial difficulties due to over-expansion and mismanagement. Despite producing some hits during this period, including Isaac Hayes’ successful albums, Stax declared bankruptcy in 1975.

The song was written by Posie Knight and Jerry Weaver. It peaked at #27 on the Billboard 100, #8 on the Billboard R&B charts, and #23 in the UK in 1972. It’s been covered 15 times and one cover was by Mick Jagger on his 1993 solo album Wandering Spirit. Paul Young also covered it on his debut album No Palez in 1983.

He didn’t chart any more top 40 songs on the top 100 and he would be known as a one-hit wonder which is a shame. He kept releasing music until 1981 and did get a song in the top 40 of the R&B Charts with I Betcha Didn’t Know That in 1975.

In the mid-1970s, Knight founded his own record label, Juana Records. Through Juana Records, he produced and promoted music for other artists, including the successful disco group Anita Ward, who had a hit with Ring My Bell in 1979.

I’ve Been Lonely For So Long

I’ve been lonely for so longDon’t seem like happiness will come alongI’ve been lonely for so longDon’t seem like happiness will come along

These ain’t rain clouds over my headEverybody’s throwing rocks in my bedJust can’t seem to get ahead in lifeOoh, nothin’ I do ever turn out for the right

Won’t somebody help me please

‘Cause I’ve been lonely for so longDon’t seem like happiness will come alongI’ve been lonely for so longDon’t seem like happiness will come along

I lay awake every nightTryin’ to figure out how to make things rightThere’s got to be a better way I knowTo shake this monkey off ’cause he’s makin’ me so

Won’t somebody help me please

‘Cause I’ve been ooh, lonely for so longDon’t seem like happiness will come alongI’ve been lonely so longDon’t seem like happiness will come along

Yes, I know what it feels like to be lonelyTo have your friends turn their backs on youTo never know the real meaningOf peace of mind, oh

Just can’t seem to get ahead in lifeOoh, nothin’ I do ever turn out for the right

Won’t somebody help me please

‘Cause I’ve been lonely for so longDon’t seem like happiness will come alongI’ve been lonely for so longDon’t seem like happiness will come along

I’ve been down so longI’ve been down so longI’ve been down so longI’ve been down so long

I get lonely, I get lonelyI get lonely, I get lonelyI get lonely, lonely

…

Sam & Dave – Hold On, I’m Comin

I hope everyone had a great safe New Year holiday. Now the Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year holidays are over…we are back to normal…well as normal as it gets. I’ve been listening to a lot of Stax lately so here ya go with Sam and Dave.

This song was featured in the 1980 movie The Blues Brothers. It plays from a cassette in Jake and Elwood’s car during the first police car chase. John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd modeled their act on Sam & Dave.

On the album and on subsequent compilations, this song is listed as “Hold On, I’m Comin’.” On the single release, it was titled “Hold On! I’m A Comin'” in an effort to make it sound less lascivious.

The song peaked at #21 in the Billboard 100 and #1 in the R&B charts.

From Songfacts

While songwriter/producer David Porter was in the toilet, his songwriting partner Isaac Hayes (later a solo star with “Theme From Shaft”) yelled at him to hurry up so they could get back to work, as he was frustrated by the lack of progress they had made that day. Porter responded, “Hold on man, I’m coming.” The immediately inspired Porter quickly finished his business and excitedly told Hayes that “Hold On, I’m Coming” would be a great title for a song. Hayes has repeated this story in various interviews, including one with Reuters in 2005.

With a frothy delivery by Sam & Dave and a title that is something often heard in the bedroom, this song was deemed too prurient to air by many radio stations, and it stalled at #21 in the US. The lyrics are actually quite innocent, with the duo offering emotional support to help the lady through some tough times – what could be wrong with that?

Sam & Dave recorded for Stax Records, which was a popular soul music label in the ’60s and early ’70s. Isaac Hayes was also on the label, which created a very loose and comfortable atmosphere for their artists – at least until they had a financial meltdown in the mid-’70s. While Motown worked hard on the visual styles and choreography of their artists, Stax left most of that up to the singers, which meant that most of them just came out and sang. Sam & Dave were the exception, doing lots of crazy dancing and improvisation in their stage shows, which was always on display when they performed this song.

Aretha Franklin covered this for her 1981 album, Love All The Hurt Away and earned a Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance – her first Grammy win since her 1974 rendition of “Ain’t Nothing Like The Real Thing” won in the same category.

Hold On I’m Coming

Don’t you ever feel sad,
Lean on me when times are bad.
When the day comes and you’re down,
In a river of trouble and about to drown

Just hold on, I’m comin’,
Hold on, I’m comin’.

I’m goin’ my way, your lover.
If you get cold I’ll be your cover.
Don’t have to worry `cause I’m here,
No need to suffer baby, I’m here.

‘Cause hold on, I’m comin’
Hold on, I’m comin’
Hold on, I’m comin’
Hold on, I’m comin’

Reach out to me for satisfaction,
Call my name now for quick reaction.

Don’t you ever feel sad,
Lean on me when times are bad.
When the day comes and you’re down,
In a river of trouble and about to drown,

Just hold on, I’m comin’
Hold on, I’m comin’

Just hold on, I’m comin’
Hold on, I’m comin’

Just hold on, I’m comin’
Hold on, I’m comin’

Johnnie Taylor – Who’s Making Love

The chorus alone is enough to interest me. Stax had dubbed Taylor The Philosopher Of Soul. He could be smooth like Sam Cooke or raw in your face like this record. His real name was Johnnie Harrison Taylor and he was born in Crawfordsville, AK. In 1957, Taylor would replace Sam Cooke in the hugely influential Soul Stirrers, after Cooke departed for a solo career in music.

In 1961 Taylor joined Cooke’s Sar label for a few singles. Cooke was killed in 1964 so Taylor switched to Stax the following year.

Motown was more successful than Stax by a large margin but there was a rawness and in your face quality, Stax had that Motown couldn’t find. This song was written by Stax staffers Homer Banks, Bettye Crutcher, Don Davis, and Raymond Jackson. It peaked at #5 in the Billboard 100 and #1 in the R&B Charts.

Who’s Making Love

All you fellows, gather ’round me
And let me give you some good advice
What I’m gonna, I’m gonna ask you now
You better think about it twice
While you’re liking cheating on your woman
There is something you never even thought of

Now tell me who’s making love to your old lady
While you were out making love? (Hear me now)
Now who’s making love to your old lady
While you were out making love?

I’ve seen so, so many fellows
Fall in that same old bag

Thinking that a woman is made to
To be beat on and treated so bad
Oh, fellows, let me ask you something
I’m sure that you never even dreamed of

Now tell me who’s making love to your old lady
While you were out making love? (Oh)
Now who’s making love to your old lady
While you were out making love?

I know there are some women gives the other excuse
I’m not tryin’ to run your life, boy it’s up to you
Oh you, oh you, you and you, and you

The reason why I ask this question
I used to be the same old way
When I decided to straighten up
I found it was a bit too late
Oh yeah, that’s when it all happened
Something I never, never dreamed of

Somebody was-a lovin’ my old lady
While I was out making love
Somebody was-a lovin’ my old lady
While I was out making love (listen now)
Now who’s making love to your old lady
While you were out making love?
(Who? Who? Your old lady)
(While you were out making love)