When Steve Cropper performs another round of European dates with the Animals in the fall, he will be returning to the site of some of Stax Records’ biggest — and, for some, most surprising — successes in the late 1960s. An explosive revue featuring Otis Redding, Sam and Dave, CarlaRead More

Steve Cropper settled into the theater seats with his wife and another couple, ready to enjoy the new film American Graffiti in 1973. He had no idea what was about to happen next. You May Also Like: No related posts.

As part of Booker T. and the MGs, Steve Cropper played on countless hits, though often the record-buying public had no idea of their involvement. The guitar legend explains why that never mattered. You May Also Like: No related posts.

For Stax Records executive Al Bell, the label’s focus on personalized arrangements was what made its stable of stars into timeless figures. Unlike some of their competitors, he says no two of their records sounded exactly alike. You May Also Like: No related posts.

Booker T. and MGs were pioneers of funky-cool soul and Civil Rights-era forward thinking. But it might not have happened, but for a chance meeting at a local Memphis record shop. You May Also Like: No related posts.

The Lorraine Motel, refurbished now as the National Civil Rights Museum, has become a cultural touchstone in the wake of Martin Luther King’s murder. But that Memphis landmark holds another place of historical significance. You May Also Like: No related posts.

Playing an upside down Gibson Flying V, Albert King set about turning everything you thought you knew about the blues, about rock, and certainly about the left-handed guitarist himself on its head with this stunning Stax release. You May Also Like: Little Freddie King – ‘Fried Rice & Chicken’ (2018)

That there wasn’t one already seems unfathomable. Now that the Memphis Music Hall of Fame has been created, however, its inaugural class can assembled with a snap resembling the legendary hometown Stax Records logo. You May Also Like: No related posts.

Offbeat new music from John Frusciante of Red Hot Chili Pepper’s fame and a new collaboration between Frank Zappa alum Mike Keneally and XTC’s Andy Partridge ranked among the month’s big draws. You May Also Like: Mike Keneally, “Draconian Blump” from ‘Nonkertompf’ (1999): One Track Mind How Mike Keneally’s ComebackRead More

A sizzling outburst of lean pre-funk soul-rock, Green Onions introduced the world to the genre-jumping delights of Booker T, and the MGs. You May Also Like: No related posts.