Shaft [Music from the Soundtrack]

by Isaac Hayes

Overview

Of the many wonderful blaxpoitation soundtracks to emerge during the early '70s, Shaft certainly deserves mention as not only one of the most lasting but also one of the most successful. Isaac Hayes was undoubtedly one of the era's most accomplished soul artists, having helped elevate Stax to its esteemed status; therefore, his being chosen to score such a high-profile major-studio film shouldn't seem like a surprise. And with "Theme from Shaft," he delivered an anthem just as ambitious and revered as the film itself, a song that has only grown more treasured over the years, after having been an enormously popular hit at the time of its release. Besides this song, though, there aren't too many more radio-targeted moments here. "Soulsville" operates effectively as the sort of downtempo ballad Hayes was most known for, just as the almost 20-minute "Do Your Thing" showcased just how impressive the Bar-Kays had become, stretching the song to unseen limits with their inventive, funky jamming. For the most part, though, this double-LP features nothing but cinematic moments of instrumentation, composed and produced by Hayes while being performed by the Bar-Kays -- some downtempo, others quite jazzy, nothing too funky, though. Even if it's not quite as enjoyable as Curtis Mayfield's Superfly due to its emphasis on instrumentals, Shaft still remains a powerful record; one of Hayes' pinnacle moments for sure. ~ Jason Birchmeier

Product Details

Release Date:	11/20/1989
Label:	Stax
UPC:	0029667082112
Rank:	6339

Tracks

Disc 1

1. Theme From Shaft
2. Bumpy's Lament
3. Walk From Regio's
4. Ellie's Love Theme
5. Shaft's Cab Ride
6. Cafe Regio's
7. Early Sunday Morning
8. Be Yourself
9. A Friend's Place

Disc 2

10. Soulsville
11. No Name Bar
12. Bumpy's Blues
13. Shaft Strikes Again
14. Do Your Thing
15. The End (Theme)

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Isaac Hayes   Primary Artist,Organ,Piano,Vocals,Keyboards,Vibraphone,Lead Vocals,Piano (Electric)
The Memphis Strings & Horns   Primary Artist,Horn,Strings
The Memphis Horns   Guest Artist
Sidney Kirk   Piano
James Alexander   Bass,Guitar (Bass)
Pat Lewis   Vocals (Background)
Lester Snell   Synthesizer,Piano (Electric)
Johnny Allen   Horn,Strings
Ronnie Hudson   Bass,Guitar (Bass)
Michael Toles   Guitar,Guitar (Rhythm)
Charles "Skip" Pitts   Guitar,Guitar (Rhythm)
Willie Hall   Drums,Percussion,Tambourine
Gary Jones   Bongos,Congas
Ronald Hudson   Bass,Guitar (Bass)
Telma Hopkins   Vocals (Background)
Rose Williams   Vocals (Background)
Charles Pitts   Guitar,Guitar (10 String)

Technical Credits

Bar-Kays   Rhythm Section
Bobby Manuel   Engineer
Isaac Hayes   Composer,Producer,Horn Arrangements,String Arrangements
J.J. Johnson   Horn Arrangements,String Arrangements
Johnny Allen   Horn Arrangements,String Arrangements
Ron Capone   Remixing
William Brown   Engineer
George Horn   Mastering
Dave Purple   Engineer,Remixing
J. Alan Johnson   Horn Arrangements,String Arrangements
Howard Craft   Mastering
Onzie Horne   Copyist
Mickey Gregory   Copyist,Copyist
Rick Arnold   Editing
Henry Bush   Engineer
Daryl Williams   Editing