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- Date Released: January 1, 1971
- Genre: Jazz
- Style: Film Soundtracks, Funk
- Label: Stax
That Shaft is a bad mother—
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We Say...
Isaac Hayes injected flair and a soulful edge into the film world with this innovative, Oscar-winning 1971 milestone. Hayes superbly tailored the music's pace, mood and sound to reflect the murky, dangerous world of private eye John Shaft, penning some sensual and suggestive tunes ("Early Sunday Morning," "Ellie's Love Them"), a couple that were hard-hitting and visceral ("Shaft Strikes Again," "Bumpy's Blues") and others that proved lush and inviting ("Cafe Reggio's," "Be Yourself," "Friend's Place"). But beyond the array of tunes with prickly wah-wah guitar lines, swaying strings and bright horn/brass counterpoint, the Shaft score had an intensity and electricity that perfectly mirrored the onscreen adventures of the film's hero. The gem here is the 20-minute "Do Your Thing." This was one of only two cuts featuring Hayes' commanding baritone (something that has led a few critics to devalue the entire affair), and he quickly established the song's assertive air with a defiant lead vocal urging Shaft to "do his thing." From there, the number constantly shifts through numerous choruses, the legendary Stax house band the Bar-Kays jamming and interacting before Hayes returns to decisively conclude the proceedings. Despite bagging an Academy Award, Shaft remains among the more underrated releases in the Isaac Hayes catalog, something that's baffling considering the music's surpassing quality.
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They Say...
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 down-tempo 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 down-tempo, 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.
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| 01. |  |
Theme From "Shaft"
|
4:36 |
|
| 02. | |
Bumpy's Lament
|
1:49 |
|
| 03. | |
Walk From Regio's
|
2:21 |
|
| 04. | |
Ellie's Love Theme
|
3:15 |
|
| 05. | |
Shaft's Cab Ride
|
1:07 |
|
| 06. | |
Cafe Regio's
|
6:00 |
|
| 07. | |
Early Sunday Morning
|
3:47 |
|
| 08. | |
Be Yourself
|
4:27 |
|
| 09. | |
A Friend's Place
|
3:21 |
|
| 10. | |
Soulsville
|
3:47 |
|
| 11. | |
No Name Bar
|
6:09 |
|
| 12. | |
Bumpy's Blues
|
4:01 |
|
| 13. | |
Shaft Strikes Again
|
3:03 |
|
| 14. | |
Do Your Thing
|
19:31 |
|
| 15. | |
The End Theme (Shaft)
|
1:56 |
|
15 Total Tracks, 69:10 Total Length
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Credits
- The Bar-Kays - Rhythm Section // Henry Bush - Engineer // Ron Capone - Remixing // Isaac Hayes - Organ // Isaac Hayes - Piano // Isaac Hayes - Keyboards // Isaac Hayes - Piano (Electric) // Isaac Hayes - Vocals // Isaac Hayes - Producer // Isaac Hayes - Vibraphone // Isaac Hayes - Main Performer // Isaac Hayes - Horn Arrangements // Isaac Hayes - String Arrangements // Willie Hall - Drums // Willie Hall - Tambourine // George Horn - Mastering // Ronald Hudson - Bass // Ronald Hudson - Guitar (Bass) // J. Alan Johnson - Horn Arrangements // J. Alan Johnson - String Arrangements // Gary Jones - Bongos // Gary Jones - Conga // Sidney Kirk - Piano // Bobby Manuel - Engineer // Charles Pitts - Guitar // Charles Pitts - Guitar (Rhythm) // Dave Purple - Engineer // Dave Purple - Remixing // Lester Snell - Synthesizer // Lester Snell - Piano (Electric) // Michael Toles - Guitar // Michael Toles - Guitar (Rhythm) // Daryl Williams - Editing // James Alexander - Bass // James Alexander - Guitar (Bass) // Mickey Gregory - Copyist // Onzie Horne - Copyist // William "Billy" Brown - Engineer // Johnny Allen - Horn Arrangements // Johnny Allen - String Arrangements
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