The Staple Singers were an American gospel, soul and R&B singing group. Roebuck Pops Staples (1914–2000), the patriarch of the family, formed the group with his children Cleotha (1934–2013), Pervis (b. 1935), Yvonne (b. 1936), and Mavis (b. 1939). They are best known for their 1970s hits Respect Yourself, Ill Take You There, If Youre Ready (Come Go with Me), and Lets Do It Again, all of which (except Ill Take You There) peaked on the Hot 100 less than a week away from Christmas Day. While the family surname is Staples, the group used the singular form for its name, The Staple Singers. he family began appearing in Chicago-area churches in 1948, and signed their first professional contract in 1952. During their early career they recorded in an acoustic gospel-folk style with various labels: United Records, Vee-Jay Records (their Uncloudy Day and Will The Circle Be Unbroken were best sellers), Checker Records, Riverside Records, and then Epic Records in 1965. It was on Epic that the Staple Singers began moving into mainstream pop markets, with Why (Am I Treated So Bad) and For What Its Worth (Stephen Stills) in 1967. In 1968, the Staple Singers signed to Stax Records and released two albums with Steve Cropper and Booker T & the MGs — Soul Folk in Action and Well Get Over. By 1970 Al Bell had become producer, and, with Engineer Terry Manning, the family began recording at the famed Muscle Shoals Sound Studio and Memphis Ardent Studios, moving in a more funk and soul direction. The first Stax hit was Heavy Makes You Happy (Sha-Na-Boom Boom) in early 1971. Their late 1971 recording of Respect Yourself, written by Luther Ingram and Mack Rice, peaked at #2 on the R&B charts and #12 on the Hot 100. The songs theme of self-empowerment had universal appeal, released in the period immediately following the intense American civil rights movement of the 1960s. In 1972 Ill Take You There topped both the pop and R&B charts. In 1973 If Youre Ready (Come Go With Me) reached #9 pop and #1 on the R&B chart. After Staxs 1975 bankruptcy, the foursome signed to Curtis Mayfields label, Curtom Records, and released Lets Do It Again, produced by Mayfield; the song became their second #1 pop hit in the US and the album also. In 1976, they collaborated with The Band for their film The Last Waltz, performing on the song The Weight (which The Staple Singers had previously covered on their first Stax album). However, they were not able to regain their momentum, releasing only occasional minor hits. Their 1984 album Turning Point featured their final Top 40 hit, a cover of Talking Heads Slippery People (which also reached the Top 5 on the Dance chart). In 1994, they again performed the song The Weight with Country music artist Marty Stuart for MCA Nashvilles Rhythm, Country and Blues compilation, somewhat re-establishing an audience. The song Respect Yourself was used by Spike Lee in the soundtrack to his movie Crooklyn, made in 1994. In 1999, the group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Pops Staples died of complications from a concussion suffered in December 2000. In 2005, the group was awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Mavis Staples has continued to carry on the family tradition and continues to add her vocal talents to both the projects of other artists and her own solo ventures. Cleotha Staples died in Chicago on February 21, 2013, after suffering from Alzheimers disease for over a decade.
Posted on: Fri, 31 Oct 2014 20:46:45 +0000
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