CLASSIC SOUL

Here's some soul music--two classics to get you into the weekend and help tighten up your wig. Watch these fantastic performers and see if they can lift your spirits.

Things have changed since this classic soul came out. These songs about love and happiness and respect made you want to move your feet. Now that we've all attained freedom and affluence, and bigotry is a thing of the past, listening to classic soul is like opening a time capsule from a distant world where people had to struggle to make ends meet, where class and wealth drove a wedge between people, where race limited people's opportunities and affected our politics (even Presidential campaigns!), where unpopular wars dragged on and on for spurious reasons. Not so different, come to think of it.

You can't beat soul.

Fellow blogger Expatbrian, over at World Gone Mad, set up a challenge. I'd pick two old favorites, and he'd do the same, and we'd have an old fashioned battle of the bands. Sounds like fun, eh? Be sure to check out his blog, too.

ISAAC HAYES

Isaac Hayes (1942-2008) Mr. Hot Buttered Soul, and one of the primary creative forces behind Stax Records, just left his chains behind for good.

Most people know Hayes for his popular "Theme from Shaft," the quintessential blaxploitation soundtrack from 1971 with the whacka-whacka guitar, but earlier, in the 1960s, Hayes co-wrote such soul classics as "Soul Man" and "Hold On, I'm Coming" for Sam and Dave. You may also know him as the voice of Chef on the crudely animated TV show "South Park."


This film clip shows the "Shaft" soundtrack recording session, with Hayes leading the band and discussing the movie soundtrack with acclaimed photographer Gordon Parks, director of the film. They play "Cafe Reggio" and "Theme from Shaft."