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- Published: 13 Oct 2007
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- Author: adamweishaupt81
Coordinates | 44°25′57″N26°6′14″N |
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Name | Sam & Dave |
Background | group_or_band |
Origin | United States |
Genre | SoulR&B; |
Years active | 1961–1981 |
Label | Roulette, Stax, Atlantic, Gusto |
Past members | Sam MooreDave Prater |
Sam & Dave were an American soul and rhythm and blues (R&B;) duo who performed together from 1961 through 1981. The tenor (higher) voice was Samuel David Moore (born Samuel David Hicks on October 12, 1935 in Winchester, Georgia), and the baritone/tenor (lower) voice was Dave Prater (May 9, 1937, Ocilla, Georgia – April 9, 1988, Sycamore, Georgia).
Sam & Dave are members of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the Grammy Hall of Fame, the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, and are Grammy Award and multiple gold record award winning artists. According to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Sam & Dave were the most successful soul duo, and brought the sounds of the black gospel church to pop music with their call-and-response records. Recorded primarily at Stax Records in Memphis, Tennessee, from 1965 through 1968, these included "Soul Man", "Hold On, I'm Comin", "I Thank You", "When Something is Wrong with My Baby", "Wrap It Up", and many other Southern Soul classics. Other than Aretha Franklin, no soul act during Sam & Dave's Stax years (1965–1968) had more consistent R&B; chart success, including 10 consecutive top 20 singles and 3 consecutive top 10 LPs. Their crossover charts appeal (13 straight appearances and 2 top 10 singles) helped to pave the way for the acceptance of soul music by white pop audiences, and their song "Soul Man" was one of the first songs by a black group to top the pop charts using the word "soul", helping define the genre "Soul Music". "Soul Man" was a number one Pop Hit (Cashbox: November 11, 1967) and has been recognized as one of the most influential songs of the past 50 years by the Grammy Hall of Fame, The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Rolling Stone magazine, and RIAA Songs of the Century. "Soul Man" was featured as the soundtrack and title for a 1986 film and also a 1997–1998 television series, and Soul Men was a 2008 feature film.
Nicknamed "Double Dynamite", "The Sultans of Sweat", and "The Dynamic Duo" for their sweaty, gritty, gospel-infused performances, Sam & Dave were one of the greatest live acts of the 1960s. They were an influence on many future musicians, including Bruce Springsteen, Al Green, Tom Petty, Phil Collins, Michael Jackson, Elvis Costello, Teddy Pendergrass, Billy Joel and Steve Winwood. The Blues Brothers, who helped create a resurgence of popularity for soul, R&B;, and blues in the 1980s, were influenced by Sam & Dave - their biggest hit was a cover of "Soul Man", and their act and stage show had many similarities to the duo.
Sam & Dave met working the gospel music circuit, and later in small clubs in Miami during amateur nights in 1961 according to Dave. They sang together one night at the King of Hearts club, and started working together immediately thereafter, developing a live act featuring gospel-inspired call-and-response. Soul singer and record producer Steve Alaimo discovered them while performing on the same show with them at the King of Hearts nightclub in Miami and signed them to Marlin Records.
After two singles in early 1962 were released on the local Marlin label owned by Miami's Henry Stone, Stone helped sign them to Roulette Records in New York. They released six 45s from 1962–1964 (two were re-releases of Marlin recordings) with Roulette, and one single on Stone and Alaimo's Alston Label. A few of the singles received regional airplay, but did not achieve national chart success. The songs, some of which were produced by Steve Alaimo and some of which were produced by Henry Glover,were similar in many ways to r&b; recordings by Sam Cooke, Jackie Wilson and Little Willie John. Prater was the lead vocalist on most of these singles, with Moore singing harmony and alternate verses.
In summer 1964, Stone introduced the duo to Atlantic Records' Jerry Wexler, who signed them to Atlantic. Wexler asked Memphis, Tennessee-based Stax Records, which Atlantic distributed nationally, to work with Sam & Dave. Wexler wanted the Southern roots and gospel style of their live performances, so the pair were loaned to Stax to record, although they remained Atlantic Records artists. According to Wexler's autobiography Rhythms & Blues, "Their live act was filled with animation, harmony and seeming goodwill. I put Sam in the sweet tradition of Sam Cooke or Solomon Burke, while Dave had an ominous Four Tops' Levi Stubbs-sounding voice, the preacher promising hellfire."
Sam & Dave's Stax records also benefited from the musicians and engineering at Stax. The Stax house band, Booker T. & the M.G.'s, and the Stax horn section, the Mar-Keys had world-class musicians who co-wrote (often without credit) and contributed to recordings—the same musicians who recorded with Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, Carla Thomas and other soul artists. Sam & Dave's Stax recordings through 1967 were engineered by Stax founder Jim Stewart, who created the Memphis Sound by recording live in a single take. Stewart is credited for instrumental mixes that allowed for instrumental separation and the distinct contribution of each instrument to the overall feel of the song. Hayes and Porter are in the Songwriters Hall of Fame, The Mar-Keys are in the Musicians Hall of Fame, and Booker T. & the MG's, Jim Stewart, Isaac Hayes and Sam & Dave are all in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
While the first two Stax singles failed to chart, the third, the Hayes/Porter composition (with similarities, including the title, to a gospel standard) "You Don't Know Like I Know" hit #7 R&B; in 1966. This was the first of 10 consecutive Top Twenty R&B; chart hits over three years, and 14 R&B; chart appearances during their career.
"Hold On, I'm Comin" was also the first recording on which Moore took lead on the first verse and the deeper, rougher voiced Prater was given the response role and second verse at Hayes and Porter's suggestion. The duo used this format, or singing dual leads, on most of their songs. The song was created when Hayes called to Porter, who was in the bathroom. Porter supposedly said "Hold on, man, I'm comin'", and Hayes and Porter had the song written in 10 minutes. Musicologist Rob Bowman called Soul Men One of the greatest soul music albums of all time." "Don't Knock It" from the LP was released as a single in France, but other songs were not released as U.S. singles due to the long run by "Soul Man" on the Pop charts (15 weeks), by which time "I Thank You/Wrap it Up" was ready for release. "May I Baby", the b-side of "Soul Man", is also regarded as a classic non-hot 100 song on the LP by Whitburn's "Top Pop Singles" guide, and was a popular live song performed frequently by Sam & Dave.
Sam and Dave's first 1968 single for Atlantic was "You Don't Know What You Mean To Me", written by Eddie Floyd and Steve Cropper. Sam and Dave said it was their favorite of their songs, and the single charted #48 Pop and #19 R&B.; Sam & Dave also released "Can't You Find Another Way (of Doing It)" which charted at #54 Pop and #20 R&B;, but which was not included in the I Thank You LP. Their final single of 1968, "Everybody Got To Believe In Somebody", charted in the lower levels of the pop charts and ended Sam and Dave's streak at ten straight R&B; top 20 singles.
Though on Atlantic, the I Thank You LP (10/68) included 1968 singles initially on both Stax and Atlantic. The LP peaked at #38 on the R&B; charts, and was the only LP of their Stax recordings not to chart on the Pop LP charts.
In March 1967, Sam and Dave were co-headliners for the Stax/Volt Revue in Europe, which included Booker T & the MGs, The Mar-Keys, Eddie Floyd, Carla Thomas, Arthur Conley and headliner Otis Redding. For Sam & Dave, it was their first time in Europe, largely to all-white audiences, sometimes up to 2,000 people. Although Redding headlined the tour, many agreed Sam & Dave stole the show on many nights. According to Redding's and Sam & Dave's manager Phil Walden, Redding refused to be booked on the same bill with Sam & Dave again, not wanting to have to follow their explosive act. A live version of Sam and Dave's Double Dynamite LP track "Soothe Me" was recorded in Paris during the '67 tour. Released as a single in mid-1967, it continued Sam & Dave's string of top 20 U.S. R&B; hits and was their first in the UK Top 40.
After the tour, Sam & Dave worked as headliners in the U.S. and in Europe in during the Fall of 1967, Fall 1968 and January 1970, and in Japan in 1969 and 1970. Their band grew to 16 pieces and a 35-person entourage with a plane and bus, and they continued to be in demand even as record sales began to drop in late 1969 and 1970. They were doing an average 280 shows per year from 1967 through 1969 and in 1967 only took ten days off for the year. Other high points included headlining the Montreal World's Fair in 1967, performing at the tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr at Madison Square Garden in June 1968, being the first black Soul act to headline the Fillmore East in December 1968, and headlining the Texas International Pop Festival for two nights in August 1969. Sam & Dave also performed on U.S. and European television, including two appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1969, appearing on The Tonight Show and American Bandstand in 1967, and performing on The Mike Douglas Show in 1969 and 1970. Moore frequently recalls the Sullivan Show performances as a career highlight.
Two more singles followed in 1970, "Baby, Baby, Don't Stop Now", and "One Part Love, Two Parts Pain". The first was a leftover Hayes-Porter recording from Stax; the second was produced by Wexler and Dowd in New York, and was written by Stax executive Al Bell and Allen Jones. Both failed to hit the US R&B; charts or the Hot 100. According to Wexler, "We just made some shit-ass records with them. I never really got into their sensibilities as a producer". Wexler then sent the duo south to Muscle Shoals and Miami to work with producers Brad Shapiro and Dave Crawford for their next single "Knock It Out The Park", which failed to chart.
Sam & Dave split up in June 1970, according to Moore as a result of Moore's dissatisfaction with the duo and his desire to pursue a career solo. According to Prater, they broke up because "[Moore] decided to do what he wanted to do on his own." Moore recorded three solo singles (none of which charted) for Atlantic over the next year and was preparing an album produced by King Curtis, which was shelved after Curtis was stabbed to death in 1971. Prater recorded a single for Alston. Neither was commercially successful as a solo act, and they reunited in August 1971.
In October 1971, their last Atlantic single, "Don't Pull Your Love", was a cover of a hit by Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds. This Shapiro/Crawford production was a minor hit (R&B; #36/Pop #102), but not a substantial enough commercial success to keep the duo signed to the label. Sam & Dave made their final Atlantic recordings in August 1972, four songs never released by the label. Their contract with Atlantic expired shortly thereafter.
Sam and Dave returned to the studio in 1974-5, recording an album of new songs titled Back at Cha for United Artists. The album – their first album of new material in 7 years – was produced by Steve Cropper, and featured the MGs and The Memphis Horns and had a minor R&B; single, "A Little Bit of Good" (R&B; #89). Songwriters included Cropper, Allen Toussaint, and Jimmy Cliff. Although the LP received positive reviews, it failed to chart. In a side project, they provided vocals on "Come On, Come Over" for Jaco Pastorius for his debut album on Epic in 1976.
In 1976-77, Sam & Dave recorded songs in the UK with producer John Abbey. Two singles were released on Abbey's Contempo label in the UK and Germany, with limited success. Ironically, given the duo's disputes, one of the last singles by Sam & Dave was a cover of The Beatles "We Can Work It Out". Sam & Dave also briefly retired in 1977, with Dave working at a Pontiac dealership in New Jersey and Sam working at an Austin, Texas, law firm as a process server.
In 1978, Sam & Dave re-recorded old hits for the LP "Sweet & Funky Gold" (Gusto), and re-recorded songs and other soul hits during this period in Nashville for an album for K-Tel Records, The Original Soul Man. In Summer 1978, they toured Germany for two weeks.
In 1979, Sam & Dave enjoyed a significant resurgence of interest as a result of Dan Aykroyd's and John Belushi's sketch characters in the cult film The Blues Brothers, and The Blues Brothers' 1979 top 40 cover of "Soul Man". Moore stated they were offered an opportunity to perform onstage with Belushi and Aykroyd on SNL, but turned it down when Belushi said Sam & Dave had to perform the intro, then the Blues Brothers would take over. The Blues Brothers' personas and stage act were influenced by Sam & Dave, according to an April 1988 interview with Aykroyd in the Chicago Sun-Times. Aykroyd saw Sam & Dave as a teenager at the Montreal Expo in 1967, and said they were one of his biggest influences. Aykroyd got director John Landis to include the Jake and Elwood Blues characters listening to "Hold On, I'm Comin'" and "Soothe Me" while riding in the Bluesmobile during the film as a tribute to Sam & Dave.
Also in 1979, Sam and Dave opened shows for The Clash on their U.S. tour, including at the Palladium in New York City. In 1980, the duo performed in Paul Simon's film One Trick Pony and on Saturday Night Live. In 1980, they also were featured in a U.S. tour opening for the 50s band Sha Na Na.
In 1981, they re-recorded many hits along with Sam Cooke and Otis Redding covers for LPs titled Soul Study Vol. 1 and Soul Study Vol. 2 (Odyssey). The pair last performed on New Year's Eve, 1981, at the Old Waldorf in San Francisco. According to Moore, when they walked off stage it was the last time they spoke to each other.
In 1985, Prater and Sam Daniels released a newly-sung medley of Sam & Dave hits recorded in The Netherlands, which peaked at #92 R&B; and was credited to "Sam & Dave". Sam Moore got the record company to recall the single for using the "Sam & Dave" name without permission, and the record was re-labelled and re-issued by "The New Sam & Dave Revue".
Prater had his last performance with Sam Daniels on April 3, 1988 at a Stax Reunion at the Atlanta Civic Center which also featured Isaac Hayes, Eddie Floyd, and Rufus and Carla Thomas. Six days later, on April 9, 1988, Prater died in a car crash in Sycamore, Georgia, while driving to his mother's house.
See more details on his career under his Dave Prater Wikipedia bio.
In 2003, the Stax Museum of American Soul Music opened in Memphis and Sam & Dave are in the film made for the Museum, titled Soulsville, and have a permanent wall and video display.
Barack Obama used "Hold On, I'm Comin'" as a theme song on the campaign trail, until Sam Moore requesting he stop using it. 11 months later Sam Moore performed "Soul Man" with Sting and Elvis Costello at one of Obama's inaugural parties. A parody of "Soul Man" created by Moore, "I'm a Dole Man", was used in the 1996 Bob Dole presidential campaign until the copyright owners objected and requested the campaign stop using it. Sam & Dave released the rare single "Hold on, Edwin's Coming" in 1982 to support Louisiana Governor Edwin Edwards' third run for Governor. Another parody, "I'm a Suns Fan", was recorded by Moore and used for the Phoenix Suns basketball games.
Sam & Dave songs have been frequently used in movie & TV soundtracks and commercials, including "Hold On, I'm Comin'" on the soundtrack of the 2007 hit film American Gangster. "Hold On, I'm Comin'" and "Soothe Me" played on the radio in the Bluesmobile during the 1980 hit movie and cult classic, The Blues Brothers. Jay Leno used "Hold on I'm Comin" while driving his AC Cobra on his 2009 Super Bowl commercial to announce his show's move to 10pm. "Wrap it Up" is used as a transition to commercial break for The O'Reilly Factor. "Soul Man" was used as the title and title track in the 1986 movie featuring C. Thomas Howell, and also the 1997–1998 television series featuring Dan Aykroyd. The movie Tapeheads, released in 1988 and starring John Cusack and Tim Robbins, featured Sam Moore and Junior Walker as a fictitious, legendary soul duo called "The Swanky Modes". The movie Soul Men, released in November 2008, was a comedy featuring Bernie Mac and Samuel L. Jackson as two feuding soul singers called "The Real Deal". In February 2009, Moore filed suit against the film production company and the producers for infringing on the marks Soul Man and Soul Men, claiming the movie is based on the careers of Sam & Dave, and damaged both Moore's reputation and career.
Note: The original Stax and Atlantic albums are also available on CD(Rhino)
Category:1960s music groups Category:1970s music groups Category:American soul musical groups Category:American rhythm and blues musical groups Category:Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Category:Celebrity duos Category:Musical duos Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Atlantic Records artists
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