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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZSTAPLE SINGERS, TheFamily gospel group with soul hits. Roebuck 'Pops' Staples (b 28 Dec. '15, Winona MS; d 19 Dec. 2000) played blues guitar, was converted at 15, sang in church, toured with Golden Trumpets group; settled in Chicago with wife Oceola, working outside music to support his growing family. He sang in a Chicago Baptist church '50 (brother Chester was the pastor) with son Pervis, daughters Cleo and Mavis; young Yvonne later replacing Pervis; they made a single on United '53 (more were made, but leased to smaller labels: United wanted them to do rock'n'roll and held them to a two-year contract); on Vee-Jay '55-9: 'Uncloudy Day' 'sold like rock'n'roll', said Pops later; the Vee-Jay records are gospel classics, with his understated guitar, Mavis's beautiful voice, including 'Stand By Me' (secularized for Ben E. King) and 'This May Be The Last Time' (made money for the Rolling Stones with different lyric), 'Will The Circle Be Unbroken', 'Amazing Grace', etc. Recorded for Riverside '60-64; on Epic in '67 'Why? (Am I Treated So Bad)' and 'For What It's Worth' made pop Hot 100. In the spirit of the Soul Era '60s they still did some of the same material they had done since the beginning, but also message songs with a heavier beat; after they'd refused to do rock'n'roll on United, almost 20 years later the church rejected them. They went to Stax/Volt '68 and hits with producer Al Bell and did some secular songs (Mavis had hit 'I Have Learned To Do Without You' '70), but mostly message songs; a dozen crossing over to the pop chart '70-76 including 'Respect Yourself' (no. 12), 'I'll Take You There' (no. 1 pop and soul charts '72), 'If You're Ready (Come Go With Me)' (top ten pop, no. 1 soul), Percy Mayfield movie theme 'Let's Do It Again' on his Curtom label (no. 1 '75 both charts). They appeared in films Soul To Soul '71 (made in Ghana), Wattstax '73, in finale of The Band's final concert/film/album Last Waltz '78. Albums included Great Day on Milestone (from the Riverside era); The Staple Singers '71, Bealtitude: Respect Yourself '72, Be What You Are '73, City In The Sky '74, also This Time Around, Chronicle, Mavis Staples, instrumental Jammed Together (with Pops, Albert King, studio sideman Steve Cropper), all on Stax; Let's Do It Again '75 on Curtom was very short weight; Pass It On, Family Tree, Unlock Your Mind '76-8 on WB; Hold On To Your Dream '81 on 20th Century; Turning Point '84 (on Epic in UK) and The Staple Singers '85 on Private I. Pops did Peace To The Neighborhood and Father Father on Pointblank/Charisma; Mavis released Time Waits For No One '89 on Prince's Paisley Park label and Spirituals And Gospel '97 on Gitanes Jazz, the latter a tribute to Mahalia Jackson with just Lucky Peterson on piano and organ. Compilations etc included Great Day on Ace, Pray On on HOB, Freedom Highway on Columbia Legacy. |