ISAAC HAYES – SHAFT 2LP – Nr MINT/EXC+ A1 UK 1974 FUNK SOUL

Isaac Hayes – Shaft
(Stax Records  1974  STXD4004)
Matrix No’s: A1/B1/C1/D1 – UK Pressing

Gatefold Sleeve in Nr MINT condition
– a little wear to edges/corners with small scuff on top edge

Double Vinyl in Nr MINT/Excellent+ condition
(there are some light surface marks visible on the vinyl (1 noticeable on side 1 and some at the start of side 4) when held up to the light but they don’t affect the sound quality apart from one light click for the first few revolutions of side 1)

VINYL IS TRANSLUCENT RED
IF YOU HOLD THE VINYL UP TO A BRIGHT LIGHT YOU CAN SEE THE RED COLOUR

Isaac Lee Hayes, Jr. (August 20, 1942 – August 10, 2008) was an American songwriter, musician, singer, actor, and voice actor. Hayes was one of the creative influences behind the southern soul music label Stax Records, where he served both as an in-house songwriter and as a record producer, teaming with his partner David Porter during the mid-1960s. Hayes, Porter, Bill Withers, the Sherman Brothers, Steve Cropper, and John Fogerty were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2005 in recognition of writing scores of notable songs for themselves, the duo Sam & Dave, Carla Thomas, and others.

The hit song “Soul Man”, written by Hayes and Porter and first performed by Sam & Dave, has been recognized as one of the most influential songs of the past 50 years by the Grammy Hall of Fame. It was also honored by The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, by Rolling Stone magazine, and by the RIAA as one of the Songs of the Century.

During the late 1960s, Hayes also began recording music and he had several successful soul albums such as Hot Buttered Soul (1969) and Black Moses (1971). In addition to his work in popular music, he worked as a composer of musical scores for motion pictures.

He is well known for his musical score for the film Shaft (1971). For the “Theme from Shaft“, he was awarded the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1972. He became the third African-American, after Sidney Poitier and Hattie McDaniel, to win an Academy Award in any competitive field covered by Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He also won two Grammy Awards for that same year. Later, he was given his third Grammy for his music album Black Moses.

In 1992, in recognition of humanitarian work there, he was crowned the honorary king of the Ada, Ghana region. He also acted in motion pictures and television, such as in the movies Truck Turner and I’m Gonna Git You Sucka, and as Gandolf “Gandy” Fitch in the TV series The Rockford Files (1974–1980). From 1997 to 2005, he lent his distinctive, deep voice to the character “Chef” on the animated TV series South Park.

His influences are Percy Mayfield, Big Joe Turner, James Brown, Jerry Butler, Sam Cooke, Fats Domino, Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding, and psychedelic soul groups like The Chambers Brothers and Sly and the Family Stone. Allmusic.com says that Isaac Hayes is responsible for the evolution of disco and rap.

On August 5, 2003, Hayes was honored as a BMI Icon at the 2003 BMI Urban Awards for his enduring influence on generations of music makers. Throughout his songwriting career, Hayes received five BMI R&B Awards, two BMI Pop Awards, two BMI Urban Awards and six Million-Air citations. As of 2008, his songs generated more than 12 million performances.

Shaft is a double album by Isaac Hayes, recorded for Stax Records’ Enterprise label as the soundtrack LP for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s 1971 Soul Cinema Classic film Shaft. The album mostly consists of instrumentals composed by Hayes as score for the film. Three vocal selections are included: “Soulsville”, “Do Your Thing”, and “Theme from Shaft“. A commercial and critical success, Shaft is Hayes’ best-known work and the best-selling LP ever released on a Stax label.

Track listing

All songs written and produced by Isaac Hayes.

Side one

1. “Theme from Shaft” (Vocal Version) – 4:39
2. “Bumpy’s Lament” – 1:51
3. “Walk from Regio’s” – 2:24
4. “Ellie’s Love Theme” – 3:18
5. “Shaft’s Cab Ride” – 1:10

Side two

1. “Cafe Regio’s” – 6:10
2. “Early Sunday Morning” – 3:49
3. “Be Yourself” – 4:30
4. “A Friend’s Place” – 3:24

Side three

1. “Soulsville” (Vocal Version) – 3:48
2. “No Name Bar” – 6:11
3. “Bumpy’s Blues” – 4:04
4. “Shaft Strikes Again” – 3:04

Side four

1. “Do Your Thing” (Vocal Version) – 19:30
2. “The End Theme” – 1:56

Credits

• Vocals, keyboards and lyrics by Isaac Hayes
• Rhythm, Horns and Strings arranged by Johnny Allen and Isaac Hayes
• Backing vocals by Pat Lewis, Rose Williams, and Telma Hopkins
• Instrumentation by The Bar-Kays and The Isaac Hayes Movement
  • Electric piano by Lester Snell
  • Bass guitar by James Alexander
  • Guitar by Charles Pitts
  • Guitar by Michael Toles
  • Drums by Willie Hall
  • Conga drums by Gary Jones
  • Lead Trumpet by Richard “Johnny” Davis
  • Flute by John Fonville