The Bar-Kays - Let's Have Some Fun 7" (1977)

The Bar-Kay's are one of those bands who most people are familiar with but can't quite say why. The reason is they performed on a lot of Stax records coming out of Memphis during the late 60's and 70's. The band originally formed in Memphis in 1966 as a session group backing Stax artists and in 1967, were chosen by Otis Redding to play as his backing band on tour. On December 10, 1967, tragedy struck when on their way to perform in Madison Wisconsin, Redding and four of the band members died in a plane crash. The surviving two members rebuilt the band and went on to continue backing major Stax acts including Isaac Hayes on Hot Buttered Soul.

The early 70's saw the Bar-Kayes move in a new, funkier direction. With the departure of the original trumpeter Ben Cauley in 1971 and the introduction of funk guitarist Lloyd Smith in 1973, the Bar-Kays shifted grooves and established themselves on Mercury Records - which is a notable moment in the progression from soul to funk. This 45 features their super funky 1978 hit, "Let's Have Some Fun" which peaked at #11 on the US R&B charts.

Ripped @320 kbps


Interesting fact: Rapper "Jazze Pha" is the son of Bar-Kay's bassist James Alexander and is named after his late band mate Phalon Jones, who died in the crash.

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Otis Redding - In Person At The Whisky A Gogo (1968)

There's a reason they call him Mr. Pitiful. Following in the tradition of James Brown's Live at the Apollo ('63), Sam Cooke's Live at the Harlem Square Club ('63), and Ray Charles' Live in Concert ('64), Otis Redding recorded this performance live from the Sunset Strip LA at the Whiskey A Go Go club on March 30, 1966. Like the R&B giants who preceded him, Redding was looking to make the switch from the Rhythm & Blues Scene to the more popular 'crash pop scene' (think Sinatra and the Beatles), and this recording proves such. Redding belts out the classics: "Mr. Pitiful", "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag", "Respect" and the Stones' "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" with a heart that's clearly been broken and mended many times over.


Redding died in a plane crash in 1967 and is most commonly known for his sedentary "Sitting on the Dock of the Bay" - which was written and recorded less than a week before his untimely death and proved to be his post popular song. This album is of note because it shows Otis trying to appeal to the pop audience before his performance at the Monterey Pop Festival (organized by Jerry Wexler) in June 1967 - which is commonly acknowledged as signifying Redding's switch from R&B to Pop. That being said, the album was released a year after his performance at Monterey which shows it may have taken a while for the record execs to catch on to the fact that Redding appealed to all audiences.

Redding drops some of his R&B swagger but doesn't sacrifice intensity. Listen to the ferocity of his band. The album reached #7 on the US R&B charts and is soaked in soul, blues and pure emotion.

Vinyl ripped @ 320

On loan from J.M - many thanks!

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