Craft Recordings Releases Timely Lyric Video for the Staple Singers' “Respect Yourself”
Animated video premieres ahead of 7-CD box set
Come Go With Me: The Stax Collection
available November 13th
Click here to watch the “Respect Yourself” lyric video
Click here for online media kit and click here to download artwork
Click here to pre-order the 7-CD set Come Go With Me: The Stax Collection
Los Angeles, CA (October 30, 2020)—Craft Recordings is pleased to release a new lyric video for the Staple Singers’ soulful 1971 anthem “Respect Yourself.” The captivating visualizer pairs archival photos from the Civil Rights Movement with contemporary images from the Black Lives Matter protests—because now as then, this song’s message of self-respect, tolerance and empowerment provides a compass for navigating times of political tumult and upheaval. Click here to watch the new video.
“Respect Yourself,” which originally appeared on the Staple Singers’ 1972 album Be Altitude: Respect Yourself, resonated with listeners and became the group’s biggest hit to date—landing at No. 2 on the Billboard Soul chart and No. 12 on the Hot 100. The eerily prophetic tune—which even included the lyric “Keep talkin' bout the president, won't stop air pollution/Put your hand on your mouth when you cough, that'll help the solution”—was a perfect fit for the Staple Singers, who were formidable voices in the Civil Rights Movement and often incorporated politically charged messages of racial equality into their songs. Featuring members of the legendary Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section and Memphis Horns, the song was penned by Luther Ingram and Mack Rice, and produced by Stax Records executive Al Bell.
The new lyric video comes ahead of a comprehensive 7-CD box set celebrating the Staple Singers and their legendary output at Stax Records. Spanning 1968–1974, Come Go With Me: The Stax Collection is available November 13th and includes many of the Staples’ most iconic recordings, including “I’ll Take You There,” “If You’re Ready (Come Go With Me),” “Long Walk to D.C.,” and, of course, “Respect Yourself.” The collection was also released earlier this year on vinyl and digital formats, both available now.
Come Go With Me: The Stax Collection takes listeners back to 1968, when the Staple Singers went into the studio to record their first album for Stax, Soul Folk in Action, working with producer Steve Cropper and songwriter Homer Banks. The sessions were set against a backdrop of social and political turmoil, which climaxed with the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in Memphis. The Staple Singers were known for writing politically charged “message songs,” and the year’s events certainly inspired many of the tracks on this album, including “Long Walk to D.C.” and “The Ghetto.” In their liner notes, Levon Williams and Dr. Langston Wilkins write that both of these songs “Truly tapped into the experiences and emotions of Black America at the close of the ’60s. The former is a tribute to the 1963 March on Washington told from the perspective of a poor yet hopeful African American person willing to use their last dimes to make it to the rally … Conversely, the somber and haunting ‘The Ghetto’ takes listeners deep into the isolation and despair of inner-city life.”
Featuring newly remastered audio, Come Go With Me features all six of The Staple Singers’ albums for Stax, plus a seventh disc of rarities, non-album singles and live recordings from the legendary 1972 Wattstax music festival. The box set also includes a booklet with archival photos and liner notes from American music specialist and curator Levon Williams (formerly of the Stax Museum and the National Museum of African American Music) and folklorist, ethnomusicologist and writer Dr. Langston Wilkins.
The set has received strong praise from such outlets as Uncut, Mojo and Paste—the latter of which writes, “this marvelous run of records sound brand new … with the earthy tang of the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section and the Bar-Kays horn section ripping out of the speakers with hip-shaking fervor ... This is a milestone of American musical history, treated with the appropriate levels of respect and reverence.” All six of the Staple Singers’ albums with Stax were also recently made available in hi-res 24-bit/192 kHz and 24-bit/96 kHz digital formats for the first time.
GRAMMY® Lifetime Achievement winners and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees, the Staple Singers stand tall as one of the most important gospel and soul acts in history. Helmed by patriarch Roebuck “Pops” Staples, the Chicago group began performing in the late ’40s as a family gospel outfit, featuring Cleotha, Pervis (later replaced by sister Yvonne) and Mavis—who, at just seven years old, became the breakout star with her deep, soulful vocals.
By the ’60s, the Staple Singers were a sought-after act in the folk and counterculture scenes, and significant voices in the Civil Rights Movement. But when they signed to Stax in 1968, they became mainstream stars—thanks in part to a fruitful creative partnership with executive Al Bell. At Stax, they scored their first of many hit singles, released multiple bestselling albums and offered a memorable performance at the 1972 Wattstax Festival.
While Stax closed its doors in 1975, the Staple Singers continued to tour and record well until the ’80s, and Mavis Staples continued to have success as a solo artist. Since 2004, Staples has released nearly 10 studio and live albums, including You Are Not Alone (2010), Livin’ on a High Note (2016) and We Get By (2019). Embraced by a new generation of fans, the Kennedy Center Honoree has collaborated with the likes of Jeff Tweedy, Arcade Fire, Hozier and the Gorillaz; graced the stages of Glastonbury, Bonnaroo and Outside Lands; and was the subject of a documentary (2016’s Mavis!).
Click here to pre-order the 7-CD set edition for Come Go With Me: The Stax Collection. Plus, special exclusive bundles, including a Stax t-shirt, are available via the Stax store.
About Stax Records:
One of the most popular soul labels of all time, Stax has become synonymous with its gritty, Southern sounds. Originally known as Satellite Records, the Memphis imprint was founded in 1957 by Jim Stewart. Over the course of two decades, Stax released more than 800 singles and nearly 300 LPs, picking up eight GRAMMYS® and an Academy Award along the way. In all, Stax placed more than 167 hit songs in the Top 100 pop charts, and a staggering 243 hits in the Top 100 R&B charts. For more info, visit StaxRecords.com and follow @StaxRecords on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
About Craft Recordings:
Craft Recordings is home to one of the largest and most prestigious collections of master recordings and compositions in the world. Its rich and storied repertoire includes legendary artists such as Joan Baez, Ray Charles, John Coltrane, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Miles Davis, Bill Evans, Vince Guaraldi, John Lee Hooker, Little Richard, Nine Inch Nails, Thelonious Monk, Otis Redding, R.E.M. and Traveling Wilburys, to name just a few. Renowned imprints with catalogs issued under the Craft banner include Concord, Fania, Fantasy, Fearless, Milestone, Musart, Nitro, Prestige, Riverside, Rounder, Specialty, Stax, Sugar Hill, Vanguard, Vee-Jay and Victory, among many others. Craft creates thoughtfully curated packages, with a meticulous devotion to quality and a commitment to preservation—ensuring that these recordings endure for new generations to discover. Craft Recordings is the catalog label team for Concord Recorded Music. For more info, visit CraftRecordings.com and follow on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Spotify.
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