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The Staple Singers

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

The Staple Singers was an American family group that sang gospel, soul and R&B. Roebuck Pops Staples, who moved from Mississippi to Chicago in the 1930s, formed the group with his children Cleotha, Pervis and Mavis. Yvonne later took Pervis's place. In 1948 they began singing in churches in Chicago, and in 1952 they signed their first contract. In those years the group sounded acoustic and gospel-folky, with Pops on guitar. At Vee-Jay Records they had hits with Uncloudy Day and Will the Circle Be Unbroken. Uncloudy Day made a deep impression on the young Bob Dylan.

Music and breakthrough

In the 1960s Pops and his children were moved by the sermons of Martin Luther King and sang protest songs for civil rights, such as Freedom Highway. At Epic they sounded more pop in 1967 with Why (Am I Treated So Bad) and For What It's Worth. In 1968 came Stax Records, first with Steve Cropper and later with the producer Al Bell, in a funkier and more soulful direction. There came their big hits: Respect Yourself in 1971, I'll Take You There in 1972, which topped both Billboard charts, and If You're Ready (Come Go with Me) in 1973. After Stax went bankrupt, Curtis Mayfield made Let's Do It Again for them.

Influence

The group combined the message of the church with that of the civil rights movement and with the dance floor. In 1976 they sang in The Last Waltz by The Band, and in 1984 they reached the top of the dance chart with a cover of Slippery People by Talking Heads. In 1999 they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Mavis Staples is still working as a solo artist.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to I'll Take You There and notice Mavis's high, warm voice above the loose groove, and the echo of the other voices. Can you hear the gospel roots beneath the soul?

Discography

Studio albums

Categories: Artists