The rise and fall of Stax Records, an influential but underwhelming Memphis-based label, is the subject of the HBO documentary “STAX: Soulsville USA.” This is a story not only of musical genius, but also of racism, personal tragedy, and corporate greed. American history, so to speak.
In the best possible way, filmmaker Jamila Wigneault’s four-part series feels like falling down a rabbit hole. When it came to soundtracks from the ’60s and her ’70s, Motown was a staple. But the story behind Stax and Stax’s influence are just as important.
Founded by brother-sister team Jim Stewart and Estelle Axton, the company’s name comes from the first two letters of their last names: st+ax= Stax. “We made bad records in some countries,” Stewart says of his first efforts in the late 1950s. Shortly after, white owners quickly began recording bands such as Sam & Dave (“Hold on I’m Coming”), Otis Redding (“A Little Tenderness”), Isaac Hayes (“Theme from Shaft”), etc. The focus shifted to black singers and songwriters. Business got back on track.
In 1967, the talented members of the label went on tour in Europe, and someone in the audience at one show saw Paul McCartney. To her credit, Wignot didn’t interview McCartney (or any other boldfaced name not directly involved with the label), which was the right choice. Stax artists, and by extension the series, don’t need famous fans to justify their stories and music. Memphis Sound is independent. And sometimes Wignot lets these songs play to the end. A great moment when Booker T. Jones sits down at the piano and explains to us his thought process as he experiments with the chord progression that led to his famous 1962 sexy instrumental song “Green Onions” There is. There’s also electrical footage of Sam and Dave. Back in London, I was able to see Redding’s full performance of “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long” at the 1967 Monterey International Pop Festival. Their talent is thrilling. And it’s essential to the company’s success.
Business acumen, on the other hand, wasn’t Stewart’s strong suit. “I just wanted to go into the studio and cut a record and have fun,” he says. Early on, the company struck a deal with Atlantic to distribute its productions, a deal that would ultimately have disastrous consequences. Call it naivety or call it laziness. In interviews, the older Stewart comes across as calm and soft-spoken. He’s not your typical music executive shark. (His sister passed away in 2004, but Wignot also unearthed archival interviews with her.) Al Bell, who started out as a promotions executive and eventually became co-owner, was one of Stax’s most He had the corporate knowledge to get through difficult times. assignment. Both internal and external forces brought Stax to the brink of destruction many times.
Racism constantly intrudes into Stax’s story, too. Although it was an integrated company, the label’s white musicians were out of touch with what their black friends and colleagues were experiencing. Stewart’s anecdote reveals that he was uncomfortable with the harsh realities of racism, but that’s as far as his thought process goes. Bell recalls: “I remember me and Jim and Otis Redding were leaving the studio, and as we were walking out the door, a police car pulled up and they jumped out with guns.” Blacks were informed that they were not allowed to be on the streets with whites.
“The system in Memphis was too strong to break,” Jones said. “You either had to shut up and hope for the best, or you had to fight.” When black sanitation workers went on strike, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. came to Memphis to rally support. , stayed at the Lorraine Motel, an unofficial gathering place for Stax musicians who would later be shot and killed there in 1968.
Back in the studio, Jones says, “no one talked about King’s assassination.” “Deep down I began to feel that something was wrong. They didn’t understand my daily life as a black man in Memphis.” Wignot cut into one of his white bandmates. “If they feel that way now, why didn’t they say anything then?” Jones responded: “If they feel that way now, why didn’t they say anything then?” So I was reluctant to bring up such topics with the band. ”
This suggests that there are all kinds of tensions beneath the copathetic integration surface of Stax. It’s thick and complex. According to Stewart, what they had in common, “even if they were socially distant,” was that they were “rural people with roots in the countryside.” Yet neither he nor his white colleagues seem to understand how insulated they were, and perhaps still are, from the effects of racism on the human psyche. I would also have liked to hear more about the nature of the contracts the musicians had with Stax. Exploitation is not uncommon in the music industry, and it feels like an omission to not ask if that applies here as well.
The Stax story also foreshadows our current drive for rapid growth. Many of the original personalities felt that the company was no longer the welcoming environment it once was. It became too corporate, feelings were hurt, and people left. Eventually it all fell apart.
But the music remains.
“STAX: Soulsville USA” — 3 stars (out of 4 points)
Where to watch: Mondays and Tuesdays at 8pm on HBO (and streaming on Max)
Nina Metz is a critic for the Tribune.
