STAX: Soulsville U.S.A. - HBO Documentary 20 May

For many, Stax Records is the mother of all soul labels. As Motown is to Detroit and Philadelphia International is to Philly, so Stax is to Memphis.

HBO is showing a four part documentary on Stax Records, "STAX: Soulsville U.S.A.", commencing 20 May with the first two episodes. The documentary includes a collection of restored and remastered archival performance footage and interviews with key players in the label's history. A trailer for it is included below. 

Absolutely essential viewing for any follower of soul music as the label was fundamental to the establishment of the music.

NB Times are Eastern Time (5 hours behind current UK time (BST))

20 May

21:00-22:00 CHAPTER ONE “Cause I Love You” and 

22:00-23:00 CHAPTER TWO “Soul Man”. 

The remaining two episodes will be shown the following week at the same times.

27 May

21:00-22:00 CHAPTER THREE "Respect Yourself" 

22:00-23:00 CHAPTER FOUR "Nothing Takes The Place Of You".

All episodes will be available to steam on 20 May.

Founded by siblings Jim Stewart and Estelle Axon, and taking it's name from the first two initials of each's surname, initially as Satellite Records in 1957 in Brunswick, TN. Axon joined him in 1959 and the company moved to it's now legendary premises in Memphis the former Capitol Theatre at 926 E McLemore Avenue in 1961, which is now the Stax Museum since 2003, after being demolished in 1989, with the original facade being reconstructed.

You don't need us to list the iconic artists who recorded for the label,  from Otis Redding, Carla and Rufus Thomas, William Bell, Staple Singers, in-house writers Isaac Hayes & David Porter to the house band Booker T. & The M.G.'s and so many others.

Until 1968 Stax had a distribution deal with Atlantic, however, in 1967 Atlantic was acquired by Warner Brothers and Stewart wasn't happy with the new deal and refused to sign. Worse still, Atlantic retained the rights to all Stax recordings between 1960-67. The company was sold to Paramount and in 1972 signed a distribution deal with CBS under Clive Davis. After Davis left CBS they lost interest in Stax preferring to focus on Philadelphia International which they saw as a direct competitor to Motown. Sales declined the company was forced into involuntary bankruptcy in Dec 1975 and closed down in Jan 1976 and was later sold to Fantasy Records.

In Dec 2022 founder Jim Stewart died aged 92 and we did a tribute.

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Donna Summer [2023] - HBO Documentary ‘Love To Love You, Donna Summer’

Set to premiere on 20 May is an HBO Documentary ‘Love To Love You, Donna Summer’. It takes an in-depth look at the iconic "Queen of Disco". 

Summer was born LaDonna Adrian Gaines in 1948 and died of cancer in May 2012. The documentary, directed by Oscar and Emmy-winning filmmaker Roger Ross Williams and Summer's daughter Brooklyn Sudan, follows her beginnings in Germany, to the dance floors of clubs in New York. It's a deeply personal portrait of Summer.

She began as a member of a New York blues rock band Crow in 1967 before moving to Munich in 1968 to join the German adaptation of the musical 'Hair'. It was there she met Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte and  the rest, as they say, is history. Summer returned to the US in 1976.

Under her maiden name Donna Gaines she released three singles between 1968 and 1971. The first single consisted of two songs from 'Hair' and the 1971  single, "Sally Go Round The Roses", was a cover of The Jaynettes (1963) and released only in the UK and now sells for almost £500.

Prior to her break-through single "Love To Love You Baby" in 1975, she released three singles in Germany with Moroder and Bellotte.

She married Austrian actor Helmut Sommer in 1973 from whom she acquired her stage name when the label misspelt Sommer as Summer, and later, in 1980, married Bruce Sudano who she had had two daughters with, Brooklyn and Amanda Grace.

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