The Bar-Kays are an American
funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...
band formed in 1964. The band had dozens of
charting singles
Singles are people not in a committed relationship.
Singles may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''Singles'' (miniseries), a 1984 Australian television series
* ''Singles'' (1992 film), written and directed by Cameron Crowe
* ''Singles'' ...
from the 1960s to the 1980s, including "
Soul Finger
"Soul Finger" is the first single (music), single released by R&B group the Bar-Kays. It was issued by Stax Records on the Volt Records label on April 14, 1967.
Background
The song was written by the Bar-Kays while they were rehearsing with Norm ...
" (US
''Billboard'' Hot 100 number 17,
R&B number 3) in 1967, "Son of Shaft" (R&B number 10) in 1972, and "
Boogie Body Land
"Boogie Body Land" is a song written by the band members of the Bar-Kays. It was released in 1980 by Mercury Records. "Boogie Body Land" was included in their 1980 album ''As One'' which was produced by Allen Jones. As a single it peaked at number ...
" (R&B number 7) in 1980.
Biography
Black rock years
The Bar-Kays began in
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 U.S. census, Memphis is the second-mos ...
, as a studio
session group, backing major artists at
Stax Records
Stax Records is an American record company, originally based in Memphis, Tennessee. Founded in 1957 as Satellite Records, the label changed its name to Stax Records in 1961. It also shared its operations with sister label Volt Records.
Stax was ...
.
In 1967, they were chosen by
Otis Redding
Otis Ray Redding Jr. (September 9, 1941 – December 10, 1967) was an American singer and songwriter. He is considered one of the greatest singers in the history of American popular music and a seminal artist in soul music and rhythm and blues. ...
to play as his
backing band
A backup band or backing band is a musical ensemble that typically accompanies a single artist who is the featured performer. The situation may be a live performance or in a recording session, and the group may or may not have its own name, such ...
, and were tutored for that role by
Al Jackson, Jr.,
Booker T. Jones
Booker Taliaferro Jones Jr. (born November 12, 1944) is an American musician, songwriter, record producer and arranger, best known as the frontman of the band Booker T. & the M.G.'s. He has also worked in the studios with many well-known art ...
, and the other members of
Booker T. & the M.G.'s. Their first single, "
Soul Finger
"Soul Finger" is the first single (music), single released by R&B group the Bar-Kays. It was issued by Stax Records on the Volt Records label on April 14, 1967.
Background
The song was written by the Bar-Kays while they were rehearsing with Norm ...
", was issued on April 14, 1967,
reaching number 3 on the US ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' R&B Singles chart and number 17 on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100.
On December 10, 1967, Redding and four members of the band—Jimmie King (born June 8, 1949; guitar),
Ronnie Caldwell
Ronald Louis Caldwell (December 27, 1948 – December 10, 1967) was an American soul and R&B musician.
A keyboard player, Caldwell was the only white member of the Bar-Kays musical group based in Memphis, Tennessee. The group recorded with and a ...
(born December 27, 1948;
electric organ
An electric organ, also known as electronic organ, is an electronic keyboard instrument which was derived from the harmonium, pipe organ and theatre organ. Originally designed to imitate their sound, or orchestral sounds, it has since developed ...
),
Phalon Jones
Phalon R. Jones, Jr. (1948 – December 10, 1967) was an American soul and R&B musician. Jones was a saxophonist for musical group the Bar-Kays, which recorded with and also played backup for Otis Redding. Jones and three other members of the Bar- ...
(born 1948; saxophone), and Carl Cunningham (born 1948; drums)—and their partner, Matthew Kelly, died when their airplane crashed into
Lake Monona
Lake Monona is a freshwater drainage lake in Dane County, Wisconsin, surrounded on three sides by the city of Madison, Wisconsin, and on the south east side by the city of Monona, Wisconsin. It is the second-largest of a chain of four lakes along ...
, near
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the county seat of Dane County and the capital city of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census the population was 269,840, making it the second-largest city in Wisconsin by population, after Milwaukee, and the 80th-lar ...
, while attempting to land at
Truax Field. Redding and the band were scheduled to play their next concerts in Madison. Trumpeter
Ben Cauley was the only survivor of the crash.
Bassist
James Alexander was on another plane, as the plane carrying Redding held only seven passengers. Cauley and Alexander rebuilt the group.
The re-formed band consisted of Cauley; Alexander; Harvey Henderson, saxophone; Michael Toles, guitar; Ronnie Gorden, organ;
Willie Hall, drums; and later Larry Dodson (formerly of fellow Stax act the
Temprees), lead vocals. The group backed dozens of major Stax artists on recordings, including
Isaac Hayes
Isaac Lee Hayes Jr. (August 20, 1942 – August 10, 2008) was an American singer, actor, songwriter, and composer. He was one of the creative forces behind the Southern soul music label Stax Records, where he served both as an in-house songwri ...
on his album ''
Hot Buttered Soul
''Hot Buttered Soul'' is the second studio album by American soul musician Isaac Hayes. Released in 1969, it is recognized as a landmark in soul music. Recorded with The Bar-Kays, the album features four lengthy tracks, including a 12-minute versi ...
''.
Cauley left the group in 1971, leaving Alexander, Dodson (vocals, vibes), Barry Wilkins (guitar), Winston Stewart (keyboards), Henderson (tenor sax, flute), Charles "Scoops" Allen (trumpet), and Alvin Hunter (drums) to create the album ''Black Rock''. Lloyd Smith joined in 1973, and the band changed musical direction during the 1970s, forging a successful career in funk music.
With the Stax/Volt label folding in 1975, the group signed with
Mercury Records
Mercury Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group. It had significant success as an independent operation in the 1940s and 1950s. Smash Records and Fontana Records were sub labels of Mercury. In the United States, it is ...
.
Funk years
In 1976, Dodson (vocals), Alexander (bass), Lloyd Smith (guitar), Allen (trumpet), Henderson (saxophone), Frank Thompson (trombone), Stewart (keyboards), and Mike Beard (drums) brought their "
Shake Your Rump to the Funk" track into the R&B Top Five.
In autumn 1977, the group came out with ''Flying High on Your Love'', an album that featured "Shut the Funk Up", a "near-perfect disco song punctuated by the funky horn triumvirate of Charles 'Scoop' Allen, Harvey 'Joe' Henderson, and Frank 'Captain Disaster' Thompson and dominated by vocalist Larry 'D' Dodson's call to 'get on up or just shut the funk up'". The group peaked as a funk band from the late 1970s to the late 1980s. They released singles such as "Move Your Boogie Body" (1979), "Hit and Run" (1981), "Freak Show on the Dance Floor" (1984), "Certified True" (1987), "Struck by You" (1989).
In 1983, Sherman Guy left the group, and Larry 'LJ' Johnson took his place on vocals and percussion. Charles Allen left the group just before it took a more commercial direction. The Bar-Kays continued to have
hits
Hits or H.I.T.S. may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Music
* ''H.I.T.S.'', 1991 album by New Kids on the Block
* ''...Hits'' (Phil Collins album), 1998
* ''Hits'' (compilation series), 1984–2006; 2014 - a British compilation album se ...
on R&B charts well into the 1980s.
Guitarist Marcus Price, a member of the band, was murdered in 1984. The crime has never been solved by the Memphis police.
The band took an extended break in the late 1980s but regrouped in 1991, with Alexander once again being the only original member. Since 1991, Larry Dodson, Archie Love, Bryan Smith, and Tony Gentry have been added to the group.
Alexander's son is the award-winning rapper and record producer
Phalon "Jazze Pha" Alexander, named after
Phalon Jones
Phalon R. Jones, Jr. (1948 – December 10, 1967) was an American soul and R&B musician. Jones was a saxophonist for musical group the Bar-Kays, which recorded with and also played backup for Otis Redding. Jones and three other members of the Bar- ...
, who died in the 1967 plane crash. In 2013, the group was inducted into the
Memphis Music Hall of Fame
The Memphis Music Hall of Fame, located in Memphis, Tennessee, honors Memphis musicians for their lifetime achievements in music. The induction ceremony and concert is held each year in Memphis. Since its establishment in 2012, the Hall of Fame has ...
. On June 6, 2015, the Bar-Kays were inducted into the
Official Rhythm & Blues Music Hall of Fame in Clarksdale, Mississippi.
Trumpeter Ben Cauley died in Memphis on September 21, 2015, at the age of 67.
In popular culture
The Bar-Kays appeared in the 1973 film documentary, ''
Wattstax
''Wattstax'' was a benefit concert organized by Stax Records to commemorate the seventh anniversary of the 1965 riots in the African-American community of Watts, Los Angeles. The concert took place at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on August 20, ...
''.
"Freakshow on the Dance Floor" was featured in the first breakdance scene in the 1984 movie, ''
Breakin'
''Breakin (also known as ''Breakdance'' in the United Kingdom and ''Break Street '84'' in other regions) is a 1984 American breakdancing-themed musical film directed by Joel Silberg and written by Charles Parker and Allen DeBevoise based on a ...
''.
In the 1985 movie, ''
Spies Like Us
''Spies Like Us'' is a 1985 American spy comedy film directed by John Landis, and starring Chevy Chase, Dan Aykroyd, Steve Forrest and Donna Dixon. The film presents the comic adventures of two novice intelligence agents sent to the Soviet Unio ...
'', starring
Dan Aykroyd
Daniel Edward Aykroyd ( ; born July 1, 1952) is a Canadian actor, comedian, producer, musician and writer. He was an original member of the "Not Ready for Prime Time Players" on ''Saturday Night Live'' (1975–1979). During his tenure on ''SNL'' ...
and
Chevy Chase
Cornelius Crane "Chevy" Chase (; born October 8, 1943) is an American comedian, actor and writer. He became a key cast member in the first season of ''Saturday Night Live'', where his recurring ''Weekend Update'' segment became a staple of the ...
, The Bar-Kays' hit "Soul Finger" was being played by the crew of a Soviet mobile
ICBM
An intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) is a ballistic missile with a range greater than , primarily designed for nuclear weapons delivery (delivering one or more thermonuclear warheads). Conventional, chemical, and biological weapons c ...
platform on patrol in the
Tajik S.S.R. Their songs "Too Hot To Stop" and "Soul Finger" are featured in the 2007 comedy film, ''
Superbad
''Superbad'' is a 2007 American coming-of-age teen buddy comedy film directed by Greg Mottola and produced by Judd Apatow. The film stars Jonah Hill and Michael Cera as Seth and Evan, two teenagers about to graduate from high school. Before grad ...
''. "Soul Finger" is also featured in the 2012 remake of ''Sparkle''.
The Sugar Hill Gang's 1979 single "
Rapper's Delight
"Rapper's Delight" is a 1979 hip-hop track by the Sugarhill Gang, produced by Sylvia Robinson. Although it was shortly preceded by the Fatback Band's "King Tim III (Personality Jock)", "Rapper's Delight" is credited for introducing hip-hop mus ...
" contains multiple references to the Bar-Kays.
Discography
Albums
Singles
References
External links
*
*
*
James AlexanderNAMM Oral History Interview (2015)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bar-Kays, The
Accidental deaths in Wisconsin
American disco groups
American funk musical groups
American soul musical groups
Atlantic Records artists
Mercury Records artists
Musical groups established in 1966
Musical groups from Memphis, Tennessee
Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in the United States
1966 establishments in Tennessee
P-Vine Records artists
Stax Records artists
Rhino Records artists