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Shaft

Isaac Hayes

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iTunes Review

Just as Richard Roundtree's portrayal of Shaft's title character made manifest new frontiers of black heroism in the movies, so did Isaac Hayes' score introduce a different groove to Hollywood. Picking up where his kitchen-sink-and-all arrangements on Hot Buttered Soul and The Isaac Hayes Movement left off, Hayes coupled traditional film music with soul and funk modes; the resulting wah-wah-driven "Theme From ‘Shaft’" turned him from an R&B record star into a household name. With lyrics added, "Be Yourself" could have revived the careers of Sam and Dave, whose biggest hits had been the product of Hayes and former cohort David Porter. He even gave a nod to Burt Bacharach's work on the mellow "Early Sunday Morning." Shaft's artistic and commercial success led to an Academy Award win for Hayes (Best Original Song) and another nomination.

Customer Reviews

Great Piece of American Musical History

My perspective on this is warped by having it be the only 8-track tape in my dad's VW van on a long cross-country trip. So I heard it a lot. And I didn't get tired of it. This is a tremendous piece of American Soul music. "Cafe Regio's" sounds like a jazz guitar classic, whle SOulsville is moving and perfect. The theme song is simply the best and most identifiable unique movie theme ever. And these posers sampling music for hip hop records -- why haven't you picked up "Walk from Regio's, "which needs so little work to tmkae an instant classic (by today's standards).???? I bought my dad the CD and now I have this on I-tunes. Rock on Isaac.

A legendary album from a legendary talent

I write this with a heavy heart today. One of my favorite musical heroes passed away yesterday. Isaac Hayes was one of the most influential musician/songwriters in the Entertainment industry. As a young musician, I wore my Shaft album out and bought another. It shaped my future music career. Not many African-Americans had an orchestrated sound as huge and as soulful as Isaac's. To me, Barry White was a lighter, more pop version. With the loss of Isaac, Barry, James Brown, Luther Vandross, and countless other greats, we are left with cookie cutter R&B singers and foul-mouthed rappers. No wonder music sales have fallen drastically. This is indeed a sad time in Black music.

Classic

This is the greatest original soundtrack of all time. Most will stop at the Shaft Theme, but there is more to this album than just that hit song. Don't overlook Walk from Regio's or The End Theme. This is a great blaxploitation movie that you have to check out.

Biography

Born: August 20, 1942 in Covington, TN

Genre: R&B/Soul

Years Active: '60s, '70s, '80s, '90s, '00s

Few figures exerted greater influence over the music of the 1960s and 1970s than Isaac Hayes; after laying the groundwork for the Memphis soul sound through his work with Stax-Volt Records, Hayes began a highly successful solo career...
Full Bio

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