BLACK MOSES LIVES
August 15, 2008 – 6:53 amWhat they said about John Shaft can also be said of Isaac Hayes - “He’s a bad mother…”
Click on the panels for a better view or to download artwork.
ISAAC HAYES
Indianapolis Jazz Fest 1999 [no label, 1CD]
Live at the Indianapolis Jazz Fest, June 19, 1999. Excellent soundboard.
It would have been fitting had the record labels released a comprehensive Isaac Hayes boxset when The Man was still alive to enjoy the (accompanying) accolades from the fruits of his labour. But that was not to be. For one, a comprehensive boxset would have been quite an undertaking since while Hayes recorded primarily for Stax and Polydor, his last two key albums, 1995’s Branded and Raw And Refined, however, were released on Pointblank/Virgin. But more tragically, Hayes died on August 10, 2008. He was 65.
Unless you are an R&B fan, Isaac Hayes and Stax Records would have simply eluded you. Casual music listeners won’t recall, much less know, that Hayes wrote Soul Man, which became a hit for Sam And Dave. While 1969’s Hot Buttered Soul was a milestone release [try finding the CD at your nearest record store], it was at the 1971 Academy Awards that Hayes won over the mainstream. Instead of the usual Broadway show tunes, here was Hayes, flashily attired, with a song that was of the time. Theme From Shaft was funky and mean-mouthed. Still not convinced? Then let the the song’s wah-wah guitar talk to you.
Some say Hayes invented rap. Then again, The Last Poets were probably there before him. But Hayes probably did start the love rap, his low voice suited the romantically sweet cooings that also worked, some would say to great perfection, for Barry White.
Thanks to Fisheye, who shared this concert on the Dime site, we have this 1999 show to remember Hayes by. By 1999, Hayes would have been better known as the voice of South Park’s Chef (Chocolate Salty Balls is from the show) than The Duke in Escape From New York. But he was still a formidable performer, as if he had never Walked On By.
Thanks also to Superstition for the artwork.
Click on the highlighted tracks to download the MP3s (these are high quality stereo MP3s - sample rate of 192 kibit/s). As far as we can ascertain, this recording has never been officially released.
These tracks are no longer available for download. Kindly email us at mybigo@bigozine.com if you want to download them at a later date.
1. Don’t Let Go
2. Summer In The City
3. Don’t You Ever Take Your Love From Me
4. Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalmystic
5. Walk On By
6. Drums
7. Chocolate Salty Balls (PS. I Love You)
8. I Stand Accused
9. Theme From Shaft
A decent introduction/compilation of The Man’s works can be found on Can You Dig It: Ultimate Isaac Hayes. Click here to order the album.
7 Responses to “BLACK MOSES LIVES”
…this version of Shaft is stellar!!!
thanks so much for providing this show…
sluggo
By tony sloggett on Aug 16, 2008
This is really good. I like very much. This man is cool. I think he really is good and cool. I wish he still live and i go see him be good and cool. I wish i did. He make Huey Lewis not good and cool and i like Huey Lewia very lots.
By Perse E on Aug 17, 2008
Perse E, you can’t rate Huey Lewis in the same league as Hayes PERIOD.
By danvan on Aug 17, 2008
perse e is a poor guy…doesn’t know to say nothing more than “good and cool” he must buy a dictionary…
By jonas on Aug 18, 2008
Damn, that’s good and cool!
By yodav on Aug 18, 2008
Perse E probably does not speak English as a first language and struggled to say what he said. Stop acting like little turds and appreciate his effort to join the blog.
Hayes’ passing was a great loss for entertainment. “Theme From Shaft” still gives me that same feeling I had when I first heard it when I was a soldier. And his occasional appearances on “Rockford Files” (Rockfish, ya gotta help me!) were always entertaining and done well.
By O.B. Dan on Sep 12, 2008