R.I.P. Sam Moore

Back in the day, arguing about Ginger or Mary Ann was a thing. Jeannie vs. Samantha. Chevy vs. Ford was a hardy perennial, of course. Fender vs. Gibson was another one. But the real action was Motown vs. Stax records.

Motown was the Detroit thang, of course. Stax was Memphis. Most people assume that Motown was the older outfit, but Stax was founded two years earlier, in 1957. Motown was urban and polished. Stax was funky and raw. Motown was a new form of doowop. Stax was gospel church — the other six days of the week. They both had pretty good runs. Stax went bankrupt in 1975. Motown moved to Los Angeles about the same time and made money for a while, but ultimately lost its way. It was eventually swallowed up by Universal Records, and then burped back out in time for oldies shows.

The Blues Brothers movies resurrected Stax in the public’s eye. Steve Cropper and Duck Dunn appeared in it. They were from Booker T. & the M.G.’s, the original house band for Stax. The drummer in that band, Al Jackson Jr., was one of the most original drummers I ever heard. He’s drumming on all the Al Green records, among many others. He had this uncanny knack for sounding like he was slowing down, but never slowing down.

The Blues Brothers movie was mildly amusing. But it also contained stretches of what can only be characterized as: vibe.

vibe /vīb/
noun

A distinctive emotional quality or atmosphere that is sensed or experienced by someone.

Vibe was the M.G.’s stock in trade, and Stax had more of it than anyone outside of Muscle Shoals. To wit:

So everyone knows Motown stars. The Supremes, The Temptations, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, and The Jackson 5. I certainly listened to it. But I never wanted to play music like that, exactly. I wanted to play music like Stax. I wanted that vibe. Sam and Dave and Rufus Thomas and Albert King and Wilson Pickett and the Staple Singers and the Bar Kays.

RIP Sam Moore. Your vibe will be missed.