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Robert Gordon

Respect Yourself: Stax Records and the Soul Explosion Hardcover – November 12, 2013

by Robert Gordon (Author)

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The story of Stax Records unfolds like a Greek tragedy. A white brother and sister build a record company that becomes a monument to racial harmony in 1960's segregated south Memphis. Their success is startling, and Stax soon defines an international sound. Then, after losses both business and personal, the siblings part, and the brother allies with a visionary African-American partner. Under integrated leadership, Stax explodes as a national player until, Icarus-like, they fall from great heights to a tragic demise. Everything is lost, and the sanctuary that flourished is ripped from the ground. A generation later, Stax is rebuilt brick by brick to once again bring music and opportunity to the people of Memphis.

Set in the world of 1960s and '70s soul music, Respect Yourself is a story of epic heroes in a shady industry. It's about music and musicians -- Isaac Hayes, Otis Redding, Sam and Dave, Wilson Pickett, the Staple Singers, and Booker T. and the M.G.'s, Stax's interracial house band. It's about a small independent company's struggle to survive in a business world of burgeoning conglomerates. And always at the center of the story is Memphis, Tennessee, an explosive city struggling through heated, divisive years.

Told by one of our leading music chroniclers, Respect Yourself brings to life this treasured cultural institution and the city that created it.

Print length

480 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Bloomsbury USA
Publication date

November 12, 2013
Dimensions

6.58 x 1.51 x 9.47 inches
ISBN-10

9781596915770
ISBN-13

978-1596915770
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. In the late 1950s, Jim Stewart, and his sister, Estelle Axton, moved their little fledgling recording studio into the defunct Capitol Theater in Memphis, Tenn., opening their doors and establishing the record label that gave birth to gritty, funky soul music. A masterful storyteller, music historian Gordon (It Came from Memphis) artfully chronicles the rise and fall of one of America's greatest music studios, situating the story of Stax within the cultural history of the 1960s in the South. Stewart, a fiddle player who knew he'd never make it in the music business himself, one day overheard a friend talking about producing music; he soon gave it a try, and eventually he was supervising the acclaimed producer Chips Moman in the studio as well as creating a business plan for the label; Estelle Axton set up a record shop in the lobby of the theater, selling the latest discs but also spinning music just recorded in the studio and gauging its market appeal. Gordon deftly narrates the stories of the many musicians who called Stax home, from Rufus Thomas, Carla Thomas, and Otis Redding to Isaac Hayes, Sam and Dave, and the Staples Singers, as well as the creative marketing and promotional strategies—the Stax-Volt Revue and Wattstax. By the early 1970s, bad business decisions and mangled personal relationships shuttered the doors of Stax. Today, the Stax sound permeates our lives and, in Gordon's words, became the soundtrack for liberation, the song of triumph, the sound of the path toward freedom. (Nov.)

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Say “Stax Records” and certain names may come to mind: Otis Redding, Sam and Dave, Booker T. and the M.G.’s, Isaac Hayes. Others may think of the guitarist Steve Cropper and bassist Donald “Duck” Dunn or the producer Chips Moman. Stax was the epitome of southern soul. These people and many others are all part of the Stax story as described in music writer and filmmaker Gordon’s wonderful cultural history of not only a record company but also the city of Memphis itself. But it is also the story of America writ large: of racism and segregation, of civil rights and riots in the street, of President Lyndon Johnson and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Stax was founded in 1957 as Satellite Records by white siblings Jim Stewart and Estelle Axton; their combined names gave the company its now historic name, Stax, in 1961. They believed in racial harmony and felt, or at least hoped, that their record company could in some way mend the deep chasm between the races. Gordon tells the Stax story—from its humble beginnings to its heyday, to its bankruptcy, and to its present-day incarnation as the Stax Museum of American Soul Music—with expertise, feeling, and a sure hand. --June Sawyers

From Bookforum

For most of Stax Records’ initial run, from roughly 1961-1975, its headquarters on Memphis Tennessee’s McLemore Avenue was the capitol of Southern soul. It wasn’t just a record label, but the headquarters of a creative movement: the place where an integrated (in multiple senses) cluster of artists and businesspeople created a new kind of popular music, sold it to the world, and tried to unite their divided community by example. That’s a compelling story, and Robert Gordon’s well placed to tell it. —Douglas Wolk

Review

“A masterful storyteller, music historian Gordon artfully chronicles the rise and fall of one of America's greatest music studios, situating the story of Stax within the cultural history of the 1960s in the South…Gordon deftly narrates the stories of the many musicians who called Stax home." - Publishers Weekly, starred review "[Gordon] chronicles the exciting rise and ugly fall of his hometown music giant with a historian's rigor, a journalist's persistence, a filmmaker's scope and a musician's swing... Respect Yourself is a prototypical American bootstrap story of poverty, race, money and greed. But it is also a story of 'shifting the paradigm, breaking the covenant, pursuing the dream....'" - Shelf Awareness "[Stax] wasn't just a record label, but the headquarters of a creative movement: the place where an integrated (in multiple senses) cluster of artists and businesspeople created a new kind of popular music, sold it to the world, and tried to unite their divided community by example... A compelling story, and Robert Gordon's well placed to tell it.” ―Douglas Wolk, Bookforum

“[Respect Yourself is] wonderful cultural history of not only a record company but also the city of Memphis itself. But it is also the story of America writ large: of racism and segregation, of civil rights and riots in the street, of President Lyndon Johnson and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. . . . Gordon tells the Stax story-- from its humble beginnings to its heyday, to its bankruptcy, and to its present-day incarnation as the Stax Museum of American Soul Music -- with expertise, feeling, and a sure hand” ―Booklist, starred review

“A spellbinding history of one of the most prolific hit-making independent record companies in the history of American music . . . In zesty prose, Gordon ably narrates this whole story, ending with the convoluted financial machinations that led to the label's stunningly rapid collapse. Deep cultural and social history enlivened by a cast of colorful characters.” ―Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“A propulsive page-turner.” ―Nashville Scene

About the Author

Robert Gordon has been writing about Memphis music and history for thirty years and is the author of It Came from Memphis, Can't Be Satisfied, The King on the Road, and The Elvis Treasures. He won a Grammy in 2011 for his liner notes to the Big Star box set Keep an Eye on the Sky. His film work includes producing and directing the documentary Respect Yourself: The Stax Records Story for PBS's Great Performances. Gordon lives in Memphis.

ASIN : 1596915773
Publisher : Bloomsbury USA; 1st edition (November 12, 2013)
Language : English
Hardcover : 480 pages
ISBN-10 : 9781596915770
ISBN-13 : 978-1596915770
Item Weight : 1.75 pounds
Dimensions : 6.58 x 1.51 x 9.47 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #161,663 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #48 in R&B; & Soul
- #67 in Blues Music (Books)
- #404 in Music History & Criticism (Books)

Customer Reviews:
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Top reviews from the United States

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Bill Lefeber

A great book about a record company, its artists and a city and its history.

Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2019

Verified Purchase

Respect Yourself gives a lot of insight into how an independent record company works: the business end as well as the creative process of its artists. It's a history of the rise and decline of Stax. It's also a history of the time period (late 50's-70s) of Memphis and about race relations. Within the confines of Stax there were no color barriers. Everyone worked together to create some of the greatest music ever recorded. I recommend this book to anyone who loves the long history and heritage of all of our great American music.

Helpful

Dvmalloy

The Whole Story - gotta read this book!

Reviewed in the United States on April 23, 2015

Verified Purchase

We passed on Graceland and went straight to the Stax Museum of American Soul Music. It was a moving and informative experience, and I came away with a naive, romantic notion of a happy place where hometown geniuses gathered in an atmosphere of of creative joy and color-blindness. After reading "Respect Yourself", I now know that it was that kind of a place, but that there was so much more to the story. Gordon presents an engaging tale of the place and the players, with a degree of detail that makes you think that he was there, making notes on everything that happened. The "rest of the story" is inspiring, depressing, disgusting, and ultimately forgiving. The achievements were crazy high and the failures tragically low. I found it a gripping read, and as others have noted, learned a lot about the music business. There are so many stories about how the hits happened. The one that stands out for me is how David Porter and Isaac Hayes came up with "Hold on, I'm Coming" - it's hysterical.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Larry Hartzell

An Epic Tale of Rise and Fall

Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2014

Verified Purchase

Gordon tells the remarkable story of the rise and fall of the venerable Stax label in a way that one suspects that only a Memphian like him can. From a tiny studio fronted by a record store to the fifth largest black-owned business in America, Stax produced a grittier, more "real" alternative to the pop-oriented African American music coming from Motown in the Sixties and early Seventies -- a veritable "soul explosion," as Gordon puts it. His tale is based on interviews with the label's owners, brother and sister Jim Stewart and Estelle "Miz Axton" Axton, its studio musicians (The MGs), producers, and administrative staff, and most of its star artists, such as Carla and Rufus Thomas, Isaac Hayes, William Bell, and Mavis Staples. The singer who put Stax squarely in the public's consciousness was, of course, Otis Redding, to whom devotes many touching, informative, and even funny pages.

Gordon argues that Stax essentially grew faster than its leaders, namely Al Bell, could manage. Bell's vision of making Stax a major multimedia force drove the company to it heights, but his lack of control over the millions Stax made sank the enterprise even more quickly than it grew. Less than a decade after Redding's landmark performance at the Monterey Pop Festival, Stax had issued its last single and fell into bankruptcy, leaving in its wake the broken lives of dozens of employees as well as one hell of a musical legacy.

4 people found this helpful

Helpful

Perfect Stax History

Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2013

Verified Purchase

Love Memophis music? Love R&B; from the 60s? Stop what you are doing and buy this book! This book is the definitive history of Stax, the Memphis recording studio that made Issac Hayes, Otis Redding and others. It is truly fascinating and I couldn't recommend this book higher if you have interest in those subjects. From the early music to Rufus and Carla Thomas, to Steve Cropper, the Bar Kays, Booker T and the MGs, it's all here.

But the highlight has to be the guitar player who came in with his chauffeur/gofer who begged to sing one song even after the band left. But once he started singing, WOW! They quickly reconvened and a SUPERSTAR WAS BORN! Read this to find out who it was.

And how did Issac Hayes start and how did he become a singer and what was his relevance to the Stax history? And of course, the horrible plane crash that changed the face of music. Interested on the business side? Two buyouts, unread contracts that come back to harm you and other business stories are all here.

If you are a music historian or love Memphis or R&B; music, BUY AND READ! The first half of the book literally jumps off the page.

5 people found this helpful

Helpful

One of the best records ever written about the music business

Reviewed in the United States on July 2, 2015

Verified Purchase

I've seen bits and pieces of the Stax documentary, so downloading this book onto my Kindle was a must. One of the very best books I have ever read about the music business. Robert Gordon had some great interview sessions with the Stax management and session players. You're back in the 1960's with all the politics going on with Civil Rights and Southern racism. At Stax, white and black musicians and executives worked well together where the color of one's skin wasn't an issue. It was all about the music and the stories they tell about working with each other and making songs from simple ideas into major hits is educational and entertaining to the reader. The demise of Stax is sad, unfortunate, but perhaps unavoidable. Books such as this one could be used in history classes about the advent of popular music and soul music from the latter part of the 50's, through the tumultuous 60's, and into the mid 197-0's. Just a great, great, read.

2 people found this helpful

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V. P.

I learned a lot

Reviewed in the United States on January 27, 2016

Verified Purchase

I really enjoyed this book. I mean black and white people getting together to make STAX! A great concept and a smart one, please the masses and you please yourself. This book talked a lot of History as well, I mean it's something that the kids need to know about today. They talked about real events of the day which really aren't all that different today. It's more covert however, the issues still exist and persist. I loved the photos, the people were beautiful, well dressed, talented and so much more. I will say that the book let me see the ugly side of entertainment as well. A great and worthwhile purchase!

One person found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Davetheman

... by Robert Gordon which was obviously a labour of love for him

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 9, 2017

Verified Purchase

A remarkable piece of writing by Robert Gordon which was obviously a labour of love for him. Stax Records was without doubt one of the major players in soul music producing artist such as Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, Eddie Floyd, Rufus and Carla Thomas, Isaac Hayes as well as having a magnificent house band in the MG's - Steve Cropper, Donald 'Duck' Dunn, Booker T and Al Jackson. The song writing team of Isaac Hayes and Dave Porter produced all of Sam & Dave's great songs and when Atlantic pulled them back into their stable the hit songs dried up - such was the potency of Hayes and Porters song writing abilities. Jim Stewart and Estelle Axton started Satellite Records to give young white and black kids the opportunity to achieve their dreams and from a local base the company, which eventually became Stax Records, found world wide fame. The ups and downs of the company are well chronicled by Robert and for any fan of soul music the book is a must read. The music produced by Otis and Sam & Dave and the rest is as fresh and vibrant today as it was when they walked into the studio to record it.. Thanks Robert for a great piece of writing.

6 people found this helpful

G Drummond

The best book about music I've ever read!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 2, 2015

Verified Purchase

In 2014 I've read and seen more biopics about music than in the rest of my life and I would have to say this one is the best. The Muscle Shoals story, Nile Rodgers biog, Standing in the shadows of Motown, all excellent but this story, the passion and spirit that Robert Gordon captures, the characters he paints and the way he frames them all in the brewing storm of racially segregated Memphis and the tales of unlikely success and daring, single minded determination make reading this book a whirlwind adventure. I almost feel sad to leave behind the gang at Stax and return real life.

10 people found this helpful

Nick Weech

The real deal from Robert Gordon

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 4, 2017

Verified Purchase

So few of us have any knowledge of what really led up to singles/albums ending up on turntables back in the day when music was music, rather than just "product":Now it's simply an industrial process

It's an education reading this book- a great piece of journalism, where Mr Gordon finds the facts and puts them all together into a story that really rocks the joint for me. And of course- what could have been but wasn't #94

2 people found this helpful

Chris Ambrose

An absolute 'must' read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 2, 2015

Verified Purchase

This is and was 'my' kind of music. I was fortunate enough to have seen most of the stars of the first coming of the Stax label (Otis Redding, Booker T & the MG's, etc) and after reading this I co-incidentally went to Memphis and the Stax Museum. It is probably the best documentary of the history not only of the record label but also what was happening on the 'street'.

4 people found this helpful

Fred Garnett

Respect Yourself Robert Gordon

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 3, 2014

Verified Purchase

Ace book in the Stax story! Covers well The music and the racially divided social context from which it emerged, and shows how a love of music making created an integrated haven from which emerged the great music to which we are still listening. Full of insights into the music, the people who made it, the MGs, Isaac Hayes, Al Bell, and the Memphis from which it emerged. Gordon not only is a good writer but he loves the music and the people who made it. He is a sweet soul writer and he will "take you there"

9 people found this helpful

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