Bealtitude Respect Yourself - THE STAPLE SINGERS***

This World/Respect Yourself/Name The Missing Word/I'll Take You There/This Old Town (People In This Town)/ We The People/Are You Sure/Who Do You Think You Are (Jesus Christ Superstar)/I'm Just Another Soldier/Who

A rare chart entry for gospel music albeit heavily infused with a dose of R & B and soul. The Staple Singers were a family group based in Chicago. Bealtitude Respect Yourself features the US No. 1 single I’ll Take You There and No.12 Respect Yourself. (US:19)

The record goes a little too much into gospel territory for my taste, but most of it is solid muscle shoals R & B played brilliantly and sung with real fervour.”

“Bealtitude combined elements of gospel and funky soul with Jamaican rhythms into a mix that was unique and creative. The vocals are raw and emotional as they convey messages of hope, respect and peace during an era when such messages were sorely needed.”

“The album’s most memorable track is the number one pop and rhythm & blues hit I’ll Take You There. Straight out of the Southern Baptist gospel tradition by way of the Caribbean, it has a call-and-response chorus along with the pure funk of the lead guitar runs. Respect Yourself was an anthem of self-empowerment during the post-Civil Rights movement. There is a subtle fuzz guitar sound that makes the song work, with some nice tempo changes that are accentuated by the vocals.”

“The Staple Singers had been a together for nearly two decades when they landed at Stax in 1968. They had recorded old-school spirituals for Vee Jay and folk-influenced sides for Riverside before finding a new direction with the Memphis soul powerhouse. Not only did the Staples adapt to the soul and funk energy of Stax, but they evolved their material from the pointed social topics of the folk era to less specific, but highly empowering message music.”

“A full-blooded, simmering gospel soul set. As usual, both Pops and Mavis get their star turns. Pops nails the slow burn of Who Do You Think You Are, and Mavis, she well inhabits everything else. When the material isn't up to par, the arrangements usually pull things out.”

“The classics are Respect Yourself and I'll Take You There, but the first five tracks are all great. The second half gets overdrawn to my taste. It's produced to perfection, which makes it that much more surprising that so much of the grit gets preserved. They know how to be uplifting, how to threaten you, and you believe every word.”