The Staple Swingers
| The Staple Swingers | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | June 15, 1971 | |||
| Recorded | 1970–1971 | |||
| Studio | Ardent Studios in Memphis, Tennessee, and Muscle Shoals Sound Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama | |||
| Genre | Pop-soul[1] | |||
| Length | 45:06 | |||
| Label | Stax | |||
| Producer | Al Bell | |||
| The Staple Singers chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| Christgau's Record Guide | B[1] |
The Staple Swingers is a soul album by the Staple Singers, released on June 15, 1971.
It was the first Staple Singers album to be produced by Al Bell and recorded in Muscle Shoals. Pervis Staples was replaced by his sister Yvonne Staples prior to the recording of the album. Released in 1971, it charted at number nine on the Billboard Top Soul Albums charts.
Track listing
[edit]| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "This Is a Perfect World" | Bettye Crutcher, Mack Rice, Tommy Tate | 4:20 |
| 2. | "What's Your Thing" | Mack Rice | 4:21 |
| 3. | "You've Got to Earn It" | Smokey Robinson, Cornelius Grant | 3:28 |
| 4. | "You're Gonna Make Me Cry" | Deadric Malone | 5:04 |
| 5. | "Little Boy" | Carson Whitsett | 3:25 |
| 6. | "How Do You Move a Mountain" | Myrna March, Morris Levy | 2:34 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7. | "Almost" | Harold Thomas, Leroy Mason | 4:16 |
| 8. | "I'm a Lover" | James Mabone, Charles Bevel | 3:43 |
| 9. | "Love Is Plentiful" | Bettye Crutcher, Bobby Manuel | 2:30 |
| 10. | "Heavy Makes You Happy (Sha-Na-Boom Boom)" | Jeff Barry, Bobby Bloom | 2:58 |
| 11. | "I Like the Things About You" | Martha Stubb, Roebuck "Pops" Staples | 3:21 |
| 12. | "Give a Hand, Take a Hand" | Barry Gibb, Maurice Gibb | 3:55 |
Personnel
[edit]- Cleotha Staples, Mavis Staples, Yvonne Staples – lead and backing vocals
- Roebuck "Pops" Staples – vocals, guitar
- Terry Manning – melodica,[3] guitar,[3] harmonica,[3] vibraphone
- The Memphis Symphony Orchestra – strings, horns
- Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section
- Dale Warren – arrangements
- the Bar-Kays – horn arrangements
- Technical
- Jimmy Evans, Larry Hamby, Terry Manning[3] – engineer
- Joel Brodsky – photography
Charts
[edit]| Chart (1971) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Billboard Pop Albums[4] | 117 |
| Billboard Top Soul Albums[4] | 9 |
Singles
[edit]| Year | Single | Chart positions[5] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Pop |
US Soul | |||
| 1970 | "Love Is Plentiful" | - | 31 | |
| 1971 | "Heavy Makes You Happy (Sha-Na-Boom Boom)" | 27 | 6 | |
| "You've Got to Earn It" | 97 | 11 | ||
References
[edit]- ^ a b Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: S". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved March 13, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
- ^ Bowman, Rob. The Staple Singers: The Staple Swingers > Review at AllMusic. Retrieved 7 October 2011.
- ^ a b c d Buskin, Richard. "Classic Tracks: The Staple Singers 'I'll Take You There'". SoundOnSound. Sound On Sound. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
- ^ a b "The Staple Singers US albums chart history". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2011-10-07.
- ^ "The Staple Singers US singles chart history". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2011-10-07.
