DESCRIPTION:
I learned the mysterious Memphis pearl I often turn during the wee hours wind-down from thee excellent DJ BeyondaDoubt many moons ago.

Like the genesis of many other storied labels, Satellite Records’ 11 releases before it became Stax are an unfocused but spirited collection. And because the formula hadn’t yet been established, a few of these, like this one, are supreme stand-out cuts. Within two years of getting a loan from his sister Estelle, banker Jim Stewart already was starting to assemble the foundation of the company we all know and love and the next chapter of the Memphis sound through trial and error. He brought DJ Rufus Thomas back in to the recording studio for the first time in years, along with his unrecorded 17-year old daughter Carla, to lay down a minor local hit, the killer diller "Cause I Love You" (1960). Then they brought Estelle’s son Packy and his band to record the instrumental “Last Night." The Royal Spades, who changed their name to The Mar-Keys after this session, also featured Duck Dunn and Steve Cropper (Cropper is on organ this time). It would be an understatement to say that everybody was blown away when "Last Night" became a huge national smash - nearing the top of both the pop and r&b charts. And then the label’s next release would be all but forgotten until decades later…

For “I’m Coming Home” guitarist cum “Last Night” producer Chips Moman was brought back along with Packy Axton and his pals - including Steve Cropper (now on guitar - for the first time ever on wax!) and budding drum legend Howard Grimes (the Stax box says its Al Jackson - but Grimes claims its him and I believe). While it appears that almost everyone involved in this murky and disputed session is a towering figure in music history, the irony here is that almost nothing is remembered about the amazing singer Prince Conley! And this cryptic masterpiece would be his lone record.


While there's really nothing I can find about Prince Conley, I could give you some Stax links but I'd rather you buy this amazing book for a deep understanding of the label - particularly these early years...
http://www.bloomsbury.com/us/respect-yourself-9781596915770/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chips_Moman
http://playitsteve.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Grimes

and find DJ BeyondaDoubt here:
https://soundcloud.com/beyondadoubt

You're listening to my daily addition to the New York Night Train Party Platter playlist. Each track here is recorded directly from the original 45 (no bootlegs, reproductions, etc) to give you an idea of what the real deal authentic vinyl sounds like. COME BACK EVERY DAY FOR A NEW FIX! Because the records pass so quickly at my dance parties, this channel is an attempt to stop and focus on one record at a time in hopes that it'll turn you on to the artists, tracks, labels, etc. I'm just hipping myself to a lot of these records for the first time as well - so you can view this as a part of our journey to learning more about cool old records together! But mostly I hope this music moves you as much as it moves me.

Get your enjoys,
Jonathan Toubin
Soul Proprietor, New York Night Train

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