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Few figures exerted greater influence over the music of the 1960s and 1970s than Isaac Hayes; after laying the groundwork for the Memphis soul sound through his work with Stax-Volt Records, Hayes began a highly successful solo career which predated not only the disco movement but also the evolution of rap.
Hayes was born on August 20, 1942, in Covington, TN; his parents died during his infancy, and he was raised by his grandparents. After making his public debut singing in church at the age of five, he taught himself piano, organ and saxophone before moving to Memphis to perform on the city's club circuit in a series of short-lived groups like Sir Isaac and the Doo-Dads, the Teen Tones, and Sir Calvin and His Swinging Cats. In 1962, he began his recording career, cutting sides for a variety of local labels.
Two years later, Hayes began playing sax with the Mar-Keys, which resulted in the beginning of his long association with Stax Records. After playing on several sessions for Otis Redding, Hayes was tapped to play keyboards in the Stax house band, and eventually established a partnership with songwriter David Porter. Under the name the Soul Children, the Hayes-Porter duo composed some 200 songs, reeling off a string of hits for Stax luminaries like Sam & Dave (the brilliant "When Something Is Wrong With My Baby," "Soul Man," and "Hold On, I'm Comin'"), Carla Thomas ("B-A-B-Y,") and Johnnie Taylor ("I Got to Love Somebody's Baby," "I Had a Dream").
In 1967, Hayes issued his debut solo LP Presenting Isaac Hayes, a loose, jazz-flavored effort recorded in the early-morning hours following a raucous Stax party. With the release of 1969's landmark Hot Buttered Soul, he made his commercial breakthrough; the record's adventuresome structure (comprising four lengthy songs), ornate arrangements, and sensual grooves � combined with the imposing figure cut by his shaven head, omnipresent sunglasses, and fondness for gold jewelry � made Hayes one of the most distinctive figures in music.
After a pair of 1970 releases, The Isaac Hayes Movement and To Be Continued, he reached his commercial zenith in 1971 with the release of Shaft, the score from the Gordon Parks film of the same name. Not only did the album win Hayes an Academy Award for Best Score (the first African-American composer to garner such an honor), but the single "Theme From 'Shaft,'" a masterful blend of prime funk and pre-rap monologues, became a number one hit.
After 1971's superb Black Moses and 1973's Joy, Hayes composed two 1974 soundtracks, Tough Guys and Truck Turner (in which he also starred). By 1975, relations with Stax had disintegrated following a battle over royalties, and soon he severed his ties with the label to form his own Hot Buttered Soul imprint. Although both 1975's Chocolate Chip and 1976's Groove-a-Thon went gold, his records of the period attracted considerably less attention than prior efforts; combined with poor management and business associations, Hayes had no choice but to file for bankruptcy in 1976.
After the 1977 double-LP A Man and a Woman, recorded with Dionne Warwick, Hayes began a comeback on the strength of the hit singles "Zeke the Freak," "Don't Let Go" and "Do You Wanna Make Love." Following the success of his 1979 collection of duets with Millie Jackson titled Royal Rappins, he issued a pair of solo records, 1980's And Once Again and 1981's Lifetime Thing before retiring from music for five years. After returning in 1986 with the LP U Turn and the Top Ten R&B hit "Ike's Rap," Hayes surfaced two years later with Love Attack before again dropping out of music to focus on acting.
In 1995, fully enshrined as one of the forefathers of hip-hop and newly converted to Scientology, Hayes emerged with two concurrent releases, the vocal Branded and instrumental Raw and Refined. Under the official name Nene Katey Ocansey I, he also served as a member of the royal family of the African nation of Ghana while continuing simultaneous careers as an actor, composer, and humanitarian. In 1997, Hayes provided the voice of what was slated to be a one-time character on the animated series South Park � Jerome "Chef" McElroy, the main characters' favorite school cafeteria worker. Hayes was an instant hit, and Chef became a regular character on the show, lending advice and, oftentimes, breaking into songs that gently sent up Hayes' image as one of R&B's ultimate love men.
South Park made Hayes more visible than ever and cemented his status as an icon with a whole new generation. He contributed the infamous "Chocolate Salty Balls" to the South Park tie-in album Chef Aid, and naturally appeared in the film South Park: Bigger, Longer, Uncut. In 2000, Hayes revisited his biggest triumph of the past by appearing in the remake of Shaft starring Samuel L. Jackson. The following year, he supported Alicia Keys as a musician and arranger on her acclaimed debut Songs in A Minor. He died Sunday, August 10, 2008 in Memphis, Tennessee.
-- by Jason Ankeny of All Music Guide.
01. Precious, Precious 02. When I Fall In Love 03. Medley: I Just Want To Make Love To You, etc |
04. Medley: Going To Chicago Blues/Misty 05. You Don't Know Like I Know 06. Precious, Precious(reprise) |
01. Walk On By 02. Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic |
03. One Woman 04. By The Time I Get To Phoenix |
01. Monologue: Ike's Rap I 02. Our Day Will Come 03. The Look Of Love |
04. Medley: Monologue/Ikes Mood, etc. 05. Running Out Of Fools |
01. I Stand Accused 02. One Big Unhappy Family |
03. I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself 04. Something |
01. Never Can Say Goodbye 02. (they long to be)Close To You 03. Nothing Takes The Place Of You 04. Man's Temptation 05. Part-Time Love 06. Medley: Ike's Rap IV/Brand New Me 07. Going In Circles |
08. Never Gonna Give You Up 09. Ike's Rap II/Help Me Love 10. Need To Belong To Someone 11. Good Love 12. Medley: Ike's Rap III/Your Love Is So Doggone Good 13. For The Good Times 14. I'll Never Fall In Love Again |
01. Theme From Shaft(vocal version) 02. Bumpy's Lament 03. Walk From Regio's 04. Ellie's Love Theme 05. Shaft's Cab Ride 06. Caf� Regio's 07. Early Sunday Morning 08. Be Yourself |
09. A Friend's Place 10. Soulsville(vocal version) 11. No Name Bar 12. Bumpy's Blues 13. Shaft Strikes Again 14. Do Your Thing(vocal version) 15. The End Theme |
01. Joy 02. I Love You That's All 03. A Man Will Be A Man |
04. The Feeling Keeps On Coming 05. I'm Gonna Make It (without you) |
01. Theme From Shaft 02. The Come On 03. Light My Fire 04. Ike's Rap V 05. Never Can Say Goodbye 06. Windows Of The World 07. The Look Of Love 08. Ellie's Love Theme 09. Use Me 10. Do Your Thing |
11. Theme From The Men 12. It's Too Late 13. Rock Me Baby 14. Stormy Monday 15. Type Thang 16. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face 17. Ike's Rap IV 18. Ain't No Sunshine 19. Feelin' Alright |
01. Title Theme 02. Randolph & Dearborn 03. The Red Rooster 04. Joe Bell 05. Hung Up On My Baby |
06. Kidnapped 07. Run Fay Run 08. Buns O'Plenty 09. The End Theme |
01. Main Title �Truck Turner� 02. House Of Beauty 03. Blue's Crib 04. Driving In The Sun 05. Breakthrough 06. Now We're One 07. The Duke 08. Dorinda's Party 09. Pursuit Of The Pimpmobile |
10. We Need Each Other Girl 11. A House Full Of Girls 12. Hospital Shoutout 13. You're In My Arms Again 14. Give It To Me 15. Drinking 16. The Insurance Company 17. End Theme |
01. That Loving Feeling 02. Body Language 03. Chocolate Chip 04. Chocolate Chip(instrumental) |
05. I Want To Make Love To You So Bad 06. Come Live With Me 07. I Can't Turn Around |
01. The First Day Of Forever 02. St. Thomas Square 03. Vykkii 04. Disco Connection |
05. Disco Shuffle 06. Choppers 07. After Five 08. Aruba |
01. Groove-A-Thon 02. Your Loving Is Much Too Strong 03. Rock Me Easy Baby |
04. We've Got A whole Lot Of Love 05. Wish You Were Here 06. Make a Little Love To Me |
01. Stranger In Paradise 02. Midnight Loving (m�nage a trois) 03. Don't Take Your Love Away |
04. Out Of The Ghetto 05. It's Heaven To Me |
01. Use Me 02. I'm Gonna Have To Tell Her 03. The Ten Commandments Of Love |
04. Feel Like Making Love 05. Hobosac And Me |
01. Don't Let Go 02. I Ain't Never 03. It's All In The Game |
04. A Few More Kisses To Go 05. Love Has Been Good To Us 06. What Does It Take |
01. I'm Gonna Make You Love Me 02. Three Times A Lady 03. Fugitive |
04. Lifetime Thing 05. Summer 06. I'm So Proud |
01. If You Want My Loving, Do Me Right 02. Flash Backs 03. You Turn Me On 04. Ike's Rap VIII 05. Hey Girl |
06. Doesn't Rain In London 07. Can't Take My Eyes Off You 08. Thing For You 09. Thank God For Love |
01. Love Attack 02. Let Me Be Your Everything 03. Showdown 04. Eye Of The Storm 05. Accused Rap |
06. I Stand Accused '88 07. She's Got A Way 08. Foreplay Rap 09. Love won't Let Me Wait |
01. Ain't No Sunshine 02. Rolling Down A Mountainside 03. I Can't Help It(if I'm still in love with you) 04. Wonderful 05. Someone Made You For Me |
06. Ain't That Loving You 07. Baby I'm-A-Want You 08. The Mistletoe And Me 09. Winter Snow |
01. Ike's Plea 02. Life's Mood 03. Fragile 04. Life's Mood II 05. Summer In The City 06. Let Me Love You |
07. I'll Do Anything (to turn you on) 08. Thanks To The Fool 09. Branded 10. Soulsville 11. Hyperbolicsyllabicsequedalymistic |
01. Birth Of Shaft 02. Urban Nights 03. Funkalicious 04. Tahoe Spring 05. The Night Before 06. Memphis Trax 07. Soul Fiddle |
08. Funky Junky 09. You Make Me Live 10. Making Love At The Ocean 11. Southern Breeze 12. Didn't Know Love was So Good 13. The 405 |
01. Hung Up On My Baby 02. Ike's Mood pt. 1 03. No Name Bar 04. Let's Stay Together 05. Caf� Regio's 06. Blue's Crib 07. Now We're One |
08. Dorinda's Party 09. Type Thang 10. Pursuit Of The Pimpmobile 11. Driving In The Sun 12. Ellie's Love Theme 13. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face |