Interview: Mavis Staples

Reprinted from http://jazzwax.com

I've always loved the Staple Singers' Respect Yourself. Released in 1971, the message song has a gentle urgency, with an undulating groove and lyrics that urge all Americans to behave in a more civilized and dignified manner. Best of all, the Staples pulled this off without sounding preachy. Of particular note is how Mavis Staples sings her part, with an articulation that's half church, half street. The overall arrangement is perfect, particularly the rhythm track by the Swampers, the legendary house quartet at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio.

In my "Anatomy of a Song" column in this week's Wall Street Journal, I interview Mavis (above) and Stax executive and the song's producer Al Bell (below) about how Respect Yourself was conceived, arranged and recorded, providing the story behind the song's earthy evolution (go here).

JazzWax clips:
Here's the single...

Here's Pops, Mavis and Cleotha at Wattstax in August 1972...

Here are the Staples on Soul Train...

How great was Mavis early on? Pretty great. Here's easily one of my favorite versions of A House Is Not a Home off of Mavis's 1970 album, Only for the Lonely...

Used with permission by Marc Myers

Mavis Staples: Her Father's Daughter

by NPR Staff

Mavis Staples says her father, Roebuck "Pops" Staples, played a significant role in her development as a performer. The singer recalls his advice at an early performance, when she, at 13, felt it necessary to replicate the energy of a young gospel group who'd gone on before her.

"I got on stage and started doing what they were doing," she says. "Pops snatched me off stage and he said, 'Mavis, what are you doing?' I said, 'I'm singing, Pops.' He said, 'Listen, let me tell you something. You're singing God's music. You be sincere and sing from your heart. Because what comes from the heart reaches the heart.' "

Photo: Mavis Staples reflects on her father's death on her new album, You Are Not Alone
Staples was devastated by Pops' death in 2000, so much so that she gave up singing. The family was particularly close — together, they had topped the charts in the '70s as The Staple Singers. It was another family member, her sister Yvonne, who urged her to return to the stage.

While her spirits were renewed, Staples says she struggled early on to attract interest from record labels.
"No one would take me," she says. "I'm old school. These record companies want the kids."

She's found her home with Anti-Records, which released her latest record, You Are Not Alone, last week. The album was produced by Jeff Tweedy, lead singer of Wilco. The singer-songwriter also had a hand in writing songs on the album. Staples says that when Tweedy first approached her about his songs, he only had a title in his head. He quickly came up with a melody and the lyric of one song, which became the record's title track.

Hear on  >>  http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130051633

Complete on >>  http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130051633&sc=nl&cc=mn-20100924

Mavis Staples....

Legendary soul and gospel singer Mavis Staples has been a musical powerhouse since the 1950s. She began her career in the family band The Staples Singers, performing at local churches and radio stations. But once the group took its performances to the road, it became an iconic R&B titan. With classic hit after classic hit, the group became a national voice for the civil rights movement, even working closely with the likes of Martin Luther King Jr.

Staples' solo career began in 1969. Her gospel-rooted solo recordings marked her as one of the country's most powerful and influential musicians, captivating artists such as Bob Dylan and Prince while paving the road for future contemporary soul music.
At 69, Staples continues to spread a positive message through her music. After releasing We'll Never Turn Back in 2007, she compiled the new Live: Hope at the Hideout. Just as musically and politically charged as her past works, the album captures a stripped-down and powerful live performance.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=99641228&ft=1&f=1039