Album Essentials: Staple Singers "Be Altitude - Respect Yourself" (1971)
By Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor
It all goes back to singing in church for many. By the dawn of the 1970s, the Staple Singers, a long-respected and popular gospel/R&B act, had put many miles under their feet. Things were changing everywhere and on a variety of levels. 'Pops' Staples and company had released records since the late 1950s on various labels, jazz, gospel, soul, and mainstream, to universal acclaim but limited commercial success. 'Uncloudy Day' was a signature song early on, their gospel roots fully in command, but with the calling car guitar of 'Pop' leading the charge as the sisters delivered the harmonies.
It was a winning formula, but by the late '60s, they tried incorporating modern rock and roll influences into their sound. They had signed with Epic in 1965, still doing strictly gospel material, but in 1967, they released a cover of Buffalo Springfield's 'For What It's Worth' as a single. The following couple of years found them tackling 'What The World Needs Now' by Jackie DeShannon and Bob Dylan's 'It's A Hard Rain Gonna Fall,' as well as material from the Band and Otis Redding.
Not that any of these became massive hits, but it announced their arrival as a contemporary soul/ r&b act. So, in 1970, they made the full jump, signing with Stax Records and, in early 1971, releasing 'The Staple Swingers, essentially their debut album as a contemporary soul band. Produced by Al Bell and recorded in Muscle Shoals, it was a vibrant statement and fully contemporary with the new sounds of the new decade, which drew heavily from the band's gospel roots while sharing the spotlight with that signature Stax vibe and sound. Three singles were released from the album, all charting high on the US Soul chats, with 'Heavy Makes You Happy (Sha-Na-Boom Boom)' even crashing into the Billboard Top 30. With momentum flowing, a follow-up was recorded, proving this was no fluke—quite the opposite, as it would take the Staple Singers into pop stardom.
'Be Altitude: Respect Yourself' was released in February of 1972, and as fast as it landed, it took off to the top. It was the perfect album for the times, combining elements of contemporary acts like Sly & the Family Stones, Curtis Mayfield and Marvin Gaye both musically as well as in the social commentary department. The production of Bell is as sweet and soulful as it is gritty and funky. Right out of the gate, the singles released gained ground. 'Respect Yourself' hit #12 on Billboard, while the follow-up, 'I'll Take You There,' hit the number one spot on both the Soul and Pop charts.
It was the sound of joy, determination, salvation, and joy, with Mavis' lead vocals taking center stage as Cleotha and Yvonne provided harmonies and the Stax band assembled and laid down the perfect groove. Though they would have continued success, this was the artistic and commercial pinnacle. It was not, however, the end of the music, as the songs from this album live on to this day in a variety of ways, from cover versions to use in films, advertising, and on and on, not to mention the universal message of one world, one people. “You know, Pops would say that sometimes,” Mavis recalled in a 2006 interview, “He’d say, ‘We don’t have to die to go to heaven; heaven could be right here.’ But he said we got to work together. We got to work!”
Even if you don't know the Staple Singers, it's likely that you do, in fact, know the songs. Essential? Absolutely!