Album Essentials: Bar-Kays - "Soul Finger" (1967)

By Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor

From their days as a trusted backing band for artists like Otis Redding, the Bar-Kays soon emerged as a force for the great Stax label. Like Motown in Detroit, Stax had proven itself as a go-to label for a different style of soul music in the 1960s. The focus was not on the sweet harmonies and style of acts like the Four Tops, Temptations, and so on, but rather on a grittier and more edgy sound while still retaining great melodies and an overall euphoric vibe.

They signed up for the label in 1967, and their first single became an instant hit. Released on April 14, 1967, the rousing excitement of 'Soul Finger' was addictive, causing the record to shoot up the charts to #17 pop and #3 R&B. The stomping beat, punctuated by those dynamic horns, exploded from radios. Mix in some tasty guitar work, and you have a genuine classic. Self-penned by the band, the instrumental workout featured shouts of 'Soul Finger,' an idea from Stax staff songsmiths Isaac Hays and David Porter, who also enlisted a group of local children to join in on the chorus. It quickly became the band's signature song.

The recording of a full album began and was released in July. It was recorded by the legendary Tom Dowd and produced by staff producer Jim Stewart. It remains a staple of 1960s soul music with its relentless grooves and top-notch playing. Songs like 'Knucklehead,' 'Bar-Kays Boogaloo,' and 'Pearl High' keep feet on the dance floor. Elsewhere, the band showcased a variety of influences, such as the jazz touches in 'With A Child's Heart' and 'Hole in the Wall,' which evoke Jimmy Smith or Jack McDuff. Then there is the rock soul vibe of 'Don't Do That' and 'Theme from Hell's Angels.'

Eleven classics clocking in at just under a half hour, 'Soul Finger,' the album, would become ground zero for what should have been a promising career; however, while serving as the backing band for Otis Redding, four of the members were on that fateful flight in December of 1967 that claimed the lives of Redding and four band members. Jimmy King, Phalon Jones, Carl Cunningham, and Ronnie Caldwell were all killed when the plane crashed in Lake Monona, just outside of Madison, Wisconsin. Redding and the band were scheduled to perform at The Factory in Madison, Wisconsin, but they never made it. 

Interesting side note: The opening act booked for that show was a band called the Grim Reapers. Their lead guitarist was Rick Nielsen, who would go on to fame as the leader of Cheap Trick ten years later.

Only trumpet player Ben Cauley survived, while bassist James Alexander had been on a different plane. Plain and simple, it was a tragedy that altered the lives of those on board and the music that all that talent would never make. Cauley and Alexander eventually put together a new Bar-Kays, who went on to have hits in a funk style in the coming years, but it would never be the same. 'Soul Finger' remains a testament to not only the band that made the record but to a moment in time that was utterly unique. It is the definition of essential. Now go and play it loud!