Today’s classic song of the day is “I’ll Take You There” by the Staple Singers. Released in February of 1972, this reggae-influenced soul single went all the way to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, Cash Box Top 100, and Billboard R&B charts.
“I’ll Take You There” was written and produced by Al Bell (under his given name, Alvertis Isbell), the co-owner of Stax Records. The track was recorded at the Muscle Shoals Sound Studios with backing provided by the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section—Barry Beckett on keyboards, Jimmy Johnson on guitar, David Hood on bass, and Roger Hawkins on drums. Eddie Hinton played the guitar solo and the Memphis Horns provided all the horn parts.
Interestingly, “I’ll Take You There” is a song with only two chords—C and F. I guess that’s all you need when you have Mavis Staples up front!
The Staple Singers were a family vocal group formed by Roebuck “Pops” Staples way back in 1948, singing Gospel music. The group included lead singer Mavis, sisters Cleotha and Yvonne, and Pops, of course. Brother Pervis was originally in the group but was replaced by sister Cleotha when he went into the Army. They had a string of hits during their heyday, including “Respect Yourself” (#1 in 1972), “If You’re Ready (Come Go with Me)” (#9 in 1973), and “Let’s Do It Again” (#1 in 1975). I particularly like their performance in the concert film, The Last Waltz, where they performed “The Weight” along with the Band.
The First Family of Soul sang together for all their lives. Pops Staples passed away in December of 2000 (85 years old), Cleotha died in 2013 (aged 78), and Yvonne passed in 2018 (80 years old). Mavis Staples is still with us and carries on the family tradition today. She’s 85 years young.
And now, your daily bonus video of the day, Mavis Staple and the Staple Singers performing “I’ll Take You There” and “We the People” live in 1972. Yeah!
