On December 3, 2025, Steven Lee Cropper died aged 84. He was musician, songwriter, record producer and actor, known as “The Colonel”. He was the guitarist of the “Stax Records” house band, Booker T. & the M.G.’s, which backed artists such as Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, Sam & Dave, Carla Thomas, Rufus Thomas, and Johnnie Taylor. He was also member of the Blues Brothers Band, and recorded and performed with many other artists including Alabama, Jimmy Barnes, William Bell, Barbi Benton, Big Star, Stephen Bishop, Frank Black, Bobby and the Midnites, Booker T. & MG.’s, Ronnie Baker Brooks, Jimmy Buffett, Billy Burnette, Brian Cadd, Cate Brothers, Chicago, David Clayton Thomas, A. J. Croce, Patti Dahlstrom, Delaney & Bonnie, Ned Doheny, Yvonne Elliman, Jose Feliziano, Eddie Floyd, Peter Frampton, Richie Furay, Art Garfunkel, Cyndi Grecco, Levon Helm, Chris Hillman, Rebecca Lynn Howard, Etta James, Wynonna Judd, Albert King, B.B. King, Al Kooper, John Lennon, Ann Margret, Marilyn McCoo, Billy Davis Jr., Craig Morgan, Aaron Neville, Wayne Newton, Harry Nilsson, John Oates, Nigel Olsson, Roy Orbison, Dolly Parton, Wilson Pickett, Michel Polnareff, John Prine, Otis Redding, Bruce Roberts, Leon Russell, Sanford & Townsend, Leo Sayer, Poncho Sanchez, Guy Sebastian, Neil Sedaka, Paul Shaffer, Paul Simon, Percy Sledge, Broderick Smith, The Soul Children, The Staple Singers, Mavis Staple, Ringo Starr, Rod Stewart, Livingston Taylor, Carla Thomas, Mickey Thomas, Wendy Waldman, Tower of Power, The Manhattan Transfer, Dale Watson and Jerry Lynn Williams. Magazine “Rolling Stone” ranked him 36th on its list of the “100 Greatest Guitarists”. Cropper won two “Grammy Awards”, and as leader or co-leader Cropper released 13 albums.
Tag Archives: The Staple Singers
The Staple Singers: Be Attidude: Respect Yoirself
On February 14, 1972, “Stax” label released “Be Altitude: Respect Yourself”, the 19th Staple Singers (The) album. It was recorded 1971 – 1972, at “Muscle Shoals Sound Studios” in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, “Ardent Studios” in Memphis, Tennessee, and was produced by Al Bell.
Personnel:
- Mavis Staples – vocals
- Pops Staples – vocals
- Cleotha Staples – harmony and backing vocals
- Yvonne Staples – harmony and backing vocals
Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section
- Jimmy Johnson – guitar
- David Hood – bass guitar
- Barry Beckett – keyboards, Wurlitzer electric piano
- Roger Hawkins – drums
- Staple Sisters – harmony and backing vocals
- Terry Manning – guitar, lead guitar, fuzz guitar, Mellotron, Moog synthesizer, vibraphones, marimba, harmonica
- Eddie Hinton – guitar
- Raymond Banks – guitar
- The Memphis Horns (including Wayne Jackson and Andrew Love) – horns
- Ben Cauley – horns
- Al Bell – arrangements
- Johnny Allen – arrangements
- Terry Manning – engineer
- Jerry Masters – engineer
- Ralph Rhodes – engineer
Track listing:
- This World – William Friedman, Herb Schapiro
- Respect Yourself – Luther Ingram, Mack Rice
- Name the Missing Word – Horner Banks, Bettye Crutcher, Raymond Jackson
- I’ll Take You There – Alvertis Isbell
- This Old Town (People in This Town) – Don Convay, Wilson Pickett, William Stevenson
- We the People – Booker T. Jones, Carl Smith
- Are You Sure – Homer Banks, Raymond Jackson
- Who Do You Think You Are (Jesus Christ the Superstar)? – Pops Staples
- I’m Just Another Soldier – Homer Banks, Raymond Jackson
- Who – Jeff Barry, Bobby Bloom
The Pentangle: Same
On May 17, 1968, “Transatlantic” label released the self – titled, debut Pentangle (The) album. It was recorded February – March 1968, at “IBC Studios” and “Olympic Sound Studio” in London, and was produced by Shel Talmy.
Personnel:
- Jacqui McShee– vocals
- Bert Jansch– vocals, acoustic guitar
- John Renbourn– vocals, acoustic guitar
- Danny Thompson– double bass
- Terry Cox– vocals, drums
Track listing:
- Let No Man Steal Your Thyme – traditional
- Bells – Jacqui McShee, Bert Jansch, John Renbourn, Danny Thompson, Terry Cox
- Hear Mt Call – The Staple Singers
- Pentangling – Jacqui McShee, Bert Jansch, John Renbourn, Danny Thompson, Terry Cox
- Mirage – Bert Jansch
- Way Behind the Sun – traditional
- Bruton Town – traditional
- Waltz – Jacqui McShee, Bert Jansch, John Renbourn, Danny Thompson, Terry Cox
Pops Staples
On December 19, 2000, Roebuck “Pops” Staples died aged 85. He was musician (guitar), singer and songwriter, regarded as one of the key figures of the gospel, soul and R&B scene of the 60’ and 70’, and was best known as founder and leader of The Staple Singers. As leader he released three albums, and one posthumously released under his name.
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