By the late 1960s, The Beatles’ impact across music genres was already far-reaching, influencing everything from rock to soul. At Stax Records, artists were among those inspired. From the mid-1960s onward, Stax artists had begun covering Beatles tracks for the label, with their output peaking in the late ’60s and early ’70s.
Stax Does the Beatles brings those recordings together, featuring members of the iconic label’s roster putting their indelible touch on Beatles classics.
Available for pre-order now, the collection returns to vinyl for the first time since its limited 2019 Record Store Day pressing. This newly curated edition distills highlights from the original CD release into a streamlined 8-track 1-LP format, bringing these recordings back into circulation for a new generation of listeners.
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THE STAX SOUND, APPLIED
The album includes vocal and instrumental performances alike from legendary Stax artists, who imbue the Beatles’ catalog with a rousing mix of soul, funk, and R&B.
Artists featured include Otis Redding, Isaac Hayes, Carla Thomas, Steve Cropper, and Booker T. & The M.G.'s, each bringing a distinct approach to the material.
“I was moved by the Beatles,” Booker T. Jones recalled. “I thought they were doing really great things. Their records didn’t sound alike ever.”
The admiration extended both ways. An unearthed 1966 letter revealed that the Beatles once hoped to recruit Stax co-founder Jim Stewart to help them record Revolver at Stax Studios. As Paul McCartney later reflected, “The only reason you want to record in those kinds of studios is because you love the records that come out of the studios.”
LISTENING NOTES
- “Day Tripper” — Otis Redding delivers an exhilarating take, driven by his “gruff voice and energy…along with those bright blasts of Stax horns that fit so well into the song’s original guitar riff.”
- “Something” — Isaac Hayes offers an epic, 11-plus minute version that reworks the song into a more expansive, heart-tugging performance.
- “Yesterday (Live)” — Carla Thomas brings a live, velvety interpretation that centers her vocal within a more intimate setting.
- “With a Little Help from My Friends” — Steve Cropper presents an upbeat, brass-laden adaptation that reshapes the song’s feel.
- “Eleanor Rigby” — Booker T. & the M.G.'s delivers a funk-soul rebirth of the track, shifting its foundation into a groove-driven instrumental.
A MEETING OF TWO SOUNDS
“The songs of the Beatles are classics in anyone’s mind,” Popmatters observed, “but the Stax treatment adds a twist that only further serves to reassure the genius of both sides.”
“It’s all a lot of fun,” AllMusic noted, “and for those who doubt that the Beatles had soul, the proof that they did is here. Nobody made soul music better than the musicians at Stax Records, so they ought to know. Case closed.”
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