The Mar-Keys

Not to be confused with The Bar-Kays, a mid-1960's instrumental soul/funk band.

The Mar-Keys, formed in 1958, were an American studio session band for the Stax label from Memphis, Tennessee, in the 1960s. As the first house band for the label, their backing music formed the foundation for the early 1960s Stax sound.

Career

The group began as The Royal Spades and had tried unsuccessfully to get a record made for the local Satellite Records even though tenor sax player Charles "Packy" Axton's mother and uncle owned that label. When they were finally able to get a record made, Axton's mother Estelle Axton convinced the group to change their name and they chose The Mar-Keys.^[1]

They also recorded organ and saxophone oriented singles of their own, scoring a number-three hit nationally with "Last Night" in 1961.^[2] It sold over one million copies, earning gold disc recognition.^[3] Keyboards were played by Jerry Lee "Smoochy" Smith.^[3] Other singles of theirs from the early 1960s include "Philly Dog" and "Popeye Stroll." Members of this rhythm section later formed other nationally prominent Memphis studio session groups, including the Memphis Horns, the Packers, and Booker T. & the M.G.'s. Each of these offshoot groups also recorded popular instrumental albums of their own, in addition to serving as the backing band on albums by dozens of rock, R&B, and soul music stars on Stax, Volt and other national labels. The legacy of the Mar-Keys and later groups was that of having been key players in the development of soul music styles like Southern soul and Memphis soul.

The Mar-Keys recently regrouped with a lineup consisting of former M.G. Lewis Steinberg, original members Floyd Newman, Smoochie Smith, Don Nix, Terry Johnson and Wayne Jackson and original member Packy Axton's son Chuck.^[4]

Members

• Steve Cropper - guitar
• Charlie "Redman" Freeman - guitar
• Donald "Duck" Dunn - bass
• Charles "Packy" Axton - tenor sax
• Floyd Newman - saxophone, vocals on Last Night
• Don Nix - saxophone
• James Terry Johnson - piano, drums
• Wayne Jackson - trombone, trumpet
• Jerry Lee "Smoochie" Smith - keyboards
• Booker T. Jones - keyboards
• Isaac Hayes - organ
• Al Jackson, Jr. - drums
• Billy Purser - drums

Discography

Albums

• 1966 Great Memphis Sound (Stax S707)
• 1967 Back to Back (Stax S720) - With Booker T. & the M.G.'s
• 1969 Damifiknow! (Stax S2025)
• 1971 Memphis Experience (Stax S2036)

Singles

• 1961 "Last Night" / "Night Before" (Stax 107)
• 1962 "Morning After" / "Diana" (Stax 112)
• 1962 "About Noon" / "Sack O-Woe" (Stax 114)
• 1962 "Foxy" / "One Degree North" (Stax 115)
• 1962 "Popeye Stroll" / "Po-Dunk" (Stax 121)
• 1962 "What’s Happenin’" / "You Got It" (Stax 124)
• 1962 "Sack O Woe" / "Sailor Man Waltz" (Stax 129)
• 1963 "Bo-Time" / "The Dribble" (Stax 133)
• 1964 "Bush Bash" / "Beach Bash" (Stax 156)
• 1965 "Banana Juice" / "The Shovel" (Stax 166)
• 1965 "Grab This Thing Part 1" / "Grab This Thing Part 2" (Stax 181)
• 1966 "Philly Dog" / "Honey Pot" (Stax 185)
• 1969 "Double or Nothing" / "Knock On Wood" (Stax 0029)

References

1. ^ Books.google.com
2. ^ Tobler, John (1992). NME Rock 'N' Roll Years (1st ed.). London: Reed International Books Ltd. p. 96. CN 5585. 
3. ^ ^{a b} Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p. 137. ISBN 0-214-20512-6. 
4. ^ http://staxrecords.free.fr/staxtoday18.htm

External links

• History-of-rock.com
• Allmusic.com
• The Mar-Keys discography at Discogs