Dave Michaels chats with one of the Stax Records originators; the legendary Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter William Bell!
William Bell was an early signing of Stax; the same legendary label that later released recordings by Otis Redding, Sam and Dave, Isaac Hayes, and The Staple Singers. Bell’s 1961 solo debut for Stax Records, “You Don’t Miss Your Water (Until Your Well Runs Dry),” became one of the fledgling label’s first major hits. The song is now considered one of the finest early examples of soul music, and was covered by many artists, including Otis Redding and The Byrds.
Tune in at 6:30am Monday, February 26 through Friday March 2, for "5 Days of Bell" during Stax at Sunrise and hear Dave chat with Mr. Bell about the competitiveness among the writers and performers at Stax, late night recording sessions with Booker T. Jones, the mark "The Blues Brothers" left on soul music and the death of "The Big O". We'll also play one of Mr. Bell's great songs each morning!
Every day, Dave will post his conversation here, so be sure to check in daily!
Monday on "5 Days of Bell":
Tuesday on "5 Days of Bell":
5_days_of_bell_tuesday.mp3
On day 2 of "5 Days of Bell", we ask Mr. Bell to describe the iconic Stax sound; Steve Cropper, Donald "Duck" Dunn, Isaac Hayes, Al Jackson Jr., Booker T. Jones and David Porter... collectively known as the “Big Six” within the walls of Stax and were (either as a group or in various combinations) responsible for producing almost all of the label’s output from about 1963 through 1969. We also have Mr. Bell talk to us about his debut single; 1961's " You Don't Miss Your Water"
Wednesday on "5 Days of Bell":
5_days_of_bell_wednesday.mp3
On Day 3 of "5 Days of Bell" during Stax at Sunrise, we chat with Mr. Bell about how "The Blues Brothers" movie shined a light on soul music, exposing the Stax sound to a broader audience. We also talk about the newest edition of the Complete Stax/Volt singles box set; "Volume 4: Rarities & The Best Of The Rest". Mr. Bell has three songs on disc 2. We ask him to talk about one of the ones we play; "Love Eye-Tis", a duet with the amazing Judy Clay.
Thursday on “5 Days of Bell”:
5_days_of_bell_thursday.mp3
It's day #4 of "5 Days of Bell" on Stax at Sunrise. We continue our 5-part conversation with Stax Records' William Bell about the day Otis Redding died, the legacy he left behind and some of today's rising stars who carry on the tradition of soul and R&B music. We also ask him to talk about his song with Judy Clay, "Left Over Love". It's on disc 2 of the recently released Complete Stax/Volt Singles Vol. 4: Rarities & The Best Of The Rest".
Friday on "5 Days of Bell":
5_days_of_bell_friday.mp3
On our final day of "5 Days of Bell" during Stax at Sunrise, we thank Mr. Bell for joining us, for such an incredible week and all of the music he has given us. We chat about touring in 2018 and ask him to talk to us about one of his big hits, "Let Me Ride".
Find the Complete Stax/Volt Singles Vol. 4: Rarities & The Best of The Rest through Stax Records.
A very special thank you to Mr. William Bell, Stax Records and Concord Music
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