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7 x Cd Box Set - Written In Their Soul: The Stax Songwriter Demos

7 x Cd Box Set - Written In Their Soul: The Stax Songwriter Demos magazine cover

Written In Their Soul: The Stax Songwriter Demos

A 7  CD box set

Release date June 23, 2023

Written In Their Soul: The Stax Songwriter Demos brings together 146 demos from the Stax Records vaults highlighting the strength of songwriting talent at the legendary label. Including 140 tracks that have never been heard before, this collection combines both songwriter demos and in some cases, full blown arrangement into a 7-CD set.

The first three discs contain demos by the Stax songwriters that were recorded and released by Stax artists on one of the Stax family of labels (Stax, Volt, Enterprise, We Produce, Koko, Respect, etc.). The fourth disc contains demos by the Stax songwriters that were recorded and released on record labels OTHER than the Stax family of labels (Atlantic, Decca, Hi, Chimneyville, etc.).

The final three discs contain demos by the Stax songwriters that were never released anywhere. Including songs from legendary songwriters such as William Bell, Steve Cropper, Eddie Floyd, Bettye Crutcher and many more this collection includes unheard versions of some of Soul, and music’s, most well-known songs.

The collection is packaged in a 7x7 boxset which includes a new essay written by Stax's original Director of Publicity Deanie Parker and GRAMMY-winning writer Robert Gordon, archival photos and an intro by multi-GRAMMY award winning compilation producer Cheryl Pawelski.

 

Written In Their Soul: THE STAX SONGWRITER DEMOS (Official Trailer)

 

 

Tracklist

CD1: Stax Writers, Stax Releases (Part One) 

1. Comfort Me – Carla Thomas 

2. You Make A Strong Girl Weak – Jeanne & The Darlings 

3. What Did I Do Wrong – William Bell 

Another Night Without My Man – Carla Thomas 

4. I Got Everything I Need – Eddie Floyd 

5. Mister Fix It – Eddie Floyd 

6. I’ll Always Have Faith In You – Eddie Floyd 

7. Got To Make A Comeback – Eddie Floyd 

8. I’ve Seen What Loneliness Can Do – Homer Banks 

9. Slow Train – William Bell 

10. Hear My Call, Here – The Staple Singers 

11. Top Of The Mountain – The Staple Singers 

12. I See It – The Staple Singers 

13. The Ghetto – The Staple Singers 

14. You Can’t Win With A Losing Hand – Eddie Floyd 

15. Sweet Sensation – Carla Thomas 

16. Spare Me The Hurt Of Losing You – The Newcomers 

17. Third Child – Bettye Crutcher 

18. Respect Yourself – Mack Rice & Luther Ingram 

19. People Come Out Of Your Shell – Bettye Crutcher 

20. I’ll Be Your Shelter (In Time Of Storm) – Homer Banks 

 

CD2: Stax Writers, Stax Releases (Part Two) 

1. Get Up About Yourself – Homer Banks 

2. All Day Preachin’ – Bettye Crutcher 

3. (If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don’t Want To Be Right – Homer Banks 

4. We The People – Carl Smith 

5. Do The Sweetback – March Wind 

6. What Would I Do – Leon Moore 

7. Heaven Knows – Homer Banks 

8. I May Not Be All You Want (But I’m All You Got) – Homer Banks 

9. True Love Don’t Grow On Trees – Veda Brown 

10. (I Didn’t Know What Losing Was)‘Til I Lost You – Eddie Floyd 

11. Until I Lost You – March Wind 

12. Drown Yourself – Bettye Crutcher 

13. If You’re Ready (Come Go With Me) – Homer Banks 

14. I Got To Be Myself – Carl Smith 

15. You’re Spreading Yourself A Little Too Thin – Bettye Crutcher 

16. Take A Walk Down My Street – Bettye Crutcher 

17. Before The Honeymoon – Homer Banks 

18. Nobody But You – Mack Rice 

19. Hot line To Jesus – Mack Rice 

20. I Hear Footsteps (Coming Closer) – William Brown 

 

CD3: Stax Writers, Stax Releases (Part Three) 

1. I’ll Be The Other Woman – Shelbra Bennett 

2. We’ve Got Love On Our Side – Bettye Crutcher 

3. It’s So Wonderful – Frederick Knight 

4. That’s What Friends Are For – Mack Rice 

5. Sugar Daddy – Bettye Crutcher 

6. Woman To Woman – Henderson Thigpen 

7. So Glad To Have You – Bettye Crutcher 

8. Santa Claus Wants Some Lovin’ – Mack Rice 

9. Dy-No-Mite (Did You Saw My Love) – Mack Rice 

10. Your Love Is Amazin’ – Eddie Floyd 

11. Walk On To your New Love – Bettye Crutcher 

12. Something Ain’t Right – Mack Rice 

13. There Is A God – Bettye Crutcher 

14. Packed Up And Took My Mind – Denise LaSalle 

15. Don’t You Know That It’s All Right – Joe Shamwell & Eddie Floyd 

16. Who Made The Man – Mack Rice 

17. It Don’t Pay To Get Up In The Morning – Mack Rice 

 

CD4: Stax Writers, Non-Stax Releases 

1. Don’t Let The Love light Leave – Carla Thomas 

2. I’ve Got No Time To Lose – Deanie Parker 

3. A Woman’s Love – Carla Thomas 

4. 634-5789 (Soulsville, USA) – Eddie Floyd 

5. Linda Sue Dixon – Mack Rice 

6. Told You For The Last Time – Delaney Bramlett 

7. Let Me Know – Mack Rice 

8. Let Me Be Yours – Joe Shamwell 

9. We Can Love – Eddie Floyd 

10. Without You – Mack Rice 

11. Shouting Out Love – Veda Brown 

12. Take My Body – Bettye Crutcher 

13. I’ve Got A Feeling (We’ll Be Seeing Each Other Again) – Homer Banks 

14. I Could Never Be Satisfied – Mack Rice 

15. Everybody’s Hustling – Mack Rice 

16. Either You Love Me Or Leave Me – Homer Banks 

17. I’ve Never Been This Close To Jesus – Mack Rice 

18. Pussy Footing Around – Mack Rice 

19. This Time Yesterday – Mack Rice 

20. Are We Slipping Away – Mack Rice 

21. I Wanna Slow Dance Wit’cha – Frederick Knight 

22. What You Did To Me Last Night – Bettye Crutcher 

 

CD5: Uncut Songs (Part One) 

1. Got To Make You Mine – Eddie Floyd 

2. Come On Dance With Me – Rufus Thomas 

3. I Got To Go For That – Rufus Thomas 

4. Spin It – Deanie Parker 

5. Nobody Wants To Get Old – Deanie Parker & Mack Rice 

6. Such A Feeling – Eddie Floyd 

7. Never Say No To The One You Love – Eddie Floyd 

8. Looks Like Another Hot Summer – Steve Cropper & Eddie Floyd 

9. Give You All The Love I Got – Eddie Floyd 

10. It’s Up To You – Carla Thomas 

11. Let’s Be Sure – Carla Thomas 

12. Oo-we Baby What You Do To Me – Booker T. Jones 

13. Coming Together – Homer Banks 

14. It’s Over – Homer Banks 

15. Break Out (aka Bust Out) - Wendy Rene 

16. Walk On Back – Unknown 

17. Come On Down – Mack Rice 

18. Can’t Make Enough – William Bell 

19. Love Is You – Eddie Floyd 

20. Let’s Get Down To Business – Bettye Crutcher 

21. Stone For Stone – Henderson Thigpen 

22. I Won’t Do You No Dirt – William Bell 

23. Just too right To Be Wrong – Mack Rice 

24. Song #2 – The MG’s 

 

CD6: Uncut Songs (Part Two) 

1. Too Much Sugar For A Dime – Homer Banks 

2. Too Much Sugar For A Dime – Bettye Crutcher 

3. You Knock Me Out – Homer Banks 

4. I Should Have Changed My Ways – Jimmy Hughes 

Til You Been Loved By Me – Eddie Floyd 

5. Deaf And Dumb – Mack Rice 

6. It’s No Secret – William Bell 

7. Somebody’s Got You Baby – Marshall Jones 

8. Something Keeps Holding Me Back – Mack Rice 

9. Take It All Off – Bettye Crutcher 

10. Don’t You Know I’m All Alone – Eddie Floyd 

11. Sweet Dreams (I Had Of You) – Eddie Floyd 

12. Ain’t No Love Like My Baby’s Love – Bettye Crutcher 

13. Just The Way You Loved Me – Bettye Crutcher 

14. Glory Glory I Love Him – Eddie Floyd 

15. Stay With Me – Eddie Floyd 

16. Three Meals A Day – Mack Rice 

17. Everybody Is Talking Love – Bettye Crutcher 

18. Didn’t Love Straighten It Out – Homer Banks 

19. We Don’t Need Stone Walls – John KaSandra 

20. You’re Funny Boy – Carl Smith 

 

CD7: Uncut Songs (Part Three) 

1. Shadows On The Wall – Eddie Floyd 

2. Grandpa’s Will – Homer Banks 

3. Whatcha Gonna Do (When You Find The One) – Bettye Crutcher 

4. I Got To Keep On Taking Chances – Jimmy Hughes 

5. Thank You For Loving Me – William Bell 

6. Do Me Wrong – Eddie Floyd 

7. Put It To A Vote – Carl Smith & Marshall Jones 

8. Dammit – Eddie Floyd & Mack Rice 

9. The Yard Man – Bettye Crutcher 

10. Don’t Stay Gone Too Long – Bettye Crutcher 

11. How Can I Win Your Love – Eddie Floyd 

12. Every Now And Then – Mack Rice 

13. Somewhere In Somebody’s Heart – Willie Singleton 

14. Love Treaty – Willie Singleton 

15. Staying With My Man – Eddie Floyd 

16. Bread Winner – Mack Rice 

17. Got To Be Somebody For Me – Eddie Floyd 

18. Hometown Lover – Eddie Floyd 

19. Do You Want Me To Lie To You – Bettye Crutcher 

20. I Don’t Care Anymore – Shirley Brown 

21. I Like The Way You Groove Me – Frederick Knight 

 

Listen / Order

https://found.ee/writtenintheirsoul

 

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  • Up vote 2

Members Comments

Recommended Comments

Seano

Posted

Bloody hell, this sounds good. Hope the trailer isn't cherry-picking!

Chalky

Posted

I have heard some of these already and they are quality.  It will certainly be an interesting release from a historical point of view to anyone with an interest in soul music.  I don’t expect them all to be good listening though. I have heard some songwriter demos that are truly awful 😬

Eddie Hubbard

Posted

Sounds  like a really exciting release 

Lovemusic

Posted

Disc three, track three: "Its so wonderful-Frederick Knight".

Didn't everyone agree years ago this was Sam Dees singing?

Also surprised to see "Its me-Judy Clay" missing from this comp.

There's two 7" singles for the re-vamped Deep soul label!

John Reed

Posted

2 hours ago, Lovemusic said:

Disc three, track three: "Its so wonderful-Frederick Knight".

Didn't everyone agree years ago this was Sam Dees singing?

It was, but I expect that the masters are still incorrectly labeled.

2 hours ago, Lovemusic said:

Also surprised to see "Its me-Judy Clay" missing from this comp.

This was released on the US version of the Soul explosion LP, so probably doesn't warrant inclusion as something unreleased.

Lovemusic

Posted

In that case it would apply to the Frederick Knight as well.

Missing Link

Posted

There's a Sampler CD of the collection given away with the August 2023 edition of 'Mojo' magazine. Track listing:

  1. Eddie Floyd - 634-5789 (Soulsville, USA)
  2. William Bell - Slow Train
  3. Carla Thomas - Don't Let The Love Light Leave
  4. Rufus Thomas - Come On Dance With Me
  5. Mack Rice - Respect Yourself
  6. Homer Banks - If You're Ready (Come Go With Me)
  7. Eddie Floyd - Stay With Me
  8. March Wind - Until I Lost You
  9. Shirley Brown - I Don't Care Anymore
  10. Bettye Crutcher - Too Much Sugar For A Dime
  11. Joe Shamwell & Eddie Floyd - Don't You Know That It's All Right
  12. Homer Banks - (If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want To Be Right
  13. Henderson Thigpen - Woman To Woman
  14. Bettye Crutcher - Everybody Is Talking Love
  15. Homer Banks - I've Got A Feeling (We'll Be Seeing Each Other Again)
Ady Croasdell

Posted

They didn’t use the male demo of bc Carla Thomas I’ll Never va Stop Loving You; probably because they don’t know who it is or who wrote it - likely to be the same person 

Mike

Posted

Box set now released

all tracks are now available to listen on all the usual services such as Spotify Deezer Tidal etc
via

https://found.ee/writtenintheirsoul

 

Spotify embed - log in to listen in full (free service available)

 

Seano

Posted

On 20/06/2023 at 16:30, Missing Link said:

There's a Sampler CD of the collection given away with the August 2023 edition of 'Mojo' magazine. Track listing:

  1. Eddie Floyd - 634-5789 (Soulsville, USA)
  2. William Bell - Slow Train
  3. Carla Thomas - Don't Let The Love Light Leave
  4. Rufus Thomas - Come On Dance With Me
  5. Mack Rice - Respect Yourself
  6. Homer Banks - If You're Ready (Come Go With Me)
  7. Eddie Floyd - Stay With Me
  8. March Wind - Until I Lost You
  9. Shirley Brown - I Don't Care Anymore
  10. Bettye Crutcher - Too Much Sugar For A Dime
  11. Joe Shamwell & Eddie Floyd - Don't You Know That It's All Right
  12. Homer Banks - (If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want To Be Right
  13. Henderson Thigpen - Woman To Woman
  14. Bettye Crutcher - Everybody Is Talking Love
  15. Homer Banks - I've Got A Feeling (We'll Be Seeing Each Other Again)

Finally got round to buying it, really like it.

Seano

Posted

I'm immensely grateful that several family members chipped in and got me this box set for my birthday. I've been savouring listening through each of the 7 CDs one by one, mostly with gaps of at least a week.

The whole project is a stunning tour de force. A really impressive combination of sleeve notes and visuals The series of CDs are helpfully grouped as Stax writers with their tracks that did get a release on Stax (1-3), Stax writers with their tracks that got released on other labels (4), and then, perhaps most interesting of all, uncut tracks (5-7).

Deanie Parker and the team who worked with her did a superb job rescuing all of these recordings. This is going to get a lot of re-listening to, and it will be interesting to see if the tracks that stood out first time round remain favourites or how things might change with a few more plays through.




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