Stax Does The Beatles
Various Artists
Stax Does The Beatles is a various‑artists compilation from Stax Records (now under Concord/Craft), gathering soul‑drenched covers of Beatles songs recorded by the Memphis label’s roster from the mid‑1960s through the early 1970s. First issued on CD in 2008 with 15 tracks, it was re‑curated in 2026 as an eight‑song 1‑LP edition pressed on multiple colored‑vinyl variants—black, translucent ruby, eggdrop yellow, and silver smoke—marking its first wide vinyl release beyond a limited Record Store Day pressing. Anchored largely by Booker T. & the M.G.’s as house band, the album features vocal and instrumental performances by Otis Redding, Isaac Hayes, Carla Thomas, Steve Cropper, David Porter, Reggie Milner, Booker T. & the M.G.’s themselves, and The Bar‑Kays, each putting a distinctly Southern‑soul spin on Beatles material.
The reissue’s tracklist distills what reviewers call “the cream of the crop” from the original CD. Side A includes Otis Redding’s exhilarating Day Tripper (alternate take), David Porter’s pleading soul version of Help, Steve Cropper’s brass‑driven, groove‑heavy With A Little Help From My Friends, Reggie Milner’s radically reimagined And I Love Her, and Carla Thomas’s velvety live rendition of Yesterday. Side B turns to Isaac Hayes’s epic, 11‑minute heart‑tugging take on Something, Booker T. & the M.G.’s funk‑soul rebirth of Eleanor Rigby (originally from their McLemore Avenue Beatles covers album), and The Bar‑Kays’ expansive Hey Jude, which stretches the sing‑along coda into an R&B workout. While no interpretation erases the Beatles’ originals, critics and label notes emphasize how the Stax treatment—horns, organ, backbeat shuffle, and deep‑fried groove—both honors and transforms the songs, highlighting the mutual admiration between the Beatles and Stax musicians and reaffirming the genius of both sides.
Stax Does The Beatles
Various Artists
Stax Does The Beatles is a various‑artists compilation from Stax Records (now under Concord/Craft), gathering soul‑drenched covers of Beatles songs recorded by the Memphis label’s roster from the mid‑1960s through the early 1970s. First issued on CD in 2008 with 15 tracks, it was re‑curated in 2026 as an eight‑song 1‑LP edition pressed on multiple colored‑vinyl variants—black, translucent ruby, eggdrop yellow, and silver smoke—marking its first wide vinyl release beyond a limited Record Store Day pressing. Anchored largely by Booker T. & the M.G.’s as house band, the album features vocal and instrumental performances by Otis Redding, Isaac Hayes, Carla Thomas, Steve Cropper, David Porter, Reggie Milner, Booker T. & the M.G.’s themselves, and The Bar‑Kays, each putting a distinctly Southern‑soul spin on Beatles material.
The reissue’s tracklist distills what reviewers call “the cream of the crop” from the original CD. Side A includes Otis Redding’s exhilarating Day Tripper (alternate take), David Porter’s pleading soul version of Help, Steve Cropper’s brass‑driven, groove‑heavy With A Little Help From My Friends, Reggie Milner’s radically reimagined And I Love Her, and Carla Thomas’s velvety live rendition of Yesterday. Side B turns to Isaac Hayes’s epic, 11‑minute heart‑tugging take on Something, Booker T. & the M.G.’s funk‑soul rebirth of Eleanor Rigby (originally from their McLemore Avenue Beatles covers album), and The Bar‑Kays’ expansive Hey Jude, which stretches the sing‑along coda into an R&B workout. While no interpretation erases the Beatles’ originals, critics and label notes emphasize how the Stax treatment—horns, organ, backbeat shuffle, and deep‑fried groove—both honors and transforms the songs, highlighting the mutual admiration between the Beatles and Stax musicians and reaffirming the genius of both sides.