Remembering Isaac Hayes
A Man that became an Icon, and the Music that Inspired the World
Oct 24, 2009
Isaac grew up picking cotton, dropped out of school but went back and gained his diploma at the age of 21. Isaac's first love was music and from the age of five he was singing in church and taught himself over the years to play the piano, electric organ, flute and saxophone.
Hayes’ recording career began around the 1960’s as a session player at Stax Records. Teaming up with David Porter he wrote a string of hit songs including You Don’t Know Like I know, When Something Is Wrong With My Baby, Soul Man, and Hold On I’m Coming for Sam and Dave. Hayes’ debut album Presenting Isaac Hayes was released in 1968, but was unsuccessful in regards to record sales. Hot Buttered Soul was Isaac’s follow up album released in 1969 and one of Stax Records most successful records at the time. Hayes had a penchant for turning three minute songs into lengthy soulful numbers and he did this with songs by Dionne Warwick and Dusty Springfield to name but a few.
Hot Buttered Soul
Hayes’ style was forever evolving and after a trip to Africa visiting towns and villages he was introduced to African drum rhythms, chants and dance, which would thus influence his future work and projects.
Music was indefinitely linked to spirituality and consciousness for Isaac, and he once said that: “Guys in slavery sang praises to the Lord to deliver them from bondage. That was one of the few things we were allowed to do - praise, pray, worship and sing spirituals - and they'd let us sing the blues as well," said with a sense of irony. He goes on: "...blues evolved into gospel, a cry for deliverance or the hereafter; and the relief and celebration of passing over from this life to another."
For Hayes music was more than sound, more than notes, hooks, rhythms and melodies. Music was embedded in Hayes’ entire essence, understanding the power of the creative medium, how it was as important as the seasons of the Earth and the movement and activity in the very heavens. One of Hayes’ favourite songs growing up as a child was His Eye Is On The Sparrow which his grandfather would sing in church.
1970 saw the release of two more albums The Isaac Hayes Movement and To Be continued. In 1971 Hayes composed music for the blaxploitation movie Shaft and appeared in the movie with a cameo as a bartender in the No Name Bar. Reportedly Hayes wanted the lead role of Shaft but when he wasn’t cast in the role still wanted to be part of the project. The title theme became a massive hit worldwide, in-part for its inclusion within the movie but mostly for the multi-layered symphonic arrangement and guitar sections... Not as accepted commercially but hits in their own right were the two other songs on the films score, Soulsville (a vocal social commentary) and Do Your Thang (a nineteen minute Jam). Both songs were edited down to make singles. Soulsville itself discussed the racial, social and economic climate of America at that time. A lot of music in this period was politically charged and uncompromising.
Music Unafraid of Reflecting the Times
On the back of Hayes’ hard work he won an academy award for Best Original Song for the theme of Shaft. Further on in the same year Hayes released the double album Black Moses, and in 1972 recorded the theme tune for the series The Men earning him a hit single. This still wasn’t enough and Hayes came back in 1973 with the critically acclaimed live double album Live At Sahara Tahoe, following that up with the album Joy.
In 1974 Hayes appeared in blaxploitation movies Three Tough Guys and Truck Turner recording music for both. Truck Turner's score was later used by filmmaker Quentin Tarantino in the Kill Bill movies. Hayes starred in sixty five movies and television shows combined, showing up in Stargate SG1 (2008), Hustle and Flow (2005), Escape From LA (1996), The A-Team (1985) and voicing the character named: Chef, in the animated series South Park (1997 – 2006) to name but a few.
It’s hard to fathom that a man so rich in soul and the understanding of music is really gone. Hayes passed away on the 10th August 2008 of a stroke at the golden age of sixty five, Through the love of what he did and dedication to the quality of his work his legacy will undoubtedly live on. Hayes continually took his music to the next level, challenging himself with every album he created, every word he uttered and every note he played. His music will ripple outward and influence generations of artists, filmmakers and writers to come.
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