Not to be confused with The Mar-Keys, a 1950s/1960s studio session band.
The Bar-Kays
Origin Memphis, Tennessee, United States
Genres R&B, soul, funk
Years active 1966–1988, 1991–present
Labels Stax, Rhino, Island Records
Associated acts Otis Redding, Albert King
Website www.jearightnowrecords.com
Members
James Alexander
Larry Dodson
Past members
Ronnie Caldwell
Ben Cauley
Carl Cunningham
Ronnie Gorden
Willie Hall
Harvey Henderson
Phalon Jones
Larry Smith
Charles "Scoops" Allen
Jimmy King
Lloyd Smith
Michael Toles
Marcus Price
Angelo Earl
Winston Stewart

The Bar-Kays are a popular soul, R&B, and funk group who began performing in 1966 and continue to perform today, although with only one original member. The group had dozens of charting singles from the 1960s to the 1980s, including "Soul Finger" (U.S. Billboard Hot 100 number 17, R&B number 3) in 1967, "Son of Shaft" (R&B number 10) in 1972, and "Boogie Body Land" (R&B number 7) in 1980.

Contents

History [link]

The Bar-Kays began in Memphis, Tennessee as a studio session musician group, backing major artists at Stax Records. They were chosen in 1967 by Otis Redding to play as his backing band. On December 10, 1967, Redding, his manager, and band members Jimmy King (born 1949; guitar), Ronnie Caldwell (born 1948; electric organ), Phalon Jones (born 1949; saxophone), and Carl Cunningham (born 1949; drums) died in a plane crash in Lake Monona while on their way to a performance in Madison, Wisconsin. Trumpeter Ben Cauley survived the crash and bassist James Alexander was on another plane, since there were eight members in Redding's party and the chartered plane could only hold seven. Cauley and Alexander rebuilt the group.

The re-formed band consisted of Cauley; Alexander; Harvey Henderson, saxophone; Michael Toles, guitar; Ronnie Gorden, organ; Willie Hall, drums and later Larry Dodson (formerly of fellow Stax act The Temprees), lead vocals. The group backed dozens of major Stax artists on recordings afterwards, including Isaac Hayes's Hot Buttered Soul.

Cauley left the group in 1971, leaving Alexander, Dodson (vocals, vibes), Barry Wilkins (guitar), Winston Steward (keyboards), Henderson (tenor sax, flute), Charles "Scoops" Allen (trumpet), and Alvin Hunter (drums) to create the 1971 Black Rock album.[1] Lloyd Smith joined in 1973 and the band changed musical direction in the during that decade to have a successful funk music career. With the Stax/Volt label folding in 1975, the group signed with Mercury Records.[2] In 1976, Dodson (vocals), Alexander (base), Larry Smith (guitar), Allen (trumpet), Henderson (saxophone), Stewart (keyboards), and Beard (drums) brought their Shake Your Rump to the Funk track into the R&B Top Five.[2] In the Fall of 1977, the group came out with Flying High on Your Love, an album that featured Shut The Funk Up as a "near-perfect disco song punctuated by the funky horn triumvirate of Charles "Scoop" Allen."[3]

In 1983, Sherman Guy and Charles Allen left the group just before the group took a more commercial direction.[4] Nonetheless, the Bar-Kays continued to have hits on R&B charts well into the 1980s. Marcus Price was also a member of the Bar-Kays, until he was murdered coming from rehearsal in 1984, a crime never solved by the Memphis police. The band took a hiatus in the late 1980s, but regrouped in 1991, with Alexander once again being the only original member involved.

Alexander's son is the award-winning rapper and record producer, Phalon "Jazze Pha" Alexander, who was named after Phalon Jones.[citation needed]

Discography [link]

Albums [link]

Singles [link]

  • 1967 - "Soul Finger" (number 17 pop, number 3 R&B)
  • 1967 - "Knucklehead" (number 76 pop, number 28 R&B)
  • 1967 - "Give Everybody Some" (number 91 pop, number 36 R&B)
  • 1972 - "Son of Shaft" (number 53 pop, number 10 R&B)
  • 1976 - "Shake Your Rump To The Funk" (number 23 pop, number 5 R&B)
  • 1977 - "Too Hot to Stop" (number 74 pop, number 8 R&B)
  • 1977 - "Spellbound" (number 29 R&B)
  • 1978 - "Let's Have Some Fun" (number 11 R&B)
  • 1978 - "Attitudes" (number 22 R&B)
  • 1979 - "Holy Ghost" (number 9 R&B)
  • 1979 - "I'll Dance" (number 26 R&B)
  • 1979 - "Are You Being Real" (number 61 R&B)
  • 1979 - "Shine" (number 14 R&B)
  • 1979 - "Move Your Boogie Body" (number 53 pop, number 90 dance, number 3 R&B)
  • 1980 - "Today is the Day" (number 60 pop, number 25 R&B)
  • 1981 - "Hit & Run" (number 5 R&B)
  • 1981 - "Boogie Body Land" (number 73 dance, number 7 R&B)
  • 1981 - "Body Fever" (number 42 R&B)
  • 1982 - "Freaky Behavior" (number 60 dance, number 27 R&B)
  • 1982 - "Hit & Run/Freaky Behavior" (number 49 dance)
  • 1983 - "She Talks to Me With Her Body" (number 62 dance, number 13 R&B)
  • 1984 - "Freak Show on the Dance Floor" (number 73 pop, number 2 R&B)
  • 1984 - "Sexomatic" (number 12 R&B)
  • 1984 - "Dirty Dancer" (number 17 R&B)
  • 1985 - "Your Place or Mine" (number 44 dance, number 12 R&B)
  • 1985 - "Banging the Walls" (number 67 R&B)
  • 1987 - "Certified True" (number 9 R&B)
  • 1989 - "Struck By You" (number 11 R&B)
  • 1994 - "Old School Megamix" (number 44 rap)
  • 1995 - "Mega Mix" (number 96 R&B)
  • 1995 - "The Slide" (number 82 R&B)

Films [link]

The Bar-Kays appeared in the 1973 film documentary, Wattstax. In the 1985 movie Spies Like Us, starring Dan Aykroyd and Chevy Chase, The Bar-Kays' hit "Soul Finger" was being played by the crew of a Soviet mobile ICBM platform on patrol in Tajikistan S.S.R. Their songs "Too Hot To Stop" and "Soul Finger" are featured in the 2007 comedy film, Superbad.

Influences [link]

References [link]

  1. ^ Strong, Martin Charles (2002). The great rock discography. The National Academies. p. 144. ISBN 1841953121. https://books.google.com/books?id=DE9qW3YfHG4C&pg=PA144&dq=Bar-Kays+charles+allen&hl=en&sa=X&ei=u6xmT6jrGYeEsALX4f22Dw&ved=0CEEQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=Bar-Kays%20charles%20allen&f=false. Retrieved 19 March 2012. 
  2. ^ a b Thompson, Dave (2001). Funk. Hal Leonard Corporation. p. 74. ISBN 0879306297. https://books.google.com/books?id=RIEjkWXZdrMC&pg=PA74&dq=Bar-Kays+charles+allen&hl=en&sa=X&ei=u6xmT6jrGYeEsALX4f22Dw&ved=0CDcQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=Bar-Kays%20charles%20allen&f=false. Retrieved 19 March 2012. 
  3. ^ Bogdanov, Vladimir (2003). All music guide to soul: the definitive guide to R&B and soul. Hal Leonard Corporation. p. 35. ISBN 0879307447. https://books.google.com/books?id=o552g5xRRiwC&pg=PA35&dq=Bar-Kays+charles+allen&hl=en&sa=X&ei=u6xmT6jrGYeEsALX4f22Dw&ved=0CDwQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=Bar-Kays%20charles%20allen&f=false. Retrieved 19 March 2012. 
  4. ^ Bogdanov, Vladimir (2003). All music guide to soul: the definitive guide to R&B and soul. Hal Leonard Corporation. p. 34. ISBN 0879307447. https://books.google.com/books?id=o552g5xRRiwC&pg=PA35&dq=Bar-Kays+charles+allen&hl=en&sa=X&ei=u6xmT6jrGYeEsALX4f22Dw&ved=0CDwQ6AEwAQ#v=snippet&q=%22charles%20allen%22&f=false. Retrieved 19 March 2012. 

External links [link]

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Podcasts:

The Bar-Kays

ALBUMS

Too Hot To Stop & Flying High On Your Love

Released 2010

20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: The Best of Bar-Kays

Released 2005

The Real Thing

Released 2003

The Ballads Collection

Released 1999

The Best of Bar-Kays, Volume 2

Released 1996

48 Hours

Released 1994

Black Rock / Gotta Groove

Released 1994

The Best of Bar-Kays

Released 1993

Soul Finger

Released 1990

Dangerous

Released 1984

Nightcruising

Released 1981

As One

Released 1980

Injoy

Released 1979

Light of Life

Released 1978

Money Talks

Released 1978

Flying High on Your Love

Released 1977

Too Hot to Stop

Released 1976

Coldblooded

Released 1974

Black Rock

Released 1971

Gotta Groove

Released 1969

Greatest Hits: Too Hot to Stop

The Best of the Bar-Kays

Propositions

Contagious

Cuts

Cuts 2

Do You See What I See?

Email this Page Play all in Full Screen Show More Related Videos
PLAYLIST TIME:

My Everything

by: Bar-kays

I've been around the world once or twice
I've had a lot of loves in my life
But none could compare to the fullness of love
that I've found in you
And timeless the moments we share
Whenever in need you were there
I ask the heavens to send me an angel
and that's what you are
You are my morning
You are my night
You are the thought when I open my eyes
You are the reasons that birds do sing
I see you're more,.. You're my everything
You are the one til death do us part
You are the lifeline straight to my heart
You are the sunshine after the rain
Baby you're more,.. You're my everything
And all of my dreams were you
Now all of my dreams have .. come true
No one could ever tell me that life could be better
baby, than loving you
You are the reason I live
And I promise always, to give
My heart, my soul, the last breath that I breathe
will be for you
Because you are my morning
You are my night
You are the thought when I open my eyes
You are the reason birds do sing
I see you're more, .. You're my everytrhing
You are the one, til death do us part
You are the lifeline straight to my heart
yYou are the sunshine after the rain
Baby you're more, .. You're my everything
You know the minutes seem like hours when we're apart
And i just never know what to do
And i know how things will end
But girl I know when I wake my day starts loving you
you are my morning
You are my night
You are the thought when I open my eyes
You are the reason birds do sing
I see you;re more, .. You're my everything
You are the one til death do us part
You are the lifeline straight to my heart
You are the sunshine after the rain




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