Soul Finger: Difference between revisions
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| type = single |
| type = single |
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| artist = [[the Bar-Kays]] |
| artist = [[the Bar-Kays]] |
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| album = [[Soul Finger (Bar- |
| album = [[Soul Finger (Bar-Kays album)|Soul Finger]] |
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| B-side = Knucklehead |
| B-side = Knucklehead |
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| released = April 14, 1967 |
| released = April 14, 1967 |
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| writer = [[Jimmy King (musician)|Jimmy King]]<br>[[Phalon Jones]]<br>[[Carl Cunningham (musician)|Carl Cunningham]]<br>[[Ben Cauley]]<br>[[Ronnie Caldwell]]<br>[[James Alexander (musician)|James Alexander]] |
| writer = [[Jimmy King (musician)|Jimmy King]]<br>[[Phalon Jones]]<br>[[Carl Cunningham (musician)|Carl Cunningham]]<br>[[Ben Cauley]]<br>[[Ronnie Caldwell]]<br>[[James Alexander (musician)|James Alexander]] |
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| producer = |
| producer = |
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| prev_title = |
| prev_title = |
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| prev_year = |
| prev_year = |
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| next_title = |
| next_title = Knucklehead |
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| next_year = |
| next_year = 1967 |
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| misc = {{External music video|header=Official audio|{{YouTube|SaE4Byj1Z3g|"Soul Finger" (2006 Remaster)}}}} |
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}} |
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==Background== |
==Background== |
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The song was written by the Bar-Kays while they were rehearsing with [[Norman West]] to perform a [[cover version|cover]] of [[J.J. Jackson (singer)|J.J. Jackson]]'s "But It's Alright".<ref name=stax>Liner notes, ''The Complete Stax/Volt Singles, 1959–1968''. [[Atlantic Records|Atlantic]], 1991. p. 31.</ref> It begins with the [[melody]] of the popular children's song "[[Mary Had a Little Lamb]]" and then cuts into the main riff, punctuated with a high [[trumpet]] trill. It features a chorus of neighborhood children who had been [[loitering]] outside the [[recording studio]]; they were instructed to shout "Soul Finger!" and were paid with [[Coca-Cola]].<ref name=stax/> The idea for the title and the shouts came from the Stax songwriters [[Isaac Hayes]] and [[David Porter (musician)|David Porter]].<ref name=stax/> The track was used as the opening theme tune to BBC Radio 1 DJ [[Stuart Henry (DJ)|Stuart Henry]]'s shows from 1969 to 1974. |
The song was written by the Bar-Kays while they were rehearsing with [[Norman West]] to perform a [[cover version|cover]] of [[J. J. Jackson (singer)|J. J. Jackson]]'s "But It's Alright".<ref name=stax>Liner notes, ''The Complete Stax/Volt Singles, 1959–1968''. [[Atlantic Records|Atlantic]], 1991. p. 31.</ref> It begins with the [[melody]] of the popular children's song "[[Mary Had a Little Lamb]]" and then cuts into the main riff, punctuated with a high [[trumpet]] trill. It features a chorus of neighborhood children who had been [[loitering]] outside the [[recording studio]]; they were instructed to shout "Soul Finger!" and were paid with [[Coca-Cola]].<ref name=stax/> The idea for the title and the shouts came from the Stax songwriters [[Isaac Hayes]] and [[David Porter (musician)|David Porter]].<ref name=stax/> The track was used as the opening theme tune to BBC Radio 1 DJ [[Stuart Henry (DJ)|Stuart Henry]]'s shows from 1969 to 1974. |
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==Chart performance== |
==Chart performance== |
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[[Category:1967 songs]] |
[[Category:1967 songs]] |
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[[Category:1967 debut singles]] |
[[Category:1967 debut singles]] |
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[[Category:1960s instrumentals]] |
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[[Category:Stax Records singles]] |
[[Category:Stax Records singles]] |
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[[Category:The Blues Brothers songs]] |
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Latest revision as of 21:39, 13 June 2024
| "Soul Finger" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by the Bar-Kays | ||||
| from the album Soul Finger | ||||
| B-side | "Knucklehead" | |||
| Released | April 14, 1967 | |||
| Recorded | March 31, 1967 | |||
| Length | 2:18 | |||
| Label | Volt Records | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Jimmy King Phalon Jones Carl Cunningham Ben Cauley Ronnie Caldwell James Alexander | |||
| The Bar-Kays singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Official audio | ||||
| "Soul Finger" (2006 Remaster) on YouTube | ||||
"Soul Finger" is the first single released by R&B group the Bar-Kays. It was issued by Stax Records on the Volt Records label on April 14, 1967.
Background
[edit]The song was written by the Bar-Kays while they were rehearsing with Norman West to perform a cover of J. J. Jackson's "But It's Alright".[1] It begins with the melody of the popular children's song "Mary Had a Little Lamb" and then cuts into the main riff, punctuated with a high trumpet trill. It features a chorus of neighborhood children who had been loitering outside the recording studio; they were instructed to shout "Soul Finger!" and were paid with Coca-Cola.[1] The idea for the title and the shouts came from the Stax songwriters Isaac Hayes and David Porter.[1] The track was used as the opening theme tune to BBC Radio 1 DJ Stuart Henry's shows from 1969 to 1974.
Chart performance
[edit]"Soul Finger" was a hit in the United States, peaking at number 3 on the U.S. Billboard R&B singles chart and number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100.[2] The B-side of the single was "Knucklehead", written by Booker T. Jones and Steve Cropper, which reached number 28 on the R&B singles chart and number 76 on the Hot 100.[2] "Soul Finger" and "Knucklehead" were the first two tracks of the Bar-Kays' first LP, Soul Finger, issued on July 10, after nine more tracks had been recorded on June 23.[3]
