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Normally, we use Music Video Monday to highlight the latest work by Memphis musicians and/or filmmakers. But this Music Video Monday is a little different. We’re going to look back to one of the most significant moments in Memphis music history — and it didn’t even happen here.
Tonight, Stax: Soulsville USA premieres on HBO. I’ll have a lot more to say about the four-part documentary series in the coming days, but right now, I want to focus on one of the doc’s most thrilling moments. In 1967, Stax Records, then a startup regional record label, sent its stars on a whirlwind tour of Europe. As director Jamila Wignot reveals in episode 1, the BBC wouldn’t play American R&B, so pirate radio stations based on boats in international waters sprang up to meet the teenage demand for new music. When the Stax/Volt Revue hit European stages, the performers were shocked to discover that the kids in the audience were primed to go nuts.
This footage of the revue in action was shot in Norway on April 7, 1967. You’ll see Sam and Dave, Booker T. and the MGs, and Otis Redding in their prime. Strap in, put those headphones on, and hit play.
If you would like to see your music video featured on Music Video Monday, email cmccoy@memphisflyer.com.
