Theme From 'Shaft' - Isaac Hayes (1971)

"Theme From 'Shaft'", written and recorded by Isaac Hayes in 1971, was the funk-styled theme song to the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film, "Shaft". The theme was released as a single two months after the movie's soundtrack by Stax Records' Enterprise label (at the time owned by Paramount Pictures, which later released the 2000 version of "Shaft"). "Theme From 'Shaft'" won the 1972 Academy Award for Best Original Song, with Hayes not only becoming the first African-American to win that honor (or any Oscar in a non-acting category) but also becoming the first recipient of the award to both write and perform the winning song. The song has appeared in numerous television shows, commercials, and other movies, including the 2000 remake of "Shaft" starring Samuel L. Jackson, for which Hayes re-recorded the song without making any changes to it. In 2000, Hayes told National Public Radio that he had only agreed to write and record the "Shaft" score after the producer, Joel Freeman, promised him an audition for the lead role. He never got the chance to audition, with the role eventually going to Richard Roundtree, but Hayes kept his end of the deal anyway. Director Gordon Parks also had some input, describing the character of John Shaft (the 'black private dick/who's a sex machine') to Hayes and explaining that the song had to familiarize the audience with him. Hayes recorded the rhythm parts on the theme first, scored the entire rest of the film, then returned to the theme song. It begins with a sixteenth-note hi-hat ride pattern, played by Willie Hall, which was drawn from a break on Otis Redding's "Try A Little Tenderness", a Stax record on which Hayes had played. Also featured in the intro is Charles Pitts' guitar, which uses a wah-wah effect common in 1970s funk, playing a riff that had originally been written for an unfinished Stax song. The synthesized keyboard was played by Hayes. The intro lasts for more than two minutes before any vocals are heard. The lyrics describe Shaft's coolness, courage, and sex appeal, and Hayes' lead vocals are punctuated by a trio of female backup singers. At one famous moment, Hayes calls Shaft 'a bad mother—' before the backup singers (one of whom was Tony Orlando & Dawn's Telma Hopkins) interrupt the implied profanity with the line 'Shut yo' mouth!'. The song was considered very racy for its time. As late as 1990, censors at the Fox Network thought it too risqué to be sung on "The Simpsons" (until it was shown that the song had been played on television before). The song was not intended to be a single, but the success of the film and the popularity of the track in nightclubs led to a 45 record of the theme being released on Enterprise Records. It quickly hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and stayed there two weeks. The song had an enormous influence on the disco, soul and funk music of the decade. Isaac Lee Hayes, Jr. (August 20, 1942 -- August 10, 2008) was an American songwriter, musician, singer, and actor. He was one of the creative influences behind the southern soul music label Stax Records, where he served both as an in-house songwriter and as a record producer, teaming with his partner David Porter during the mid-1960s. Throughout his songwriting career, Hayes received five BMI R&B Awards, two BMI Pop Awards, two BMI Urban Awards and six Million-Air citations. As of 2008, his songs generated more than 12 million performances. He was also the voice of Chef in the animated show "South Park". This channel is dedicated to all the great 'old school' R&B music I grew up with, the stuff that originally made me tap my feet and want to be a DJ. Funk, soul, disco, R&B, dance, hip-hop, pop . . . 60s, 70s, 80s . . . whatever you call it, it's all 'Old School' and it's all here!

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Copyright 1971 Enterprise/Stax Records
All Rights Reserved

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[louielucifer]

Love this song!!! Isaac Hayes was a genuis!!!

[Gvieto]

Thank you for the information of the late Isaac Hayes song the theme from Shaft. I miss those musical days from my youth.

[microminiskirt]

GREAT SONG I REMEMBER THIS SONG WELL WHEN GROWING UP 1971.

[abenra2000]

Dam Right!!

[jazzy3one]

I HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR THE ORIGINAL VERSION ,THANKS FOR THE OLD SCHOOL POST.

[everlastingcurves]

Hell yeah!!!