While the last 12 months featured plenty of essential new music from Memphis artists, this year also provided a remarkable bounty for fans of the city’s rich musical history.The legacy of Memphis music, particularly the city’s venerable Stax Records, is so deep that 2023 featured not one but three separate boxed sets (of varying expansiveness) documenting completely distinct creative movements and moments from the label.Add to that a groundbreaking live concert from Elvis Presley, newly remixed by a Grammy-winning local, as well as a fresh edition of a late Bluff City rap icon’s debut, and you’ve got our five essential Memphis reissues for the year.
‘Written In Their Soul: The Stax Songwriter Demos’
Various Artists; Concord/Craft Recordings
Two decades in the making, this epic seven-disc, 146-track collection pulls back the curtain on the songwriting magic at Stax via an incredible wealth of demo recordings. The material here puts the spotlight on Stax’s legendary roster of writers including Bettye Crutcher, Homer Banks, Sir Mack Rice and many more. With 140 previously unreleased tracks, it is a revelation to hear soul classics and deep cuts alike in their embryonic form, frequently performed by the original authors.Credit is due the project’s producer, multiple-Grammy winner Cheryl Pawelski, a longtime champion of Memphis music throughout her career as an A&R executive and in her role as head of Omnivore Recordings. Pawelski labored for the better part of 20 years to bring this trove of material to light, fighting through the various legal and rights issues, to create this essential addition to the soul cannon.To bring further depth to the package, she enlisted Stax historian/author writer Robert Gordon and veteran Stax publicist and executive Deanie Parker — and the pair’s liner notes for the set add to the understanding of Stax’s hothouse songwriting environment.The response to “Written In Their Soul” has cemented its status as one of the all-time archival Stax sets. In November, the box set was nominated for a pair of Grammys, with Gordon and Parker getting the nod in the Best Album Notes category. They will also be up for the Best Historical Album award for their work on the project, along with Pawelski and fellow producers Mason Williams and Michelle Smith.
‘Soul’d Out: The Complete Wattstax Collection’
Various Artists; Concord/Craft Recordings
Another massive Stax collection also earned its place among the year’s best and most historically significant releases this year. The 12-disc “Soul’d Out: The Complete Wattstax Collection” marked the 50th anniversary of the legendary Wattstax concert, held at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in 1972. The concert, which found Stax at its zenith as a both musical and cultural force, featured performances by the label’s biggest stars including Isaac Hayes, the Staple Singers, Carla Thomas, Albert King, the Bar-Kays, Rufus Thomas and more.
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“Soul’d Out,” featuring 31 previously unreleased tracks, represents the most complete representation of the Wattstax experience — and the set is further bolstered by a 76-page, full-color book, and new informative essays by Wattstax creator and Stax president Al Bell, as well as reflections from Stax historian/author Rob Bowman, among others.
‘King of Memphis’
Young Dolph; Paper Route Empire
Originally released in 2016, “King of Memphis” marked the official studio debut from rapper Young Dolph, while this revamped/repressed vinyl version hit the streets in 2023 making it one of the year’s essential Bluff City hip-hop purchases.
The Paper Route Empire label founder was still in the ascendancy — blazing a trail as an independent artist making waves within the music industry — when he was gunned down in South Memphis in November 2021.
Though much has been written and said in the wake of his death, nothing could offer a better testament to his musical prowess and lasting legacy than “King of Memphis” — which includes his breakout single, “Get Paid.” A largely feature-free LP, “King of Memphis” keeps the focus on Dolph as a rapper, while offering top-flight production from the likes of from Mike Will Made, TM88, Zaytoven, Nard & B, and Drumma Boy, among others.
‘Aloha From Hawaii via Satellite – 50th Anniversary’
Elvis Presley; Sony/Legacy
Recorded live on Jan. 12 and 14, 1973, at the Honolulu International Center Arena and beamed around the world, Elvis’ “Aloha from Hawaii via Satellite” was a landmark event that took advantage of the then-emerging global satellite technology. While the arena in Honolulu held just 6,000, an estimated 1 billion people all over the world would see the show as part of the broadcast.
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This 50th anniversary edition of “Aloha from Hawaii via Satellite” was produced by longtime Elvis archivist Ernst Jørgensen and given a new mix by Grammy-winning, Memphis-based recording engineer Matt Ross-Spang. In addition to the original concert, this expanded set includes the rehearsal show and unique after-show recordings, a deluxe book featuring an essay by veteran Los Angeles Time critic Randy Lewis, as well as the first release of “Aloha from Hawaii via Satellite” on Blu-ray. It’s an essential piece for Elvis aficionados and Memphis music fans.
‘Truth Is Where It’s At: The Best of Gospel Truth’
Various Artists; Vinyl Me, Please
This limited edition boxed set, from record club Vinyl Me, Please, puts a rare spotlight on Stax Records’ spiritual music imprint, Gospel Truth. Featuring six classic albums from the Gospel Truth archives, the set focuses on the work of the label’s flagship star, Bishop Rance Allen, veteran acts like Maceo Woods and Louise McCord, and forgotten one-off artists like Blue Aquarius.
This boxed set features six 180g records, cut from the original tapes, as well as a thoroughly informative booklet/listening guide penned by Memphis journo Jared Boyd that offers a great opportunity to learn about and listen to the gospel side of Stax.
