Stax Records and Craft Recordings are teaming up to spotlight the bluesier side of legendary gospel-soul-R&B singer Johnnie Taylor on a new collection coming this fall. One Step From The Blues, set for release Oct. 25, is up for pre-order now in LP, CD, and digital formats. A limited edition blue vinyl version is available exclusively through Barnes & Noble.
One Step From The Blues is preceded today by the brassy, funky “Steal Away,” which shows off the Philosopher of Soul at his most passionately gritty. Also among the album’s 12 tracks are the cheeky divorce satire “Cheaper to Keep Her,” the lush but hard-hitting ballad “Stop Doggin’ Me,” and “I Had a Dream,” a slow-churning 12 bar blues written by Isaac Hayes and David Porter.
Taylor was one of the titans of 20th century soul music. He grew up singing in gospel groups in West Memphis, Arkansas, got his big break when he replaced Sam Cooke in the Soul Stirrers in 1957. He eventually joined Cooke’s SAR label as a solo artist and, after Cooke’s death in 1964, signed with Memphis powerhouse Stax Records. Another untimely death, that of Otis Redding in 1967, brought Taylor to the top of the Stax roster. His recordings with the label through its 1975 closure stand as one of the most fruitful runs in the genre’s history.
Taylor continued recording for decades after Stax, even topping the Billboard Hot 100 with 1976’s “Disco Lady.” In 1999 he released “Soul Heaven,” imagining an afterlife filled with music legends from Dizzy Gillespie to Biggie Smalls. The following year, he passed away from a heart attack at age 66. His accolades include three Grammys, a Pioneer Award from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation, and induction into both the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame and the Blues Hall of Fame.
Order One Step From The Blues here.