Biography
Even though a 1967 plane crash claimed four founding members along with Otis Redding, the Bar-Kays eventually reclaimed their place among the leading R&B ensembles of the 1970s. Originally a Memphis instrumental ensemble, the group notched an R&B success on Volt via the exuberant 1967 release “Soul Finger.” Guitarist Jimmy King, organist Ronnie Caldwell, drummer Carl Cunningham, and saxophonist Phalon Jones died in the same accident that took Redding, leaving trumpeter Ben Cauley and bassist James Alexander to rebuild the lineup. Following extensive session duties at Stax, the reconstituted Bar-Kays launched a sustained run of R&B successes in 1976 with Mercury’s “Shake Your Rump to the Funk,” achieving a durability few would have foreseen for the label’s onetime backup unit.
The ensemble originated in Memphis, Tennessee, during 1964 as an offshoot of a neighborhood act known as the Imperials. Drawing inspiration from established Memphis soul instrumental groups such as the Mar-Keys and Booker T. & the MG’s, the initial roster featured guitarist Jimmy King (distinct from the blues artist of the same name), trumpeter Ben Cauley, organist Ronnie Caldwell, saxophonist Phalon Jones, bassist James Alexander, and drummer Carl Cunningham. Taking a playful variation on their preferred rum brand, Bacardi, as their moniker, the musicians performed regularly throughout Memphis before attracting Stax/Volt’s interest and securing a contract in early 1967. Aided by house drummer Al Jackson, Jr., the label began preparing the six-piece to serve as an alternate studio rhythm section that could occasionally relieve Booker T. & the MG’s. That spring they recorded their debut single, “Soul Finger,” a lively, celebratory instrumental highlighted by local children chanting the title phrase. The track climbed to the pop Top 20 and reached number three on the R&B chart, bringing the Bar-Kays widespread recognition, although their next release, “Give Everybody Some,” only grazed the R&B Top 40. Producer Allen Jones soon took on management and mentoring duties for the group; moreover, Otis Redding selected them as his regular touring ensemble that summer.
Tragedy occurred on December 10, 1967, when Redding’s aircraft plunged into frozen Lake Monona while traveling to a performance in Madison, Wisconsin. Redding, his road manager, and four Bar-Kays members lost their lives. Trumpeter Ben Cauley was the sole survivor from the plane, and bassist James Alexander had remained behind; together they undertook the difficult work of reconstructing the band. Adding to their setbacks, the final single issued by the original configuration—a version of the Beatles’ “A Hard Day’s Night”—received scant attention. Nevertheless, with Allen Jones’s guidance, Cauley and Alexander recruited guitarist Michael Toles, keyboardist Ronnie Gordon, saxophonist Harvey Henderson, and drummers Roy Cunningham and Willie Hall. Their initial style echoed the first lineup, and they functioned as the house rhythm section for numerous Stax/Volt dates; they also supported Isaac Hayes on his landmark 1969 album Hot Buttered Soul. Still unable to secure a hit under their own name, Cunningham and Gordon departed in 1970, with Winston Stewart arriving on keyboards.
On the 1971 album Black Rock the Bar-Kays introduced their first lead singer, Larry Dodson, and blended elements of the psychedelic-tinged rock/funk explorations associated with Sly & the Family Stone and Funkadelic. After contributing to Isaac Hayes’s successful Shaft soundtrack, Cauley and Toles joined his permanent touring unit and were succeeded by trumpeter Charles “Scoop” Allen and guitarist Vernon Burch. This configuration shifted toward mainstream funk, achieving a modest hit with the playful reworking of Jimi Hendrix’s “Foxy Lady” titled “Copy Cat.” Its follow-up, another lighthearted nod to a recent chart success, became “Son of Shaft,” which in 1972 marked the group’s first Top Ten R&B entry since “Soul Finger.” That summer the Bar-Kays delivered a warmly received performance at Wattstax, yet commercial progress remained elusive as Stax/Volt moved toward bankruptcy in 1975.
With guitarist Lloyd Smith (who arrived after Burch’s 1973 exit), drummer Michael Beard, and trombonist Frank Thompson now aboard, the Bar-Kays joined Mercury in 1976 and entered their most commercially active era. Composing most of their material and incorporating synthesizers, their Mercury debut Too Hot to Stop became a hit, driven by the major R&B single “Shake Your Rump to the Funk.” The band strengthened their position by touring extensively as openers for George Clinton’s P-Funk collective, adopting a freer, more energetic approach that better captured their evolving funk identity while also crossing into disco territory. The follow-up Flying High on Your Love (1977) earned the group its first gold certification, and Money Talks—a Fantasy compilation of earlier unreleased Stax recordings—yielded another Top Ten hit, “Holy Ghost,” the next year. Drummer Sherman Guy and keyboardist Mark Bynum subsequently joined, and a series of successful albums ensued: 1979’s Injoy (containing the Top Five R&B hit “Move Your Boogie Body”), 1980’s As One, 1981’s Nightcruising (featuring “Hit and Run” and “Freaky Behavior”), and 1982’s Propositions (including “Do It (Let Me See You Shake)” and “She Talks to Me with Her Body”). All except As One reached gold status.
Sherman Guy and Charles Allen exited in 1983, signaling a pivot toward the polished urban sound prevalent in the early 1980s. The 1984 album Dangerous delivered one of their strongest singles, “Freakshow on the Dancefloor,” along with additional R&B chart entries “Dirty Dancer” and “Sex-O-Matic.” Their style grew increasingly derivative, and although they continued recording for Mercury until 1989, shifting tastes brought an end to their hit-making period. By 1987 only Larry Dodson, Harvey Henderson, and Winston Stewart remained; that year Allen Jones suffered a fatal heart attack, and the group achieved its final R&B Top Ten hit with “Certified True.” Upon completion of their Mercury contract, the Bar-Kays disbanded after releasing 1988’s Animal. Dodson and original bassist James Alexander briefly reassembled a version of the group for the 1994 album 48 Hours on the independent Basix label.
The ensemble originated in Memphis, Tennessee, during 1964 as an offshoot of a neighborhood act known as the Imperials. Drawing inspiration from established Memphis soul instrumental groups such as the Mar-Keys and Booker T. & the MG’s, the initial roster featured guitarist Jimmy King (distinct from the blues artist of the same name), trumpeter Ben Cauley, organist Ronnie Caldwell, saxophonist Phalon Jones, bassist James Alexander, and drummer Carl Cunningham. Taking a playful variation on their preferred rum brand, Bacardi, as their moniker, the musicians performed regularly throughout Memphis before attracting Stax/Volt’s interest and securing a contract in early 1967. Aided by house drummer Al Jackson, Jr., the label began preparing the six-piece to serve as an alternate studio rhythm section that could occasionally relieve Booker T. & the MG’s. That spring they recorded their debut single, “Soul Finger,” a lively, celebratory instrumental highlighted by local children chanting the title phrase. The track climbed to the pop Top 20 and reached number three on the R&B chart, bringing the Bar-Kays widespread recognition, although their next release, “Give Everybody Some,” only grazed the R&B Top 40. Producer Allen Jones soon took on management and mentoring duties for the group; moreover, Otis Redding selected them as his regular touring ensemble that summer.
Tragedy occurred on December 10, 1967, when Redding’s aircraft plunged into frozen Lake Monona while traveling to a performance in Madison, Wisconsin. Redding, his road manager, and four Bar-Kays members lost their lives. Trumpeter Ben Cauley was the sole survivor from the plane, and bassist James Alexander had remained behind; together they undertook the difficult work of reconstructing the band. Adding to their setbacks, the final single issued by the original configuration—a version of the Beatles’ “A Hard Day’s Night”—received scant attention. Nevertheless, with Allen Jones’s guidance, Cauley and Alexander recruited guitarist Michael Toles, keyboardist Ronnie Gordon, saxophonist Harvey Henderson, and drummers Roy Cunningham and Willie Hall. Their initial style echoed the first lineup, and they functioned as the house rhythm section for numerous Stax/Volt dates; they also supported Isaac Hayes on his landmark 1969 album Hot Buttered Soul. Still unable to secure a hit under their own name, Cunningham and Gordon departed in 1970, with Winston Stewart arriving on keyboards.
On the 1971 album Black Rock the Bar-Kays introduced their first lead singer, Larry Dodson, and blended elements of the psychedelic-tinged rock/funk explorations associated with Sly & the Family Stone and Funkadelic. After contributing to Isaac Hayes’s successful Shaft soundtrack, Cauley and Toles joined his permanent touring unit and were succeeded by trumpeter Charles “Scoop” Allen and guitarist Vernon Burch. This configuration shifted toward mainstream funk, achieving a modest hit with the playful reworking of Jimi Hendrix’s “Foxy Lady” titled “Copy Cat.” Its follow-up, another lighthearted nod to a recent chart success, became “Son of Shaft,” which in 1972 marked the group’s first Top Ten R&B entry since “Soul Finger.” That summer the Bar-Kays delivered a warmly received performance at Wattstax, yet commercial progress remained elusive as Stax/Volt moved toward bankruptcy in 1975.
With guitarist Lloyd Smith (who arrived after Burch’s 1973 exit), drummer Michael Beard, and trombonist Frank Thompson now aboard, the Bar-Kays joined Mercury in 1976 and entered their most commercially active era. Composing most of their material and incorporating synthesizers, their Mercury debut Too Hot to Stop became a hit, driven by the major R&B single “Shake Your Rump to the Funk.” The band strengthened their position by touring extensively as openers for George Clinton’s P-Funk collective, adopting a freer, more energetic approach that better captured their evolving funk identity while also crossing into disco territory. The follow-up Flying High on Your Love (1977) earned the group its first gold certification, and Money Talks—a Fantasy compilation of earlier unreleased Stax recordings—yielded another Top Ten hit, “Holy Ghost,” the next year. Drummer Sherman Guy and keyboardist Mark Bynum subsequently joined, and a series of successful albums ensued: 1979’s Injoy (containing the Top Five R&B hit “Move Your Boogie Body”), 1980’s As One, 1981’s Nightcruising (featuring “Hit and Run” and “Freaky Behavior”), and 1982’s Propositions (including “Do It (Let Me See You Shake)” and “She Talks to Me with Her Body”). All except As One reached gold status.
Sherman Guy and Charles Allen exited in 1983, signaling a pivot toward the polished urban sound prevalent in the early 1980s. The 1984 album Dangerous delivered one of their strongest singles, “Freakshow on the Dancefloor,” along with additional R&B chart entries “Dirty Dancer” and “Sex-O-Matic.” Their style grew increasingly derivative, and although they continued recording for Mercury until 1989, shifting tastes brought an end to their hit-making period. By 1987 only Larry Dodson, Harvey Henderson, and Winston Stewart remained; that year Allen Jones suffered a fatal heart attack, and the group achieved its final R&B Top Ten hit with “Certified True.” Upon completion of their Mercury contract, the Bar-Kays disbanded after releasing 1988’s Animal. Dodson and original bassist James Alexander briefly reassembled a version of the group for the 1994 album 48 Hours on the independent Basix label.
Albums
Coldblooded
2007
20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best Of The Bar-Kays
2005
Best Of/20th Century
2005
Injoy
2004
Ballad Collection
1998
The Best Of The Bar-Kays (Vol. 2)
1996
48 Hours
1994
Black Rock/Gotta Groove
1994
The Best Of The Bar-Kays
1993
Soul Finger
1992
Animal
1989
Contagious
1987
Dangerous
1984
Propositions
1982
Nightcruising
1981
As One
1980
Money Talks
1978
Do You See What I See?
1972
Singles
