The Bar-Kays: Masters Of Funky R&B

The Bar-Kays, a popular funk ensemble, reached the height of popularity with R&B hits through the ‘70s and ‘80s.

Their strength lay in being able to read current trends and incorporate them in their music to create a distinctive sound without plagiarising.

Initially called The Imperials, the Bar-Kays originated in Memphis, TN. Their early influences came from bands like The Mar-Kays and Booker T and the MGs. Interestingly, the group named themselves after their favourite drink, Bacardi rum!

The original line up consisted of Jimmy King (guitar), Ben Cauley (trumpet), Ronnie Caldwell (organ), Phalon Jones (sax), James Alexander (bass) and Carl Cunningham (drums). Over the years however the group underwent many changes and the line-up changed considerably.

The band’s first label was Volt, a Stax subsidiary in 1967. Groomed to act as a studio backing group, the band was helped by drummer Al Jackson of Booker T & the MGs. During this period they supported many premier artistes including Otis Redding, Sam and Dave and Booker T.

The Bar-Kays’ first single was Soul Finger in 1969. A playful instrumental track (it had a group of children yelling “soul finger” every so often!), it went to No. 3 on the R&B charts and also broke into the Top 20. Subsequently the group started backing Otis Redding regularly and caught the attention of producer Allen Jones. Jones later went on to become their mentor and manager.

Tragedy struck on December 10, 1967. While travelling with Otis Redding to Madison, the group perished when their plane crashed. Only trumpeter, Ben Cauley and bassist James Alexander (who had not taken the flight) survived.

With Jones’ help guitarist Michael Toles, keyboardist Ronnie Gordon, saxophonist Harvey Henderson and drummers Roy Cunningham and Willie Hall were recruited.The group went back to being Stax/Volt’s house band, supporting artists like Rufus Thomas, Albert King and The Staple Singers.

In 1971, The Bar-Kays changed their image by inducting their first lead vocalist, Larry Dodson. They joined Sly and the Family Stone and Funkadelic on the album Black Rock, experimenting with rock/funk fusions. They also backed Isaac Hayes on the soundtrack of Shaft but consequently lost Cauley and Toles who left to join Hayes’ regular backing band. Replacements were found in Charles “Scoop” Allen (trumpet) and Vernon Burch (guitar).

The new line up moved the band closer to mainstream funk. In 1972 they scored their first R&B Top Ten hit since Soul Finger with Son of Shaft. Between 1973 -74, the Bar-Kays released more music to little acclaim.

1975 saw Stax/ Volt go bankrupt. The Bar-Kays made a fresh start by signing up with Mercury in 1976. Thus started the most commercially successful phase in the band’s career. The band‘s label debut Too Hot to Stop (1976) was very successful with Shake Your Rump To The Funk becoming a smash R&B hit. Between 1976-77 the band opened for Parliament on the P-Funk Earth Tour and started writing their own songs for the first time. The 1978 album Flying High On Your Love with every song an original, went gold, another first for the Bar-Kays. Another gold came from Holy Ghost, from the album Money Talks .This remains one of the band’s most popular tracks to date.

Between 1976 -87, the band’s singles appeared on the R&B charts at least 23 times! Among the band’s biggest singles was the platinum Freakshow on the Dancefloor, later a part of the Breakdance soundtrack.

From the late 80’s the hits dried up. In 1987 Allan Jones, who had supported the band throughout, died of a heart attack. By then the Bar-Kays had been reduced to just three members, who too went their separate ways by 1993. The group finally called it quits, though there have been sporadic releases subsequently.

TJ Grooves - Soul Music TV & Rare Soul Grooves.com