Concord Music Group, Rhino Celebrate Stax Records' 60th Anniversary

Stax Records Celebrates 60th

CONCORD MUSIC GROUP and RHINO ENTERTAINMENT will launch a year-long campaign celebrating iconic soul and R&B label STAX RECORDS' 60th anniversary. The partnership marks the first marketing collaboration of the STAX recordings which have been divided since ATLANTIC RECORDS split with STAX in 1967.    

Curated collections of some of the greatest STAX music will be released on new hits compilations, vinyl LPs, digital high-resolution remasters and deluxe boxed sets from many of the label's legendary artists including OTIS REDDING, BOOKER T & THE MGs, ISAAC HAYES, THE STAPLE SINGERS, CARLA THOMAS, RUFUS THOMAS, JOHNNIE TAYLOR, EDDIE FLOYD, WILLIAM BELL, SAM & DAVE, ALBERT KING, MABLE JOHN, THE MAD LADS and more.

The collaboration will kick off with the MAY 19th launch of the STAX CLASSICS series, which consists of 10 collections, each highlighting one of the label's biggest stars with 12 choice tracks and new liner notes.

Throughout the year, CONCORD and RHINO will reissue a variety of iconic STAX albums on vinyl, including a 50th anniversary pressing of OTIS REDDING and CARLA THOMAS' "King & Queen" (RHINO), MELVIN VAN PEEBLES' soundtrack to the groundbreaking "Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song" (CONCORD), rarity JOHN GARY WILLIAMS (THE MAD LADS' frontman (CONCORD) and OTIS REDDING's 1965 classic "The Great OTIS REDDING Sings Soul Ballads (RHINO). Also, the forthcoming four-CD anthology "ISAAC HAYES: The Spirit of MEMPHIS (1962-1976) will be released in AUGUST, 2017 to coincide with the artist's 75th birth anniversary. In addition, both labels will collaborate on a three-CD STAX 60th set, plus a new installment in the critically acclaimed COMPLETE STAX SINGLES boxed set series. Volume Four will focus on the diverse nature of the label's catalog, featuring singles released not only on STAX and VOLT, but also ENTERPRISE, HIP, CHALICE, GOSPEL TRUTH, among others. RHINO and CONCORD will also continue an overhaul of digital releases, re-delivering a handful of popular titles in high-resolution and Mastered for iTUNES formats, as well as making many albums available to streaming and digital services for the first time.

"The STAX catalog features some of the greatest and most culturally significant albums and singles of all time and continues to resonate with music fans 60 years later," RHINO ENTERTAINMENT Pres. MARK PINKUS said. "We are thrilled to be partnering with CONCORD's team on a wide array of new releases fitting of such an important moment in the STAX legacy."  

CONCORD BICYCLE MUSIC Chief Catalog Officer SIG SIGWORTH added, "STAX has a great history of bringing people together-songwriters, musicians, singers and fans from around the world.  It's in this same tradition that we are very pleased to work with MARK and his team to bring together both sides of this incredible catalog while celebrating 60 years of SOULSVILLE, USA."

MEMPHIS banker and fiddle player JIM STEWART, who founded the label in 1957, overseeing operations initially with his sister ESTELLE AXTON and then associate AL BELL, said. "On the anniversary of STAX RECORDS' 60th, this CONCORD/RHINO collaboration signals the beginning of the end of a bitter-sweet relationship between STAX and ATLANTIC. It's long-overdue and a good omen for the unending popularity of the very best of MEMPHIS Soul music. STAX RECORDS was my baby. STAX music was and always will be inspirational. I am so pleased that the music we created and recorded at STAX is still being discovered, and it continues to reside in the hearts of devotees everywhere that know the joy and power of 'real' music." 

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